EMP strike, how serious of a threat?

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amddude

amddude

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2006
1,711
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I know EMP's are produced as a byproduct of a nuclear detonation and that if you airburst the nuke it will destroy circuits over a large land mass.

Are horror stories like the power grid being wiped out a real threat? I've read that cars should be more or less shielded because they have metal bodies. I assume that's only protection up to a certain strength of blast?
 
J

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
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Lightning also emits large amounts of EMP. Car electronics are damaged by EMP emitted from nearby lightning strikes all the time, so no, your theory is false.
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
I would not lose sleep over it that's for sure.
IMO the bigger risk to the power grid is some terrorists packing C4 around 750kV pylons around the country. Ignitors connected to cell phones and bomber uses a script to dial numbers, etc.

EMP from a large airburst could be disruptive to unhardened networks, etc. Problem is the only folks that can get such an "attack" going is the US Govt. themselves. oops! :eek:

If the Ruskies shoot off their wad NORAD can see it and (likely) deal with it.

Portable devices can pack an intense punch (or is it pinch? :p ) and PERHAPS cause a VERY localized disruption. It takes a LOT of power! I've seen experiments done to cause computers to fail, etc. and was not impressed. I mean with all the noise and cracks of capacitors discharging you would have to be dead not to know something's up.

Making a cannon and pointing it at a city from a mountain top or (cough) ship? Hehe not going to happen! You can point and shoot but it's gonna be a dud. With those power supplies you'd be better off making a multi megawatt CO2 laser and pulling off headshots like frying ants under a magnifying glass. ;)
 
Fenixgoon

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
33,331
12,915
136
Rubycon said:
I would not lose sleep over it that's for sure.
IMO the bigger risk to the power grid is some terrorists packing C4 around 750kV pylons around the country. Ignitors connected to cell phones and bomber uses a script to dial numbers, etc.

EMP from a large airburst could be disruptive to unhardened networks, etc. Problem is the only folks that can get such an "attack" going is the US Govt. themselves. oops! :eek:

If the Ruskies shoot off their wad NORAD can see it and (likely) deal with it.

Portable devices can pack an intense punch (or is it pinch? :p ) and PERHAPS cause a VERY localized disruption. It takes a LOT of power! I've seen experiments done to cause computers to fail, etc. and was not impressed. I mean with all the noise and cracks of capacitors discharging you would have to be dead not to know something's up.

Making a cannon and pointing it at a city from a mountain top or (cough) ship? Hehe not going to happen! You can point and shoot but it's gonna be a dud. With those power supplies you'd be better off making a multi megawatt CO2 laser and pulling off headshots like frying ants under a magnifying glass. ;)
Click to expand...

you must CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL PYLONS!
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
Fenixgoon said:
you must CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL PYLONS!
Click to expand...

Hmmm I've been playing around with this nVidia Super Sonic Sled thing that lets you shoot chickens all over the place, stack crates and barrels and I knew something was missing! It was those stinkin' pylons! :D
 
amddude

amddude

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2006
1,711
1
81
jemcam said:
Lightning also emits large amounts of EMP. Car electronics are damaged by EMP emitted from nearby lightning strikes all the time, so no, your theory is false.
Click to expand...

I don't have a theory, that's why I'm asking. Can you read?
 
Raduque

Raduque

Lifer
Aug 22, 2004
13,140
138
106
jemcam said:
Lightning also emits large amounts of EMP. Car electronics are damaged by EMP emitted from nearby lightning strikes all the time, so no, your theory is false.
Click to expand...

What about that episode of top gear where they put james may in a vw golf and hit it with like 2200kv and it started up fine and he drove it off?
 
T

techforums

Senior member
Apr 12, 2010
218
0
0
Rubycon said:
I would not lose sleep over it that's for sure.
IMO the bigger risk to the power grid is some terrorists packing C4 around 750kV pylons around the country. Ignitors connected to cell phones and bomber uses a script to dial numbers, etc.

EMP from a large airburst could be disruptive to unhardened networks, etc. Problem is the only folks that can get such an "attack" going is the US Govt. themselves. oops! :eek:

If the Ruskies shoot off their wad NORAD can see it and (likely) deal with it.

Portable devices can pack an intense punch (or is it pinch? :p ) and PERHAPS cause a VERY localized disruption. It takes a LOT of power! I've seen experiments done to cause computers to fail, etc. and was not impressed. I mean with all the noise and cracks of capacitors discharging you would have to be dead not to know something's up.

Making a cannon and pointing it at a city from a mountain top or (cough) ship? Hehe not going to happen! You can point and shoot but it's gonna be a dud. With those power supplies you'd be better off making a multi megawatt CO2 laser and pulling off headshots like frying ants under a magnifying glass. ;)
Click to expand...

So basically the amount of energy required to cause serious damage is insane and therefore not worth the trouble
 
Jeeebus

Jeeebus

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2006
9,181
901
126
EMP strikes are scary shit. Most people don't realize this, buy NYC recently almost succumbed to a terrorist attack by a dirty radiological bomb. Generally speaking, NYC is relatively safe from such an attack because CTU has radiological detectors all around Manhattan. But the terrorists managed to get an EMP device into a SUV and had it driven right into CTU, which knocked out all of their electronics.
 
B

bunnyfubbles

Lifer
Sep 3, 2001
12,248
3
0
why bother with EMPs when you can use a sharkapult

sharkapult.gif
 
DivideBYZero

DivideBYZero

Lifer
May 18, 2001
24,117
2
0
Jeeebus said:
EMP strikes are scary shit. Most people don't realize this, buy NYC recently almost succumbed to a terrorist attack by a dirty radiological bomb. Generally speaking, NYC is relatively safe from such an attack because CTU has radiological detectors all around Manhattan. But the terrorists managed to get an EMP device into a SUV and had it driven right into CTU, which knocked out all of their electronics.
Click to expand...

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Are you calling that shit-pile of fireworks, propane and gas cans in an old Isuzu an attempted EMP strike?!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :awe:
 
preslove

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
91
From the little I've read about them, making this airburst type of EMP is extremely complicated and much harder than a fission bomb, let alone a dirty bomb. The idea that terrorists would try to make an airburst emp instead of a nuke or dirty bomb is just silly.
 
destrekor

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
The Sun is the only real, and credible, source of an EMP threat. And the bastard will likely carry the plan out, but refuses to tell us when.
 
Phoenix86

Phoenix86

Lifer
May 21, 2003
14,644
10
81
DivideBYZero said:
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Are you calling that shit-pile of fireworks, propane and gas cans in an old Isuzu an attempted EMP strike?!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :awe:
Click to expand...
I don't see how you possibly came to that conclusion based on his post... With the exception to it being a terrorist attack in NYC there's nothing else in common.

I'm curious what/when the event was, though.
 
Jeeebus

Jeeebus

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2006
9,181
901
126
Not a lot of 24 fans left these days :(

I thought the "CTU" reference would have given it away pretty easily... or perhaps the "Jack Bauer is not amused" pic.
 
Beev

Beev

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2006
7,775
0
0
Rubycon said:
I would not lose sleep over it that's for sure.
IMO the bigger risk to the power grid is some terrorists packing C4 around 750kV pylons around the country. Ignitors connected to cell phones and bomber uses a script to dial numbers, etc.

EMP from a large airburst could be disruptive to unhardened networks, etc. Problem is the only folks that can get such an "attack" going is the US Govt. themselves. oops! :eek:

If the Ruskies shoot off their wad NORAD can see it and (likely) deal with it.

Portable devices can pack an intense punch (or is it pinch? :p ) and PERHAPS cause a VERY localized disruption. It takes a LOT of power! I've seen experiments done to cause computers to fail, etc. and was not impressed. I mean with all the noise and cracks of capacitors discharging you would have to be dead not to know something's up.

Making a cannon and pointing it at a city from a mountain top or (cough) ship? Hehe not going to happen! You can point and shoot but it's gonna be a dud. With those power supplies you'd be better off making a multi megawatt CO2 laser and pulling off headshots like frying ants under a magnifying glass. ;)
Click to expand...

Did this post turn anyone else on as much as me? :awe:
 
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