Tata sky LMB and box burned: Beware All

[Sumit]

This is strange as well as scary. Tata sky folks had replaced the LMB(receiver installed in front of dish where all wires are connected)about a week back. This morning there was no signal so I lodged a complaint. Still I went to the terrace to have a look at the dish. To my utter horror I saw the LMB totally toasted and on the floor. All the 4 wires also burned like 6 to 12 inches. Of the four boxes, one of the wires burned from the one box side as well. This box is connected to UPS and has not been used for a few days. Rest all wires behind the boxes are okay. Tata sky people shall visit tomorrow morning. The wire burnt the carpet as well. This was a potential fire hazard as the room was closed since a few days and the wire was touching the carpet. Somehow the flames got extinguished on their own. I believe I had a narrow escape.

I am still not sure how this happened. Can anyone throw some light. I want to make sure that this does not happen again.

SK

 

[poppy]

This is strange as well as scary. Tata sky folks had replaced the LMB(receiver installed in front of dish where all wires are connected)about a week back. This morning there was no signal so I lodged a complaint. Still I went to the terrace to have a look at the dish. To my utter horror I saw the LMB totally toasted and on the floor. All the 4 wires also burned like 6 to 12 inches. Of the four boxes, one of the wires burned from the one box side as well. This box is connected to UPS and has not been used for a few days. Rest all wires behind the boxes are okay. Tata sky people shall visit tomorrow morning. The wire burnt the carpet as well. This was a potential fire hazard as the room was closed since a few days and the wire was touching the carpet. Somehow the flames got extinguished on their own. I believe I had a narrow escape.

I am still not sure how this happened. Can anyone throw some light. I want to make sure that this does not happen again.

SK
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/06/

a0d7206dc7ce891b017a26a042e79ef2.jpg

It's really scary pl update once tatasky technician visits and reason behind this.

 

[htfan17]

possibly lightning ? as it was rainy past few days ?

 

[htfan17]

possibly lightning ? as it was rainy past few days ?

sorry forgot to see u r not bangalore based else it was a probability. no idea about ur weather there.

 

[Sumit]

Will surely keep everyone updated. There is no lightning here. Clear skies all around and temperature was also around 30 degrees. This could have burned the house down. I have to find the root cause of this. For a wire to burn like this, continuous high amperes have to flow through the wire.

 

[reignofchaos]

Definitely looks like a lightning strike. It can't burn down otherwise.

 

[theironhorse]

lightning strike for sure.. no other possibility as the STB box itself runs of a few watts. even if that would have gone bad the MCB would have tripped then and there. however this surge seems to come from the other side i.e the dish.. there cannot be anything else that can fry it besides a lightning to that extent.. the LNB is a total toast...

you can now Bragg about "aaj kuch toofani karte hain "

 

[soulforged]

Wow! I'm glad it did not cause an major damage.

Even I think it might have been a lighning strike. I have seen a single lightning fry the TV and phones of an entire block...this was during the non-dish days...

 

[Iceberg86300]

Definitely not something you want to see. Obviously either electrical storms or malfunction. (Duh) are the boxes placed throughout the house? I've got dish network in the states, so don't your configurations. Where was the box with the UPS? Stepping back a bit, it looks like the box with the UPS had a malfunction. Without more info, and not being on site to poor around as I wish, I really don't know.

I'd very much like to take the top off that box to see the other side of that coax connector.

Was the dish/lmb grounded properly? Most boxes use an ungrounded power cable. What does the coax connector on that box look like? Is the center still intact, look like damage from the center out or the reverse, heat discoloration visible and where? What's the signal path of coax/splitters from the dish? For it cross electrical anywhere? Outdoor rated coax used? Metal staples used instead of plastic nail down or staple down cable stays?

There is a lot to look at, and I'd start with that box to dish run. SOMETHING SOMEWHERE injected enough current into the coax shield or signal wire to get it hot enough to burn. The box may be able to tell you which. It also may have just been a victim of an enclosed space, what is the material that is shown burned there? Is it flame retardant or just regular? Very enclosed space that oxygen couldn't get into? Could it have been vaporized while enough heat was there? Was that hole there to begin with and just got charred? Doesn't look like enough ash is there for the about of material.

Apologies. This is just a ton of questions with no clear answer, other than that injection of current somewhere did some toasting. When the guys get there have them check grounding, the signal path, installation of wire, if any of the boxes still work, etc. If you can, have them open that box with you watching. Especially where that shielding terminates. Same with other boxes if they don't work and are fried visibly or not. Keep us updated.

 

[captrajesh]

lightning strike for sure.. no other possibility as the STB box itself runs of a few watts. even if that would have gone bad the MCB would have tripped then and there.

Even though it is supposed to run on few volts & watts, it is not necessarily the case I guess. The power supply connectors of my Tatasky STB melted all of a sudden last month. The TV was not even switched on. The Tatasky technician replaced the STB and the power supply adapter I was charged Rs. 500/- Of course, the damages are only to the connector of the adapter cable and the female receptor of the power supply of the STB box where the outer plastic jackets have melted out of shape.

 

[omishra]

that LNBC (low noise block-down converter) on disk is operated with 16V-18VDC. It is fed from same wire as signal, separated using DC blocking caps. Somehow supply or LNBC might have gone mad and shorted the LNBC first, burnt it down. The subsequent electric current led burning of wires too etc.

I have seen case of lightening in my locality. It that case all equipment in house, including electric meter were burned down. This does not look like that. I blame this to China Quality.

 

[iRock]

I too think this may not be lightning strike cause it would do far more damage to reminder of wiring and connected devices.

Are there other Receiver dish located on the same terraces (typical of apartment complex) and any damages in surroundings?

Either case this is scary - Do a thorough investigation and don't let TataSky people off the hook easily.