Building a Fast EMP Box.
Preparing for EMP can be a daunting task. A good place to start is preparing EMP hardened shelter for your electronic equipment. Critical supplies that are likely to be damaged by EMP include radios and navigation equipment. A good EMP countermeasure to consider is the Faraday cage.
What is a Faraday Cage?
A Faraday Cage is a conductive shield that encloses an insulated space. Faraday cages when properly constructed block electromagnetic fields and energy.
Because of its ability to stop electromagnetic energy, a Faraday cage is useful as an EMP countermeasure.
Thinking Inside the Box.
Building this box should be pretty straight forward as long as you have the right materials.
All you’ll need is a large tin with a tightly fitting lid. The cookie tin I used has a good tight lid that requires effort to remove.
You’ll also need something to insulate the inside. My box used bubble wrap, and cardboard. I used duct tape to hold the insides together. You could use foam rubber or other insulation to do this as well.
I cut cardboard insulation to size. I used duct tape to adhere the insulation. It isn’t critical to get the insulation on every part. I decided to insulate the bottom and sides for peace of mind.
As long there is insulation between the conductive sides and any sensitive items the box should work. Theoretically you could stuff a cell phone in a sock and get away with placing it inside a bare tin.
Testing the Faraday Cage.
One of the great things about this design is you can absolutely test it out.
Test the box by placing a powered on radio inside. Put the lid on and transmit to that radio. A well constructed Faraday cage won’t allow the radio to receive the transmission. Another good way to test the box is to put your cell phone inside and give it a call. If your build is working right your phone won’t ring. The lid has to be securely on the box to work right.
A Faraday cage EMP Box is important for anyone looking to protect sensitive electronics against EMP. Happy building, and Live Ready!
