How to EMP proof your things?

[Dropy]

So...how do i EMP proof my vehicles and other things i might wanna EMP proof?

[bobthe]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/EMP_mechanism.GIF

a few years back a couple dozen modern day vehicals were tested against an emp of 40 kv/m (not quite the strength of an emp int he red zone, but stronger than the dark blue zone)

none of the cars that were turned off at the time of the pulse failed to start. of the ones that were running at the time something like 7 out of 40 had to be towed away.

does this mean your car is emp PROOF? no, but it puts the risk into some perspective.

[Dropy]

So if you suspect a possible EMP turn off your car and stuff and wait for it to pass and you will probably be ok?

[bobthe]

how would you 'suspect a possible emp'? once you have any reason to suspect one, it's too late the damage was done in the first few nanoseconds. unless by suspect you mean hear a warning on the tv/radio.

[Dropy]

Yeah, i would think that only a radio/tv broadcast would give ample warning of a possible EMP.

[ladyhk13]

So the emp doesn't fry the electronic/computer system? It simply disables it for a short period of time?

[Stg1swret]

It will fry it if it isn't sheilded properly.

[ladyhk13]

From what I understood it had to be within a lead container in order to not be affected...is this true?

[Stg1swret]

Lead is most effective in sheilding from EMP. A properly designed Farady Cage, below ground will also be affective in sheilding electronics.

[bobthe]

So the emp doesn't fry the electronic/computer system? It simply disables it for a short period of time?

int he study i referred to (i'll try and dig up a link, but my bookmarks are a mess) the mast majority of the time the electronics werent destroyed. and the vehical could be driven away. there may have been electronic damage, such as no radio, various power features or the dash board not working, but you could drive the car at least.

[bobthe]

Lead is most effective in sheilding from EMP. A properly designed Farady Cage, below ground will also be affective in sheilding electronics.

Lead?
lead is good for sheilding against radiation, but i dont know why you would take the weight penalty when there are so many other inexpensive, lighter options such as copper or steel.

[izzyscout21]

So does anyone have some plans or pictures they could share to help the rest of us should we need a faraady cage or other shielding?

[bobthe]

http://www.empcommission.org/docs/A2473-EMP_Commission-7MB.pdf

this will tell you more about the susceptibility of well. everything - than you ever wanted to know.

cars are on page 114 or so.

as far as plans for a faraday cage go - there really is no need. all you need is a tight metal enclosure. this could be something as simple as tin foil. slightly more relistic would be a 55 gallon drum with a metal lid, whereas the mating surface of the drum and lid has been sanded down to bare metal.

[dragon5126]

Since 1996 every vehicle is susceptible to EMP damage as a result of computer controlled emissions control systems that will shut down the vehicle if multiple systems fail. 1995 and earlier there was a chance of survival but it was minimal. I dont know where the myth of this metal or that metal being better than the other for protecting from a pulse came from but the simple fact is ANY electrically conductive METAL will work as long as it is not in physical contact with what ever you are trying to protect. The principle is very simple. The EMP is a very HIGH yield electro magnetic pulse of exceedingly short duration. the magnetic field it creates induces current flow in any and all conductors in it's field. Solid state electronics are susceptible to damage from the magnitude of this pulse, think of it as a surge on every single wire and trace of a circuit board in every solidstate device in the field of the pulse. Even id a device is shielded, the leads, antennas, wires and cables going into it can and will carry the spike induced by the pulse into the device, IF there is no way to block that spike it will damage any solidstate devices it encounters. a proper faraday shield is any metallic shield around the device that is being protected. It should be grounded for best protection. What happens is the magnetic field of the pulse cuts across the conductor (the shield) inducing a current flow in it, as it surrounds the device being protected, the magnetic field never reaches the device, as it is converted to the current that flows in the shield through induction. If properly grounded the current will flow directly to earth,and not be of any consequence, if not there is a risk of a brief magnetic field developing in the shield, and if the EMP is of high enough yield and duration there is a risk of the shield conducting a secondary magnetic pulse and damaging the equipment being protected. However, this point has to date been moot, as of this time there has not been a full tactical proving of this since there has not been any tactical EMP weapons used as of yet. This data is only been shown ( the example of a secondary magnetic pulse) through mathematical models.

[mollypup]

I went the thrift store and bought a large, used microwave oven. I already have a large oven which I used for many years until it finally failed. In these I have placed many useful electronics - walkie talkies, radios, ham radio, cameras, digital recorders, movie player, cd player, iPods, batteries, all sorts of solar powered gadgets and doohickeys, etc..... I first place these items in metal cookie tins with tight fitting lids and then placed the tins into the microwave ovens. I am waiting on my Pandigital tablet to arrive and after testing it out it will go into a tin and then into a microwave. You'd be surprised at how much stuff a large microwave oven will hold.

I forgot to say that I wrap each electronic device in bubble wrap so that nothing is touching each other or the sides of the cookie tins. And of course the microwave oven door is shut.