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Old 01-11-2010, 09:37 PM   #1
Ammit
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Default Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

Sorry if this has been done already, but I feel that we need more insight into building these items to atleast try and protect any equipment we may need in the event of an emp of any sort or even nuclear waves.

What I have found out so far is:
It does need to be grounded
Mesh is not needed as just covering a box with aluminium foil would do the job
A filing cabinet would work great ( apparently ), as long as all items as with any faraday cage are sat on a non conductive material
If you choose to use mesh for your faraday cage, then the mesh holes need to be correct for the wavelength you are trying to block, Wavelength = rate of travel(300,000,000 m/s) divided by the frequency
No, Microwave ovens will not work as I have tested mine
If you want to test your faraday cage, use a radio tuned to fm, VHF spectrum (30-300 MHz). If you cannot recieve radio across this band then you have done all you can and are supposedly protected.

Can anyone add to this? or even correct anything I have researched.

Ammit

Last edited by Ammit; 01-11-2010 at 10:03 PM.
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Old 01-11-2010, 10:49 PM   #2
Ammit
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

I have also found out that the old 8x8 metal shed i have down my garden, if grounded would be perfect. You learn something new everday, I was about to chop it up and bin it.....
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Old 01-11-2010, 11:23 PM   #3
morguana
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

sorry ammit just to clarify to folk who may not know what a faraday cage is i just thought this might help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage
and happy building
may i ask is this for you or equiptment? the metal shed sounds like a good option and i look forward to your up dates
m x
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Old 01-11-2010, 11:28 PM   #4
Ammit
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

I am sorry, never even dawned on me that some may not know what it was.

I appologise all, and thankyou morguana.xx
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Old 01-11-2010, 11:31 PM   #5
Anchor
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

I keep a spare set of radio gear in a large grounded metal box along with a spare 600W sine wave inverter.

It seemed like a good idea at the time :-?

A..
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Old 01-11-2010, 11:36 PM   #6
Ammit
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

Always a good idea if Ham radio is your thing Anchor.
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Old 01-11-2010, 11:55 PM   #7
Ammit
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

Ok, much to the annoyance of my neibours and for the good of man and testing ideas ( which I love to do ), i built a unit.

Dug a hole, popped a 6 foot copper plumbing pipe into it , hammered it in (big hammer needed as ground is solid ), left about 2 to 3 inches above ground.

Cardboard box, 3 times wrapped in roasting tin foil, with a wind of copper electrical wire between the wrappings and protruding about 6 inches.over lapping all seams, taped seams to hold together. Lid of box was internally overlapped with foil, to try and ensure a good connection with the outside foil.

Joined all copper wires together, crock clip with a copper 30 Amp cooker wire connected was clipped to the box copper wire.

Other end of the crock clip wire was terminated with a big battery charger style crock clip. This connected to the copper plumbing pipe sunk in the ground, ( appologes to neighbours ), placed a radio with radio 1 tuned in on fm, nothing, no signal, no tunes.

Placed my mobile in there, no ring.

I think this is the way to go folks, tried, tested and verified by me.

Crazy inventor and designer extra nutty professor ammit. lmao


Works guys try it..
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Old 01-12-2010, 12:34 AM   #8
Fredkc
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

Quote:
Placed my mobile in there, no ring.
Wow!

Did you get anything like withdrawal pains, while being so out of touch?


Fred
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Old 01-12-2010, 12:39 AM   #9
Ammit
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

lol, no Fred, i actually hate my mobile, people can call me when i want to talk to No one.

Its still in there, my own private me sector, lol
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Old 01-12-2010, 12:58 AM   #10
Swanny
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

Last time we talked about these someone said there was no need to earth it and that it was a bad idea too....
Have you tested it not earthed??
You could also earth it by just connecting it to a wall socket
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Old 01-12-2010, 01:18 AM   #11
Ammit
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

Hi Swanny, yes i thought of the wall socket, but then thought, here in the uk our power comes from those hideous pylons, perfect antena for carrying such emp pulses, it ends at your house and if connected to the same earth then maybe all work would be lost to it.

A separate earth pole , allbeit copper pipe would be singular to a pylon and maybe would miss a lot of the emp. Pipe connected, pipe not connected will make no difference i suppose until maybe a threat as such arrises. Certainly makes no difference to a radio or mobile as i just tried it.

Thanks for your thoughts though.

Ammit
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Old 01-12-2010, 02:38 AM   #12
Anchor
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Default Re: Faraday Cages (Build it!!)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ammit View Post
Always a good idea if Ham radio is your thing Anchor.
Not HAM, but UHF CB's - very useful on a farm.

Lets me ask my SO to switch the electric fence off when I am a long way off from the shed! Lets my wife call me in for dinner - or cups of tea - or for me to ask for some tea - you get the idea Or more importantly if there is somekind of emergency - and we are out of shouting range.

They are so useful I decided they were on my critical list.

A..
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