TV Forum

Freeview box sparks RAF false alarm

(January 2006)

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Londoner 15 January 2006 3:14pm

Sunday Times posted:

A ROGUE signal from a freeview television box was picked up at a Scottish RAF base, sparking a helicopter rescue mission in the south of England costing �20,000.
The �50 set-top box in Portsmouth sent out a faulty signal, identical to the one reserved for emergency distress beacons at sea, which was picked up by satellite and sent to RAF Kinross.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2764-1986858,00.html

Blob 15 January 2006 4:59pm

luke-h 15 January 2006 5:11pm

I wonder what sort of box it was, was it one of the expensive Sony types, or one of the cheap Vestel knock-offs?

Bail Moderator 15 January 2006 5:54pm

How on earth did the box send OUT a signal, is that technically possibal?

davidhorman 15 January 2006 5:57pm

How does a Freeview box comes to transmit a signal? And one strong enough to be picked up by a satellite? Could a fault make it use the connection to the roof aerial to transmit, or what?

David

Adam 15 January 2006 5:57pm

Bail posted:

How on earth did the box send OUT a signal, is that technically possibal?

RF output. Surprised the signal was strong enough though.