EMP Effect on Radio Users

[HBW1412]

I’m a CB guy. I use the 11 meter band exclusively and do so legally with 4 watt AM and 12 watt SSB limitations set by the FCC. I have considered getting into HAM, but strongly believe I shouldn’t have to go thru my government or an organization to do so. With that being said, I do love how HAM operators can cover great distances without the limitations of CB radio power output.

I am the first to admit that I don’t know a lot about it, but it seems to me that even HAM operators rely on repeaters to cover those great distances.

If the Earth were hit with a massive solar flare or one of our enemies used nukes in the atmosphere above the U.S. and the EMP took out those HAM repeaters would the HAM operators be in the same boat as us CB radio folks?

Now, before anyone says CB would take a bigger hit from such an event I’d like to say that I think there are many more CB radios in faraday cages than HAM radios. I don’t think many repeaters are protected from such an EMP. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know for sure.

Also, even though an EMP of this type may be unlikely I would point out that North Korea has nuclear weapons and has stated this to be their goal and they just tested the nose cone for ICBM’s a few weeks ago. Therefore, I think it would be prudent to prepare for such a disaster. After all, that’s what HAM radio operators are supposed to be there for anyway.

Am I completely wrong in thinking this way?

 

[w9cll]

I am the first to admit that I don’t know a lot about it, but it seems to me that even HAM operators rely on repeaters to cover those great distances.

Only on VHF/UHF do hams use repeaters (there are some 10 meter ones as well). Most "ham" radio communications are done on lower frequencies and are point to point.

If the Earth were hit with a massive solar flare or one of our enemies used nukes in the atmosphere above the U.S. and the EMP took out those HAM repeaters would the HAM operators be in the same boat as us CB radio folks?

Probably nothing electronic would be working so why worry.

 

[fourstringburn]

Many hams practice running their stations out in the field on battery power using deep cycle batteries and buddy pole antennas or just throw a piece of wire up a tree.

There is also solar power panels for field work to charge batteries.

These are just some ways to set up a portable station and operate in an emergency or crisis situation.

As for repeaters, I'm glad they are there but I seldom use them. However, there are solar powered repeaters out there and they are listed as such in the ARRL repeater guide.

 

[Tallman]

As far as emp goes, my radio room is a faraday cage inside of a metal building. All of the steel panels are electrically connected to each other and grounded. The cage has two layers of wire shielding and the concrete floor is shielded as well. Even protected against knife edge propagation. I store my Goldwing motorcycle in there as well.
Most of the contacts I have made have been without any additional power. My Icom 746 and my QSO King antenna reach out with no problems. I do have a amplifier but I have never powered it up and is not even in my radio room. It was part of a package deal and it was just a little sweetener for the deal. I know it works the former owner demonstrated it for me.

 

[vkrules]

No HAM operators don't rely on repeaters to cover those great distances. The problem with a major EMP is nothing electronic is going to work unless it was stored in a shielded environment at the time of the event.
Think about that for a minute! even generators and solar cells have electronic regulators.
So if the equipment still works ,and you can power it, Hams will still be able to communicate.

 

[Beetle]

The word "ham" isn't an acronym; don't capitalize it unless it's the first word of a sentence (and then, just the H).

 

[tecnicoloco]

The word "ham" isn't an acronym; don't capitalize it unless it's the first word of a sentence (and then, just the H).

I love my tube radios

 

[Tallman]

I love my tube radios

That's why the Russians use tubes. Fly by wire aircraft will be falling from the skies.

 

[vkrules]

The word "ham" isn't an acronym; don't capitalize it unless it's the first word of a sentence (and then, just the H).

To true I was referring to the posters Use I meant to put it in brackets.

 

[vkrules]

Yep Transistors are high current low voltage devices and are more prone to damage from Emp Valves are high volt low current
Remember back in the 80s when that Russian fighter Jock landed his Mig in Japan and defected.
The experts where all over the aircraft, and at first declared it a piece of outdated junk using 50 year old valve tech.
Then some bright lad worked out that the aircraft would keep working after an EMP and western aircraft would fall out of the sky.!!! Some very red faces in the defense department.

 

[HBW1412]

HAM may or may not be an acronym depending on who you ask. As far as aircraft go, both commercial and military aircraft have been hardened against an EMP for a long time. There are a lot of people who are now doing the same with their daily drivers in case of an EMP event while they are away from home.

 

[tecnicoloco]

 

[C2]

I wrapped all my spare ham and CB radio's in tin foil and buried them in the back yard just for such an event. And HAM most certainly is an acronym when used in proper context.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

The ONLY time HAM is an acronym is when someone makes one up because the word "ham" truly has no officially defined origin so therefore NOBODY knows what it really means. There are several theories out there and everyone seems to think they are right however nobody has ever produced convincing facts about what it really means.

 

[BBB]