LED flashlights and EMP
 

I just want to bring to the attention of folks the possibility of an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) trashing those LED flashlights. Since an LED is a diode ( Light Emitting Diode) and as such is a silocone based semicomductor, it too would be trashed just like any transistor or integrated circuit. This would also include any device employing an alphanumeric display, LED or LCD (Liquid Crystal Diode) such as this found on radios, computer monitors, scanners, clocks, etc.

Those old fashioned flashlights using an inefficent incandescent bulb I guess would survive. This is just conjecture as I have never been through an EMP. You might want to consider buying one of those wind up or shaker flashlights and wrapping it in an insulator such as a sock and then in some tin foil and setting it aside not to be used until after the dust settles so to speak. I have even set aside a spare computer and distributor for our old 1991 Toyota for this reason. Come to think of it a solar cell is also a silcon base seimconductor.

One last thought, while looking for a new empty paint can for storing our heirloom seeds it occurred to to me that it would make a good container for storing electronics. It is metal and water tight though the outside could use a coat of paint because they rust easily. Sherman Williams Paints wanted 4 dollars for a one gallon can but a local paint company, Halman/LIndsay charges $1.79. Also those tins you got your holiday cookies would make great enclosures.

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

remember to insulate the electronic goodies before putting them in your paint/cookie can. as breaking thunder says, a sock would work well.
stash a windup shortwave radio away in another tin!

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

p.s i live with solar power...do you really think the panels would fry too?

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

Don't know for sure but this is a cut and paste from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_photovoltaic

Copied from the Overview section

"The term photovoltaic denotes the unbiased operating mode of a photodiode in which current through the device is entirely due to the transduced light energy. Virtually all photovoltaic devices are some type of photodiode."

I would lean toward the side of caution and as I said I have never been through an EMP. I just remember hearing Richard Allen Miller, this teen whiz kid who got snatched up by the government in the 60's to do research in solid state physics mention that wouldn't it be clever if the were an alien intelligence to get the planet into a technology that could be wiped out in an instant. There are some interviews with Miller at this web site.
http://www.mikehagan.com/radiOrbit_Archives.htm
interesting stuff!

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

Or the tin from Aunt Vivian's fruit cake.
http://icanhascheezburger.files.word...ed-the-cat.jpg

Sorry, I couldn't resist :mfr_lol:

alys

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

:mfr_lol: Or if you had a large enough tin you could accommodate one very large cat.

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

there seems to be some confusion about whether or not the cookie tin faraday cage should be grounded. any suggestions?

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

Anybody else thinks that the new Aluminium Unibody Macbook (Pro) is EMP ready? *geek out*

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

i'd like to know if apple thinks it's emp proof, too.

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

I'd think you have to at least be as lucky as to have the lid closed. I'm not sure how this actual shielding works but I suppose it should be a closed caged of some kind to really protect.
Regarding that the iPhone is probably the most advanced tracking advice to 'carry around and be proud of' I don't see why they would 'prepare for EMP' knowingly. ;)

If my Macbook survives I at least have a flashlight. Haha!

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

I am no expert but I can wager a guess. So long as a the ground strap has a good electrical connection with the earth the current should travel on the surface of the tin through the ground strap and bleed to earth. If the ground strap is just floating (for some reason not connected to anything) and not grounded to earth the strap would act as an antenna and the current would have nowhere to bleed off to. May times the plumbing is used as a ground and if it is galvinized steel pipe thats rusted then there isn't the optimum electrical connection to earth. For myself I intend on wrapping my items in some sort of electrical insulator and then into a metal enclosure. If there were earth quakes the insulator could double as a dampener to shock. We got one of those metal garbage cans with the metal lid and put a bunch of our electronic eggs in one basket ( but not before putting some of the smaller items in metal tins) and set that in the basement.

Re: LED flashlights and EMP
 

To be 100% safe you need a Faraday cage.

If you know the frequency of the radiation, then you can compromise with a mesh of conductor instead of solid conductor, but the holes have to be less than the wavelength of the RF you are trying to block.

Observe a microwave oven door for a good example of this in practice.

In the context of the thread, I'd say have a few candles around just in case :)

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