Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Harsey
This is his base concern, a coronal mass ejection or CME which involves electromagnetic radiation. So I figured this might like an EMP and thus asked the question because I didn't yet know what a CME was.
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A geomagnetic storm caused by solar wind or a CME can produce ground-induced currents that can affect electronics in a way that's similar to the E3 component of an EMP (described in The Reaper's post) -- so yes, there are similarities. The main practical difference is that ground-induced currents are more likely to damage objects that are connected to things that can become effective antennas (such as transformers that are attached to power lines). As with lightning protection, the first step to protect your equipment is to not have it plugged into the wall, even if it's switched off.
A few things I can add to what others have already said about general protection against EMP:
EMP is similar to a sudden and powerful burst of static electricity.
Make sure what you're trying to protect does not have power applied in any way. For example, remove all batteries, including the usual button battery for the PC clock. A pulse can cause massive internal short circuiting, and the current from the battery can end up doing more damage than the pulse itself. Disconnecting antennas or wires that might start acting like antennas is also prudent.
Certain batteries can be damaged by an EMP, and should be protected accordingly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Harsey
Any commo guys tracking the predicted upcoming sun cycles?
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There seems to be a debate at the moment in the solar forecast community as to whether we're in the process of going into another (premature) sunspot minimum, or whether the current dip is temporary and the sun will reach a new and substantial peak in activity within the next 12 to 24 months. The dip is very unusual, so many are leaning toward the former, but who knows? You can monitor the current activity at:
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
This is a better technical explanation than I can provide.
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I used to work for one of the authors of the report you posted. Small world.