EMP Shield Protection For Ham Radio

This is for those who have expensive Ham radio equipment. It’s also for those who just want the best chances of survival for their Ham radio transceiver. EMP Shield protection between the radio and antenna.

Yes, there’s lightning protection and there’s EMP protection. The same principle applies (EMP ‘E1’ is extremely fast – nanoseconds). A quickly rising field of electromagnetic energy that could damage a Ham radio. How? Through the antenna. That’s the main way in (though not the only way).

Longer lengths of wire, antenna, can collect a huge amount of voltage/power from a spike of energy from EMP or lightning. Near instantaneously traveling down your feed line destroying your radio.

E1 pulse of an EMP is the most difficult to stop. Why? Because of it’s rise-time.

[ Read: EMP Components E1, E2, E3 ]

EMP Radio Protection

Amateur radio operators gravitate towards preparing for short or long term emergency (or SHTF) scenarios. Most want off-grid capabilities. A big concern is protecting radio equipment (and off-grid equipment!).

Your HF/VHF/UHF radios won’t help you if they’re destroyed from the disaster itself – which could be an EMP electromagnetic pulse.

There are not very many real-world examples of what an EMP / electromagnetic pulse will ultimately do or destroy. Among the examples we do have, none are among the timeframe that includes our modern way of life. Internet. Computers. Cellphones. Any modern technology.

With that said, during 1962 the US government conducted an experiment called Starfish Prime. A high altitude nuclear bomb detonation in the Pacific. It was not intended as an EMP test. However, an EMP resulting from the blast caused “major malfunctions” on monitoring instruments, and 900 miles away in Hawaii, street lights and the telephone network. That was in the days before all of our modern electronics!

We don’t know for sure what will happen. At least, exactly what will happen. On the other hand, we do know that it will likely be really really bad.

Here’s where “EMP Shield” protection comes in. Their specialty is clamping down that extremely fast voltage/power spike. And among their many EMP / Lightning protection devices, they also make them for Ham radio HF/VHF/UHF. Either SO-239 or N connectors.

They are not cheap. However I do believe “you get what you pay for”.

Disclaimer: EMP Shield does advertise on my site. I do believe in their products.

EMP Shield Protection ‘SO-239’ UHF Connectors

EMP Shield makes three protection devices with UHF SO-239 connectors for Ham radios / frequency bands within HF/VHF/UHF. The difference is their transmit power rating. 200 watts, 500 watts, 1000 watts.

View All of their Radio Protection devices

View the entire line up of all devices

EMP Shield Protection ‘N’ Connectors

Radio EMP protection for radios with N type connectors. They make four models, depending on transmitting power. 200 watts, 500 watts, 1000 watts, 1500 watts.

Next Generation EMP Protection With Military Certified Testing.

Listed by the Department of Homeland Security.