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EMP Generator, Part One

 BY CHRISTOPHER VOUTE

 02/05/2012 12:16 PM

In this series, I'll be exploring electromagnetic weapons, how to build them, their function and
application to the future, and the amazing possibilities electromagnetism has to offer. First, the
electromagnetic pulse generator, or EMP. You've probably heard of these before, and their devastating
effects on electronics. A simple EMP consists of a capacitor, transformer, trigger, and coil of copper wire.
This, when triggered, would produce an intense magnetic field for a brief period, similar to a coil gun
(see this article for more info). On a small scale, this would be enough to reset a calculator or electronic
clock, but not enough to be of any use. However, it is quite easy to make a more effective one (at close
range), with a few more components, and time. I'll be going over capacitors and transformers in this
article, and discussing which are most applicable to an EMP.

Capacitors

There are many kinds of capacitors, but I'll categorize them in "electrolyte" and "non-electrolyte". These
types are represented by symbols:

In a way, capacitors are quite similar to batteries. They both store electrical energy; however, there is a
major difference. That is, capacitors only STORE electrons, never produce them. In a battery, a chemical
reaction between two terminals and an acidic solution PRODUCES electrons. Inside the capacitor, the
terminals connect to two metal plates separated by a non-conducting substance, or dielectric. Its quite
easy to make a capacitor from two pieces of aluminium foil and a piece of paper or plastic, like a leyden
jar (see this article on how to make a simple leyden jar shocker). Depending on the voltage rating and
capacitance rating, capacitors can be a small as a grain of rice, or as large as a garbage can and bigger.
For a practical DIY EMP, a simple 5000uf 400V capacitor (or capacitor bank) would be legitimate. There
are two ways to create a capacitor bank; series or parallel. This article explains the differences in series
and parallel quite well. A capacitor bank for an EMP should have capacitors linked together in parallel.
This increases the capacitance and reduces electrolyte damage. For example, if you had six capacitors at
650uf 400V each in parallel, your final capacitance and voltage would be 3900uf 400V. The voltage does
not change, but the capacitance increases. The image below is a circuit diagram representation of
capacitors in parallel. Your capacitor bank should be similar (if not exact) in design. Also, keep in mind
electrolyte capacitors have a positive and a negative (polarity). The white line on an electrolyte capacitor
represents negative, ensure your capacitor bank has an orderly, constant polarity.
Transformers

Now you have the storage availability, what about filling it? For that, you'll need a transformer. A
transformer takes electricity and basically shifts around the voltage:current ratio. In a transformer, there
is generally a primary winding/coil, and a secondary winding/coil. They rarely are made up of exact
gauge/number of windings, and usually contain a core made out of ferrite or metal. A transformer turns
electricity into a magnetic field with a coil of copper, then back into electricity again using another coil.
You'll need a fairly powerful high voltage transformer to fill your capacitor bank quickly, a MOT
(microwave transformer) or ZVS flyback transformer would work nicely, if properly used (these are
VERY DANGEROUS and can KILL YOU INSTANTLY). Of course, you'll need a DC voltage source to charge
your capacitor bank, so ensure you have a diode (or similar rectification device). The circuit symbol for a
transformer looks like this:

The two outside "humps" or coils represent inductors, and the center portion represents a core. Most
(all) flyback transformers have a ferrite core, and most MOTs have a steel or similar metal core. For
more information about transformers, see here.
EMP Generator, Part Two
 BY CHRISTOPHER VOUTE
 01/30/2012 11:14 PM
In this article, I'll be covering Triggers and Coils, part two of the series (see part
one here). Generally, a simple EMP generator consists of four components; a
capacitor, a transformer, a trigger and a coil of copper wire. The transformer
component can be varied, but the coil is very important, and must be precisely
tuned.
Triggers
Simply said, a trigger is basically a way of closing the circuit and allowing the
energy stored in the capacitor(s) to flow through the coil and create the magnetic
field. However, the trigger (or switch) must be capable of handling large loads of
current. For example, imagine trying to cross a river by bridging it with a thin,
weak stick vs a large tree. The bridge represents the switch, and you the load
(current). The circuit symbol for a switch is depicted below:

Pretty simple, eh? Just bridging a circuit gap. In an EMP generator, the size and
operation of the switch is proportional to the amount of current (basically how big
your capacitor bank is) you are switching. If you followed my earlier article on
capacitors and transformers, then your looking at a fairly big switch. Depending
on the dimensions of your finished product (whether its a "gun shape" or simply
a bench top experiment), you'll either want to use a relay and trigger switch, or
just a relay. The relay should consist of a solenoid and two thick metal contacts
that, when triggered, are "smashed" together by the solenoid, completing the
circuit. For example:
As seen above, there are two very large conductive terminals encased in an
acrylic case (spark/molten metal shield). When triggered, the linear actuator
(most likely a solenoid) will smash these terminals together very quickly,
completing the circuit and triggering the EMP generator.

Coils
Now here's the difficult part, the coil. Depending on your voltage, current, and
size of your EMP generator, the coil could either be very big and effective, or very
small and ineffective unless used at close range to target. A typical EMP
generator doesn't require hundreds of windings, quite the opposite. As seen in
the photo below, thick copper tubing works very effectively:
In this case, a capacitor bank at 400v 4000uf would need a coil of medium sized
copper tubing and probably 8 to 12 turns (or windings). I've experimented with
different coil formations, and the "inclined plain wrapped helically around an axis"
works best, in other words, the picture above. However, feel free to experiment
with different coil formations and an (old) calculator. Set a constant (distance from
calculator) and voltage, then change the coil layout until the calculator stops
working :)
The Theory Behind EMP Generators

 BY CHRISTOPHER VOUTE

 02/06/2012 7:44 AM

This is the third part of my electromagnetic pulse series (see Part One and Part Two). By now, I've
covered the hardware and general concept of electromagnetic pulse generators, but how exactly do
they disable electronics? How can an invisible field of energy have such a catastrophic effect on
computers, cell phones, and most any other electronics? I'll be answering all these questions in part
three of Making Electromagnetic Weapons.

A conceptual photo of the Earth's magnetic field.

The Core Concept

If you're not familiar with electrons, copper coils, and generating voltage with a fluctuating magnetic
field, don't worry, I'll go into these concepts in this section.

For the sake of example and metaphor, let's say electrons "live" in conductive wire. When a magnetic
field passes by the wire, it excites the electrons and they begin to move. Once the field stops moving, so
do the electrons. This concept is the primary way we generate electricity; using coils of wire and
powerful magnets. If you've ever seen those "shake" flashlights, the little silver cylinder that's being
shaken is actually a powerful magnet moving past a coil of copper wire, exciting electrons. An EMP
generator follows the same concept; a high current pulse of electricity is released through a single or
double loop wire antenna, creating an intense magnetic field that, in turn, excites electrons in any metal
in the range of the magnetic field. This creates a large voltage surge in the surrounding electronic
components, and effectively fries any sensitive transistors, ICs, etc.
There are two ways an EMP generator can create a magnetic field; either by a very powerful single-pole
pulse, or a less powerful fluctuating-pole pulse. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. For
example, a single pulse EMP takes much more current than a flux-EMP, but has a larger range and less
components. Since in a flux-EMP there must be an alternating (fluctuating) magnetic field, it requires
power transistors to switch the current's polarity through the coil, and also hall effect sensors (magnetic
field sensors) as well as an IC.

In the past two articles, I've been focusing on the first method, the high current single pole pulse
method, since it is the simplest concept and relatively easy to build. Also, if misused, flux-EMPs can
cause catastrophic widespread damage to electronics, even if only wiping local flash and drive memory.
Through multiple experiments, I've found that a simple single-pole EMP can easily wipe the local flash
memory of any device up to three feet, and render any electronics permanently useless from about an
inch.

Keep in mind, this is the simplest of possible designs, consisting of three single-loop antennas, a couple
capacitors, a switch, and a transformer. Ideally, focusing the magnetic field into a beam-like shape
would work the best, but magnetic fields are very difficult to work with. However, it is quite possible to
create a short focus field, and that is exactly how a simple single-pole EMP functions, rather like a
solenoid. They key is parallel coils that "drag" the field through a "tube", and spew them out the other
side before looping back around to the opposite pole.
As seen in the photo above, the red lines represent the "squished" magnetic field as it moves through
the coils of wire. The circular black ovals (with arrows) represent the looping field, as it returns to the
opposite pole. This field as the potential to excite electrons in any conductive metal within the field, and
the strength of the pulse (field) determines just how excited they become. To put it simply, the more the
electrons move, the higher the voltage spike inside the surrounding electronic circuits, and the higher
the voltage spike, the more damage done.

Next in the series, Making Electromagnetic Weapons: Directed Microwave Energy. Stay tuned!

If you're interested in other articles involving high voltage, magnetic pulses and weapons, check
out How to Make a Coil Gun and Chained Lightning: The Jacob's Ladder.

Warnings

 EMP generators of all kinds require high voltage and current! This is LETHAL! The current and
voltage used in these projects literally will fry you to a crisp! DO NOT misuse, abuse, or take
electricity lightly!

 Be careful with electromagnetic pulses! They can easily wipe and/or destroy electronics! Before
testing, remove any circuitry from the room!

 I am not responsible for any damage, harm, or widespread destruction you cause!
Turning Electricity Into Velocity

 BY CHRISTOPHER VOUTE

 02/01/2012 8:52 AM

In this article, I'll show you how to build a coil gun. A coil gun is a device that fires magnetic projectiles at
high velocities, using electricity. Coil guns require no explosive propellant, therefor can be fired an
infinite amount of time, providing that there is ammunition and available electricity.

The Coil Gun: Concept

A coil gun typically consists of a coil(s) of copper wire (similar to a solenoid), a capacitor bank, a
transformer, a DC power source, a method of releasing the energy in the capacitors through the coil,
and a projectile. When firing, the coil of wire induces an intense magnetic field that draws the
ferromagnetic projectile into the barrel. When the projectile reaches the coil, the magnetic field is
turned off, causing the projectile to continue down the barrel at high velocities. The coil gun built in this
article is quite simple, focusing on the fundamental concept and availability of materials. For more
information on coil guns, click here.

The Materials

1. You can either make your own coil, or find/buy a solenoid (found online here)

2. A disposable camera, or other DC voltage source over 300 volts.

3. A capacitor (the one from the disposable camera works fine, for this project)

4. Wire

5. Solder

6. Nail or similar small, magnetic object.

7. Hot glue

8. Gun-like case (I find a great case for everything is a soldering "gun". These can be purchased at
most hardware stores, and look similar to this)

9. Switch/trigger (you can use the switch from the soldering gun, it works great)

10. A barrel (it must fit inside your coil snugly, I used a pen case)

11. Small on/off switch (can be extracted from unused electronics, or found online here)

12. Batteries (I used two AA batteries)

13. Double AA battery case (found at most electronics stores, or online here)

Note: I used a different on/off switch, but any on/off switch works. For the solenoid, you most likely will
have to remove the plunger and outer casing, so it looks like this:
The Tools

1. Soldering iron

2. Hot glue gun

3. Wire cutters

4. Exacto knife

5. Screw drivers (depending on your disposable camera and your soldering iron, you could need
Phillips or Flat)

The Procedure
1. Build the transformer circuit using the schematic below, or follow theseinstructions on how to
make the circuit (if following the instructable guide, replace the film capacitor used with the one

from your camera circuit).

2. Next, extract the capacitor from the camera circuit and place it aside for later.

3. Open up the soldering gun, and remove everything from inside except the trigger button.
Desolder any wires attached to the switch.
4. Insert the barrel (the empty pen case) into the solenoid, and glue it securely so that about an
inch protrudes out of one end, and three inches out of the other, like this:
5. With an exacto knife, slice the one inch portion of the barrel in half horazontally, so it looks like

this:

6. Now, mount the coil either inside or on top of the soldering gun case. I couldn't fit my coil into
the case, so I stuck it on top (it doesn't effect the preformance of the device)

7. Solder the coil in series with the soldering gun trigger and the capacitor.
8. Take the two AA batteries and place them in the case, then solder the two output wires in series
with the on/off switch and the transformer circuit.

9. Cut two half circles in each side of the soldering gun.

10. Insert the on/off switch into the notch securely, and glue it in like
this:
11. Finally, glue the AA battery case into the soldering gun case, and mount the transformer inside
as well with hot glue, like

this:

12. Screw the soldering gun back together, and your done!

If you're interested in other high voltage projects, the high voltage circuit used in this article was also
used in How to Make a High-Lighter Stun-Gun and Butane Combustion Capacitor Launcher Stun-Gun.

Usage Instructions
Turn on the on/off switch and wait about five seconds for the capacitor to charge. Now, insert the
magnetic projectile in the one inch end of the coil, or the back end. Aim at a non-living, useless object
and press the trigger. The projectile should reach speeds of around 80 feet per second. As mentioned
earlier, this is the very simplest version of a coil gun, relative to the materials avalable. To increase the
power of your coil gun, follow this guide (Note: This guide is only for the technically advanced!! Its
expensive to build and takes lots of experience in electrical work).

Results may vary, but I was able to launch small metal screws into a piece of styrofoam from about ten
feet:

Tips

 If your wrapping your own coil, make sure you have about 80-90 turns, otherwise there will be
too much resistance.

 Try varying the distance of the loaded projectile to the coil

 Try varying the amount of time you charge the capacitor

Warnings
 This involves high voltage! Don't electrocute yourself

 Soldering irons are hot, don't burn yourself!

 Same goes for the hot glue gun

 I am not responsible for any damage or harm you cause with this device
Directed Microwave Energy

 BY CHRISTOPHER VOUTE

 02/09/2012 12:22 PM

Welcome to Microwave Energy—the next part of my Making Electromagnetic Weapons series. For the
Electromagnetic Pulse Generator, check out the last three articles (One, Two and Three).

I'm sure almost all of you have used a microwave at some point in your lives. As a child, I always found
microwaves fascinating; the idea of heating food with invisible energy, and even creating lightning
should the user accidentally microwave metal! However, microwaves are not only used for heating food.
Microwave energy generally falls under the 2.4 GHz (Gigahertz band). This same band is used by many
wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Microwaves consist of any wavelength between
300 MHz (0.3 GHz) and 300 GHz. The range (energy) depends on the "strength" of the wavelength.

Here's a visual representation of the electromagnetic spectrum:

Simple Cooking Appliance or Lethal Weapon?

Well, it really depends. In this article, I'll be going over the simple basics of a microwave weapon, since
microwave energy is a huge topic. In its simplest form, any waveform transfer of energy starts with
excited particles and ends with excited particles.

Inside a microwave, you'll find a large transformer (called a MOT or Microwave Oven Transformer), a
large capacitor (rated around 1-2 kV; 1-100 uF), some high voltage diodes (for rectifying the alternating
current from the transformer), a magnetron (the microwave emitter—I'll go into this later), and other
electrical components for operating the main electronics.

In a Microwave Weapon (MW), the components can be as simple as a magnetron, a transformer, a


diode, and a capacitor. Of course, the magnetron is certainly not that simple, consisting of several finely
tuned "antennas" and other components. A basic illustration of how a magnetron works is pictured
below:

The round "1" is an electron source, the area between the power source and the antenna is the electron
"accelerator", and the antenna itself is a simple way of "amplifying" and broadcasting the electron
energy at a specific frequency. When these "tuned electrons" hit an object (specifically water or metal),
they excite the molecules and generate heat, or in the case of metal, electrical energy. This is why
microwaves are so dangerous compared to EMPs. Microwaves not only wreck havoc on electronics, but
also can harm living beings.

This is where I must issue a WARNING!!! Microwaves are extremely dangerous. They can
PERMANENTLY HARM YOU! If you feel even the slightest uncertainty towards the physics, dangers,
and overall understanding of microwaves, DO NOT construct a microwave weapon.

The Construction

The best way to create a homemade microwave weapon is with an old microwave. If you want to
upgrade to a more powerful, long range device, it's practically impossible unless you have a physics lab
with extensive measuring equipment. However, an average microwave puts out 1,000-2,000 watts of
energy, quite enough for destroying electronics.

Microwaves tend to "fly in all directions" unless they are directed. However, this is what the antenna
does—directs the microwaves. In my experimentation, I discovered that a slight cone-shaped metal
funnel has the best microwave-focusing ability. I was able to fry an old cell phone from up to 10 feet
using three magnetrons and one funnel. This constitutes to about 6,000 watts (W) of directed energy,
quite an accomplishment for 15 bucks spent at a thrift store. The circuit diagram for each individual
magnetron looked something like this:
On a basic level, the circuit consists of a transformer, a voltage doubler (diode and capacitor) and a
magnetron. The three MOTs draw lots of power, so I had to hook everything into a thick, direct mains
line. The magnetron itself looks like this:

There are two large magnets that "direct" the electrons as they pass through the antenna. Also, the
device has a heat sink to cool off. There are many other components and function aspects of the
magnetron that are very complicated, but interesting. If you're curious, check out the information in this
article.

Once finished, the entire apparatus should look something like this:
The waveguide (or metal funnel cone) guides the microwaves in a linear direction, and allows them to
be focused in a specific direction. Once directed, the microwaves can generate electrical current in any
conductive metal they encounter. How much electricity they generate is determined by the distance
from the magnetron and the power of the output. The microwave gun will also disrupt wireless
communications (depending on their frequencies) and excite water molecules.

Warnings

 MICROWAVES ARE VERY VERY DANGEROUS. DO NOT attempt to build this device unless you are
very very confident in your understanding of the dangers, correct practice of safety, and legal
concerns.

 HIGH VOLTAGE! Microwave Transformers can easily kill you! Treat then with respect!
Remember... Fear of Lightning.

 DO NOT use this device on anything or anywhere where it violates FCC rules or any other legal
constraint!

 I am not responsible for any damage, harm, or legal trouble you get yourself into.

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