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Faraday Cages
Hey All,
I have a 1960's Civil Defense 5 gallon water can I have been wanting to turning into a faraday cage...I'm wanting to do this right, I've been researching this...
For those who don't know what this Faraday cage is, I found a website which gives the best definition that I have found...
Faraday Cage: Faraday cages shield their contents from static electric fields. An electric field is a force field surrounding a charged particle, such as an electron or proton. A Faraday cage is a hollow conductor, in which the charge remains on the external surface of the cage.
In order to understand how Faraday cages work, you need a basic understanding of how electricity operates in conductors. The process is simple: Metal objects, such as an aluminum mesh, are conductors, and have electrons (negatively charged particles) that move around in them. When no electrical charge is present, the conductor has roughly the same number of commingling positive and negative particles.
If an external object with an electrical charge approaches the conductor, the positive and negative particles separate. Electrons with a charge opposite that of the external charge are drawn to that external object. Electrons with the same charge as the external object are repelled and move away from that object. This redistribution of charges is called electrostatic induction.
With the external charged object present, the positive and negative particles wind up on opposite sides of the conductor. The result is an opposing electric field that cancels out the field of the external object's charge inside the metal conductor. The net electric charge inside the aluminum mesh, then, is zero.
And here's the real kicker. Although there's no charge inside the conductor, the opposing electric field does have an important effect-- it shields the interior from exterior static electric charges and also from electromagnetic radiation, like radio waves and microwaves. Therein lies the true value of Faraday cages.
The effectiveness of this shielding varies depending on the cage's construction. Variations in the conductivity of different metals, such as copper or aluminum, affect the cage's function. The size of the holes in the screen or mesh also changes the cage's capabilities and can be adjusted depending on the frequency and wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation you want to exclude from the interior of the cage.
Faraday cages sometimes go by other names. They can be called Faraday shields, RF (radio frequency) cages, or EMF (electromotive force) cages.
People use Faraday cages for a wide array of purposes -- sometimes in esoteric lab settings, other times in common products. Your car, for example, is basically a Faraday cage. It's the cage's effect, not the rubber tires, that protects you in case of a nearby lightning strike.
A lot of buildings act as Faraday cages, too, if only by accident. With their plaster or concrete walls strewn with metal rebar or wire mesh, they often wreak havoc with wireless Internet networks and cellphone signals.
But the shielding effect most often benefits humankind. Microwave ovens reverse the effect, trapping waves within a cage and quickly cooking your food. Screened TV cables help to maintain a crisp, clear image by reducing interference.
Power utility linemen often wear specially made suits that exploit the Faraday cage concept. Within these suits, the linemen can work on high-voltage power lines with a much-reduced risk of electrocution.
Governments can protect vital telecommunications equipment from lightning strikes and other electromagnetic interference by building Faraday cages around them. Science labs at universities and corporations employ advanced Faraday cages to completely exclude all external electric charges and electromagnetic radiation to create a totally neutral testing environment for all sorts of experiments and product development.
Swing by a hospital and you'll find Faraday cages in the form of MRI(magnetic resonance scanning) rooms. MRI scans rely on powerful magnetic fields to create medically useful scans of the human body. MRI rooms must be shielded to prevent stray electromagnetic fields from affecting a patient's diagnostic images.
There are plenty of political and military uses for Faraday cages, too. Politicians may opt to discuss sensitive matters only in shielded rooms that can block out eavesdropping technologies. All modern armed forces depend on electronics for communications and weapons systems, but there's a catch --these systems are vulnerable to aggressiveEMPs (electromagnetic pulses), which can be a result of a solar storm or even man-made EMP attacks. To safeguard critical systems, militaries sometimes use shielded bunkers and vehicles.
It's for this same reason that Faraday cages are a fond subject in the survivalist subculture. These people, who preach self-sufficiency and mistrust of governmental response in the face of human-caused or natural disasters, believe in shielding all important electronics using homemade Faraday cages. In the event that an apocalyptic cataclysm strikes, they'll still have their shortwave radios and other high-tech tools that could be lifesavers.
Even if you're not particularly concerned with doomsday scenarios, Faraday cages likely play a role in your life every day. These cages harness a basic principle of physics and help people all over the planet put those principles to use -- for safety, luxury, convenience and to help further evermore exciting technological advances.
You don't need to spend millions or have a physics degree to make your own Faraday cage. On the Internet, you can find instructions for building a simple cage from common household products.
Thanks to Google search, (NOT bing), and the website http://science.howstuffworks.com/faraday-cage.htm
I'll be looking through Youtube for some videos on how to build a Faraday Cage so we can protect our communication equipment and our Entertainment equipment mostly during a Zombie Outbreak...We all know that if zombies begin to take over there will be someone setting off some form of EMP (Electrical Magnetic Pulse) which will fry all electronics...So building a Faraday Cage will protect our equipment...And lets not forget to place batteries in them also...They be a power source, but they do have a form of electrical charge in them, and lets face it, without batteries, some of our electronics won't be worth a shit...
Anyways, I welcome any help for videos or websites which tell us or show us how to build a Faraday Cage...
I'll keep looking tomorrow...It's freaking 5 in the morning and I'm tired...(LOL)
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by saint.357 on
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thats a very concise post and i too have looked into Faraday cages. I've watched all the videos and you can make them real complex or real simple. in my case i had an old fire proof safe that the lock was broken on so i just basically decided to turn it into a Faraday cage. all i real had to do was line the inside with a insulator foam cardboard what ever, and i got a roll of aluminum tape, love this stuff by the way so many cool uses. and all i have to do tape up along the edges of the door and my Faraday cage is complete. for added protection of your supply's put each electronic device in a zip lock bag or better yet if you can get a hold of some of those shielded bags they use to protect computer parts. those are basically little Faraday cages of their own. but them in a card board box and wrap tin foil around the cardboard before putting in your bigger Faraday cage. this gives you layers of protection in case of a stray charge getting you. then you have to decide whether or not your going to ground the cage. some say its necessary some say it's not but if you want to do it the easiest way is to cut the three prong cord off of some junk appliance. pry out the two power prongs leaving the ground. then strip the back of the wire. find the ground which is usually the green wire. strip the insulation off that and then using your aluminum tape. like i said great stuff. to tape the bear ground wire to your Faraday cage. then plug into an unused outlet and their you go. your house already has grounding so no need to use a grounding rod or other type of set up hope that helps. any metal container as long as it's conductive will work. it doesn't have to be wire mesh.
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insistently since you brought it up it just came to me you could use an old broken or even working microwave in a pinch with out having to do any modifications. so when the shit hits the fan those of you who aren't so well prepared just tools all your valuable electronic in your microwave. just be sure not to turn it on if you still have power.
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Permalink Reply by Jessie W. Garrett III on
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That's a pretty good trick with the power cord...I probably wouldn't have thought about that...But when you keep a lot of things from the telephone company, or at least the contractors for the telephone company you worked for, the grounding of a Faraday Cage never really crossed my mind as a big deal...Yes it is a part of creating one, but I would have forgotten to mention the different ways of grounding the cage...
Anyways, that's a pretty good idea...I'll be looking through a few videos tonight while I'm at work to find a few good ones that show how to construct and prepare a Faraday Cage on a NO to low budget...
Good work and Thanks Saint for that idea and the microwave suggestion for a quick fix....
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This is the first of hopefully a few ways in building a Faraday cage. Plus there's a site I have found that sells EMP Bags. I am checking it out as I am typing this, so once I research that, I'll be placing it here also. Not a bad idea to wrap your radios, walkie-talkies, computers, tablets or whatever electronics you have to add a higher level of protection. You never know when your Faraday Cage outer shell may become breached by whatever earthly elements or man-made elements.
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Faraday Cage and insulation Testing...I found this 3 part testing of a faraday cage and the insulation in which you will be placing your electronics.....
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The Following information has come from http://thesurvivalmom.com and it feels they have a little bit more then my first post.
Massive solar flares have been in the news recently, along with vague warnings of how a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) might affect us here on earth. The dangers of a man-made Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) was outlined in excruciating detail in One Second Afterby William Forstchen.
We rely on electronics way too much to ignore the potential of these events, and although even the experts aren’t always in agreement where details are concerned, it makes sense to have a plan toprotect important electronics in either event.
What experts do agree on is that many items with any type of electronic component may become inoperable by either a CME or EMP. From Survival Mom: How to prepare your family for everyday disasters and worst-case scenarios:
An EMP can be caused by the detonation of a large bomb,
nuclear or otherwise, in the atmosphere, miles above land. Its pulse
wave can easily cover a continent and destroy electronic components
in computers, engines, power plants, and solar panels alike. An event
like this has never happened on a large scale, and there are differing
opinions as to the exact consequences, but one thing is certain: In a
matter of moments, life as we know it would be gone forever. Our
closest star, the sun, could also do extensive damage in the form of a
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). The results would be similar.I don’t have a plan to turn my garage into a giant Faraday cage in hopes that our vehicles would be spared, but I have made plans to protect other, smaller items that would make a huge difference in our survival following a CME or EMP. Here is a list of some of those items.
- Mp3 players filled with music. also, every spare set of earphones I can scrape up around here.
image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video
- An old laptop computer with downloads of ebooks and stored personal information
- One or more digital cameras.
- A set of walkie-talkies that run on rechargeable batteries
- Solar battery chargers
- A Kindle containing more than 150 books, many of them reference and survival books but also dozens of classics and a couple version of the Bible
- One or more digital watches and clocks
- Small DVD player (a backup player would be good also)
- Any and all digital photos stored on a DVD and/or a thumb drive
- Scanned documents stored on a DVD and/or thumb drive (See Grab-n-Go Binder.)
- Computer hard drives
- Ham radio equipment
- A small generator
- LED flashlights
- Shortwave radio
- Inverters
- Electronic medical equipment
And what should these be stored in? Well, again, most every expert has differing opinions. We have a few Tech Protect Bags and a metal trash can. Here are some other options:
- Tech Protect Bags – The owners of this company recommend nesting Faraday containers.
- A metal garbage can
- Ammo cans
- An old microwave (mixed reviews on this one)
- Heavy duty aluminum foil wrapped around individual items, wrapped in plastic, and then again with aluminum foil.
- A tool box
- Gun safe
- A cardboard box or other container that has been “Faraday-ized”
- Holiday popcorn tins
If/when an EMP or CME occurs, there is no going back for a “re-do”. Whatever works, works. Whatever doesn’t, doesn’t, and there will likely be no way to make repairs. Because of that, I highly recommend taking these precautions.
First, if you have more than one of an item, 2 digital cameras, for example, don’t store them together in the same container. If the metal trash can proves to be effective but the microwave doesn’t (and you will only know following the EMP/CME), at least you’ll have one item that operates.
Next, pack small Faraday containers into larger Faraday containers. If you are using a Tech Protect Bag, store it inside a larger Tech Protect Bag, an ammo can, or another (hopefully) EMP-safe container. This layering could include a clothes dry, metal filing cabinet, or metal drum.
If you have emergency kits that contain electronic items, package them in an EMP-proof box or bag, so you’ll have your most important survival items protected when you may need them most.
True, we could survive just fine without music, photos, probably most documents that are important today but may not be, “one second after,” but since the exact results of a CME/EMP are so unknown, I would rather protect even just a few of these items than face a future without anything at all containing an electronic component.
One final thought. No one knows if or when either a CME or EMP will happen, and if it does, what the intensity will be. Whatever you pack in a Faraday container will be safest if it remains there. For example, don’t pack your laptop if you use it several times a week. Instead, pick up an older laptop on Craigslist, store your information, and then pack it away.
What are your plans for protecting electronics and what is in your Faraday cage?
When it comes to worst case scenarios, it’s hard to beat the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). From my book, Survival Mom:
I�m not ashamed to say that reading One Second After by William Forstchen scared the living daylights out of me. For weeks, I didn�t want to travel more than 15 or 20 miles from home. The novel details life in a small North Carolina town following an EMP, an electromagnetic pulse. An EMP can be caused by the detonation of a large bomb, nuclear or otherwise, in the atmosphere, miles above land. Its pulse wave can easily cover a continent and destroy electronic components in computers, engines, power plants, and solar panels alike. An event like this has never happened on a large scale, and there are differing opinions as to the exact consequences, but one thing is certain: In a matter of moments, life as we know it would be gone forever. Our closest star, the sun, could also do extensive damage in the form of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). The results would be similar.
One of the latest hit TV shows, Revolution on NBC, portrays life 15 years following some type of EMP/CME event, and it isn’t a pretty picture. Life without modern technology would be deadly for tens of millions of people. Again from Survival Mom:Some might describe a post-EMP world as going back to the nineteenth century, but I think in some ways it would be far worse. We no longer have the tools, skills, knowledge, and, in some cases, raw materials to make the most basic tools for survival. How many blacksmiths do you know? Do you happen to own a pair of oxen and a wagon for transportation? You might know how to sew, but can you create cloth from raw cotton or sheep�s wool? The moment of an EMP burst freezes time. The food, medications, supplies, and tools in our homes may be the only ones we have for a long time. If you have 9 bottles of Advil, that�s all you may ever have.
There are so many unknowns when it comes to EMP/CME, but one way to prepare is to build one or more containers to shield important items from the effects of 50,000 volts of power. These containers are called Faraday cages and they’re pretty simple to make.
My friend Rob Hanus of The Preparedness Podcast has spent a good deal of time researching the facts and myths of EMP/CME, and here are his simple instructions for making your own Faraday cage:
The hardest part about protecting your equipment is simply doing it. A few rolls of heavy duty aluminum foil, some cardboard boxes and a galvanized steel trash can are enough to create your own Faraday cage and protect your electronics from EMP.
The simplest and cheapest way to build your own Faraday container is to use heavy duty aluminum foil. By completely wrapping an item in several layers of foil, you can protect that item from damaging effects of EMP. Keep in mind that every side of the item needs to have a minimum of three layers, so by the time you�re done wrapping it in the foil, some sides may have more than three layers. This is fine, so long as you have no less than three layers of HD aluminum foil between any part of the item and the open air.By itself, these three or four layers of foil are probably enough to protect your electronic gear, but when dealing with an EOTWAWKI scenario, there are no replacements, nor second chances, so it pays to do it right the first time. Simply adding more than four layers of foil to the device is probably overkill and may not add anymore protection than the initial three or four layers. However, you can increase the the effectiveness of your Faraday protection by layering, or nesting them.
For example, place your foil wrapped device into a shoe box or other cardboard box that is wrapped in foil, then place that box inside a galvanized steel trash can with a tight-fitting lid. With your devices protected by three layers like this, they�re likely to survive even an enhanced EMP attack with a stronger electromagnetic pulse.
To get started on your own Faraday cage/container, you’ll need these supplies:
- Heavy duty aluminum foil. You’re going to be using a lot of this, so be on the lookout for coupons!
- Either plastic wrap (Saran or something similar) or plastic bags for each electronic item you want to shield.
- Pieces of cloth that will be used to wrap items.
- Cardboard boxes of assorted sizes
- Small, essential items that contain an electronic component, such as a clockradio, weather radio, walkie-talkies, ebook/Kindle, mp3 player, etc. Make sure these aren’t things you’ll be wanting or needing in the near future. If you don’t already have duplicates, make a list of what you want stored in your Faraday container and then look for them at garage and estate sales.
The procedure is very simple. First, wrap an item in cloth. This will add a layer that will isolated the item from the foil and will also help to keep any sharp edges or corners of the item from puncturing the aluminum foil. Next, wrap the object with plastic wrap or place in a plastic bag and then wrap with at least 3 layers of foil. Use your hands to gently mold the foil each time, making sure there are no holes or rips in the foil. Every bit of the item’s surface should be covered with at least 3 layers of foil.
Place your wrapped items in the cardboard box and then wrap the entire box with two layers of foil. Layering for EMP/CME is just as important as layering for winter weather! Be sure that no foil used to wrap the outside of the box touches any of the foil within the box. When your box is wrapped and finished, store it off the ground.If you want to store large items or have numerous items to store, completely line a galvanized steel trash with cardboard. Make sure there are no gaps. The foil wrapped items cannot touch the metal of the trash can. Make sure the lid of the can fits tightly, and you’re good to go.
- Mp3 players filled with music. also, every spare set of earphones I can scrape up around here.
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i read that blog too, and it's pretty much the best way you can go about everything for cheap. thanks for posting this you reminded me to keep working on this again. i gotta make some of this stuff for my CB, my generator thats gonna be a big one. i can put all my flashlights and stuff in the Faraday safe. the people next door are moving too so recently i was able to grab a few things they were throwing out. an old TV VHS combo. had to splice on a new power cable but once i did that it ran like a charm. even has a radio so i plan to use it next time the power goes out which is like at least once a year. I'm doing it because during sandy i ran my flat screen off my generator and it killed it. probably something to do with the transformer for the TV. i didn't know you weren't suppose to run sensitive electronics off of generators. also it might have been the fact we miss read the instructions and were adding way less oil then we should of. we should have been putting in cup fulls but only did caps from the oil bottle its self. needles to say the generator blew up. heads completely stripped inside. and only half way threw the outage that was fun. but we got a new one and i know what to do this time. any way as well as getting a new dining room table i also got an old i mac g3 latest in its line. granted it's 14 years out of date and hand build behemoth I'm using puts it to shame but might be nice as a after hit hits the fan kinda thing. only uses 65 watts same as light bulb. it's small you know one of those old blue ones where everything's built into the screen case. only problem is looks like the owner or some other jackass pulled the ram from it. i get it to protect his privacy and what not so i can't even tell if it real works yet. it does turn on and beep but thats about it, still outdated ram is easy to get i can buy it on eBay for less then 15 bucks free shipping and i will soon. so i gotta get those things wrapped up for an emergency. sure their not necessary but i prefer to thrive not just survive.
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fyi if anybody has some PC133 ram boards lying around or an old computer that has them I'd be happy to trade you for them.
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Permalink Reply by KOMRAD RHINO☭ on
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this is a really educational post here. i think i shall get started on mine tomorrow. i already have all the components. so bright and early i got me some work to do. lol.
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plus i got quite a few electronic goodies i would like to safeguard. lol
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