Tin foil over your kit?

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tom2tom
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Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 2:00 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Tin foil over your kit?

Post by tom2tom »

Hey i'm a really new 'prepper' and have a question that i have been thinking about for awhile =)

If an EMP was to hit you can protect your computer's and other stuff by keeping it in something that is surrounded by metal, which acts as a conductor, and therefore if lets say your computer is not touching the conductor the electric pulse is unable to get to the computer =)? (or that's what i think i understand of it)

So if i was to cover my ipod in paper or cardboard and then cover the cardboard with tin foil then the emp would be unable to get to the ipod?

I could be totally wrong and just need some input =)

Thanks for any advise and comments in advance =D
Me all i am and all i want to be!
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Maddosammo
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Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by Maddosammo »

It would act as a faraday cage, so theoretically it would work but you would have to take into account the size of the charge form such an EMP. I would however say that you need something made out of metal, eg a roses tin or a metal safe even a metal rubbish bin.

Sam.
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tom2tom
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Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 2:00 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by tom2tom »

Ahhh that's i great idea think i may have over thought it. Thanks =) Would there need to be something separating the tin from touching the item in this case something small like an ipod =)?
Me all i am and all i want to be!
jeff1966

Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by jeff1966 »

Read a lot about people using and making Faraday cages tin foil etc. to protect there phones computers etc from EMP. Now I might be missing something here but why go to all the bother if all infrastructure is going to be knocked out along with the power to use said items. Surely better to use time to prep something that may be of use. I shall now prepare to be corrected.
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unsure
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Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by unsure »

for a farady cage to be effective , you need to line it , weather its a metal bin or a roses tin . with cardboard or foam or something along those lines . at no time can your contents touch the metal casing .
YES i walked away mid sentence , you were boring me to death and my survival instincts kick in .
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Steve C
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Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by Steve C »

I've got 4 handheld radios, charger and batteries EMP protected (hopefully). That way I can have a local comms network to fall back on. One point to remember with these types of relativly short range radios (that are sold in pairs) is that if one fails then the other is pretty well useless, if you have three or more and one fails you still have the ability to communicate - that is the 'good form' of redundancy!
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Maddosammo
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Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by Maddosammo »

unsure wrote:for a farady cage to be effective , you need to line it , weather its a metal bin or a roses tin . with cardboard or foam or something along those lines . at no time can your contents touch the metal casing .

Yes sorry meant to mention that. Think the moral of the story is never multitask If your male.

Sam
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preppingsu

Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by preppingsu »

jeff1966 wrote:Read a lot about people using and making Faraday cages tin foil etc. to protect there phones computers etc from EMP. Now I might be missing something here but why go to all the bother if all infrastructure is going to be knocked out along with the power to use said items. Surely better to use time to prep something that may be of use. I shall now prepare to be corrected.
Some people will be considering protecting a laptop which could be used for entertainment eg playing DVD/music etc.
Also protecting HAM radios, CB radios, walking talkies all of which could be very useful as well as a radio as I'm sure that the government would be broadcasting very soon after an event.
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C4tch
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Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by C4tch »

Steve C wrote:I've got 4 handheld radios, charger and batteries EMP protected (hopefully). That way I can have a local comms network to fall back on. One point to remember with these types of relativly short range radios (that are sold in pairs) is that if one fails then the other is pretty well useless, if you have three or more and one fails you still have the ability to communicate - that is the 'good form' of redundancy!
How do you intend to charge them once the batteries fail? This has always been my dilemma with this stuff. Would need to also protect some sort of solar charging system. That's adding to bulk considerably.

C
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Steve C
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Re: Tin foil over your kit?

Post by Steve C »

C4tch, I've got solar chargers (plus gennys), the small solar can charge AA & AAA size batteries (which the radios use), also got a bulk pack of Duracell batteries with the radios, both are protected in the same container.