Posted on 09/05/2011 5:56:24 AM PDT by Kaslin
Thanks!
I’m not a double E expert either!
The EE I heard from was an EMP expert.
Would the well pump be down to far to be affected?Your pump is probably safe for a couple of reasons. First, being underground, and being submerged in the water table, would both help protect it from an EMP. Also, electrical-mechanical devices, like motors, are not particularly susceptible to EMP.
I don't know enough about the circuitry in a pump controller to know whether or not it's vulnerable. Old-fashioned electrical-mechanical circuits are more safe. Anything that has a digital readout is probably vulnerable.
The other big problem with EMP is that it can produce huge electrical currents in things like power lines (and phone lines, and railroad tracks... any really long piece of wire). This power surge is similar to a lightning strike and can burn out anything plugged in to an A/C outlet (or phone line, or TV/Internet cable).
I have read that this pulse hits much faster than lightning, and a standard surge protector won't protect against this. But I don't have any first-hand experience to draw upon.
So, to summarize: Digital chips (i.e. computer chips) are vulnerable even if they're not connected to anything. They can be protected by putting them in a grounded metal box. Anything else can be damaged or destroyed if it is plugged into a power, phone or cable TV line.
And that's everything I know (or think I know) about EMP.
I just read the wikipedia article you linked and it made me wonder: what is the effect in humans (of the EMP)?
>> What kind of computer system backups will survive an EMP? <<
Pretty simple. You only need a properly grounded Faraday cage. You can make one for yourself with a metal garbage can.
But what good will it do you to have a functioning computer system when the national power grid, almost everybody else’s computer, most of the Internet “backbone” and almost all servers have been rendered inoperative?
Back to the Stone Age!
I just read the wikipedia article you linked and it made me wonder: what is the effect in humans (of the EMP)?I don't think it would have any noticeable effect, unless you had a pacemaker using digital chips, or something like that.
What is really happening is that the EMP is inducing an electrical current in any conductors in line-of-sight of the explosion. The amount of current is based on the length of the conductor.
Computer chips have very small wires, so they get a very small current. But, they are very sensitive to current, so they are vulnerable. These chips often have special circuitry to protect them from modest "sparks" coming from outside the chip, but they have no protection from "sparks" that are generated within the chip.
If you don't have any experience handling computer chips, let me assure you that a spark that is way to weak for a person to notice can "kill" a computer chip.
Things like power lines and railroad tracks are, essentially, wires that are miles long, so the current can build up to enormous levels.
Living things are so-so conductors, and aren't long enough to build up enough current to notice.
If for some reason you were holding a long piece of wire (or something equivalent) when an EMP was produced, you might get a shock, even a fatal one.
The power grid is toast. Literally. Read "One Second After".
The power grid is toast. Literally. Read "One Second After".
Thank you. Good information is always welcome.
Great tag line.
Diesel has its own issues. The growth of algae and development of biofilms and other solids can ruin any diesel system. I would recommend extra filters and the use of a good diesel algaecide.
There are also products that can help extend the useful life of gasoline as well.
“So backup tapes will not survive.”
About tapes, I have no idea. I wasn’t thinking about backup tapes like corporations might use. Interesting question.
I just did a quick google search and the top links seem to indicate that tapes may not survive unless stored in a grounded metal safe.
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