Build Your Own Faraday Cage, Stop Nosey Listeners, and Survive

reply to post by MurderCityDevil


You're not off topic that much, since you mentioned survival options, just try to bring talk to it about the Faraday Cage. Thanks for the input.

Originally posted by daddyroo45
It seems to me that attempting to block any electromagnetic frequency,lead sheathing would be the most effective as it also blocks gamma and xrays.

Try not to forget as well though that lead poisoning is a factor in using lead.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas

In the 80s I worked on computers that were Tempest Rated. They had everything shielded, including the CRT screens. A very fine copper mesh was placed over the screens. All communications between the peripherals used optic connections and even the power cords had a shield around them.

The computers were used in large vaults that were also shielded. The vaults were underground, if I remember correctly, more than 5 stories.

Everything must be shielded, even forgetting one thing leaves a hole for electronic emissions.

The peripheral boards were placed in an aluminum cage, then the cage was grounded. The cage was then placed inside another aluminum box that connected to the CPU and the power supply. The larger box had screws every few inches and the shielding extended to the very edge of the cabinet. Everything was made of metal, including the keyboard cabinet and the mouse had a shielded cable as well.

During training I observed a CRT that I could clearly see the contents of. The CRT we were watching was three blocks away. An antenna and receiver was setup and we could view whatever was on the remote CRT. It made a believer out of me.

The Tempest Specification was all classified and I didn't have that level of clearance, just enough to replace boards in the computers.

Thanks for the info devareous. I'm having trouble finding the right "sqirrel cage" and it would be nice to run the belt driven motor on solar power than battery. I have to see if I can build an appropriately effecient belt driven system that could be controlled with a pot.

This is a great topic going in several different directions.

A Faraday box has been thoroughly discussed, as well as how it is built.

Placing yourself inside a wire metal screen box will kill all radio frequencies going to and from you. Think larger if you want to make something more "livable" and/or "comfortable". You want something a little more substantial than aluminum foil, although it would work just fine, because you may accidentally poke it or tear it.

The EMP protection from a nuclear weapon or even an EMP based weapon is just aluminum foil around anything you want to protect and is grounded, while the protected item is wrapped in a non-conductive container such as a plastic bag or plastic bowl.

Back in the 80's, many civil defense and telephone switching stations had basically heavy duty aluminum foil placed on the walls and ceilings, then sealed in place. Either outside the structure or inside, whichever was easiest to provide quick coverage. The reason this works for this type of radio wave is that it is an extremely short but high powered burst. You just need something to provide a quick ground.

A car is nothing more than a Faraday box not grounded. Thoughts should already be occurring now, and there is some debate within certain circles as to the real effects of an EMP strike against modern automobiles. Very limited testing has been done in this area with differing results. In my mind, a properly grounded vehicle, not running, when an EMP occurs; would have zero effect on the vehicle.

There are so many what if's and further questions in this particular area of electronics. Just read all the sources you can find and e-mail the authors of the technical articles you find. Most of these guys will answer back to good, thoughtful questions. I have found some that will really take the time to explain it in dumb people speak, which is what I need for some things.

As as afterthought whilst reading my post, I thought about the comments on screen mesh size or even metal buildings. Yes, in theory, but no as they have windows and usually unprotected doors. Mesh size determines frequency, which was pointed out by another poster. This is why metal screen or foil is the usual choice outside a metal box built for the purpose of radio wave protection.

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


Awesome reply to this interesting theory based on the survival option of using a Faraday Cage. Thanks a lot.

reply to post by hinky


I have to say something of this information I knew as well as there is a lot of information available on the Internet, if you just know where to look, or what to look for in this area of electrical expertise. Thanks for the awesome post.

I originally did a "Google ATS" search to see if it was something that was on here, and the search came up with nothing, but that must have been a glitch since I later found relevant items. I'm thinking however that this is one of the few times it's been done on the Survival Forum.

I love the aspect of survival and the need for it sometimes comes into focus more clearly when it comes to times that it takes to keep alive through life or death circumstances.

I would build it but I'm planning on being tortured in a concentration camp when chaos ensues all over the world.

No need to break out the fencing material or supplies. You can buy these currently as a "barehand" suit. They are utilized in the utility industry to allow workers to work on energized transmission lines up to 500kV.

No need to break out the fencing material or supplies. You can buy these currently as a "barehand" suit. They are utilized in the utility industry to allow workers to work on energized transmission lines up to 500kV.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


Can we protect ourselves from satelite radiation if we use a well-constructed mesh in the attic of a house? Or do the walls and floors also need to be protected?

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas

 

Can we protect ourselves from satelite radiation if we use a well-constructed mesh in the attic of a house? Or do the walls and floors also need to be protected?

I'm not sure what radiation would be coming from a satellite, as generally satellites do not emit radiation.

Can you give some reference material, or specifics more behind what you are asking?

Radiation is totally different from radio waves, or "signals" in that radiation is something that needs to be shielded with lead. If you have to worry about radiation in that extreme manner that you're worried about it, having an attic shield wouldn't do much as the fallout would just flow through the rest of the house.

When you get back with how radiation has to do with a Faraday Cage stopping surveillance, I'll be sure and fill in the pieces more.

I've literally studied every kind of intelligence known to man, when it comes to warfare since I was six due to a step-father who was a Marine, as well as warfare being a hobby that I researched through reading for fun.

My family crest is symbolic of gaining power through intelligence, meaning not just brains, but applications toward intelligence meaning military applications of knowledge and information.

[edit on 28-7-2008 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

There are actually paints which block out certain frequencies.

Originally posted by Wizard_1988
There are actually paints which block out certain frequencies.

Do you care to elaborate so we can know some new knowledge?

We're curious now here on ATS.

reply to post by devareous


"ok now for obtaining energy from it,ur faraday cage will be absorbing electrons from the enviroment,all metel absorbs electrons,and reflects protons,just as all non-matalic materials absorb protons and relfect electrons.this is how potental works"

oh wow

A Faraday Cage is a device that takes advantage of a phenomenon
call the "Skin Effect" where electro-magnetic radiation
(of less power than Petahertz Xray and Gamma Rays variety)
tended to flow AROUND a conductive barrier to the
nearest ground or would form plasmas at high enough energies
if no ground was available (i.e. St. Elmos Fire)
in order to dissipate the incoming energy.

All emissions within the electromagnetic spectrum is
considered RADIATION, but the SOURCE of that emission
and its energy level (i.e. strength) allows one to
differentiate what material to use in order to defend oneself
and any electrically based devices FROM the effects
of that radiation.

Sound is considered radiation which is a level of emissions
at frequencies between 1 to 22,000 cycles per second
(i.e. range of human hearing). Gamma Rays are also radiation
as is visible light. The only differences are the respective ENERGY LEVELS
measured in Electron Volts, FREQUENCY which is measured in
cycles per second or Hertz and WAVELENGTH which is measured
in metres, millimetres, nanometres or picometres.

There is a direct relationship between wavelength and frequency.
The shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency and the more
dangerous or damaging the emission is to the human body.

As we get past 3 gigahertz, Radiation become more damaging
to our fragile bodies at ever shortening periods of time.
Gamma Rays can take mere hundredths of a second to cause
massive damage to human tissue (and electronics)
whereas 300 Terahertz near infrared wavelength would
take a bit longer to crisp us into toast.

The structure of a well-built Faraday Cage allows
one to shield a human or an electronic device by
directly blocking the high energy radiations
(i.e. Radar, UV, XRAY or gamma ray) using a dense material
to block the rays from entering an enclosed space
much like a football linebacker does in a football game
simply using using sheer mass (weight) to stop or deflect
the incoming rays.

Lower energy radiation can be redirected around an object
that doesn't have much mass by grounding out the incoming
emissions down to a larger conductive area such as
a pool of water, a conductive material such
as wet ground or to a manufactuered device
such as a capacitor or varistor which can then change
the incoming energy into another "less concentrated"
form such as Heat (infra-red) or even Light.

An EFFECTIVE Faraday Cage redirects or blocks the
emissions that YOU BELIEVE are MOST LIKELY to happen
within your geographical area.

Therefore, if I live near the Hood Canal Nuclear Submarine
base in Washington State I will make damn sure that my Faraday Cage
would protect me from the 300+ Petahertz radiation emitted
from multiple nuclear blasts by ensuring that I build a fully
sealed BOX made of lead blocks of at least 30 inches in thickness
on ALL sides!

If I live in Tuktoyuktuk in Northern Canada, I could
get away with several sheets of aluminum foil sealing a single
room that is fully grounded in order to protect my home electronics
and computers.

Aluminium sheets properly connected to each other and fully
enclosing a room in your house may be enough to protect your
computers and home appliances from the secondary EMP Electrical
Pulses from nuclear blasts but it won't protect YOUR BODY
from the ultra high energy levels of helium nuclei going right
through the foil to smash into your living cells and blowing
apart your DNA/RNA structures which will sicken you within
minutes or a couple of hours at the most! (i.e. Gamma Ray burst)

So it DEPENDS UPON your intended application as to what or who
YOU want to protect from what types (i.e. energy levels)
of radiation which will determine WHERE and HOW to build
a Faraday Cage.

There's a Simple Formula:

The Higher the Energy Level of Incoming Radiation equals
the more MASS needed to protect YOU and your electronics.

Therefore to cut off specific wavelengths, the fineness of
any mesh used as a Faraday Cage covering should be equivalent
to the wavelength you are trying to protect against.

Example: one millimetre Radar waves require a less than or equal to
one millimetre mesh weave of conductive material in order
to cause the skin effect to manifest itself. Any coarser and the mesh
would merely act as a scattering mechanism and only partially block
the incoming one millimetre Radar waves.

If you want to protect yourself from body-damaging radiation
such as Ultraviolet or Xrays or Gamma Rays then a SOLID structure
is required that is fine enough at the atomic scales so that
small particles cannot penetrate, which means a really DENSE
material such as LEAD, GOLD or DEPLETED URANIUM.

See Gamma Ray Shielding Thickness Chart:

www.marshield.com...


Weight Chart of Lead Shielding:

www.marshield.com...

Electromagnetic spectrum and energy levels:

en.wikipedia.org...

Hope this helps!

reply to post by StargateSG7

Thanks, lots of valuable information there -- unlike one particularly rambling post I'm thinking of, on the first page (by someone else), that merely tried to sound authoritative.

I'm certainly no expert: I learned some interesting things from your post, but the only thing I'd point out is that 'sound energy' is not electromagnetic, like light and radio -- it's mechanical energy, harmonic vibrations of the molecules in the air, rather than photons.

Ahh...now we get to the subtle differences in terminology...

You are indeed correct that sound is the mechanical energy of larger
molecules transmitting impulses through viscuous mediums such as
air & water or solids BUT it is STILL considered radiation in that an
emission of particles OR waves does in fact take place.

To many people the word ***Radiation***
is like loaded gun wielded by a crazed lunatic
when all it really means is a movement of ENERGY
from a point source radiating outwards to a receiving
destination which could be an antenna, your body
or several sheets of lead block.

The key thing as to determining the DANGER of radiation sources
is how much ENERGY (measured in electron volts) is imparted
into the movement of the particles and/or waves.

More Energy = More Danger

Less Energy = Less Danger

If it wasn't for Radiation we wouldn't be having this conversation
across time zones using the optical "radiation" being bounced
around the fibre-optic cables of the Internet.

And since I have discussed Radiation in an earlier post,
I can illustrate that NOT ALL Radiation is BAD for us
and can in fact be used for very helpful purposes
as noted by these links to various electromagnetic
spectrum usage charts and tables.


United State Radio Frequency Allocation Chart:

www.ntia.doc.gov...

---

Canadian Radio Frequency Allocation Chart:

www.ic.gc.ca...$FILE/spectallocation.pdf

---

European Radio Frequency Allocation Tables and Charts:

www.ero.dk...


And you should also note that ANY cable or length of conductive material
can function as an ANTENNAE and thus if properly connected to a
analog or digital measuring device, can be converted to another
form of radiation such as sound, light (i.e. video) or other forms.

Things to Do with the Radiation that's all around us:

Build your own Weather Satellite Picture receiver:

www.phys.unsw.edu.au...

---

Build your own GPS/Glonass geographic locationing device:

www.hackaday.com...

---

Watch TV shows from around the world (Free-to-Air Satellite TV):

www.gosatellite.ca...

---

Listen in on Secret Radio Transmissions such as Air Force one at 6731 KHZ

www.totse.com...

---
Listen to Radio Stations from around the world
in all languages and musical styles for free:

www.radiotower.com...


---

Build your own Laser Cutter for less than $50:

www.instructables.com...

So not all radiation is bad and much is GOOD
so use it to your delight and STILL put on that 50 SPF sunblock
so UR not radiated too much by the sun....

reply to post by StargateSG7


Awesome posts there on the Faraday Cage. What do you think the chances of someone building one just to survive would be?

Keep up the good work.

reply to post by Ian McLean


I'm loving his replies as well on here. Thanks for keeping it hopping in here.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


What danger would an EMP do to ya if you were exposed? Cause depression and hallucinate? Other than being someone with a roboheart, I don't see any superbad physical or severe mental damage from an EMP.
With that said, i think for people like me it's something that needs to be looked into seeing how I have info that i consider valuble (whatch me start speaking in a tiptoe fashion lol).

I think I will go ahead and download some pdf e-books for you guys on the Faraday Cage construction and Nikolia Tesla's work (If I can find this stuff) and upload them to a megaupload, rapidshare, or even better, I'll just upload them to zshare (faster and no hassle when it comes to downloading). I wish I could remember that files uploading site that scrambles your IP, but oh well, it's not like we're doing anything illegal here lol.

Edit to say, btw I can find anything you want

-Jimmy

[edit on 1-8-2008 by jimmyjackblack]

reply to post by jimmyjackblack


An EMP blast will not hurt a human being, but it fries all electronic devices not shielded to the hilt in advance.

Anything putting off an EMP blast through, will most likely be Nuclear bomb or Hydrogen bomb, and if you're within miles of the blast radius, you're toast. The only shielding that will protect you from those two, is an underground bunker, several hundred feet underground. You would need something like this.

Bargain Bunkers