[BC] EMP - SS versus thermionic finals

[Mark Humphrey]

On 2/23/07, Phil Longenecker <plongenecker at mkeradiogrp.com> wrote:
> Let's see, if there is a nuke close enough to cause EMP destruction of
> all my SS gear, why would I want go to work at that location if all my
> gear was "hardened" against the EMP? I'm not hardened against the
> residual radiation. Would there be anyone left who had a receiver that
> was protected from EMP?

These are good questions.

I would expect any receiver fully enclosed in a Faraday shield should
be protected against EMP.   Buy a small portable radio, store it in a
metal cookie tin, and it should survive.

According to the Federation of American Scientists,  "a large device
detonated at 400?500 km (250 to 312 miles) over Kansas would affect
all of CONUS" so a nuke attack doesn't necessarily have to be close to
generate potentially destructive EMP.

http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/emp.htm

Wikipedia also has a good article on this subject:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

If the licensed broadcasters aren't taking this threat seriously, I
hope some of the hams who have modified old tube transmitters for 160
can quickly re-tune them to the AM broadcast band and provide
emergency communications as needed.

Mark