EMP Faraday Bags

ncpreppers.com/2011/11/21/protecting-home-electronics-from-emp/

Protecting Home Electronics from EMP
Posted: November 21, 2011 in Energy, Equipment
Tags: atomic bomb, electromagnetic pulse, EMP, faraday bags, protecting electronics, solar flares


My husband has done a lot of research on ways to protect at least some of our electronics from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). The bottom line appears to be that no one knows absolutely for sure what will work. It is impossible to test EMP protective measures at home using real EMPs. We used an AM/FM radio and a pair of walkie talkies to test how well different blocking methods work. Our results may or may not apply to magnetic pulses.


We tried the following items as EMP barriers.

Ammo can

Faraday bag

Mylar bag

Aluminum foil

Galvanized trash can

Microwave oven

Conventional oven
Results

First, we learned that almost anything helps at least a little and is better than nothing. Second, in order to be protected from a magnetic pulse, the item needs to be insulated from touching any metal. Third, multiple layers of protection are most effective.

Radio sealed for long term storage

The best system we found based on research and our experiments is to do the following:

Vacuum seal electronics like radios in a FoodSaver bag which acts as an insulator,
Wrap it in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil wrapped tightly with no gaps
Vacuum seal it again to insulate the foil from touching any metal,
Place in a sealed metal ammo can.

EMP Garbage Can--long term storage for larger items

We were surprised how poorly the the metal containers, microwave, and oven worked without the aluminum foil. However, the microwave and oven still had their cords. Reportedly, if you use an old microwave, you should remove the cord because it acts as an antenna preventing it from blocking the EMP. We are also using a new galvanized trash can for some larger items instead of an ammo can.

Faraday Bag--Zip Lock

We bought a couple of Faraday bags and tested them in comparison to our regular Mylar storage bags. The Faraday bags were a couple of millimeters thicker, but did not block radio signals any differently than the regular storage Mylar. Both reduced the radio waves getting through, but did not eliminate them. Something packed in a Faraday bag or Mylar bag doesn’t have to be insulated in plastic since the bags have insulating layers on the inside and outside with the metal layer sandwiched between them. We are using the Faraday bags and Mylar bags with ziplock closures placed inside an ammo can to store things that we use regularly and need easy access to, but want to protect.

EMP label--long term storage

The ammo cans and metal trash can that we are using to store equipment that we don’t need access to are spray painted light blue and are labeled with EMP stickers and the contents. The ammo can we use for easy access is painted lavender also with labels. Unpainted ammo cans are used for ammunition storage.

Any metal container that is insulated from your items [cardboard] is faraday cage 'reducing' any electromagnetic [radio/microwaves etc] interference. If you add layers, it should increase this protection. A good test is having a portable radio, CB or similar and seeing what it takes to stop the signal. Microwaves have a mesh door and metal sides and is a faraday cage. The mesh is small enough to not let microwaves escape, though some frequencies can very well get in and out through the mesh. Any mylar bag, which has a thin layer of metal on plastic, will reduce electromagnet waves, so a chip packet would do. You could seal it with an iron and have 'some' protection, though you might want to put that in another metal container. Keep in mind that rechargeable batteries need charging yearly [for LiIon] or they'll eventually die.

Makes sense. I'm not especially worried about EMP for items that are not plugged into the grid.

Yeah I know, I was struck by the same thing. A nuke goes of in an area close enough to affect you and your main concern is does your cell phone work? Then again, sadly, that's probably true for far too many people these days.