[R-390] EMP

[Bill Hawkins]

Well, the radios may be the least of your worries.

I've worked 50 years in the field of industrial process control. We've
gone from EMP-immune brass and steel powered by air, to 4-20 mA DC
signals to and from field control devices, to digital communication.

Almost all of the manufacturing facilities of any size are now fully
dependent on computers to make the equipment work - from oil refineries
to widget production lines. If an EMP gets all the computers, including
the spares, we will be a long time without what we've been used to,
including processed food.

We might have to learn how to live together in small groups, again.

Bill Hawkins


-----Original Message-----
From: mikea
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 6:38 PM
To: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [R-390] EMP

On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 09:41:12AM -0700, Steve Toth wrote:
> So, theorectically, what would be involved in "hardening" a hamshack??
(understanding that the power grid, etc., would be taken out)
> 
> Not being an engineer and having no background in this area, my guess
> would be some sort of shielding on all sides of the room, roof and
> floor (what would be considered adequate?); thorough grounding of the
> shielding and associated equipment (would the lightning strike damage
> prevention techniques discussed a little while ago be applicable?);
> and filtering of all wiring coming into and out of the room for
> excessive voltage pulses???  Or would even those techniques have their
> own issues?  Just curious.

You might get through it with fully-shielded underground vault, 
containing:

A complete set of spare electronics -- as in a complete set of spare
transceivers/receivers/transmitters.

A complete set of spare cables, connectors, etc., as well, as the
voltages induced by all those Compton-effect e- will be big enough to
punch through insulation and do other nasties.

Filtering just isn't going to do any good against voltage spikes with
those magnitudes and such fast risetimes. 

No, I'm not kidding. 

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin