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

This Survival Forum thread is for the techno-junkies on the electronic surveillance device on Wikipedia : Faraday Cage. This is any electronics experts wet-dream being that it is for shielding electronic surveillance.

What if you absolutely had to build one though and knew nothing about it?

Enemy of the State : Brill's Place : The Cage


As we saw in the movie Enemy of the State a character in a fictional movie built one himself, apparently from fencing material as well as other bits and pieces.

I'm interested in discussing this here on ATS, but I want it to be known as well as repsected I am not now, nor am I ever condoning the actions in the movie as a law-breaking manuever, nor rigging it with explosives if you grab your Bug-Out Bag and leave suddenly.

I've learned any and all knowledge about the Faraday Cage from Popular Mechanics and Popular Science I read as a child, teen, and as an adult, as well as seeing references to them in fictional movies, as well as on the History Channel, and Science Channel, as well as even one episode on the Mythbusters program.

I'll be interested to see what people have to say on here about this unique device originally built by Michael Faraday. I see this device as a "survival" device if you were of course a spy, which I am not, but there was no other forum I felt it fit to either, other than the alternative Science and Technology Forum, because this is not a weapon in the least, but a shield from "surveillance weapons" being listening devices among other electronic toys.

While I see this could potentially be moved to the Science and Technology Forum, I am hoping with the presentational skills I have utilized here, the manner, context, and meaning that the Moderators will give it some leeway.


[edit on 28-7-2008 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

List of supplies necessary for building your own Faraday Cage

* Tape Measure

* Fencing Material (Appropriate amount for area you want covered)

* Tin Snips

* 10 - 12 Gauge Wiring : Wiring this together, unless utilizing some other method.

Let's see what other people come up with here, since I got the ball rolling.

Not off-topic or out of bounds at all, in my opinion. In fact, we were talking about this on another thread, as possible method of determining subjective differences in health-related effects of EMI (eletromagnetic interference).

Did a quick search, found two possible starting path. First is fairly simple, just get aluminum mesh, build a walk-in enclosure covered in it, and use a well-connected copper wire to connect to a natural (earth, cold water pipe) ground.

The second seemed a bit more complex, I'm wondering about the theory behind this:

It is a simple matter of making a better path for the energy to take rather than through you. The cage I designed uses enameled magnet wire spaced 3" apart horizontally. Across these are random crisscross wires creating an x pattern. Next each intersection the wire is soldered, then across the middle set in a strip of 12 ounce copper sheet 12" wide. Lay this around the center of each plane (i.e. wall and ceiling.) Solder connect the wires at random points to the sheet. Use wide strips of the copper to connect all the copper sheets together bind and solder. Then attach a heavy copper cable to a ground rod outside the building and bind and solder the cable to the copper sheet. Then sheet rock over it to hide it from damage and view. This cage is designed to absorb a wider spectrum of energies than a conventional Faraday cage.
Source

reply to post by Ian McLean


No this is not off topic at all, and while I originally set this up as a thread on survival towards electronic surveillance counter-measures, what you have mentioned, as well as protection from EMP waves from a nuclear bomb come into play here as well.

Excellant post, thanks for the contribution.

What would also be useful would be some sort of sensitive meter that could show the output of the grounding wire so you could also see any variations in the output that could corrolate with increases in EMP being deflected by the cage. Would that be possible?

Originally posted by primamateria
What would also be useful would be some sort of sensitive meter that could show the output of the grounding wire so you could also see any variations in the output that could corrolate with increases in EMP being deflected by the cage. Would that be possible?

Well, this definately sounds possible from what I've heard and read.

I've often wondered if using a Faraday Cage if you could collect the energy into a battery of some sort if you could use that as fuel, kind of like utilizing lightning to move your vehicle.

This of course would mean you're willingly seeking out many many lightning bolts, which is not "usual behavior."

I wouldn't recommend that unless you're an experienced person with decades of background of related knowledge. As well as having had scientific experience and or tutelage.

Oh, and a very hefty life insurance policy wouldn't hurt either.

[edit on 28-7-2008 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

Most people work inside a type of faraday cage and don't know it.
Many people live in a type of faraday cage and don't know it.

Standard commercial construction frequently consists of a metal frame building. Steel roof girders, metal frame studs, and concrete floor with rebar incorportated. These are all grounded. It is a type of faraday cage.






Even the drop ceiling's metal grid helps create a faraday cage.

reply to post by makeitso


You are correct with your information in that these are similar if not exactly the definition of a Faraday Cage.

As well as other examples, when you have a house with stucco, underneath the stucco is metal mesh called lathe.

These are all similar forms of Faraday Cages. Being that I expressed what I did earlier about hooking them up to batteries, possibly this is the kind of experiment Nikolai Tesla was doing, and this would mean if you hooked up a home or vehicle correctly you could power it for free.

I think Michael Faraday and Nikolai Tesla were similiarly minded in that electronics were there forte. I know Edison was always trying to outdo or discredit Tesla due to their rivalry, but it was Edison's greed as well as his ego that were the motivating factor because Tesla thought these things should be done for the betterment of mankind for free to an extent.

Tesla only wanted money to continue his research, and the fame and recognition, not one penny more than the research would cost and continue, while Edison was a greedy old miser who had issues with self-contempt in what he saw as Tesla.

The movie The Prestige was an homage to Tesla and Edison and their competiveness through that the characters Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman represented the never-ending duel of the wizards of electricity and their eccentricities.

I could go on for a lot more on that movie but it's off topic slightly and I may consider doing a different thread now because of what I just related.

One thing that's important to consider is the range of frequencies that are blocked. As I understand it, blocking shorter wavelength electromagnetic emissions (gigahertz frequency, for example) requires a much closer spaced mesh, and less regular mesh configurations will block a wider range of frequencies (something to do with modality, perhaps?) Each design will have different characteristics of attenuation at different wavelengths.

Originally posted by Ian McLean
One thing that's important to consider is the range of frequencies that are blocked. As I understand it, blocking shorter wavelength electromagnetic emissions (gigahertz frequency, for example) requires a much closer spaced mesh, and less regular mesh configurations will block a wider range of frequencies (something to do with modality, perhaps?) Each design will have different characteristics of attenuation at different wavelengths.

Wouldn't it stand to reason then if you used a combination of the two, you could shield yourself from various ranges of electronic surveillance, as well as other configurations changing the dynamics altogether?

Would something like this shield a home from the H.A.A.R.P. array being that it's an electronic communication listening device?

What other apparatus or device would be needed to block it out entirely? If we're living in makeshift Faraday Cages it stands to reason this why the crappy cell phone signal when a call gets dropped, meaning this could be advantageous if you were on the wrong end of a cell phone search.

[edit on 28-7-2008 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

reply to post by Ian McLean


I've been wanting to build a small faraday case for my laptop and data...what would be the most practical mesh size for a general EMP protection level?

Originally posted by citizen smith
reply to post by Ian McLean

 

I've been wanting to build a small faraday case for my laptop and data...what would be the most practical mesh size for a general EMP protection level?

When Ian McLean answers do not also forget you need to take into account the dimensions of your prospective Faraday Cage. Meaning the cost will also reflect on how much space you're planning on covering. Are you only talking in protecting your laptop in general, or a larger area?

What I'm expressing here is that a laptop is only approximately 18 inches by 8 inches while closed, but opening that you have to multiply the factor by the diameter of the open laptop. Remember also that you also have to factor in whether you are just protecting one small room within an apartment, the entire apartment, or a whole house.

This is of course thinking in the Survival Forum mentality that you were forced to do this in order to survive by building a Faraday Cage to elude electronic eavesdropping, because of going out of the box towards survival only.

[edit on 28-7-2008 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

it is best to build your cage out of aluminum screen door mesh, or even stright up aluminum sheets,they air gap between the materials does control the freq. wich it reflects.Aluminium sheets places on a erected yard fence style enloser will work also to increase the freq.'s blocked.For a less massive divice i would perfer, cardbord,mabey a fridge box or large sheets of cardbord.cover completely the extiorior,and interior with aluminium foil/sheets.As for measuring or capturing the energy from this u would use telsa's work on wireless energy transmition principles with a few added advancements of today. If u have the means a very viable divice is the faraday cage connected to your ground wire,your ground wire should be a tesla horizonaly wound coil,with a freq. of 12~13 or mutipules of it,thes is the resonace of the earths 12.5~13 Hz freq.input wire to coil = faraday cage,out put of coil = earth ground.Now take a soft iron or megnet meterail and place this in the middle of the horizonal earth grounded coil,in effect yourr slightliy increasing the natrual earth freq. through induction transfer to the iron colum or rod.now in the rod i would choose the middle to upper section although place is mosttlikely astetic unless u go with the golden mean in dividing the rod.Befor i continue it is imperitive that all wires be at 90 degree angles from any other wire.this goes for coil winding at the input and output ect.I would say use a coil scavange off of something,but its very very hard to find a coil with the right freq. or turns to be a harmonic resonance of the earths 12.5~13 hz cycling.ok back to the iron rod.on the area u dicided to divide the rod by put another coil with turn freq.'s in harmonics of 12.5~13.
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.anyhow,around the coil on the rod where u divided the rod u want to put a squarel cage there,my want to look up how to build one,it would be lota writeing but simple build,and the magnitude of the apperatus we are disussing is small,so u may be able to scavange a squirel cage.You cage will be put into a spining motion by a belt drive from a 9v. romotecontrolled car motor or any small low voltage motor,this is so u can control the rpms or the motor,and also so it isnt directly conected by a conductor to the apperatus.
Ok now u put the motor into motion u will need 2 virticaly wound coils that match 12.5~13 hz freq. one on one side of the cage,one directly oposing other,the output of #1 ties to the input of #2 ,and the output of #2 ties to the input of #1 making a circut. with a iron core in these coils,just like a transformer is made, u will get energy from coils wraped around the opsite pole of the iron cores in the #1,#2 coils through the magnetic imduction of the earths magnetic field and energy coming through your faraday cage,and the cycles of the S.cage spining creating a alternation (ac) of the earths potental energy inducted through the primary rod.and the out puts of the coils #1,#2 induction will be at a freq. = to the Rmps the cage spins.
ok i know sound like alot, but this is how motors work now,execpt we feed them power in the form of electricty,hydro,or steam.this method feed the motor power from solor/cosmic/earth energy.Would be intrested to see the result i have yet to build this,but it is always on my mind,i study tesla, and marconii's works as well as others.
On a side not another intresting divice useing the motion of electrons and potental of non-matalic ,matalic layered divices is the gravaton,not the atom names one,this is a divice made by a scientist,i wish i could rember his name,he also made and devoloped the electron wind ideas,and resulting devices today.

I'm just a laymen, but it seems to me that an EMP's primary distructive force is Microwaves.

Microwaves vary from 1mm to 1m according to wiki?

Most people would probably just use mylar or thick foil to protect something as small as a laptop.

For something larger perhaps reading TM 5-690 would be appropriate.

Originally posted by SpartanKingLeonidas
Are you only talking in protecting your laptop in general, or a larger area?

I'm just intending to line a couple of storage drawers (w: 800mm d: 500mm h: 250mm each) in a closet as a lockable 'out-of-sight' burglar and EMP proof electronics-cache for laptop, printer, scanner, stacks of software and data CD/DVDs and memory sticks, as well as other 'electrical magpie-finds' rather than proofing a whole room or house

I saw the experiment conducted on 'Mythbusters' using a very fine brass mesh screen...which metal meshing (steel/alu/brass/etc) would provide the most effective shielding?

Originally posted by makeitso
Most people would probably just use mylar

Perhaps a couple of metallised-mylar survival blankets would do the trick as a makeshift faraday if caught-out in the open during an EMP event?

reply to post by citizen smith


I've read that'll work. Put a layer of plastic on the backside of the blanket to help prevent contact between the mylar and laptop.

I presume the proximity to ground zero of the EMP will determine the actual effectiveness.

[edit on 7/28/08 by makeitso]

a little off topic but lately ive been tempted to find a spot on a hill and make a small concrete house to live in, no rent, just candle power, old school stove or a coleman camper something small and liveable but built into the hill and have just the front and a little bit of the side protruding out


why? i have no idea just keep thinking that over and over

didnt mean to get off topic, i think survival after something HUGE happening will be tough wether you have shelter or not, food and or weapons

Originally posted by citizen smith
[which metal meshing (steel/alu/brass/etc) would provide the most effective shielding?

IIRC copper provides the least resistance (after pure silver?). That would allow electricity to flow/seek ground quickest?

It's may not be cost effective though.

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.