[Ham-80211] Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

[ki6nj at comcast.net]

What you say is theoretically true.  It would take a very sophisticated rouge nation to pull this off.  Within the next decade the probability is perhaps no greater than  .2
Max
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> I have been monitoring several groups that seem to be pushing digital 
> communications via internet and radio for emergency communications. 
> 
> All discussions that I have seen neglect the possibility of electromagnetic 
> pulse (EMP) from a nuclear device EMP at an altitude sufficient to blanket 
> the North American continent. After such an event, all solid state 
> electronic devices would probably be completely useless, since th EMP would 
> destroy a significant percentage of the semiconducter junctions included in 
> their design. Only ancient tube type equipment and maybe equipment 
> designed with radiation hardened semiconductor devices would survive. A 
> majority of equipment designed / developed for DOD end-users has been 
> radiation hardened since about 1985. Other than that, almost all 
> commercial electronics is subject to destruction by EMP. Amateur operators 
> that plan to supply emergency communications after such an event must 
> either have stockpiled and kept operational tube type equipment and or 
> protected selected semiconductor base equipment by housing it in a Faraday 
> shield for protection against EMP. 
> 
> How much of what we are discussing meets these criteria? 
> 
> 
> Think about it people! In my considered opinion, the most likely terrorist 
> threat we face that could cause such a scenario is not unlikely. All the 
> terrorists (or any other enemy for that matter) needs is a nuclear device 
> and a launch vehicle capable of sending a device about 100 km over 
> mid-North America and detonating it. The launch site could be anywhere 
> outside (or possibly inside) the territorial boundaries of North American 
> countries. 
> 
> In the National Interest, our overall emergency communications plan needs 
> to include safeguarding some sort of communications capability against EMP, 
> even if it is CW and SSB and NTS or equivalent. 
> 
> 73, 
> Chuck Mayfield, AA5J 
> Plano, Texas 
> 
> 
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> 
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