Sky box bursts into flames

Forums › Sky, Neon, Lightbox › Sky box bursts into flames

Gordy7

1906 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#273261 13-Aug-2020 11:37

A friend has had her Sky Decoder box start sparking, issuing smoke and with an acrid smell. (11 Aug 2020)

Luckily she was home when it happened and turned the power off

The Sky technician is getting a replacement.

Just found a NZ Herald report from 2016 on the same subject...

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11707633

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

tripp

3848 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2540038 13-Aug-2020 11:48

Sky decoders tend to get very hot. Did she have anything on top of it blocking air flow?

Which kind of box was it?

wellygary

8328 posts

Uber Geek

#2540042 13-Aug-2020 11:50

From that Herald Story

"Buckley said a technician visited her on Monday saying the flames usually came out from the front right of the box. Hers had flamed at the back."

The technician probably said it with a straight face too :)

richms

28187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2540046 13-Aug-2020 11:52

The abuse I have seen them go thru its not a suprise. Probably full of cat hair.

Richard rich.ms

Gordy7

1906 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2540095 13-Aug-2020 11:55

tripp:

Sky decoders tend to get very hot. Did she have anything on top of it blocking air flow?

Which kind of box was it?

I don't know what sort of Sky box it was.

It was installed on 10 Aug by the technician and started sparking on 11 Aug.

So I would have assumed adequate clearance was provided on installation.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

richms

28187 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2540098 13-Aug-2020 11:59

Oh so a new one. infant mortality then.

Smell means probably a capacitor let go. Those are the most cheaped out on things that dont have to have a long lifespan so good chance one of the primary side electrolytics let go on the powersupply board. Seen that a lot on cheap PSUs

Richard rich.ms

dukester

475 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2540112 13-Aug-2020 12:16

It wasn't too long ago I was sitting at my computer which is right beside my mysky box, I smelt an electrical burning smell, looked down to see flames shooting out the top of the box. It was unplugged very quickly and turfed out the door.