Actually, the thought of emp closing down the power grid and any electronics scares the shtf out of me. My question is will the solar flares get that strong? If so, then I wonder what I might put into a faraday cage. A radio might be useless as the radio stations would surely get hit too. I wouldn't be able to store the electronics needed to get my car running again and what good would a laptop do me when the internet would also be gone.

Anyone got any ideas as to what to store in a faraday cage?

Hi, Denob

I was reading that even an inexpensive short wave radio would get good reception after an EMP because all the usual background noise would be gone.

The idea is that some where on the other side of the earth where the solar flare didn't 'hit' would still be transmitting. The EMP could knock out North America's grid and electronics or it could knock out Russia's.

The hope is that you'd beable to understand the language(s) still being transmitted.

My other concern is how long to wait before opening the faraday cage and trying to use the protected (hopefully) equipment. How would a person know when the event was over?

A laptop computer is still useful even if you can't get on the internet. Word processing, stored information, photos. Even if you didn't use it for awhile because of no electricity it's worth putting one away for later.

I got concerned about an EMP caused by a solar flare after reading about the Carrington event in 1859. It fried telegraph lines. And the flare that took down the Quebec grid in 1989, just a small area, for a short period of time, but the potential is there for problems.

A search of Rawles' SurvivalBlog.com
The Daily Web Log for Prepared Individuals Living in Uncertain Times, found this:

http://www.survivalblog.com/cgi-bin/mt43/mt-search.cgi?search=Faraday&IncludeBlogs=2&limit=20

Google prepper and emp together, 🙂

Thanks, ttruscott

for the link. I am pretty new to the prepper and survival blogs, just since mid March. So have just skimmed the top of a bunch of them. Just spent a couple days checking out every page (except comments) of Modern Survival Blog . com

Even though some people say we'll be okay without precautions I'm pretty sure I'm giving my dad a galvanized garbage can for Father's Day.

I've thought about Encasing a room of my home in a Faraday Cage for years, but thought is about as far as its gone. I'd love to make it happen but I was never really sure how to proceed. This topic made me poke around a bit on the idea again.

These links got my attention:

http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/emp_and_faraday_cages.htm

http://www.faradaycage.org/

The size of the project and the cost involved in encasing a full room in a Faraday cage has me a bit spooked, but I think it would be pretty cool to have a "Safe" room like that. If I come across some extra cash I jusrt might take a shot at it... If it works great, if not, well at least I can say I tried.

I thought of a room too but besides the expence, at the time of the blast the room must be sealed.

I think I'm more a garbage can type of guy... 🙂

Hi, DaScribbler,

Interesting links, thanks.

My son was on slashdot.org and it says there was a massive solar explosion/flare this morning and that any effects will hit tomorrow. The scientists are not overly concerned because it was not pointed directly at Earth. Although, we've been having trouble with the internet today, and cable tv reception is crappy today... hmm-m-m-m

And me caught without my faraday cage. Oh well, I still haven't gotten a shortwave radio yet. I keep going into The Source and looking at their selection, but Property Taxes are due in July so have been putting off getting any more equipment, just food.

Hi, DaScribbler,

Interesting links, thanks.

My son was on slashdot.org and it says there was a massive solar explosion/flare this morning and that any effects will hit tomorrow. The scientists are not overly concerned because it was not pointed directly at Earth. Although, we've been having trouble with the internet today, and cable tv reception is crappy today... hmm-m-m-m

And me caught without my faraday cage. Oh well, I still haven't gotten a shortwave radio yet. I keep going into The Source and looking at their selection, but Property Taxes are due in July so have been putting off getting any more equipment, just food.

Vanislemom,

If your looking for Quality Emergency Radio's check out the C. Crane Company. They make incredible stuff. I've bought two wind-up radio's from them so far and have my eye on a wind-up base C.B. Radio, that I'll likely pick up this summer some time.

They are American but with our Canadian Dollar a little stronger these days, buying from them may not be so bad.

http://www.ccrane.com/

I don't know how well their stuff will stand up to a direct EMP hit, but it works great when the power grid goes down 🙂

The end of the world isn't going to happen.

However, for any non-kook related EMPs the general method seems to be when making metal boxes is that the electronic device can't be touching the side of any of the box, otherwise it is like touching the inside of a tent during the rain. EMP (or rain lol) will pass through to the device. The metal box is allow the EM pulse to travel around the box and not into the device.

Still, unless you have a whole room and you want to live in, the EMP can strike at any time and is not going to give you time to run around putting all your eletronics into their own personal boxes. So the devices would have to already be in the box before the EMP hit and that's kind of hard if you are using your devices on a regular basis. The alternative is to have a back electronics to what you use now already in boxes.

Don't get the idea that you are going to get a 3 hour EMP notice so you can get off work early and go home to pack all your gear away into their metal boxes and then wait for the EMP to hit.

I read somewhere, your Microwave is a faraday cage made to contain the microwaves, hence the screen you see in the window, so advice was to put your laptop, loaded jumpdrives, into the mic. Check for magnetism on any metal box, if present, don't use it. Copper mesh is the best to use if you want to make your own but must be well grounded.

I've read that some people do use old (non-working) micro-wave ovens as a faraday cage. Non-working, because the cord is cut off, otherwise it could act as an antenna. On the other hand, some people say that if you know that a solar flare is due to hit, as long as you weren't using your appliances and even unplugged them from the outlet that they had a chance of not getting fried. So maybe, as a last resort, your microwave (unplugged) *might* offer some protection. There is not a lot of info out there, and some of it is conflicting. For instance, regarding grounding the container, some say do it, others say even the experts can get it wrong so don't do it. 😕 But the container should be on a non-conducting surface like wood.

I finally got a small short-wave radio and put into a lined metal tin. I'm not really ambitious enough yet (there's that lazy gene, again) to get a galvanized garbage can. (I really should because my daughter is learning alot about prepping through *osmosis*. Our computers are just 15 feet from each other I often mention things I've learned and am doing -- she seems interested.)

Back on topic: As for lining the can I figured a big piece of cardboard. Lay the can on it, and with a pencil in hand, create a template as you roll it. The liner is to keep your radio and other electronics from touching the metal. Probably not necessary if the items are each kept in the box they came in. I live in an earthquake zone so I'd probably pack it with bubble wrap or foam padding, too.

Note: if you are putting away a battery-powdered radio for awhile don't forget to remove the batteries in case they leak. I also bought a pack of duracells to store with the radio. They say they have a 7 year shelf life.

Suburban Survival Blog talks about his faraday cage and the electronic items he keeps protected.

http://suburbansurvivalblog.com/budget-faraday-cage-for-small-electronics#more-3684

The fear seems to come from a CME (Coronal mass ejection) not from an EMP although they are similar, just sayin. Several have recently happened and where directed away from Earth, good thing. The Suns activity is increasing as the Earth and Solar system pass through the gravity plane of the Galaxy (planets aligning). NASA has detected holes in the Earths magnetic field and any burst happening with the hole in place may be more pronounced. All unprotected electronics may be fried, including the internet and your vehicles computer. I am concentrating on non electronic technology including pre 1975 vehicles. Do not rely on the Internet during any major crisis. The "internet kill switch" is in place in case mother nature doesn't do it for us.

I forgot to add this. It is a good solar activity website to monitor. http://www.solarham.com/