Posted on 05/14/2017 8:30:57 AM PDT by hardspunned
I have been aware of the serious effect an EMP attack would have on our country for some time. I recently read a most terrifying book, One Second After, and am now motivated to better prepare my family for this possibility. My question regards the viability of a 1987 Toyota 4x4 truck with a 22r carbureted engine. I have been told there is a vulnerable component in the non electronic ignition system. My understanding was that old coil, distributor system was safe.
I have the opportunity to purchase this vehicle and would like to be sure that it can be counted on if needed.
When in Trouble
Fear or Doubt,
Run in Circles
Scream and Shout!
The MEP series of generators are EMP hardened to continue to function on the battlefield.
It’s not difficult to store in a Mylar bag. That’s what I’d suggest at a minimum. A small part not installed to electrical connections may not absorb enough to cause a problem, but you can’t know for sure. (I can explain why it’s not easily deterministic if you are interested)
Thanks. Explains it quite well.
That makes me look forward to the EMP stopping my heart before all that nuking goes down.
Me too.
My boat was subjected to a CLOSE lightning strike a couple of years ago. The insurance company at first fought like a knucklehead moron when I could NOT show blackened grounds or fried antenna or anything like that. They quit fighting when they had to address the boat behind me at the dock when it was documented his VHF antenna was fried (vaporized, literally GONE) all of his DC and AC motors/controllers etc were fried.....
As a ham radio operator, I ALWAYS disconnect antennas when not in use (I had a 20 meter antenna 130 feet above ground on top of a hill and I've seen what lighting induced voltage will do). Both VHF marine radios were fine. The DC power to both was opened by a small air gap. The HF Icom radio antenna and DC were disconnected. All radios functioned correctly.
A dc power inverter was damaged (solid state). It was connected to DC batteries and the DC bus which runs the length of the boat with numerous branches.
The solid state Raymarine Autopilot was fried and does not work although some of the wind/depth/speed functions still work. All of this goes through a RAYMARINE computer (some things work, some don't).
The air conditioning solid state controller worked for a few hours and then failed. It was three years old and likely failed as a result of the large voltage pulse. It was the only AC component I have had trouble with.
BOTH Yanmar Diesel engines function fine. The only thing is the electrical switches and the starter that might have been effected for the engines.
For that lightning strike and the distance from the boat (about 50 feet), the voltage induced on the boats wiring was enough to take out some solid state components BUT not enough to fry larger components such as the Diesel starting motors (I do have one issue in that the starter of one is sluggish, it used to be a touch and immediate start but one engine now has to be held for a second before the starter turns it over. I suspect a manual DC transfer switch is the problem. I am going to measure the voltage drop to the starter before I replace it then I will disassemble the switch to see if there is any visible damage).
I had a laptop in the boat that was totally disconnected and it works fine. The solar panels and controller were NOT damaged but a DC ckt breaker was manually opened so the controller was not connected to the DC/battery bus and the solar panels were disconnected from the solar controller.
I have not done any research on what the typical amperage is for a lightning strike and what the E field might have been generated for it and then compared that to what a Nuclear blast EMP might generate per published data. I have seen some published E field predictions for a Nuclear blast EMP but I don't know where that came from (SWAGs, WAGS or measured data).
SUMMARY: My boat damage caused by a close lightning strike was consistent with what you postulated: Solid state instruments failed that were hooked up to a long bus (DC and AC wiring) but components that were basically sitting in a cabinet not connected to any wiring more than a few feet did NOT fail. DC starters and an anchor winch that were connected to the DC bus but only disconnected by a starter switch/solenoid (small air gap) did NOT fail.
“The truth is....we don’t know.”
You may not but the military does. Many classified atmospheric and exoatmospheric tests were conducted to determine the use of EMP as a weapon, both from using EMP over another nation to disrupt its military and commerce and during the midcourse phase of a ballistic missile to destroy incoming missiles. I earned my PhD in physics during those tests (participated in discovering the third Van Allen radiation belt and provided additional modeling of the time dilation theory).
If there was a use for EMP it would be a weapon today. There isn’t.
That might be “too new.”
Like any other survival situation, you need to sit down and prioritize your focus.
Food, shelter, heat, defense and transportation. Where are you going to be going? Who are you taking with you? How far?
If you are staying at home, a vehicle might actually make you more of a target. If you are in any type of suburban area, you won’t own your ride for long before it becomes the local ambulance.
But a bicycle or motorcycle gets you there and no one is likely to commandeer.
“I thought an EMP of a significant power “melts” or fries or crumps mico-circuits, rendering them non-functional.”
Yes, physical damage aside, which obviously stops the flow of electricity, the poster was claiming EMP stops electricity. It doesn’t. I’ve read that assertion before, that EMP causes electricity to stop flowing because it stays around an does that, as though EMP is some kind of electricity gobbling monster.
I know the military, “hardened” Abrams tanks and they did stand up to the induced charges. Of course, your electrical runs will need to be protected as well as your generators.
>>be as powerful as a jolt of lightning
https://www.google.com/#q=solar+telegraph+flare+1859
No lightning bolts required.
I have another question. Free Republic will still be here after the attack, right? If we donate? ;)
Bicycles are indeed to perfect WTSHTF machine. I’ve been testing out various scenarios to get from the city place to the lake. (45 miles).
Riding bikes to get out of dodge offers the best solution. We have tried it 3 times. Average door to door speed is a leisurely 10 miles an hour. There are dozens of alternative dirt trails, paths, and quiet roads. We’ll be riding quietly along, independent of anything. Meanwhile, the highways will see epic traffic jams. cars ain’t going to be moving 10 MPH.
We’ve also tested how much gear and/or supplies one can load on ordinary bikes. It’s amazing how much a heavy duty rack and simple fold out racks can carry. A couple of bunguee cords and some rope tied in trucker’s hitch.
The beauty of bikes in a SHTF scenario is they are cheap, there are millions of them, easy to fix, no fuel, no electrical components.
riding a junky bike in a group with some rope tied on some lumpy packages stowed in the back also does not make for a juicy target of plunder.
My kids and I have also tested the scenario for getting into the nearest town from the lake. It’s 5 miles one way. perfected my doable in a SHTF scenario.
Warning the first few times you try this, you’ll realize how poor of shape you are. But after a few months of simple everyday cycling for errands on weekends, you find it easy.
“Remember Y2K? Wasn’t THAT flogged as the worst thing to fear, EVER.”
Untold billions were lost to that “It’s gunna happen!!!” circle jerking. IT guys made fortunes on it.
Even here on FR there were people claiming Y2K was going to cause lost of electrical power because all the SCADA systems were Y2K vulnerable and zombies would be everywhere.
“There are dozens of alternative dirt trails, paths, and quiet roads. “
Which every 4x4 redneck will be out on, according to them, escaping the city.
“Used to be back in the 80’s the government/military were into shielding but that has not been the emphasis the last 20-yrs.”
Because 25 years ago the SDI/EMP testing came to the conclusion that it ain’t gunna happen and will have little effect.
The Van Allen potentiation caused a lot of worry at NASA as they were planning on launching astronauts through them for the Apollo Moon missions.
I remember reading that Cape Canaveral would have been better located away from the equator.
Ground the car/vehicle.
Simple set of jumper cables hooked to your vehicle and onto a good ground rod. Make sure it is metal to metal.
“You may not but the military does. “
I know what the military knows. They protect a lot of things and they do it n a specific way. It is effective and expensive generally.
What we don’t know, is how a lot of commercial systems, vehicles, and devices will fare in an emp. In a way these systems are more complicated to harden than military systems, because you cannot universally apply military methods to civil systems.
Now please stop pretending you know what you are talking about. If you would simply look at the references (from giants in the field) that I provided you you might moderate your position on EMP.
You are particularly stubborn about what you don’t know.
I can teach you and change your mind if you would stop bloviating BS on this issue. You are nearly completely wrong.
You obviously have some technical knowledge, you just are wrong on your understanding of this issue and won’t stop to learn why.
EMP is neither fully understood nor is it known how it will impact civil infrastructure. I do not subscribe to the hysteria of the stone age but the impact could be very significant.
Folks on this forum have legitimate concern. I do my best to help. You are not helpful at all
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