FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Further to cable TV (DVB-C) and satellite TV (DVB-S), there is a third means of signal transmission called DVB-T. The "T" stands for terrestrial TV and means that digital radio and TV programmes are broadcast via a transmitter antenna located on the ground.

Terrestrial signal transmission is limited to national boundaries. This means that DVB-T allows e.g. German programmes to be received within Germany only, and Spanish programmes only in Spain. In Germany, DVB-T covers mostly urban areas. Reception is often not possible in rural areas, i.e. in the major vacation areas and also in valleys. Also, private stations are only transmitted via DVT-T in major urban areas. In rural areas, DVB-T reception is usually limited to public stations.

DVB-T2 HD/H.265 is a type of terrestrial TV, with the "2" standing for second generation. Compared to its predecessor (DVB-T), this technology can transmit more programmes in a higher quality.

In Germany, the transition from DVT-T to DVB-T2 HD/H.265 started on 31st March 2016 with the broadcasting of a few stations in some of Germany’s urban areas.

On 29th March 2017, DVB-T was taken off the air in many German urban areas and replaced by the full programme range in DVB-T2 HD/H.265.

By 2019, the transition to DVB-T2 HD/H.265 is scheduled to be completed.

One of the consequences of the transition to DVB-T2 HD/H.265 is that devices which are only compatible with DVB-T can no longer be used with this new technology. Accordingly, if you have a terrestrial antenna, you will need a receiver that is compatible with DVB-T2 HD/H.265. Note that only public stations broadcast "free-to-air", i.e. free of charge. Private stations can be received via "freenet TV" against charge.

Over the past years, ten Haaft has developed a comprehensive service network so that you will find competent support quickly and easily, should you ever experience any technical problems with your equipment. We cooperate hand-in-hand with our dealers who are offered intensive product training throughout Europe. To find a dealer near you, please check ”Service + Partners“.

Please arrange an appointment with a dealer near you.

Many European countries are currently shutting down their digital stations. Accordingly, often only HD programmes can be received. Whether you can receive HD programmes or not depends on the compatibility of your receiver or TV set with HD technology. If you own a previous digital receiver and live in a European country converting to HD, the ten Haaft company will offer you a trade-in campaign. In this case you can trade in your SD receiver against our HD Receiver "Europe" at a reduced price.

Please contact the commercial support of ten Haaft if you have any questions.

Phone: +49 (0)7231 58 588-937

At home, your satellite system is a fixed installation and is adjusted to the right satellite by a technician during installation. On your mobile home, the satellite system is permanently installed as well, but needs to be readjusted to the satellite each time the vehicle has been moved. This is where fully automatic satellite systems show their benefit. Just press a button, and your programme will be received within a moment.

We recommend not to exceed a maximum speed of 130 km/h when driving with a mounted ten Haaft system. The only exception is our new Oyster V, for which we recommend a maximum speed of 150 km/h.

Please note that:

• ... ff the vehicle moves or is transported in reverse at speeds above 30 km/h, especially when being transported by truck or train, the antenna must be secured against unintended unfolding by suitable means;
• … road traffic regulations stipulate that the vehicle operator must verify the vehicle's roadworthiness before each use. This requires the operator to perform a visual inspection of the external unit to make sure that it is fully retracted.

You can use the TV set with any other satellite antenna and earlier ten Haaft systems. However, your TV set will then only serve as receiver and not provide its premium functionality. The antenna can then not be controlled via the remote control.

With a mobile satellite system, you can receive TV and other signal throughout Europe. Depending on the size of the antenna, regional TV and radio signals can also be received far from home throughout Europe’s favourite holiday destinations.

For shorter trips within central Europe, a compact flat-panel antenna (such as the CARO®+) is sufficient.

If you intend to travel to Spain, Italy or Norway, you will need an antenna offering a greater range such as our Cytrac® ^DX or Oyster® IV 65.

Keen travellers should opt for the Oyster® IV 85 or our new Oyster® V which cover almost all holiday regions between the North Cape and Morocco.

To find out which antenna size suits your needs best, see „Reception ranges“.

The “SKEW” option extends the antenna’s reception range even further. Due to the earth’s curvature, the LNB must be tilted to optimise reception in the fringe of the satellites’ footprints in southwestern and southeastern holiday regions. The Oyster® system automatically detects the direction into which the LNB must be rotated and performs the adjustment by means of an electric motor. This fully automated option is only available for our parabolic dish antennas. On our flat-panel antennas, the SKEW angle can be adjusted manually.

For further information about the SKEW angle, please read here.

The space required to fit a satellite system depends on the type of antenna and its dish or panel size. If roof space is limited, our flat-panel antennas (CARO®+ and Cytrac® ^DX) are the systems of choice. Thanks to their compact design, they require less space than systems using a parabolic antenna.

In some cases, height can be a problem. Often, when adding the height of the satellite system (e.g. 14 cm for the CARO®+ and Cytrac® ^DX ) to the overall vehicle height, you may be frustrated to find out that the vehicle no longer fits under a carport or garage with the system mounted.

In particular when travelling countries collecting road toll, such as France, only a few centimetres can cause a significant cost increase as any vehicle exceeding a height of 3.00 metres will be classified as a heavy commercial vehicle. In this case it must be considered that any equipment on the roof, such as hatches or alcoves, are already included in the total height.

In many cases, a CARO®+ or Cytrac® ^DX flat-panel system will fit nonetheless, as its profile only slightly higher than a roof rail or roof hatch. Before deciding on a model, be sure to determine the height of your vehicle and the maximum permissible height of the satellite system.

Antenna heights

Today, vehicle weight plays a crucial role when making a decision to buy a new mobile home. Accordingly, you should also be aware of the weight of the antenna you wish to buy.

Before you decide for any type of antenna, you should first look into your vehicle’s interior. Decide on the number of TV sets you wish to operate at the same time. In general, LNBs are available as single, twin and quadro variants.

• With a single LNB, you can only use one TV at a time.
• With a twin LNB, you can use up to two TV sets at the same time.
• A quadro LNB allows you to use up to four TV sets at the same time.

Our CARO®+ system is fitted with a single LNB.

Our Cytrac® ^DX system can be fitted with a single LNB and a twin LNB.

Our parabolic dish antennas can be fitted with a single, twin or quadro LNB.

The equipment variant best suited to your needs also depends on the equipment already in use.

Vision (= complete satellite system without receiver)
The Vision variant is geared toward customers already owning a receiver or TV set with integrated receiver. This variant includes a satellite antenna with connected control panel.

HDTV (= complete satellite system including “Europe” receiver)
The HDTV variant is intended for customers demanding an integrated HD controller receiver to combine simple operation with ultimate features for the reception of all free-to-air HD channels. In addition to 5000 presets for radio and TV channels, the receiver comes with HDMI, USB, RCA and headphone ports. This satellite system can be controlled via the receiver.

Premium (= complete satellite system including “Oyster® TV” set)
The premium variant for customers demanding a fully equipped and integrated system. This premium system allows you to easily control all devices via a single remote control.

Besondere Leistungsmerkmale:

• Our “Oyster® TV” sets are available in the following sizes:
  • 19“ (47cm)
  • 21,5“ (55cm)
  • 24“ (61cm)
  • 32“ (81cm).
• Universal installation thanks to VESA standard mount
  • TV sets of size 19”, 21.5” and 24” = 100 x 100 mm
  • TV sets of size 32” = 200 x 300 mm
• High-end device with ultra-flat design
• LED TV: fascinating image quality in HD
• Connection of external devices via USB 2.0 and HDMI ports
• System-dedicated remote control: only one remote control for the satellite system and the “Oyster® TV”
• EPG: Electronic Programme Guide and timer programming
• CI / CI+ module slot
• On/Off mains switch

For further details about our TV sets, please refer to the following “Link”.

This may have several reasons. The most frequent one is the so-called “transponder change”.

To find a satellite, our antennas scan for a specific frequency. At the factory, the antenna is set to scan for four frequencies per satellite. The antenna scans the individual frequencies in chronological order. If the satellite operator changes the first frequency stored in the antenna, the antenna can no longer find this satellite under this frequency. After approx. 15 minutes, it will automatically scan for the second frequency. If this was changed as well, the antenna will switch to the third frequency after another 15 minutes, until all four frequencies have been scanned.

If all four frequencies are outdated, the antenna will need to be updated. In section "Updates" you can do the update for the corresponding variant and model yourself.

Please contact a dealer near you or the technical service of ten Haaft if you have any questions.

Phone: +49 (0)7231 58 588-935

Whether an LNB can be converted depends primarily on the type of antenna:

Our CARO®+ system is fitted with a single LNB and cannot be retrofitted any further.

Our Cytrac® ^DX system can be converted from a single to a twin system.

Our parabolic antennas can be converted from a single-LNB system to a twin- or quadro-LNB system.

We recommend having your antenna checked by your dealer before our three-year warranty expires.

We also recommend you to regularly update your system to ensure that it functions flawlessly during your vacation. The following “link” provides the latest updates and a detailed description.

If you experience any severe technical problems, you will find further information that you may find helpful “here“.

All satellites broadcasting channels of interest to Central European viewers are aimed at Central Europe. In locations outside this area, the antenna has a "sideways view" on the satellite. This effect is known as the "SKEW angle" or "polarisation angle" and occurs particularly in southern regions such as Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Greece, Turkey, and to an extreme extent on the Canary Islands. If you have specified your Oyster® system (both IV and V) with the SKEW option, then this adjustment is performed automatically. Such automatic adjustment is not possible with our flat-panel antennas.

However, Oyster® systems without SKEW option and flat-panel antennas still allow for a manual adjustment of the SKEW settings, resulting in improved TV signal reception in European fringe areas. This requires loosening the LNB or antenna bolts and turning the LNB or complete flat-panel antenna by a specific angle.

Cytrac® DX	CARO®+	Oyster® / Oyster® V

For further information about the SKEW angle, please read here.