Is there any preventative measures to protect my electronic equipment from an EMP blast??

First off, I'm not sure which forum this thread would be appropriate in, so Mods, please put it where you see fit.

Now, with that said, I have thought about this and researched it somewhat, but have not been able to find an appropriate answer.

What could a person do to protect electronic equipment from being fried by an EMP blast?

I don't mean large electronic equipment that requires an AC power supply, I mean a few small necessities like a radio, gps, batteries, ignition module for my truck, you know, things that would be extremely useful after an EMP blast.

So, what could a guy do to ensure these "necessities" remain functional after an EMP blast?

Could a person take these electronic items and put them in a waterproof container and shield it inside a lead or iron box and bury it to keep it safe?

I know there's alot more knowledgeable folks here who could answer this for me.

So,.... What is everyones' opinions on this?

Am I on the right track or am I way off here?

Later, Ausable_Bill

Not too sure other than on Small Soldiers the gorganites were saved when a satellite dish shielded them!

Seriously though, i still have no idea but theres another thread on ATS about this if it's any use to you.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

CX.

Thanks cx, that addresses my question, but I was hoping to see if there's been any newer developments or theories that has surfaced recently.

Later, Ausable_Bill

Originally posted by Ausable_Bill

What could a person do to protect electronic equipment from being fried by an EMP blast?

radio - An old radio that runs on vacuum tubes, or even a crystal radio set.

gps - A topographical map, a compass and the knowledge to use them.

batteries - Lead acid

ignition module for my truck - points, carburetor

Basically do everything like they did it pre-transistor.

You want to isolate these items from any outside contact with electrical circuits, you want them to survive an EMP effect, and you want to use them afterwards?

What you need is a FARADAY CAGE, a construct of insulating wire and materials that is fully enclosed and sealed, a cage, for the protection of electrical items.

Yeppers, that is what you need.






'course now you gotta figure out the dang wavelength of the EMP yo wanna protect yer stuff from.

The military has a backup set of PC boards stored in FARADAY CAGES. They have an extra set on jets, tanks, ships, etc. The Faraday Cage is a universe inside of a universe. In other words, no information on an electromagnetic carrier can enter or leave the Faraday Cage.

The primary physical componet is called "Volume Resistivity"

What about the stuff that is turned off?Would that be effected to or would it be safe?I mean lets say you are out shopping and a emp blast/bomb goes off.You get back to your car that has been turned off would it start back up?

The Electro-Magnetic Pulse will still setup a field effect in the electronics (turned on or off) and damage the components.

Well, don't complicate the Faraday cage concept too much. It's actually extremely easy to achieve. For instance, your car acts as a Faraday cage in a lightning storm. If you're inside it and the car were to be struck (even if it were sitting on the rims instead of the tires), the current would pass around the body of the car and you would be within it and be safe.

My point being this is an extremely simple concept. A 55 gallon metal drum would serve as a Faraday cage if you had you devices in it.

Faraday cages are being built into walls of homes being built. Very easy and inexpensive. Several local contractors have commented that they are increasingly getting requests from people to build them into the walls of one or two rooms of their homes. One local movie theater got tired of customer complaints of cell phones and pagers going off so the owners added that 'feature' during a remodeling.

The downside of a Faraday room is cell phones, radios, or even cordless phones don't work.

Thanks everyone, I guess building a faraday cage is the way to go.

What about storing alkaline batteries? will a F-cage keep them safe too?

What would an EMP blast do to stored batteries outside a F-cage? drain them? fry them?

Thanks again for everyones' wisdom.

Later, Ausable_Bill

I thought that EMPs only affect devices that are powered on? That they have to have an active field running through them in the first place in order to be fried?

I would think that putting a radio in a regular house safe would protect them from an EMP no?

The problem with the electromagnetic pulse is that any circuit, of almost any length acts as an antenna (attractant) for the pulse. Which is why circuits in cars, radios and even cell phones will fry. Another problem, referenced earlier in this thread is the use of phones inside a Faraday Cage. If you have an electronic circuit such as a phone pluged into a wall circuit, of even an electrical outlet that breaches the cages integrity, you will have compromised every electronic device inside the Faraday Cage as well. Remember, the Faraday Cage MUST be sealed against outside contact with other circuits, which is why a large closet with no electrical circuits is probably the best thing to transform.