[Nowhere Man]

I think EMP is too overrated and we tend to turn it into something out of a 1970's era Irwin Allen disaster movie. If we got hit with EMP, most cars, even ones made post 1985 will start, most transistor radios will till work and even many electronic devices will survive. The real MacGuffin is the damage to our power generating and distribution system, even then, not all of it will be damaged, you might see "islanding" here and here, but since we all depend on it, it sucks to be you if you're power is out for a long time. Again, your car will still run, there is a 90/95 percent chance but unless you have a generator, a 12 volt pump or a hand pump, lotsa luck in getting fuel for it.

EMP is more like a 500 lbs gorilla than an 800 lbs one, but in some way, it can be overcome, albeit with some difficulty. As an amateur radio operator, this interests me a lot.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Greetings Nowhere Man, et al:

On one hand, MILSPEC EMP specifications are likely written by DOD professionals to unimaginable CYA standards. On the other hand, consumer device specifications are written by electrical engineers complying with both FCC electromagnetic noise standards and a more important protection of the consumer brand name intergity.

EMP is electromagnetic noise. My understanding of EMP vulnerablity is an inadequately shielded electronic device may fuse open and/or closed unexpectedly from the sudden induced flow of electrons. So I often wondered if the simple metal electric cabinets which the grid switchgear protection devices actually reside within are adequate EMP protection.

In many cases, sloppy install jobs and/or unprofessional repairs render the electromagnetic protection shield non-functionable. Which may explain an occasional electric grid failure during a solar flare event.

An EMP will necessarily trip overvoltage/undervoltage and overcurrent protection relays plus lockout relays grid wide. Just as the transmission line failure caused in summer 2003; a grid reset and restart will take some time.

This EMP talk makes me believe another crony-capitalist company, such as GE, is only trying to hyperpanic sell the USA upon unnecessary EMP protection. Yeah, all this “green energy” propaganda “for the children” makes me very skeptical.

Cheers,
OLA