EMP counter-measures, anyone?

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Once upon a time any schoolboy could work on his own car. Hence the term "shade-tree mechanic". 1945 all vehicles had points ignition and wire-wound voltage regulators. When we nuked Japan vehicles exposed to EMP but not blast-damaged were operable. Police, fire and medical personnel went to work immediately. We did numerous atomic/nuclear tests in Nevada desert . Info on vehicles etc analyzed. Shortly thereafter generator swapped for alternator with vulnerable, unshielded electronic component aka chip.. Since then points distributor swapped for HEI .. carburetors swapped for EFI (electronic fuel injection) then all went to hell .... all automotive systems have unshielded electronics. All except military which have shielded systems. To add insult to injury .........and "for your own good" of course, -- automatic transmission reconfigured so as not to pushstart. As things stand right now if one -- O N E - nuke is detonated within 300 miles of earth surface all vehicles in line-of-sight willl be exposed to EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) which will pickle all unshielded electronic "chips". That means 98% of civilian vehicles will not operate. 150,000,000 armed American patriots have no wheels. That would keep them off the freeways and out of the way of military vehciels and big cargo trucks which I understand are diesel and have no vulnerable electronic components. We cannot all rush out and buy 1986 and older GMC/Chevy 4x4 Suburban Blazer or Pickup ....swap HEI for points , remove alternator , install generator and wire-wound voltage regulator. Such a vehicle with standard transmission will pushstart and run without battery or starter. But such a vehicle is now rara avis (a rare bird) indeed. How does one economically shield the 1999 Technodazzle V8 against EMP?? Pls comment. I need the benefit of your education and experience.

-- Vlad (Strelok60@yahoo.com), November 25, 1999

Answers

"economically shield"

that phrase probably killed the possibility of accomplishing the task. read up on faraday cages. even these are not foolproof.

-- clayton (ratchetass@hotmail.com), November 25, 1999.


You need to build a Faraday Cage for your vehicle.
I'm not sure if you can get away with a mesh screen.
You may need a solid sheet steel box. Like a 20ft container box.

Of course, this would be for a parked vehicle.

Sounds like you need to go shopping for a used car.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), November 25, 1999.


It was recomended to me many years back that having grounding straps attached to your vehicle, dragging on the ground would tend to reduce emp suseptability. Heck the computer chips in my van are surrounded by metal, which if grounded, may protect them. I don't know but bought a couple straps for $10 from the NAPA parts store anyway. Can't hurt...

-- Don Kulha (dkulha@vom.com), November 25, 1999.

I am glad my hubby didn't get rid of his old 62 Valiant. It is ugly as sin, but it still runs. I have been threatening for years to have it taken to the junk yard.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), November 25, 1999.

Mutti is glad her daughter finally found her an AMC Gremlin....'74 and will run forever EMP or not....and it is fun to drive,too.

-- Mutti (mutti66@hotmail.com), November 26, 1999.


I'd try making a tent your car using inexpensive tarp and a few poles. Then I'd drench the tarp with water. Your car would be then be surrounded by a shell of conductive material -- a poor man's Faraday cage.

-- Amy Heins (AmyHeins@aol.com), November 27, 1999.

Long ago, in the ancient days of the early '80s some of us considered EMP as a threat to our electronics -- and we built "Faraday cages" for our ham radio rigs (heavy metal screening to make a box large enough to contain your equipment, & then the screening well-grounded.) Am purchasing a roll of the screening shortly.

But protect your VEHICLE from EMP???? What will you use your vehicle FOR, if everything electronic in the U S of A (except military gear) has been fried?

Bottomline: EMP is the electronic version of 'military' anthrax.

Bill

-- William J. Schenker, MD (wjs@linkfast.net), November 28, 1999.


Don't know much about EMP effects on car chips, but I would imagine that a significant pulse would crash the electromagnetic spectrum. Something that I consider to be on the order of a "10." Forget the car.

Anyway, if you want to try and ride out the utter chaos with your electrical gear, hard drives (and maybe the car) intact after an EMP, check this piece out:

http://www.infowar.com/class_3/harden.html-ssi

(Sorry about the cold link)

gpgnome

-- radiognome (gpg@bluemarble.net), November 28, 1999.


Cold link changed to

Hot Link

I like the bottom of the page where it says "Page last modified..."


-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), November 28, 1999.


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