The EMP proof Bus

[Tikvah]

What is EMP?

[oldmansax]

What is EMP?

ElectroMagnetic Pulse

BTW, I think your tag line is hilarious. 

TOM

[chev49]

Yeah, but he was only addressing us tin foil hat wearers...

[artvonne]

What is EMP?

  Lot to read, but one of the better explanations of what it is, what it could do, and how it could occur.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

The issue came into real focus after the novel "One Second After" was published in 2009. The author did a lot of research on the subject and the opinion of most experts who looked at it agree with the premise. There was enough concern about it that FEMA was given funding to prepare for such an event, though any attempt to prepare will be of little use, it would likely cost three times our national debt to build any kind of preparation for it.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Second_After

 

[RnMAdventures]

What is EMP?

  Lot to read, but one of the better explanations of what it is, what it could do, and how it could occur.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

The issue came into real focus after the novel "One Second After" was published in 2009. The author did a lot of research on the subject and the opinion of most experts who looked at it agree with the premise. There was enough concern about it that FEMA was given funding to prepare for such an event, though any attempt to prepare will be of little use, it would likely cost three times our national debt to build any kind of preparation for it.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Second_After

Interesting topic Paul. A while back I posted a similar topic (http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=21894.0), but not so bus specific. I have read "One Second After" and ""lights out" and they both paint similar views of the potential challenges of modern society in that situation. I don't understand the science of it all, but I think in the case of a EMP strike as related to the books, I think your batteries would be fine. Where I see potential problems is silenoids and the relays. In "one second after" his mother in laws car functioned fine after the blast, which if the authors "science" was right, suggest that our buses would be fine... (at least the older ones). In "Lights out" the 1985 and older cars were easier to repair due to being carb'd. I think they were mainly concerned with points and condensers... if my memory is right.

Even before I read the doomsday books, I liked the idea of being able to leave from my location and hit the east or west coast in less than 24 hours without stopping for nothing. To have enough fuel to just drive. Right now, I estimate we could get about 700 miles safely without stopping. One day I would like to have a diesel genset and 300 gal fuel capacity. The ability to charge batteries with solar panels and have house batteries that can handle the essentials would be ideal. Then all you have to do is get there (somewhere) and survive.

It's funny the nay sayers of the potential of such things. Folks like yourself will have an edge and the one's that laughed at you will be begging for your help. In general, most of the population is oblivious to just how fragile thier existance is at this moment.

[Jeremy]

It's funny the nay sayers of the potential of such things. Folks like yourself will have an edge and the one's that laughed at you will be begging for your help. In general, most of the population is oblivious to just how fragile thier existance is at this moment.

That's probably aimed at me as I probably appear to be one of the ones laughing at this whole discussion. In fact I am trying quite hard not to just dismiss it all out of hand as there are apparently some intelligent people take this stuff seriously.

And yet everyone seems determined not to mention the issue which seems to me central to the whole thing - rather than agreeing with each other that the 'threat is real' and how 'fragile our existence is', should not the real discussion be whether there is any point trying to survive such an event?

I hadn't heard of the 'One Second After' movie but read through the link that Artvonne gave:- if you believe that "the author's science was right" then presumably you accept the scenario as described in the description of the movie, which says that after one year 80% of the population are dead and the rest are suffering a miserable existence as a result of starvation, disease and violence. Why on earth would anyone want to be in that group?

I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion but am genuinely curious about the logic of planning to survive an apocalyptic event - I guess it's something to do with the conflict between instinct and rationality.


Personally I'm left wondering about how to protect my bus from Smurfs. I saw a movie about them once and now I'm worried that it might all come true


Jeremy

[Len Silva]

You can control Smurfs with moth balls or dryer sheets.

Tribbles, on the other hand, would be a disaster in a bus.  They are asexual and multiply by dividing.  Even one tribble can overwhelm a bus in very short order.

[artvonne]

  Jeremy~

  I dont know your age or how you grew up, or what you grew up around. My Father was a WW2 vet, Aircraft Mechanic USAAF, later worked Civil Service at the Duluth AFB, Retired 1969. He brought me up there a few times, but I had to stay at the Ops shack and not leave the area or cross painted lines on the Cement. AP's with M-16's were everywhere, signs everywhere said "use of deadly force authorised". Gave a young boy a great sense of respect. I was thrilled watching F-4's take off two by two with full afterburners, sometimes more than 2 dozen would leave, two pulling onto the runway for takeoff before the two ahead were off the ground. I never thought about where they were going, I was just a kid. Dads job was basically a valet. Go get em, park em, tie em down. Fuel them up and check them out, put in plugs and walk away. Then go back out and prepare them for flight. Rain or shine, snow or blow. 

  As I grew up I learned my Uncle had been stationed there in 1959. His job was loading nuclear weapons onto aircraft and arming them, setting up the electronics between the bomb and aircraft, and programming them. Some years later we had the Cuban Missile crisis. The Air Force were always doing drills, scrambling aircraft in mock attacks. This time was different. This time the aircraft were loaded with weapons, even aircraft that were sidelined for mechanical reasons, and everything sat around with the engines running, going nowhere, waiting. He said it was the scariest thing he ever saw, and really thought that was going to be it.

  In the 60's a movie was made, a comedy with Peter Sellers called Dr. Strangelove. While it goes to great lengths poking fun at the Military, the basic premise was 100% accurate. We were flying B-52's into USSR airspace with armed nuclear weapons on secret missions. Every day. And Russia was doing the same to us. It was a very dangerous game. That game was played from around 1950 until 1987. Its been said that during that entire period, somewhere in the world a B-52 was inflight refueling every 2 minutes, 25/7/365.

  I grew up honestly believing it was only a matter of time before we blew up the planet. Later, When Reagan and Gorby worked things out, we stood down the B-52's and never again have flown those missions. I thought we were safe once and for all. Now the bottle is spinning again, and we dont really know where it will stop. I have great confidence in our Military that they can catch things before they go bang, but they missed by a long shot on 9/11. I pray nothing like an EMP attack will ever happen. And your right, if it does, and if it plays out as many suggest, with most of the people gone after a year, who would care to survive?

  Maybe you dont have children. But I have a young girl I adopted and claim as my own. If something like this occured, and if she is off at school, or at a game somewhere, or at some friends house 40 miles away, am I supposed to forget about her because I know this could be that bad and who wants to live? I just couldnt do that. If there is any way on earth I can get her home, I will make it happen. If her and I and my wife are going to die, and I have anything to say about it, we will die together here at home. I refuse to accept that my kid will be left to fend for herself somewhere if there is anyway I can do something to prevent it.

  And if were away from home, traveling, and this event takes place, should we just throw up our hands and say kill me now? Or would we rather like to know we can at least get home, and make our stand there? I mean, if we dont get fried, if the only real damage is electronic crap is down, I wanna go home. Fast!

  And what if its not as bad as suggested. What if maybe in a few weeks aid starts coming in and power gets restored? Had I just thrown up my hands and allowed the kid to fend for herself, and bad things happen to her, how could I face life then?

  That is why I am asking. If its all a joke to you I guess thats your choice. I dont believe its a joke.

[trucktramp]

Paul, you should consider getting your Ham Radio license if this is a big concern to you.  EMP should knock out about all forms of communication.  Your cell phone, land line, am/fm will be worthless.  Old tube type radios will still be useable for communication.  Even if voice communication is poor you still have CW (morse code).  You will need a radio that is 12 volt capable and some source of power i.e. battery bank, solar, genny, etc.  If this interests you, the test is easy and you do not have to learn morse code.

[artvonne]

  I have considered getting a radio license and radio and likely will, my Uncle suggested the same thing, tube type stuff and all, but said it still needs to be fully protected. Tube type stuff can be damaged too. But your right, its much more immune. But probably better to listen rather than talk, you know.

[Jeremy]

Artvonne:

That's a good answer and understand and I respect where you're coming from. Certainly I have a different outlook, resulting from a different background - young (in the context of this board), no children and anti-military.

Debates about 'survival at all costs' are in the zeitgeist here at the moment as a law allowing assisted suicide is almost certainly going to be passed very soon (already defacto, but they're keen to make it official).

I also heard an interesting radio programme just this week about the (bizarrely huge) number of groups who sincerely believe that the 'end is nigh', often with specific dates in mind. Of course most of them are religious nutters of various flavours, but not all of them. Then there are the groups who are actively trying to bring about the end of the world - the best known being Aum Shinrikyo (Tokyo Sarin gas attacks), but apparently there are quite a few others too.

Which is all quite scary, if you like being scared by such things. Personally I choose not to be. After all, as someone once said, life is just nature's way of keeping meat fresh.

Jeremy

[gus]

Will this EMP come from a flying saucer or a nuclear bomb dropped by a black helicopter??

In either case starting a bus will be a minor problem!!

[artvonne]

  Gus, they plan on dropping it from a black helicopter 250 miles up in space over Kansas (thats why they use a black helicopter, normal ones can only fly half that high).
 
 

[challenger440]

If an X class solar flare from our sun should happen to strike earth, anyone on the sunny side would be seriously affected.  Apparently it would overload the electrical grid and melt down transformers and other electrical components.  Estimates are that it could take years to repair in societies that depend on electrical  power distribution. 
  So do I live in constant fear that the next sun rise will bring destruction, no.   But, it might be nice to be able to drive to a warm, functioning location for the duration. 
  If you don't want to come, can I have your diesel. 

jm

[belfert]

Even if one has a functioning vehicle, how are you going to get fuel once you get low?  I guess you could buy, beg, or steal some from someone who has an overhead gravity feed tank.