How to harden against EMP or Solar Flare

reply to post by pazcat


Have you ever seen an electrical charge jump ?

Go down to FL when they get a good storm .. you will witness some crazy charges jump from one side of the room to the other.

Just to "unplug" is not good enough sometimes.

Back to the OP ..

Thank you for the heads up.

JG.

Originally posted by verschickter
reply to post by Rocketman7

 

Dont wrap everything inside up, you first just have to shield the box with copper or aluminium foil and then use your antistatic foil and glue it in if you want.

You didnt understand me. Its kind of funny, you do all the work, spend all the money to get a protection and then decide it will work for you. It reminds me of those people who ask questions but cant stand the answer so they´re asking again, and again... But my problem is, you are wrong and others that will copy your box will fail because you decided "that it works just fine for me".
Your box provides zero protection because the top of the lid is not connected to the body. You must maintain a conducting connection between the top and the bottom. (Duct tape is not a good conductor...)

Beliefe me, I´m a technician, and you are what?

edit on 11-11-2011 by verschickter because: (no reason given)

First I double lined the box with aluminum foil.
I strengthened the corners by covering the foil with duct tape. Then I covered the tin foil layer with 4 layers of anti-static bubble wrap, and taped that. Then I wedged in a cardboard bottom to hold it all in there securely.
In the images, I didn't show the lid lined with foil, I had already done that before I began taking pictures.
I was already in the process of making it when I thought, hey, maybe I should share this process with ATS, and get some feedback. To pass the information on that people have given to me.

Originally it was suggested that I line it with tin foil, then use anti-static foam, but I went for anti-static bubble wrap instead.

Originally posted by jaduguru

Originally posted by verschickter
reply to post by Chadwickus

 

Its because people are to lazy to look it up, so they make it up...

@jaduguru
you better forget duct tape, lol. It may be practical for many things, but not shielding agains any EMWs

edit on 11-11-2011 by verschickter because: jaduguru

No no.. I understood that duct tape is worthless in this build .. I was just suggesting using the 3m Aluminum tape (425) to fasten your foil or wire mesh.

The Aluminum tape would maybe be good for the lip of the box, if I did it carefully, it might not interfere with the rubber waterproof seal.

JG.

Originally posted by verschickter
reply to post by Rocketman7

 

Dont wrap everything inside up, you first just have to shield the box with copper or aluminium foil and then use your antistatic foil and glue it in if you want.

You didnt understand me. Its kind of funny, you do all the work, spend all the money to get a protection and then decide it will work for you. It reminds me of those people who ask questions but cant stand the answer so they´re asking again, and again... But my problem is, you are wrong and others that will copy your box will fail because you decided "that it works just fine for me".
Your box provides zero protection because the top of the lid is not connected to the body. You must maintain a conducting connection between the top and the bottom. (Duct tape is not a good conductor...)

Beliefe me, I´m a technician, and you are what?

edit on 11-11-2011 by verschickter because: (no reason given)

I'm not going to respond to your other posts in this thread, because you may be a technician, but you can't even read.

Originally posted by jaduguru
Serious question here. Does that mean I can use my Hun Fire resistant file cabinet without any modifications to it ? ( 3 drawer )

Oh..and can someone use the 3m 425 aluminum tape instead of duct tape ?

JG.

The cabinet would not be portable. In most countries people are required to store their business documents in a metal cabinet. But in a fire, whats inside will probably melt.

A metal tool box, gives you protection, but it will rust, and it can be crushed easier than a polymer box.

It can get dented and then leak water as well.

A pelican case you can run over and it will not be harmed much.

This Stanley Case would easily hold the weight of a car, if you wanted to use it as blocking to change a tire.

But to shield from x-rays? Well when you go to the dentist you have to wear lead shielding and thats not a very strong source of x-rays.

Radiation Protection

reply to post by Rocketman7


Our single wide, carport and spare-room a-building are all metal roofed and metal sided with hardware cloth on windows etc. . . . in the new spare room--which will all be grounded when done--the rest are grounded already.

I also have some of my backup radio's etc. double or triple wrapped in paper towels and then 2-3 layers of aluminum foil.

The computers all go through a heavy duty APC backup powersupply.

Am trying to figure out how to manage a cheaper solar setup for heater fan, lights, frige and freezer with the solar cells inside a screen type Faraday cage and all the connections buried and inside metal conduit--which I might have inside PVC for moisture control..

reply to post by g146541


If I want to shield something, I´ll buy the right equipment at work, a faraday cage...
But you are right, everybody knows and he wants to play, so I let him play

Did it pass the cell phone test?

Whatever "prevention" people are trying there is one simple way to see how effective "tin foil" and "antistatic" wraps are etc.

Put a cell phone in the container and protection your trying turned on and yes fully charged and call it with another phone.

If you hear it or it logs the call then you just might know you have something the purpose of this is simple if it won't stop a simple cell phone signal there is no way it will ever stop a EMP or HEMP.

My 2 cents and there is indeed alot of disinformation out there.

Originally posted by neo96
Did it pass the cell phone test?

Whatever "prevention" people are trying there is one simple way to see how effective "tin foil" and "antistatic" wraps are etc.

Put a cell phone in the container and protection your trying turned on and yes fully charged and call it with another phone.

If you hear it or it logs the call then you just might know you have something the purpose of this is simple if it won't stop a simple cell phone signal there is no way it will ever stop a EMP or HEMP.

My 2 cents and there is indeed alot of disinformation out there.

I came here to say this exact thing. A nice box full of wraps and foil may be all for naught if even a cell phone signal is able to penetrate the case. The box should be a Faraday cage to the exact specification of a Faraday cage.

Also, the cell phone test is a good way to test if you have a cheap microwave (crappy shielding) or a good microwave (good shielding). Your phone will not ring if inside of a microwave that is adequately shielded with a proper Faraday cage. Also, the microwave itself could be used as an EMP box as a last resort sort of thing.
Sorta, like in the new Indiana Jones where he jumps in the lead lined fridge before the bomb. Perhaps, if you had old spare microwave you could use that even.

I saw a neighbour taking out an old microwave oven downstairs to dump today. I didn't say anything, but sortve felt I should lol

Hello all. I went and bought a new regular sized garbage can. A television set, radio, four laptops, computer hard drive, etc. can all fit into it. Place in cement garage or basement. I keep all batteries in an aluminum lunch box. Carry aluminum foil with you to wrap a cell phone in an emergency. Ideas were placed on the internet by a retired nuclear physicist lady. The problem is knowing the emp is coming and putting the items in the garbage can ahead of time.
I keep my lap top under my bed's box springs at night. I wounder if that offers some protection... Later after an event the can provides good food storage from mice and bugs. Also a good food hiding place, who's going to look in the trash can?

I have large ammo cans for 20mm cannon projectiles.

They are made from heavy gauge steel, and are waterproof. The lid is joined to the body by an all metal hinge. I lined it with "fun foam" inside, that the kids had for a school project. All my electronics are stored inside the cardboard boxes they came in, so they don't touch the foam.

I store one under a sink in the garage, with a ground-wire to the sink's cold water line. My cell phone won't take calls from inside.

god i love these kind of post ..
Ok so you keep your pc from frying in a emp (sun produced or man made)
\ now emp happens and wow your pc still as good as new dude now i can go to ATS and tell every one how smart I am . Ok luckly you had charged the battery's as you have no house current as the powedr is OUT over the whole US . So you turn on your pc and whats THIS NO WIRELESS singial found?? But I live almost downtown???
darn now how am i going to post on ATS??? dude what you now own is a 4 pound paper weight.
It will be 20 years before the get the net back up Thats assuming all your friends and nabers havent totaly trashed the world
God you guys remind me of the 1970ds when we hear the loud airraid sirens warring of a NUK attack and the teachers told us kids GET UNDER THE DESK . you know even at 5 years old I know this was a JOKE .
Like the DESK will stop a 20 kiloton boom lolol .
O but lets not forget your 2000 guns and 50k rounds that will kill 50 million people walking through your town looking for food . hummmm my advice is if you believe in a god and a EMP hits pray for a fast death because that is most liekly what will happen to you

reply to post by xxcalbier


Not all folks are so shortsighted.
Some are storing digital books, ham radios, etc.
Not everything needs the web.
But if there were an emp whether Govt made or natural keying your ham just might light up your position like a xmas tree.

Originally posted by xxcalbier
god i love these kind of post ..

You mean the kind you speed-read through, looking to mock other people without really knowing what you're talking about?

Ok so you keep your pc from frying

I have no interest in preserving my computer for internet use. I didn't see where other people were talking about using the net in the footprint of a catastrophe, either. But it's easier for you to make fun of that way.

in a emp (sun produced or man made)

An electromagnetic pulse is radically different than, and far more powerful, than a coronal mass ejection from the sun. A coronal mass ejection is not liable to fry many basic electric appliances and vehicles, but would only effect larger networks of wires and radio fields. An EMP as an act of war designed destroy even simple electronics.

God you guys remind me of the 1970ds when we hear the loud airraid sirens warring of a NUK attack and the teachers told us kids GET UNDER THE DESK . you know even at 5 years old I know this was a JOKE .
Like the DESK will stop a 20 kiloton boom lolol .

Lol at you. A 20 kiloton bomb (smaller than the "Fat Man" used on Nagasaki) is the smallest type of military nuke, but about the largest a terrorist organization could hope to produce. The fireball is "only" 100 meters in diameter, and people as near as 5 miles away in Nagasaki....survived by ducking under desks and tables, or by the happenstance of being in a particularly sturdy building, or merely being behind the hills that separate some of the suburbs from the industrial district that was targeted..

O but lets not forget your 2000 guns and 50k rounds that will kill 50 million people walking through your town looking for food . hummmm my advice is if you believe in a god and a EMP hits pray for a fast death because that is most liekly what will happen to you

It most likely wont happen to me, because I have researched the situation and put plans in place. I don't pray for peoples deaths; that's not what praying is for.

Hilarious that the only really derisive postings come from the people who know the least.....

this scenario could be sooner not later Monster Solar Storms next 2 weeks

Wow guys, thanks for all the information. I have been thinking about this for the past couple of months and your information is helpful, albeit confusing since you all have conflicting opinions.

So, I am wondering (and please forgive my ignorance) Why is this important? I mean, why be so concerned about saving these personal devices? I seriously want to know. I honestly have put this on the last on my list of things I should protect, maybe I should rethink that?

I started reading this last week- empcommission.org... it's the report from the commision to asses the threat of an EMP attack. It's interesting

reply to post by moondancer811


That commission report was a real eye-opener.

The devices I protect include a short-wave radio. It picks up stations from South Africa to NE Asia, and all points in between. During times of Crisis, I frequently listen to foreign-language broadcast to get other perspectives. This matters because the long-range plans you make depend on things that will be happening far away.

For instance, after an EMP, it might affect your plans if you could listen to an overseas description of the crisis, and especially its causes. Was it really an EMP? Was it an attack by a superpower, or was it some kind of natural phenomenon. Has your country been invaded? Or, if it's a CME, how widespread is the damage? Has the whole of civilization been wiped out, or is it confined to your own region? Is your nation still intact? How high is the death toll, are there other dangers I should watch out for, like a nuclear facility malfunctioning in my area????

reply to post by tovenar


Brilliant! Thank you so much, it makes perfect sense. Hopefully the day will never come that I will need to thank you but I'll do it now anyway.

Alright, I need to buy and learn how to use a ham radio...and then how to store it properly. I remember my father used his when I was little and it was great fun for us all when he talked with people all over the world. I guess I take it for granted having the internet. Something such as a ham radio would be such an asset for all the reasons you stated. I feel so enlightened

reply to post by xxcalbier


Well if you had any power source to link up with your laptop, such as an execise bike. You could watch dvds on your laptop. Entertainement during a post apocalyptic era might be welcomed by anyone.