Kathrein CAP 900 self seeking satellite

The Kathrein CAP 900 self seeking satellite system has without doubt been the most expensive motorhome accessory I have bought. However, they do say that you get what you pay for. Thr Kathrein CAP 900 is no exception to this. I purchased my system from Roadpro in 2009 and have been impressed not only by the system itself but also the technical assistance offered by Roadpro required. For example, when connecting a second receiver and also running extra cables to a second television point within the motorhome.

Quite a lot of British television programs are broadcast via the ASTRA2D satellite. These “signals” are focused on the UK. The further away from the UK you travel, then generally speaking the larger  a satellite dish you will require. You may have seen dishes in excess of three metres diameter in the Canary Islands for example. A dish of this size and weight is not really practical for motorhomers and caravanners. The Kathrein CAP 900 operates with a seventy-seven centimetre dish.

The Kathrein CAP 900 comes complete with a UFS 740 receiver which is capable of receiving many of the UK channels. Noteworthy of a mention, the receiver is able to receive various other satellites. Consequently, at the touch of a button you can easily watch French, German or Italian television! The latter is a regular feature in my motorhome and was a tremendous help when I was learning to speak Italian. It is also possible to connect another receiver, such as a Freesat box or SKY box to the Kathrein CAP 900, thus increasing the channel choice even further. The Kathrein uses GPS technology to “find” the broadcasting satellite. As a result, the self-seeking system very quickly finds the selected satellite.

Kathrein CAP 900 reception overseas

From my travels to date, I have found that the Kathrein CAP 900 performs better overseas than other systems on the market. I am able to say this as I had a different system fitted to a previous motorhome. Once in Northern Italy, this system did not perform as well as the Kathrein does. Simple things such as darkness, cloud and rain can all affect the performance of a satellite dish when overseas.

Note the angle of the satellite dish. The further south you are, the further back the dish will tilt.

Note the angle of the satellite dish in the above photograph. The further south you travel, the further back the satellite dish must tilt in order to align with the satellite transmitter. Don’t worry though, the Kathrein CAP 900 takes care of this. The system is fully “self-seeking” meaning that you do not need to assist!

You may find our satellite system comparison feature worth a read. Click here to go to our review page.