EMP projects

[Bill of Rights]

Originally Posted by longbow

Mods...can we make it a new sticky?

Stuck.

[IndianasFinest]

Originally Posted by Beau

Is there anyway to protect a car from EMP? What would have to be changed on an affected vehicle to make it work again?

A EMP strike is just a very bad thing. In reality, the only hope you have in restoring a vehicle after such an event would be to have an older vehicle with a basic electrical system, and stocking some crucial parts that are likely to be affected from the spike in a old microwave oven. Since there is little research into what EMP would without a doubt cook, it's hard to say if the parts you have stored would get you back on the road. Like I said.....EMP is a very bad, and real scenario. Ever see "I am legend" where all the cars in the city act as virtual road blocks ? That's exactly what would happen if there was a blast. How far are you going to drive if all the roads are blocked ? The real question to this thread is "What can you do that is most useful in this kind of situation to help preserve life"

[bwframe]

I assume my '88 XT600 will run. Am I correct?

[infidel]

Originally Posted by hotfarmboy1

Well for us, currently both of our grain trucks, one a 78 Ford Cat diesel, the other a 86 Ford with Cummins diesel, along with all of our tractors and combine. The only way any of them would be disabled is if the starters would be ruined, I'll just try to get dad to get extras. Otherwise I'm wanting to buy a late 70's Ford pickup for SHTF. I have a couple I've been looking at, just need the money to do it.

I've also been looking into getting a hand well pump, and a bigger generator. But since gas would be harder to get I wouldn't want to rely on that. We are also looking into a wood furnace to add onto my house as well.

I'm just wondering how you know these things will work? Is there like a cutoff year for vehicles/equipment when they switched some big things? If your vehicle has X, it is screwed. What is X?

[csaws]

Allegedly infidel diesels will run. I say allegedly as this is from what I have read and heard I have no proof. I also have no proof that an "electronic distributor would not work, but since it is electronic I would guess not. I can tell you that if you had a carb, points dist. and a coil set back and had a Chrysler or Jeep up to about 88-93 of the rearwheel drive v-8, v-6 or inline 6 variety you could probably get anything up to about an 86-88 to run. As for chevy or Ford? maybe near the same time frame, a lot of it has to do with when they went to "computers".

My years (numbers) are not hardfast so if all this happens don't come looking for me If ya can't get a 92 YJ to run.

[IndianasFinest]

Originally Posted by bwframe

I assume my '88 XT600 will run. Am I correct?

I wouldn't count on it...Dirt bikes, motorcycles, and atv's still use coils, stators, and magnetos as well as other electrical components. As I said before, it's hard to say what will, and won't work. I personally would choose not to rely on mechanized forms of transportation. Your better off figuring out how you can get what you need with your own two feet.

[infidel]

Originally Posted by csaws

Allegedly infidel diesels will run.

I hope this is true. That would make life on the farm a LOT easier lol.

[IndianasFinest]

There is a very good possibility that older diesel engines will run since they do not utilize a ignition system. Diesel engines work on heat, and compression so as long as the starter motor doesn't fry, and the battery is charged prior to the burst theoretically it should run. Another plus to a older diesel engine would be if it has a manual transmission. If it does the need for a starter is just luxury if you have enough man power to push start it.

[jediagh]

You could protect your current (read car with electrically components) by building a Faraday cage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Off course this requires that you have the car or TV or radio or PC or whatever **INSIDE** the cage when the blast goes off.

However its a mute point really because even if the car survives you are now target #1 for zombies everywhere. Why? An EMP blast is going to disable all our current cars, our electrical system, our manufacturing, etc.. In essence everything in our society! So having a car will be the least of your worries.

1) Stable and steady food supply (trucks that bring food to the local store won't run, the highways are going to be a sea of roadblocked cars, even if you can get food to the store there is no power so nothing will last long)

2) Heat source (your local power company's generators and electrical grid are all going to be gone. Every transfer is going to be gone. No electrical company has enough transforms on hand to replace their entire inventory in the field. Even if they do (they don't) the power source (eg. the big building that burns coals, runs water, etc. that produces electricity is also going to be down). So with no power and no way to make power no manufacture can tn make anything else. Read the company that makes transforms can not make new ones. The company that builds the "coal furnaces" can not make new ones. See the catch 22. It will take several years working round the clock for the companies to get back up and running before they could fill all the request for new parts.

So don't worry about the car. Even if it survives and you manage to get thru the sea of dead cars how are you going to get more gas before you run out? Every zombie will be eying your car as well so stopping at the local shell station is not a good idea. not to method you have no way of pumping that gas.

You should instead focus on forming a community that you will be able to depend on to live like the 1900s.

or you can do what a "spoiled person" i know told me. I'll just kill myself if my cellphone won't work and I can't watch TV.,

[Bruenor]

Useful EMP Articles

Nuclear Weapon EMP Effects

Hardening Your Computing Assets

Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack -- 208 pages of pdf, takes a while to load

How To Survive an EMP or Superworm Attack

I know very little about the technology or effects of an EMP blast, so I can't vouch for any of these articles, but they look like interesting reading.