# EMP Question...



## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

I'm wondering if a microwave oven would act like a Faraday cage and protect my small electronic devices from EMPs.

A microwave oven is designed to keep the microwaves in, so it might also keep them out, right?

In practice, I would get an old microwave and use is as a dedicated device. I'm guessing that a strong EMP would induce a current spike on the power cord, and this could possibly make the unit "flash" like a flashbulb before it burns out, so I would cut off the cord and try to seal the hole with a wad of foil or something.

So what do you think? Worth buying a $10 microwave from Goodwill for this, or not?


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

your theory is close, but they are 2 different forms of radiation, and microwave ovens do leak (you can get equipment to test this)


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

I saw a youtube demo of this. If you put a radio into a Faraday cage, it shouldn't get any reception and you should only hear static. Reportedly, EMP wave lengths are somewhere between am and fm bands, so if you can test a radio on both am and fm, it is a reasonable way to test out a Faraday device. The demo I saw showed that the radio still played while in a microwave oven. 

An easy Faraday cage is to take a galvanazed trash can, line it with cardboard, including the lid. Add a seal of steel wool around the rim of the tightly fitting lid. Voila! You only hear static when a radio is placed inside. I have my radios wrapped in plastic and sealed in mylar bags. Insulate one more time with heavy plastic bag or bubble wrap to keep the metal wrap from contacting any other metal wraps in the cage. You can also use layers of aluminum foil, alternating with plastic bags. This is how my batteries are also stored. I keep a large can for the radios, recharges, etc,. Two smaller cans for batteries.

So if this is NOT adequate protection, please let me know - anyone! When I researched how to make homemade Faraday cages, this was the best I could find and the lack of radio reception makes sense to me. Any other ideas?


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

Prepadoodle said:


> I'm wondering if a microwave oven would act like a Faraday cage and protect my small electronic devices from EMPs.
> 
> A microwave oven is designed to keep the microwaves in, so it might also keep them out, right?
> 
> ...


Yes it will work.


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## john10001 (Mar 20, 2013)

I think a Microwave is like a Faraday cage but in reverse. I suspect one of the bigger older styles that we used to be able to get in the 80's and 90's that seemed to be build a lot better would be the best choice. The modern cheap junk may not be as well built or as good?

As for the power cord I am unsure whether you would keep this connected or not? Here in the UK we have three pin plugs with the top one being the Earth. So it has been my plan to get an old microwave at some point, maybe one that no longer functions but would still be good for use to protect small devices. I was going to remove the wires to live and neutral and just leave the Earth pin (ground) connected and keep it plugged into the wall.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

This makes my head hurt.
If it is a nuclear emp it will include gamma rays? I was also looking at the electromagnetic spectrum on Wikipedia. (I couldn't find where microwaves lie on the chart but it does include radio waves) And gamma rays are at the top. Gamma rays apparently do something with earth's magnetic field and create the electromagnetic pulse or so Wikipedia says. 
The gamma rays will give you radiation burns or long term cancer.
Im almost done. But id like to add that it was said that john Wayne was filming a movie downwind from a test and that is how he got cancer and died. I would also like to add that there was a high altitude test in the Pacific and hundred's of miles away street lights lit up and early microwave communication's were fried along with power lines.

The key to all of this I believe to be in a chart of the electromagnetic spectrum. 
I wanted to ask a physics professor that worked in nuclear energy for Westinghouse selling reactors about this topic but was afraid of looking too tin hat crazy. I haven't seen him either. 
I know its in my textbook don't make me look for it!


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## PalmettoTree (Jun 8, 2013)

I have a closet lined with aluminum insulation and grounded to the ground of an electrical wall receptor. Many say I created a good antenna. Maybe maybe not. I'm sticking with that based on the logic the EMT will go to ground. Trust your own judgement. I have seen a ton of opinions on this subject and few are in complete agreement.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

I've fretted about this and came to the conclusion that if there was an EMP that set us back a hundred plus years; what good are the electronics in your faraday cage anyway?

At least that's what I keep telling myself


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

James m said:


> This makes my head hurt.
> If it is a nuclear emp it will include gamma rays? I was also looking at the electromagnetic spectrum on Wikipedia. (I couldn't find where microwaves lie on the chart but it does include radio waves) And gamma rays are at the top. Gamma rays apparently do something with earth's magnetic field and create the electromagnetic pulse or so Wikipedia says.
> The gamma rays will give you radiation burns or long term cancer.
> Im almost done. But id like to add that it was said that john Wayne was filming a movie downwind from a test and that is how he got cancer and died. I would also like to add that there was a high altitude test in the Pacific and hundred's of miles away street lights lit up and early microwave communication's were fried along with power lines.
> ...


The initial detonation of the nuke to produce the EMP will of course give off gamma and x-ray radiation. Supposedly (depends on who you read) a nuke has to be about 80+ miles altitude to get the best EMP. At that altitude, the people directly under the blast will take a hit, but because of the altitude the radiation will spread outward in all directions, including up, lessening the overall "dosage". Any point source (of radiation in this case) spreading out equally in all directions follows Newton's Inverse Square Law. An example I've seen used is if radiation measured 1 inch from the source is 1000 R/hr the exposure will be only 0.1R/hr at 100 inches it is down to 0.0001 R/hr at 1000 inches and it is down to .0000000000000000064 mR/hr at 1000 feet. The formula is I = 1/(d x d) or d squared. Now obviously the gamma radiation might really be 1,000,000,000,000 R/hr at the point source of the nuke detonation but 80 miles away it is down to 39 mR/Hr and of course the time of exposure is very short. For those who want to see the math: 1,000,000,000,000/ 25,692,700,000,000 (80 miles of inches squared)=0.038922R/hr. This info came and the formula came from NDT Resource Center.

The John Wayne movie was filmed down wind of a whole big bunch of nuke tests. There was even a photo of him and I believe his son playing with a Geiger counter on location. "But it is all supposition, no actual proof exists." Besides out government wouldn't do anything like that or have men stand fully exposed to the Gamma and X-ray radiation during a nuke test, would they.

Having your own Geiger counter, radios, laptop, etc. could be handy. So I hope my Faraday cage works.


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## oddapple (Dec 9, 2013)

Yeah me too. We can make the electricity if we have the genny and radio.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

James m said:


> This makes my head hurt.
> If it is a nuclear emp it will include gamma rays? I was also looking at the electromagnetic spectrum on Wikipedia. (I couldn't find where microwaves lie on the chart but it does include radio waves) And gamma rays are at the top. Gamma rays apparently do something with earth's magnetic field and create the electromagnetic pulse or so Wikipedia says.
> The gamma rays will give you radiation burns or long term cancer.
> Im almost done. But id like to add that it was said that john Wayne was filming a movie downwind from a test and that is how he got cancer and died. I would also like to add that there was a high altitude test in the Pacific and hundred's of miles away street lights lit up and early microwave communication's were fried along with power lines.
> ...


That will work and work well. I was a site chief for a communications site in Germany and we kept our spare electronics parts and test equipment in faraday cages. An obsolete microwave that was well built when new that is grounded would be excellent.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Everything I read says it should be a separate earth ground, not part of the house ground wiring. I'm thinking of drilling a hole in the garage floor and try to drive one in right next to my shelf of preps.


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## bad (Feb 22, 2014)

Get vacuum tube equipment instead of solid state and the problem is minimized.

We heat with wood, drive olds cool diesels, beyond missing you fellow preppers, wouldn't miss too much. Oh, we live in a metal house.

To address the OP post, keep your car well grounded with a strap hooked to a 4' copper rod.


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