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.
Excellent info Ken,
My ‘big’ radio was $850 when I bought it new, Yaesu 857d. One of the reasons I chose this radio was the size of the radio, actual dimensions. I always keep my radio(s) in faraday, when not in use. Call me paranoid, I guess. I use a popcorn tin, lined with cardboard. I used a brush on my side grinder to remove all paint where the lid contacts the can. My “shack” is a piece of plywood laid across the corner of my pool table, in the garage. Shall we say, I’m more about function than style.
Using the pigtail connectors (power) and the screw-on coax, I can be on-the-air in less than a minute. While I’m on-the-air, my other radio, a 10w 2m all mode, is in faraday. A back-up to the back-up. It would be a huge blow to my limited budget to lose the big radio. I guess if it’s emp it would be irreplaceable. I’m a BIG proponent of ham for shtf. Most folks here, are likely sick of hearing about it. A few questions about the device;
1. I can see the advantage if it’s lightning or a cme, but wouldn’t an emp fry your radio anyway, if it wasn’t in faraday?
2. I’m small potatoes here with ham, everything I’ve got is under 200w. Why the different power models? (my ignorance is hanging out)
3. If I was using an amp with my little radio, would I need two of these devices?
I looked into this company awhile back for automobile protection. Looks like a quality company.
Unfortunately, we just don’t know what we don’t know. An emp would change EVERYTHING! Great info.
EMP Shield website is being blocked by some software called wordfence for all of their products except the ham redio shield product.s and the device to protect generators. All other products are off limits for some reason
CQ,
There are only two electronic parts on a generator. Having spares in faraday, is reasonably cheap.
“Wordfence includes an endpoint firewall and malware scanner that were built from the ground up to protect WordPress. Our Threat Defense Feed arms Wordfence with the newest firewall rules, malware signatures and malicious IP addresses it needs to keep your website safe. Rounded out by a suite of additional features, Wordfence is the most comprehensive security option available.”
Sounds like it’s a malfunctioning “option.”