# Can Lightning Turn A TV On?



## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

OK, serious question --- is it possible for lightning to turn a TV on? Power surge, perhaps, or electricity in the air?

DH was outside a while ago, up at the barn, and when he passed by our camper he stopped because he heard voices. The TV was on. The door was locked, but he thought maybe someone had sneaked in there so he sent the dogs in first to check it out. He knows he didn't have the TV on last time he was in there and nobody's been in there since.

Freaked him out, because he'd just finished watching a Ghost Hunters show with the kids.  

Is our camper haunted?  

We did have a wind/lightning storm last night; that's the only thing I can think of. The camper's parked too far away from the road or the neighbors for their remotes to have affected it.


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## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

Im watching ghost hunters right now and you freaked me out too!


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## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

A mouse on the remote control? :shrug:


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Some TV's are always on standby. Perhaps a quick power failure turned it on instead of returning it to standby mode?


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## Quint (Nov 12, 2004)

Yes they can turn on due to lightning and power surges. I had one TV, a Sony, that was terrible about it. I've also been told that a really bright lightning flash can sometimes hit the IR sensor just right and cause one to turn on. It's a rare occurrence but I've had electronics techs tell me it is possible.


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## kesoaps (Dec 18, 2004)

I've been home at night..alone while dh was at work...and had the tv come on. Never failed to freak me out!


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## Laura (May 10, 2002)

Gosh, I remember my parents fighting over who turned on the tv and thinking the other one was crazy or senile! They knew it wasn't me because I didn't watch tv.

It was power surges from the generator. Sometimes it turned the volume up, too. If figured this out when it scared the snot out of me coming on at full volume when the gennie throttled up.


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## booklover (Jan 22, 2007)

Which one are you more likely to believe? That a surge of energy from a natural source such as lightning could turn on your t.v. or that energy from a dead person could turn on your t.v.?


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## rb. (Jan 26, 2003)

We had this problem with an older tv in our bedroom. It would randomly turn itself on (and off right after sometimes), without any lightening, static electricity, etc. Was really freaky when it happened in the middle of the night. I asked around online, and was told that one of the circuit boards was likely "going". We replaced it a year ago with a new tv, and haven't had it happen since. Guess it wasn't a ghost. LOL


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

Explain this one. When my best friend was young he was watching TV with a bunch of other kids. Old TV, no cable or remote, channels changed by manually getting up and changing them. He said all of a sudden the channel knob starting clicking and going around really fast by itself, and everyone ran out of the room freaked out.

My best friend doesn't believe in ghosts, but he has no explanation for what he saw.

All the other explanations for the TV "acting independently" make sense, but I don't know how to explain this particular case!


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## Dente deLion (Nov 27, 2006)

booklover said:


> Which one are you more likely to believe? That a surge of energy from a natural source such as lightning could turn on your t.v. or that energy from a dead person could turn on your t.v.?


Depends what show is on. No self-respecting lightning bolt would ever watch Ghost Hunters, and no ghost would ever tune in for Marlin Perkins. Unless of course the ghost IS Marlin Perkins.


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## baldylocks (Aug 15, 2007)

I have had 2 tvs that come on like this...one Sony for sure...nearly every storm it came on.


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

booklover said:


> Which one are you more likely to believe? That a surge of energy from a natural source such as lightning could turn on your t.v. or that energy from a dead person could turn on your t.v.?


I don't believe in ghosts. DH does, though.


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## CraftyDiva (Aug 26, 2003)

Are you under a flight path for a near by airport? I know this sounds crazy but when a palne would fly by my aotomatic garage doors would open. Something about signals from the plane to control tower would trigger the doors. Nerve wracking to say the least. This would also happen durig electrical storms. Neighbors would call and tell me I left the garage open.


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## lynnabyrd (Oct 15, 2007)

Doesn't surprise me that it's possible. During a severe windstorm one time, I had a touch-lamp that kept turning on -- I assume from the static electricity caused by the storm. 

So if wind can turn a lamp on, surely lightning could turn a tv on!


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