Copper Mesh

Usenet posting from Weird Science by [email protected]

In the late 60's/early 70's I did a little radar work for the USAF. Mode 4 IFF on F-4 aircraft among other things. Next door in the radio shop they had a special room within in a room that blocked out all EM. They did this to test equipment and had a need for zero non-nuclear radiation entering the test area. EMP is non-nuclear.

The room was amazingly simple, constructed of wood, 2x4s and such. The entire thing was latticed with thick copper screen, triple thick. Air could just barely get in through the screen. The exterior shell of the room was essentially a huge diffuser, anything hitting it was spread out and attenuated over the grid, the grid was tied to ground. I, on the other hand, worked in a special steel reinforced concrete bunker designed to be blast proof. Blast proof from the inside - the mode 4 boxes had an explosive device inside, if Charlie tried to open the box, from a downed Phantom, without special tools and key equipment, boom!

There are hyperlinks to industrial suppliers that have such a copper mesh product. For example:

Sale Offer: CLOTH, GRILL & NET OF COPPER WIRE

An internet search using the keywords "copper cloth" produced several suppliers that have such in various materials. This is the first I've heard of such a project to shield from EMP.

Offered by Al.