Build an 'Electromagnetic Pulse' Generator to Disable Devices

Some people play with batteries, others with capacitors, and then there are those who enjoy high voltage. Very high voltage. With a bit of time and several bills invested in eBay, anyone can build their own platform, turn it into an ignition system, or a distant cousin of a stun gun. However, the FPS Weapons channel on YouTube took a different route by building an "electromagnetic pulse" generator that takes out smartphones, tablets, and handheld consoles for a good while…

Reality vs. Fiction

Many works in cinema and literature have explored this concept to exhaustion, and not always correctly: a nuclear bomb, an experimental device, a network of satellites, or a combination of the three generates an electromagnetic pulse powerful enough to destroy everything electronic within reach, from small watches to entire fleets.

Of course, sometimes reality surpasses fiction, and our readers may recall the Carrington Event of 1859, a 'solar EMP' (technically a geomagnetic storm) that, if repeated today, would cause billions of dollars in damages. That said… what if it were possible to make a portable electromagnetic pulse generator? The FPS Weapons channel on YouTube explores that theory, and here are their results:

Is It a Real EMP?

Now, is that box a real EMP weapon? Well… yes and no. Unless I'm particularly mistaken (and everyone is invited to correct me), the only 'electromagnetic' thing is the spark gap that stays hidden inside the box, while the knockout to devices is pure induction. Still, it's an easy 'accessory' to make.

What You Need to Build It

A box that protects all components, a lithium battery (can be 18650 or similar), a switch, a high-voltage converter (read as 'pulse generator', 'ignition module', etc.) whose specifications have been terribly exaggerated by its Chinese manufacturers (those 1,000 kV must actually be 20 or 30), and a sufficient amount of copper in the coil. I imagine it would be viable to add a capacitor to optimize the circuit, but the video is conclusive.

The generator manages to reset a Game Boy Advance SP almost at will, reset an iPhone, and turn off an Android smartphone... which we don't see waking up from its nap. Anyone who wants to experiment with this device in their lab is welcome to do so, but I don't think it's a good idea to take it out on the street. Even if its range is limited, the last thing we want is something like that affecting a pacemaker, regardless of its shielding. And as always, be careful. This is high voltage, and it deserves respect.

Source: FPS Weapons