Have any of you actually built a faraday cage?

General » General Discussion

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Have any of you actually built a faraday cage?

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:02:18 AM EDT

Have any of you guys actually built and intend to use a faraday cage incase of EMP or solar flare?

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:05:10 AM EDT

[#1]

I am wearing one right now.

#tierzero

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:06:23 AM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
I am wearing one right now.

#tierzero

View Quote

not going to ask if/how it is grounded.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:08:15 AM EDT

[#3]

I built one at work for calibrating magnetic tools. Does that count?

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:08:39 AM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
I built one at work for calibrating magnetic tools. Does that count?

View Quote

technically yes.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:09:46 AM EDT

[#5]

I built one but my Faraday kept getting out anyway.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:10:48 AM EDT

[#6]

I never leave the house without mine.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:11:31 AM EDT

[#7]

There's one wrapped around each of the frames on my cars.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:14:06 AM EDT

[#8]

I have not, but won't condemn someone who has. Could prove useful one day

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:16:05 AM EDT

[#9]

ive got a friend who wants me to help him make one. i see videos on youtube where they put a radio in the metal garbage can and it stops playing etc but i cant help but think that solar radiation flares might be different than radio waves, or maybe they arent. I have no idea.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:16:10 AM EDT

[#10]

My emergency comms gear is in a faraday cage.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:17:19 AM EDT

[#11]

We have one similar to this at work that I could use if needed. But I really dont think my cell phone or computer or TV will be of much use if the service providers are down too.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:19:11 AM EDT

[#12]

My Datacenter has one, I'll just go to work.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:20:40 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

ive got a friend who wants me to help him make one. i see videos on youtube where they put a radio in the metal garbage can and it stops playing etc but i cant help but think that solar radiation flares might be different than radio waves, or maybe they arent. I have no idea.

View Quote

The best info I have on EMP danger and solar flare/CME danger is that it gets picked up by long wires acting as antennas. It gets onto power lines and antennas of sufficient wavelength to 'capture' it.

Conventional thinking on the subject is that unless an electronic device is plugged into the power grid or has a long enough antenna, EMP and CME's aren't a big issue.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:21:26 AM EDT

[#14]

Built? No.

Been in professional Faraday cages (I think those are pretty much all gone these days) and shielded enclosures? Yes - a LOT of them.

99% of people here have no idea how expensive and difficult a Faraday cage (that has a prayer of being effective) would be to build and maintain. Maintenance is a constant effort. If you don't constantly inspect and maintain it - you are wasting your time and money. Its either perfect - or a complete waste.

Designing, fabricating and maintaining the seals alone is a huge headache. And its the seals for doors and waveguides that are the critical (and popular) failure point.

The copper screen alone could break you financially these days.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:23:48 AM EDT

[#15]

Perhaps accidentally.

The vapor barrier in the sauna I built in our house seems to be metal foil on one side. So if some kind of event happens while I am sweating at 200 degrees, I'll be safe. But, since I cannot get a wireless signal in there, I won't be able to post on arfcom about it.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:23:53 AM EDT

[#16]

I keep one in my kitchen. Just in case.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:37:11 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

The best info I have on EMP danger and solar flare/CME danger is that it gets picked up by long wires acting as antennas. It gets onto power lines and antennas of sufficient wavelength to 'capture' it.

Conventional thinking on the subject is that unless an electronic device is plugged into the power grid or has a long enough antenna, EMP and CME's aren't a big issue.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
ive got a friend who wants me to help him make one. i see videos on youtube where they put a radio in the metal garbage can and it stops playing etc but i cant help but think that solar radiation flares might be different than radio waves, or maybe they arent. I have no idea.

The best info I have on EMP danger and solar flare/CME danger is that it gets picked up by long wires acting as antennas. It gets onto power lines and antennas of sufficient wavelength to 'capture' it.

Conventional thinking on the subject is that unless an electronic device is plugged into the power grid or has a long enough antenna, EMP and CME's aren't a big issue.

I personally think the whole thing is a bit out there myself. But my friend "saw on tv" that one will tear up the entire electrical grid in the whole united states and it will take 2 years to rebuild it all. anything with a computer in it will get vaporized. He plans to literally wrap his televisions in several layers of tin foil to protect them If something were imminent. I cant help but think if the entire electrical grid in all of the USA goes down, television is going to be the least of my worries...

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:41:16 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Have any of you guys actually built and intend to use a faraday cage incase of EMP or solar flare?

View Quote

I have built several and installed hundreds.

I work with instrumentation. Nothing to do with solar flares or beans in chili.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:41:21 AM EDT

[#19]

I built a hooker cage in my basement.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:46:12 AM EDT

[#20]

Yes, but it was technically a home for my pet rats when I was a kid. Neither of the rats was ever killed by an EMP so I think it worked. It did not, however, keep the rats inside and I am 100% sure that it was not my pet rats found inside the neighbor's house.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:48:20 AM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:

I have built several and installed hundreds.

I work with instrumentation. Nothing to do with solar flares or beans in chili.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Have any of you guys actually built and intend to use a faraday cage incase of EMP or solar flare?

I have built several and installed hundreds.

I work with instrumentation. Nothing to do with solar flares or beans in chili.

do they have to be grounded somehow? thats a huge debate apparently.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:51:59 AM EDT

[#22]

Homemade Faraday cages are very common in electrophysiology labs. My old lab had a bunch of them to shield the setups.

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:59:36 AM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:

do they have to be grounded somehow? thats a huge debate apparently.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Have any of you guys actually built and intend to use a faraday cage incase of EMP or solar flare?

I have built several and installed hundreds.

I work with instrumentation. Nothing to do with solar flares or beans in chili.

do they have to be grounded somehow? thats a huge debate apparently.

Yes. Conservation of Energy is a law. The energy has to go (be directed) somewhere.

Posted: 11/19/2013 12:02:38 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
There's one wrapped around each of the frames on my cars.

View Quote

Posted: 11/19/2013 12:09:33 PM EDT

[#25]

What's a Faraday and why the fuck would I need to catch one?
Are they tasty?

Posted: 11/19/2013 12:17:49 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
I personally think the whole thing is a bit out there myself. But my friend "saw on tv" that one will tear up the entire electrical grid in the whole united states and it will take 2 years to rebuild it all. anything with a computer in it will get vaporized. He plans to literally wrap his televisions in several layers of tin foil to protect them If something were imminent. I cant help but think if the entire electrical grid in all of the USA goes down, television is going to be the least of my worries...

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

ive got a friend who wants me to help him make one. i see videos on youtube where they put a radio in the metal garbage can and it stops playing etc but i cant help but think that solar radiation flares might be different than radio waves, or maybe they arent. I have no idea.

The best info I have on EMP danger and solar flare/CME danger is that it gets picked up by long wires acting as antennas. It gets onto power lines and antennas of sufficient wavelength to 'capture' it.

Conventional thinking on the subject is that unless an electronic device is plugged into the power grid or has a long enough antenna, EMP and CME's aren't a big issue.

I personally think the whole thing is a bit out there myself. But my friend "saw on tv" that one will tear up the entire electrical grid in the whole united states and it will take 2 years to rebuild it all. anything with a computer in it will get vaporized. He plans to literally wrap his televisions in several layers of tin foil to protect them If something were imminent. I cant help but think if the entire electrical grid in all of the USA goes down, television is going to be the least of my worries...

Fact mixed with supposition. Yes the Electrical grid could indeed be knocked out. It has happened in the past. The transformers could be burnt out and I have heard estimates of up to 6 years to get it all back. Seems they don't make the larger transformers in this country anymore.

As to the 'anything with a computer in it' part...that's only true if it's hooked to the grid when the grid gets knocked out. Having the power cord plugged into the wall qualifies. It's not gonna kill your car's computer....or anything else that isn't plugged in to the wall or attached to a wire (antenna) of sufficient length to gather the pulse's energy.