Q&A for How to Build an EMP Generator

The idea is that any conductor passing current creates a magnetic field around it (yes, even a simple wire). Also, a magnetic field near a conductor induces a current through said conductor. The EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse) device creates a strong magnetic field in a coil of some sort so the nearby electronics are induced current from that magnetic field. Since all ICs are basically transistors, and the transistor is switched by current, the ICs affected by the EMP stop working, and behave unexpectedly (like resetting, sending signals when they're not supposed to, etc.). If the EMP is strong enough, it can completely fry them.

You will not knock out any radio with this. You will be able to generate a low-power pulse and observe it on a measurement device like an oscilloscope but that's the most interesting thing you can do. This generator does not come close to a human-produced electrostatic discharge in terms of energy. And all electronic devices are shielded against it.

The EMP works by creating a surge in the device. Some devices will corrupt/scramble memory by flipping bits without damaging the components, allowing them to be rewritten to work again. Others will damage components, others will flip bits that are not rewritable and ruin those without factory equipment to rewrite them. There is no 'temporary knockout' EMP, only protected and recoverable devices.

You would charge the capacitor really fast. The capacitor is the limiting factor.

Add capacitors in a parallel.

No. It has to be a flash capacitor. Flash capacitors are designed to dump all power in microseconds. The 2 Farad Capacitor is designed as a stabilizer for the amplifier.

It is an insulated copper wire (commonly known as magnet wire). Go to an electrical shop for it and ask for insulated copper wire.

Yes. There is a mathematical proportion of turns on the coil to level of EMP. Also, the higher the amperage the better; just make sure you don’t run too much current through too small of a coil. If you change one, change the other.

No. This EMP knocks out electronical devices, but a motorcycle is mostly mechanical.

Yes, if you put your EMP device in a Faraday cage.

About 2 - 3" maximum. The larger the capacitor, the higher the range.

Just get larger and more high voltage compositors, or wire a lot of small ones together.

No, that would keep the magnetic flux contained, preventing it from doing the job.

No. The alarms are pinged every second. And EMP would notify the police instantly.

You can use a high voltage converter instead, but you need to give the wires room to arc. Use insulation so it does not effect other wires.

Capacitors in parallel would give you the same voltage, but more current (more powerful and sustained output on coil).

It is unlikely. This EMP generator is on the weaker side.

Theoretically yes, if the pulse is strong enough. However, the pulse may cause some sort of damage to the system.

A capacitor acts somewhat like a battery in this case. Batteries in parallel will deliver a higher charge for the same amount of time as a single battery. Batteries in series will hold the charge of a single battery for a longer amount of time. Due to the nature of capacitors, however, in this second case it would be multiple bursts of charges of short duration rather than a single charge of long duration.

A more powerful capacitor (or connect them in series), but a bigger capacity needs a bigger coil, too.

This will not knock out any waves, but causes a surge in electrical devices in close proximity to the EMP.

It depends on the complexity of the device and the sensitivity.

There is not a general maximum voltage for the EMP, but rather a maximum voltage for your wire. If there is too much voltage on a thin wire, then the wire will melt.

Yes, you should be able to disable small electronic devices like calculators.

Theoretically, yes; it would disrupt and corrupt the chip.

This depends on the equipment used to build the EMP, if built correctly this EMP should only be able to disable smaller and older devices. Although with stronger and more expensive parts, an EMP could permanently damage electronic devices.

This EMP would only disable electronics. It would have to be way more powerful to fry them.

No, it cannot disrupt CCTV cameras.

The EMP generator that is demonstrated above is not very powerful. Depending on the capacitor, it should be able to temporarily disable smaller and slightly older electronic devices.

You could use a professional flash unit from a digital camera.