# EMP Prepping,, Light bulbs?



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

I have been doing some prepping for an EMP and there are a lot of gray areas as to what will "fry"
and what will not. But it seems like just about all agree that anything plugged in be destroyed.
Even if it is not turned on a EMP will "Jump" the switch and carry on with it's destruction. 

The question of weather a LED light bulb would survive even if it was not plugged in is in that gray 
area. Even if the unplugged LED light bulbs are safe how many people have a stock of spare bulbs? I have red that
a lot of people have a generator that should be OK in the event of a EMP but what are you going to run
If everything that was hooked to the grid in is ruined? 

I have light bulbs as art of my EMP preps. Both 12 volt and 110 volt. I have what I need to repair my solar
set up to about 600 watts. (spare panels, controllers and enverters) Whats the odds of a computer surviving? 
Some say that they have dvds with survival information on them to watch. *If a EMP get us watch it on what? 

If you believe a EMP might be a serious threat you may want to adjust your prepps accordingly. I am 

Oh, And pick up some light bulbs. 
Are you putting back anything special for an EMP that most have not thought of?


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

It sounds like you really have a handle on the EMP threat already, BP-n. Here's what I know (that is to say, what the experts think they know).

The way an EMP's E1 pulse destroys electronics is by inducing an overvoltage in the circuit, and causing an arc to jump any gap in it. It's like a mini welding arc, not a good thing for electronics. The smaller the gap, the easier it is to damage. A regular epoxy circuit board can be arced out by a powerful EMP; a weaker pulse can short out integated circuits with their very tiny gaps. LEDs are vulnerable to EMP, plugged in or not, and need to be shielded just like any other electronic component.

The odds of a computer surviving an EMP attack are small. 

What am I putting back for an attack? Nothing special: a solar battery charger and LED flashlight. When there is no grid or internet (with consequent loss of food delivery and banking), no water supply or sewage treatment, the problems are going to be much bigger than surviving electronics.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

a simple evaluation .... if the EMP or solar flare is massive and powerful enough to override the grid protections and start melting your toaster - it's going to blow openly exposed circuitry also .... most likely destroy the electronics that were only secured in a candy coated Faraday box .....


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Illini Warrior said:


> a simple evaluation .... if the EMP or solar flare is massive and powerful enough to override the grid protections and start melting your toaster - it's going to blow openly exposed circuitry also .... most likely destroy the electronics that were only secured in a candy coated Faraday box .....


 I didn't think the grid had much protection in place. I was under the impression that the problem was all the exposed wiring that normally carries the electric
would attract the emp pulse like a big antenna then carry it into your house. And I thought a good Faraday cage would provide a decent amount of protection.
What do you mean by candy coated?


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I don't risk it! I keep a fair amount of LED bulbs in my faraday cage.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I've been buying oil lamps at yard sales. 100-120 years ago most people survived just fine without electricity. That's the direction my preps are focused.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Chipper said:


> I've been buying oil lamps at yard sales. 100-120 years ago most people survived just fine without electricity. That's the direction my preps are focused.


That's cool if you want to go that road but I must be a wimp,, My direction includes lights, A hot shower and antibiotics.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

The super basic tiny led bulbs like we had 30 years ago will probably survive. It's the controller chips in modern household led light bulbs and power regulated led flashlights that will not survive. Some of the basic modern led flashlights don't have a current regulating chip and those may survive but most of them do use a chip to keep the voltage to the bulb consistent as a fresh new battery gets old and weak. If your flashlight stays very bright for a long time and then quickly dims and shuts off at the end of the battery's life you have a chip either in the battery or the flashlight. If instead your flashlight slowly dims over several hours you probably don't have a chip and the flashlight is much more likely to survive an EMP.

By the same token some of these new batteries such as 18650s also have built in voltage regulating chips and they probably won't survive an EMP. 

Buy a few cheap little flashlights and toss them in a faraday bag. $25 and you've got a backup that you know will work.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I have plenty of candles and oil lamps as a back-up. Right now I run LED bulbs off a car battery inverter system. I like the idea of the LEDS
as they use little power and put out plenty of light. I have a solar charger to re-charge the battery during daylight hours. I have several inverters
and batteries and can run some larger items as well. I have generators but will use those sparingly.

I am concerned about EMP and keep a fair amount of equipment in my Faraday cages.


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## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)

Most modern LED lights have circuitry that will most likely be destroyed in an EMP attack. If you store them, EMP proof them, or buy incandescent bulbs.


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