Just wondering what the thoughts are about EMP’s....are they overhyped...in that the one study I saw only made 10% of the modern vehicles inoperative... Maybe I can convince the wife that we really need that 1967 GTO....you know...cuz of the CCP EMP
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I guess my emergency use vehicle will have to be my 68 Torino GT. Nasty 302 with a 4.11 posi rear. But seriously an old microwave should protect electronic equip from a emp
I've got a 1985 Scottsdale long wheel base. Carberated, no computer, points ignition. It might fry the radio, but i think she'll still run just fine.
I have built several USG projects designed to resist EMPs. The threat is real. When you hear congress discuss “hardening “our infrastructure they really mean “shielding”. IE not massive concrete bunkers but six-sided metal boxes to serve as Faraday cages around the grid, weapons systems, comms, and command centers. Heck there are tons for USG RFPs every year to trap equipment (generators, communication and weapons systems) into modified sea containers to store so that there is stuff available after an EMP. I can not stress enough that it is real. If you live in a bug out situation you better have a BOV or bicycles. I live rurally in a bug-in situation so all I know is it better be older than 1979 and that might not be accurate. Buy a $35 metal trash can put foil tape at the bottom and side joint, line it with card board, put diodes for your solar panel, a 100w - 1000w dc to ac inverter, and all your old phone, PCs etc. A voltmeter and kids old walk-in talkies would be helpful. Put the lid on, foil tape the lid and find a way to ground the can. After am EMP hits all that you will have will be stuff from a properly shielded can. Also realize who ever hits us with an EMP will certainly hit us with another 3 days later after you and I have opened our cans.
Correction the BOV better NOT be older than 1979 - no chips no computer.
Although i like where ur mind is at, if an emp hits us, we wont have electricity to power the pumps to fill our cars. If we are hit, i hope it wont be winter time (but all know that is the best time to destroy the electric grid.
Gas will last for a little while....but true....it will all get siphoned or go bad relatively soon.... GTO diesel conversion :-)
In relation to powering the pump, please note that every gas station has fill ports in the concrete that you could siphon or pump fuel out using a mechanical means if you have a hose long enough to reach it. Most places don't even lock the fill ports like they're supposed to.
I would think gas in a 12k tank underground wouldn't spoil near as fast as something in a 5 gallon can above ground.
I did not think about that tank at all. Ty for the heads up.
If it goes bad for awhile, I'd prefer an old Willy's Jeep but as long as there are roads and they are clear, the GTO would be awesome.
Do you think modern vehicles will actually get fried though, or is it overblown?
the electric transmission lines will be a great conductor of the power surge. Equipment that is not connected to the transmission grid (such as automobiles) will still have some risk but in all likelihood, the most significant effect will be to shut off the car engine and require a restart. Prudent precautions for a predicted solar storm will be to unplug computers, radios, TVs etc, and take down conductors that you can such as antennas. If you fear a "no warning" event, habitually unplugging and powering down will give you added peace of mind.
This is what I saw in my search...
EMP Commission to determine the effects of an EMP on the United States (available here) were conclusive: most vehicles would survive an EMP.
U.S. EMP Commission Test Results – Key Points
50 vehicles built between 1987 and 2002 were exposed to a spectrum of EMP blasts (up to 50kV/m in strength). 3 out of 50 vehicles shut down while driving. All 3 of these vehicles continued rolling until they safely coasted to a stop. 1 of those vehicles was disabled completely and would not restart. 2 of those vehicle restarted without an issue. Many nuisance issues arose from the 50 exposed vehicles including radio interference, strange and erratic behavior from headlights, turn-signals or brake-lights, and one vehicle needed to have its dashboard replaced
I don't know much about EMPs, I did serve at the end of the cold war and the EMP was a side effect of a nuke if I recall what they told us correctly. I also thought they had to be on, that electronics that weren't on at the time would be safe or at least safer from damage. No idea though, haven't researched it but do buy real books in case we lose all the digital info.
I'll try to explain it as simple as possible :-) ... people that understand EMP may cringe at this analogy :-) ...
EMP is generated when a nuke is detonated in the upper atmosphere ... up in the ionosphere specifically. When this happens, a LOT of electrical disruption occurs. Think of it as a massive, powerful radio transmission across a rather large range of frequencies.
Now, inside any integrated circuit are tiny little metal traces that connect up all of the transistors. Some of these traces can act as an antenna depending on their lengths. So, when this EMP "broadcast" occurs, these tiny antennas can pick up the electromagnetic energy. If too much energy couples onto the antenna, there is a risk of damaging a transistor. It does not matter if the device is powered at the time. In the case of high end CPU, there are millions if not billions of transistors these days ... the probability of one failing if the chip is in the path of an EMP blast is pretty high.
When it comes to cars, EMP won't damage anything mechanical. The electronics in a modern car are a different story. Fuel injection systems are controlled by a computer ... that computer has integrated circuits that might be susceptible to an EMP blast. The reason people are stating that they want a car made before 1979 is that many of those cars have no computer that controls the cars operation. I do know some had some basic electronic "diagnostic ports" (I seem to recall mid 70s VW Beetles and Terrorist Vans had them). Electronics like that could be at risk, but those will not prevent the car from running since the engine is controlled mechanically (i.e. distributor, rotor, carburetor, etc).
There are ways to reduce the probability of catastrophic damage. As many have pointed out, you can shield an electronic device in a faraday cage. Some integrated circuits are fabricated to be hardened to the effects of EMP ... though the enemy only has to dial up the yield of the blast to overcome those protections.
Overall, nobody knows what will happen for sure. Tests have shown that the effects may be overblown. The origin of the blast could be 100km in the atmosphere ... the energy may fall to a low enough level as it approaches the biosphere. Others believe that it will destroy anything with a transistor.
Overall, it isn't a bad idea to shield some electronics just in case of course. The effect isn't all theory ... it can be observed and it is real. I don't think you need to shield your entire home of course, but a little bit of prevention certainly wouldn't hurt (things like a generator would be something to shield since the power grid will fail ... I don't think for long, but long enough to make things interesting to say the least ... also, a backup of any electronic maps, docs, photos, etc wouldn't be a bad idea ... and maybe a cheap laptop or tablet to access them ... obviously print a hardcopy of anything that would be ultra critical).
Awesome high energy response! Wish I could updoot more than once.
4 points of rubber on the ground....Why is an automobile considered to be relatively safe in a thunderstorm?
71 Mach 1 Mustangs are a good choice for an emp proof vehicle. Not 1 has ever even been damaged by a nuclear blast. I think the one with the racing strips is best, for like bug out, you kno.
Now, that is a very good reason to avail yourself to such a nice car ....
If you have to “bug out” the only real option is to travel through the woods against the grain on foot.
A question related to prepping as I imagine this topic will bring out those folks who are thinking deeply about the topic, most say that you have a few basic needs to cover being: Air, water, shelter and food (some would add security).
My question is; do people think CBRN Masks are a strong priority or a waste of money?
Read the book One Second After. Fictional account of what happens. It gave me a much better idea of what we could expect.
I read that book and the follow up. The main character was apparently a survilal expert. But had no idea that even with no power. Travel trailers have propane fridges and he could have kept his daughters insulin cold.
You wont have power or fuel after the emp for long
Yeah there were a number of things I disagreed with in the book.
Had a '66 GTO and a '68 GTO convertible. But my fave was my 1970 Grand Prix SJ with 370 HP!
Fbody 4 life!
A terrain and cargo capable diesel would be a better option.....
A M800 or M900 series truck would make an excellent mobile home...
just saying...
The Punisher had a '69 GTO!
The battery should be fine after an EMP blast ... they don't have semiconductors. Semiconductors (specifically transistors) are the device at risk in an EMP blast.