Solar Storms and the 2012 Prophecy

[Icu4dzs]

Please bear with me here, it is clear that I know absolutely nothing about electronics - if the pulse was a singular event would all non-connected electronics be fried?? Like a basic lamp. If it wasn't plugged in so the surge was only that carried via magnetic wave wouldn't the wiring survive?? I can see anything with chips would be toast, but what about more basic electronics?

Anything with Integrated Circuits (also called IC's or chips) would most likely be damaged. Electrical items without without these circuits would probably be fine. Chips (IC's) are very sensitive to voltage spikes. Most items like your common (non-touch control, etc.) lamps, basic toasters, and such would not be harmed if not plugged into an outlet.

Things without IC's that are plugged in may suffer damage because the electrical lines will act like large antennas and collect a lot of the energy, passing it along to anything connected to the grid.

However most things containing IC's, which these days includes almost every household appliance (and some toasters), would need to be repaired or replaced. This is due to the circuit board traces acting like small antennas and imparting a voltage spike into the chips.

I did some research on this a few years back because of the significant number of IC's in just about everything we own or use. A friend who was the communications chief for a large military organization explained the issue clearly to me and it bears repeating now. After that discussion, I took my HAM radio down and packed it in a hardened case in a place where it would have the least likelihood of damage in the event that my friend was in fact wrong.

His answer to my question was "as long as the circuit is NOT ENERGIZED and has no antenna hooked up to it, it should NOT be vulnerable to EMP." Now one must remember that there are batteries in some things that count for "being energized" so if there are any batteries in your equipment, they must be removed. Most of the battery circuits are the things that keep the time and date. So as long as you have the IC's with NO power going through them and no antenna connected to conduct the pulse, your equipment should remain undamaged. The current thinking in the military in this country is that the old "tubes" radios would not be harmed as far as I know. The Russians outfit all their current aircraft with tubes rather than IC's for this reason (at least that is what I've been told.)

It's at least worth the effort. If it is wrong, you have lost no more than you would had you not tried to be prepared.

We get a lot of electrical storms around here and my home had been hit by lightening one time before I bought it so I am usually careful about such issues any way. As a general rule, I keep my computer and TV unplugged so that there is no opportunity for lightening to destroy them. EMP may not care...

All the items mentioned by K0xxx are true, but those items were all energized and had connected antennae. Some things would be damaged and then some things would just be useless because the signal transmitters that they depend on would be destroyed. i.e. no TV station, ergo, NO TV!

 

[k0xxx]

You military friend may be correct in most cases. However, during my time as an Electronics Tech in the Navy, we were taught that the E1 pulse can inflict damage to unprotected devices even though they were disconnected from a power source.

A nuclear induced EMP event is comprised of three electromagnetic components. The E1 pulse is a very fast pulse that generates very high voltages. E1 is the component that destroys computers and communications equipment and is too fast for ordinary lightning protectors. The E2 component of the pulse is the easiest to protect against, and has similarities in strength and timing to the electrical pulses produced by lightning. The E3 pulse is very different from the E1 and E2 pulses from an EMP. The E3 component of the pulse is a very slow pulse, lasting tens to hundreds of seconds, that is caused by the nuclear detonation heaving the earth's magnetic field out of the way, followed by the restoration of the magnetic field to its natural place. The E3 component has similarities to a geomagnetic storm caused by a very severe solar flare.

Tube radios (and other devices) are certainly many times more resistant to the effects of EMP than solid state device. However, there are components that may be vulnerable to EMP, but certainly not to the extent that IC's are.

As for solar storms, with the E3 pulse type being the primary concern, the damage is more likely to be to the electrical system itself and not as much to electronic components. That being so, I would suspect that most cars would survive a solar induced EMP event. However, with the grid down, getting fuel for them may make that a mute point.

 

[k0xxx]

Sorry to join this late, but it came up when I was searching the answer to my question: if an enemy used an EMP would it "fry" everything or just damage lots of it? Would it knock out the power for months or forever??

I didn't touch on the last question. The biggest threat to the electrical system is the vulnerability of some 350+ of some very large transformers on the electrical grid. These are entirely produced overseas and if these were destroyed the replacement time for any one of them is estimated at three years. The more that are damaged, the longer it will take.

According to an acquaintance that is a big mucky muck in a major power company, if only a few were destroyed in a partially successful attack, there is a possibility that power could be supplied, at least on an intermittent basis, by some jury rigging of the grid. In such a case the affected areas would only be completely without power for maybe a few months. But, there are A LOT of variables that may or may not allow this "jury rigging" to be successful.

 

[On Our own]

Most (certainly not all) oil refineries generate their own power, so they would probably be able to get back up and running faster than the main grid. One I know of personally has all kinds of manual back up systems in case of lightening strikes. (refineries are prone to them and if the power goes down for more than a few minutes it starts getting very scary very fast, so most are prepared.)

Having said that, he (my inside source) also said that most of their tanker filling stations are entirely computerized and he was not convinced that they had adequate back ups for that. Older gas stations have back up hand pumping units that once upon a time were mandatory so they could bypass their pumps and pump by hand. laborious, but doable. Newer mega stations especially those associated with stores do not have these back ups. In some states they are not even required to have any emergency generator equipment to keep the pumps operable.

Again, what I keep hearing is the older the better since we let ourselves get far too dependent on computer circuitry.... Is that right??

 

[Dunkopf]

So the question is this. Why is there so much resistance to spending the money to update our electrical grid as well as the highways and bridges? Seems like common sense. I know we don't actually have the money to do it. However that hasn't ever stopped the USA before. Debt is better than a non functioning country. That's disturbing to hear that a solar flare could put the grid down for 3 years. Of course it doesn't surprise me that our salvation depends on an overseas country.

Somehow I really doubt that the Russians use tubes in their aircraft. When they were the USSR their top of the line aircraft were every bit as formidable as ours. Tubes take up a lot of space and put off a lot of heat. I'm sure they use the same technology as we do.

 

[On Our own]

So the question is this. Why is there so much resistance to spending the money to update our electrical grid as well as the highways and bridges? Seems like common sense. I know we don't actually have the money to do it. However that hasn't ever stopped the USA before. Debt is better than a non functioning country. That's disturbing to hear that a solar flare could put the grid down for 3 years. Of course it doesn't surprise me that our salvation depends on an overseas country.

Somehow I really doubt that the Russians use tubes in their aircraft. When they were the USSR their top of the line aircraft were every bit as formidable as ours. Tubes take up a lot of space and put off a lot of heat. I'm sure they use the same technology as we do.

Common sense?!?!?!

Common sense is not common. And it appears to be entirely absent in two geographic locations. You guess which!

 

[Mackay]

So I'm wondering if our John Deer Tractor would still run?

Now, we need to brain storm on economical ways to protect our cars, computers, electrical generators from a solar storm.o

If I set my computer under a galvanized water trough on concrete would that work?

What can we do for cars?

 

[Dunkopf]

Get a really big trough to put it under.

If cars go down you will have a hard time getting around anyway. An old dirt bike with no chips might be a good idea though.

 

[k0xxx]

So the question is this. Why is there so much resistance to spending the money to update our electrical grid as well as the highways and bridges?

Who knows the mind of a politician? I would suspect though, that it is due to the fact that roads and bridges are visible, and can have signs put on them that reads "Road repairs courtesy of Congressman Kickback", or something like that. Updating the electrical grid would not be readily apparent to average voter, so it won't get done.

So I'm wondering if our John Deer Tractor would still run?

Now, we need to brain storm on economical ways to protect our cars, computers, electrical generators from a solar storm.o

If I set my computer under a galvanized water trough on concrete would that work?

What can we do for cars?

Cars would probably not be harmed by a solar storm. Solar storms produce the E3 component pulse (slower and longer), and most things disconnected from the grid would be safe. Since there would be a fair amount of warning of a solar storm, turning off and unplugging appliances, and then disconnecting the main electrical breaker would probably save most of your sensitive electronics. Then it's just a matter of waiting for the grid to eventually be rebuilt and you'd be ahead of most people.

A larger problem with the E3 type pulse is the threat of fire. Long wires, such as electrical and phone lines, would collect a lot of energy and create a severe fire hazard. With the electrical grid down, very little water would be available to fight the fires. Having fire extinguishers available, as always, would be a good idea.

As for general protection to electronics to ensure that they still function, put them in a plastic bag. Then wrap the plastic bag with aluminum foil, leaving no gaps. Put that into another plastic bag, and the wrap again with foil.

Another possibility is to use an old microwave oven. A microwave oven is basically a Farraday cage, but it reverse. It's made to keep electromagnetic energy inside, but it will also work to keep the energy out. Place items to be protected inside the oven, being sure to remove the electrical cord.

A metal shed may protect cars, and tractors enough to protect them in all but the strongest pulses from a relatively close nuclear EMP attack, and probably not even needed for a solar event.

 

[i_am2bz]

Another possibility is to use an old microwave oven. A microwave oven is basically a Farraday cage, but it reverse. It's made to keep electromagnetic energy inside, but it will also work to keep the energy out. Place items to be protected inside the oven, being sure to remove the electrical cord.

VERY interesting! At least you could possibly protect your smaller items like radios. Thanks for that bit o' advice, k0xxx...

The grid down for 3 years - that's some scary s**t!