Not directly relevant to me, but I thought someone on ETS might find it useful.

Here is the full report.

I regard this as soothing nonsense. These reassurances are like a cowboy singing to the herd to keep them quiet so they don't stampede in the face of real danger.

EMP is vastly different from ordinary interference in both duration and magnitude of energy imparted. Consumer products already suffer plenty interference from each other. (For example- I hear cellphone digital racket transmitted on police frequencies as the police dispatcher's system is affected by her cellphone.) And much of the good behavior we think we see is due to regulations which minimize noise output from the various devices- not so much reducing susceptibility to noise.

The EMP problem is that so much US civilization depends upon semi-conductor electronics that a single EMP strike could cause real havoc. If we were using vacuum tubes then we'd have less issues :-)

Why do you suppose the Iranians keep practicing erecting and shooting missiles from the decks of ships and sending the missile high into the atmosphere rather than on an aimed re-entry trajectory. (unclassified sources not necessarily reliable or easily found)

I've put a few vital pieces of my electronics into EMP-resistant cans (metal cookie tins with paint cleaned from the lid joints) for storage.

Would you rather be prepared? Or well-soothed?

This guy I know has a pacemaker and he puts a sheet of thin foil between this blanket and bed cover. He's protected when he sleeps.

Woa man, I did NOT mean to cause anybody to spontaneously detonate. It's just that EMP is a real threat and soothing words are used for many nefarious purposes.

Fact is, I pretty much agree with you that there's nearly nothing an individual can do to prepare for EMP that doesn't already apply to other kinds of preparedness.

But if you can prevent any hostile outfit from launching an EMP strike you'd be my hero.

Hi Rodion,

Folks always seem to look on the negative side of an EMP attack rather than the positives.

If I ever resemble that remark I grant you permission to shoot me and take my stuff.
(unless the wife took the stuff in the divorce that had to happen so that I'd meet your singleness criteria....)


EMP preparedness on an individual level is difficult to impossible for your personal power and electronics. It reduces to basic survival preparedness (wood stoves, candles and card games).


HOWEVER - with millions upon millions of $$ spent on such public infrastructure as digital 800 MHz trunked radio systems for police, fire and dogcatchers you'd hope that some EMP resistance would be part of the design. But that's probably not the case. So at the flash, all services will cease communication.

THAT's just one example of the negative consequence of folks listening to the soothing words. Yes, it would cost more. But it would (maybe?) work when needed. The soothing words justify not spending the money now at potentially disastrous cost later.

(BTW- I'm an Electrical Engineer and have worked in defense business around EMP-protected equipment. I'm not "expert" but I have some basis in education and training for my concern.)

I'd suggest as an add-on my own philosophy, which is...

"Spending your whole life thinking about all the ways you could die is not living, it's sustained misery. I will spend each and every day like it's my last, living here, now and for today, because that's all we've got for sure - right here, right now."

Just out of curiosity anyone with knowledge about this stuff, would my 1930 model A Ford start and run after an emp? It's not shielded by any means but it's also hand crank start with old fashioned points ignition and doesn't *need* the battery to operate.

If it has no semiconductors (transistors or integrated circuits) -and it surely doesn't if the ignition system is as-original - it'll run just fine.

If however the original generator (with associated mechanical voltage regulator) has been replaced with an alternator (with diode-semi-conductor- rectifier and voltage regulator), eventually the battery will run down because it won't be receiving a charge from the now-damaged alternator.

If the ignition system is a points-and-battery as you suggest, when the battery is dead, so is the car. I have heard that some of the early cars had magnetos (which also contain points) so if you have magneto ignition then you don't need the battery at all.

Expect the first policeman who sees it running to commandeer it :-)

BTW- there is some uncertainty about how susceptible cars really are because their structure is somewhat of a shield. Whether it's adequate to protect all the important electronics inside is not clear.

I'm hoping my all steel house will shield me somewhat. Lord knows it interferes with reception enough.

I do not think an EMP paulse would do that much damage. Most systems have lightning protection on them that can withstand a lot of power. Remember even a close lightning strict causes a large EM field around it and while some smaller systems and most portable equipment would be effected I think a lot of the fix systems would survive. But just to be shure I do store equipment not in use in a metal case.

Lets hope we never find out how bad an EMP pulse would be.

I did not start this thread to scare anyone, or convince people to build EMP shelters. I started it so people (in the US, mind you. Israel would never survive a direct nuclear strike) know what to expect. If you don't want this information, do not read it.

Climbing a high horse of how your level of preparedness is exactly right is hypocritical to the extreme, considering we are all "preparedness freaks" to the general public. You are not normal and not better than anyone else.

Throwing "whatcha gonna do?"s at me is a sign of weakness. Just because the task is immense, does not mean you should suddenly give up and wish you drank more beer in life. This is exactly, precisely the attitude of "normal" people towards disaster preparedness. Hey, it's an earthquake. Whatcha gonna do? I wouldn't want to live anyway. Nice, guys. Very nice.

Again, I'm not suggesting you sell your house to buy MREs. I'm not suggesting anything. I just want respect.

As for my reaction to an EMP (say the blast was distant, for some reason) it would be to help the authorities get the grid back up as soon as possible. If the government structure collapses, I intend to organize the community (battling the same "what's the point" sentiment along the way. Jesus, I can't believe I'm hearing it here) If there is no community left, I will go look for one.

I do not have loved ones to "spend time with", as if this day was my last. I do not have the option to "enjoy life" now. Some day, I hope to change it. No EMP, or volcano, or earthquake is going to rob me of that hope.

EMP events are definitely "on the list" of things disaster and anti-terrorism are concerned about. As someone who would likely be involved professionally with dealing with the consequences, I appreciated the useful information. Thanks for sharing it.

Jeff

Don't worry - we have this thing called insulation :p. Though I do bet you've never seen a furnace system quite like mine.

ARRL did some EMP-like testing and published articles in 1986.

EMP is not lightning, it is somewhat like it but lightning protective devices may not protect against EMP.
Likewise a metal house, unless built to milspecs for EMP may not be so good (though it ought to be better than nothing except that your powerlines, phone cables, and TV cable will carry the pulse into the shielded enclosure - oops.)

I have a CD full of articles about EMP we bought a couple of years ago. (don't know where from - I can't lay my hands on the source disc) Articles are US Govt testimony and studies and even tech manuals on how to build an EMP-safe facility. It might help to have some background in RF or electrical engineering since some if it is pretty deep theory.

I recommend doing some research before deciding everything will be ok.

Remember that soothing words were said about New Orleans' flood preps within the last decade.

I saw a tv show maybe on discovery channel, and the government guy said if an EMP pulse was about a mile up and over the USA, it would be lights out in North America.

The CD I mentioned is available on Amazon (rated 1 star)

The 21st Century Complete Guide to EMP Attack
Published by Progressive Management, October 2004.

The reviewer says it's a hodge podge. It is. But it has a number of interesting articles and handbooks. They just aren't easy to find in the hodge podge.


See also: http://www.khouse.org/articles/2005/585 for a more readable description of the situation.

It would have at least been plausible if you had said Russia. More tin foil anyone?

IMHO it would be prudent to make at least basic preps for an EMP event, most such preps would be useful for other problems as well.
To keep stocks of food, water, fuel, tools, clothing etc. is clearly prudent since any emergency, whether EMP related or not, is likely to disrupt normal supplies.

As regards preps specific to EMP, mine include spare radios, battery TV set,PV charge controllers,led lamps, and 12 volt flourescent lamps. All are stored in metal containers in a metal cupboard.
Since a nuclear detonation is the most likely source of an EMP event I also keep Geiger counters, which would also be useful in the event of a civilian nuclear accident.

EMP damages electronic equipment by inducing damaging voltages and currents in conductors.
Therefore anything connected to long wires or other conductors is more vulnerable. A landline telephone still in the suppliers carton is much less vulnerable than one connected to a phone line for example.
A P.V. charge controller connected by long wires to an array is far more vulnerable than one sitting on the shelf.

Don't you have to make sure that your items are insulated from the metal surrounding it?

I am not certain that insulating a stored radio from the metal container in which it is stored would help.
Being enclosed in a conductive material should prevent any voltage difference appearing accross the stored device, and therefore prevent harm.

Although not convinced that insulation would help, it costs almost nothing to ensure that items are in plastic cases inside the metal containers, and I have done this be certain.

Hmm, I had done a quick google last night and one of the papers warned me that an item should not be touching the protecting metal because that would transfer the charge. I'll have to see if I can find it again.
Better safe than sorry I suppose.

I've downloaded and read about 20% of this report so far. It is EXCELLENT material. Engineering and analysis based and well written. Easy to understand for those willing to spend the time (not the news media).

Thank you for posting the link.

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/cst/bugs_ch12.pdf

Is only 28 pages and presents a good summary as well. Also explains that EMP is not lightning.

EMP contains E1, E2 and E3 pulses. E2 is most lightning-like.
E1 is what will fry circuits - even in your steel house.

No tinfoil involved. Very serious potential threat.