TV Emits Distress Signal, Triggers Search
Yahoo! News ^ | October 19, 2004 | Reuters
Posted on 10/20/2004 9:50:08 AM PDT by El Conservador
EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - TV hardly gets much better than this.
An Oregon man discovered earlier this month that his year-old Toshiba Corp. flat-screen TV was emitting an international distress signal picked up by a satellite, leading a search and rescue operation to his apartment in Corvallis, Oregon, 70 miles south of Portland.
The signal from Chris van Rossmann's TV was routed by satellite to the Air Force Rescue Center at Langley Air Base in Virginia.
On Oct. 2, the 20 year-old college student was visited at his apartment in the small university town by a contingent of local police, civil air patrol and search and rescue personnel.
"They'd never seen signal come that strong from a home appliance," said van Rossmann. "They were quite surprised. I think we all were."
Authorities had expected to find a boat or small plane with a malfunctioning transponder, the usual culprit in such incidents, emitting the 121.5 MHz frequency of the distress signal used internationally.
Van Rossmann said he was told to keep his TV off to avoid paying a $10,000 fine for "willingly broadcasting a false distress signal."
Toshiba contacted Rossmann and offered to provide him with a replacement set for free, he said.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: distresssignal; sos; tv
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-43 next last
Dang!!!
Was the TV tuned to CBS News when the distgress signal was sent???
1 posted on 10/20/2004 9:50:08 AM PDT by El Conservador
To: El Conservador
stuned beeber bump
2 posted on 10/20/2004 9:52:05 AM PDT by mlbford2 ("Never wrestle with a pig; you can't win, you just get filthy, and the pig loves it...")
Now all the Democrats need is television that subliminally plant big government and conpiracy themes into the brains of the viewers. :)
3 posted on 10/20/2004 9:52:50 AM PDT by writer33 (Try this link: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/books/electivedecisions.shtml)
Keychain Remote Control Turns Off Most TVs
Posted by Keith in Iowa to Spunky; leadpencil1
On News/Activism 10/19/2004 9:22:01 PM CDT · 33 of 52
Flat-screen TV emits international distress signal (Michael Moore on when distress signal started?)
Posted by twntaipan
On News/Activism 10/19/2004 12:28:58 AM CDT · 21 replies · 708+ views
CNN (from Reuters) ^ | October 18, 2004
EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) -- TV hardly gets much better than this. An Oregon man discovered earlier this month that his year-old Toshiba Corporation flat-screen TV was emitting an international distress signal picked up by a satellite, leading a search and rescue operation to his apartment in Corvallis, Oregon, 70 miles south of Portland. The signal from Chris van Rossmann's TV was routed by satellite to the Air Force Rescue Center at Langley Air Base in Virginia. On October 2, the 20 year-old college student was visited at his apartment in the small university town by a contingent of local police,...
4 posted on 10/20/2004 9:54:03 AM PDT by Keith in Iowa (At CBS - "We don't just report news - we make it - up.")
To: leadpencil1
Kill your TV ping.
5 posted on 10/20/2004 9:54:04 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
It can sometimes be truly terrifying to explain "human intelligence".
6 posted on 10/20/2004 9:54:56 AM PDT by JoJo Gunn (Help control the Leftist population - have them spayed or neutered.©)
I'll never bad-mouth my ELT again.
Had no idea they had this sort of resolution (down to the apartment?!?!?)
7 posted on 10/20/2004 9:55:53 AM PDT by grobdriver
I think this was Kenneth's TV. Whats the frequency? Now we know!
8 posted on 10/20/2004 9:56:22 AM PDT by Paradox (Occam was probably right.)
You know, my back left molar filling does this every other month. It's a giant pain in the rump, but, I never have to worry about getting lost for too long.
9 posted on 10/20/2004 9:56:42 AM PDT by Shryke
I thought the 121.5 mhz has been phased out in favor of the 406 mhz.
10 posted on 10/20/2004 9:57:47 AM PDT by ThirdMate
What was he watching? "Lost", perhaps.
11 posted on 10/20/2004 9:57:47 AM PDT by Redcloak (Vikings plundered my last tag line.)
Ah, but what I wonder is:
1.) What frequency do these sets normally transmit on?
2.) What information do they transmit?
(Hey, we know TiVO spys on you.)
There's only one way to be safe:
12 posted on 10/20/2004 9:59:19 AM PDT by holymoly ("A lot" is TWO words.)
To: Keith in Iowa; Redcloak
Wanna bet this shows up in a plot on one of the CSI and/or Law & Order shows next year..
13 posted on 10/20/2004 10:00:06 AM PDT by ken5050
Gawl... that's a Bummer. I hope the manufacturer offers him a different one without a transmitter.
14 posted on 10/20/2004 10:02:52 AM PDT by Terriergal ("Woe to you...Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"Matthew 23:23a,24)
To: ken5050
As a techno guy ...I find this story far fetched.
What distress signal was the TV broadcasting...the international Morse code distress signal?
15 posted on 10/20/2004 10:03:39 AM PDT by Dat Mon (clever tagline under construction)
Email from Toshiba:
"We're sorry for the inconvenience, that telly was meant for one of our UK customers, and had been in the shop for repairs. A Mr. Bond will be very happy to get it back.
A new set will be at your home shortly.
Thanks again, chap!
Toshiba Special Projects Group"
16 posted on 10/20/2004 10:12:44 AM PDT by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
I recently had a defective phone line at work that kept calling 911. The police came by 4 times and because of procedural issues, had to search the place and verify my identity every time. I finally had to have the phone co. "busy" out the line for the weekend until someone could come out to fix it on Monday.
17 posted on 10/20/2004 10:16:17 AM PDT by ravingnutter
Speaking of search...
18 posted on 10/20/2004 10:19:43 AM PDT by sharktrager (The masses will trade liberty for a more quiet life.)
To: Dat Mon
"As a techno guy.....I find this story farfetched..."
FWIW, as a luddite of sorts, I tend to find techno guys farfetched.....among other things...(g)
It was broadcasting on 121.5 MHz. That frequency is reserved for distress signals. Just keying the transmitter's good enough to get everyone's attention.
20 posted on 10/20/2004 10:22:05 AM PDT by Poohbah (SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER...SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER)