TV calls for help on EPIRB...

[Noah]

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2444176

Oregon man's TV signals for help

(Corvallis, Oregon-AP) Oct. 18, 2004 - An Oregon man's flat-screen TV is loaded with all the bells and whistles, including one option he'd rather not have.

A couple of weeks ago the Toshiba with built-in VCR, DVD and CD player starting emitting the international distress signal.

An orbiting search and rescue satellite picked up the signal and before long Chris van Rossman heard a knock at the door. Air Force officials, a police officer and a search and rescue deputy were outside.

Officials have told him to keep the TV off or face a fine. A Toshiba spokeswoman says this is the first time the company has heard of such a problem.

[MarkC]

Something similar -

when I was young I was 'forced' to learn to play the electric organ (you know the ones which play a tango, samba, rhumba beat when you push a button) - the organ's other nifty trick was to somehow pick-up and broadcast over the speakers Police two-way radio.

(If I had only known the Starsky and Hutch theme).

PS - has anyone been able to accidently turn their refrigerator into a heater/oven after cleaning it, switching it back on like normal - and wreck a week's supply of food?

[carlg]

Yes, that happened to me. The defrost timer quit running and didn't defrost the coils for many days. The coils iced up solid with frost, the frost filled the air space that the fan blows through, and the interior got veeerry warm.

Check the defrost timer.

[Ronin NW]

Think that TV's cheaper than an EPIRB? How much battery would that take? Might make an extra perk in a liferaft during lonely days in the pacific...