Book - Forstchen - One Second After

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Book - Forstchen - One Second After

Post by GORDON »

It's about an Appalachian town and what happens when someone sets off an EMP over the United States.

Forward by Newt Gingrich.

Newt should have told the author why this is wrong:

"He could of done that."

"She couldn't of known."

This first happened on page 34, and it has happened four times total by page 90. Drives me nuts.

I wouldn't have bought this book if I had known the author, and editor, were so grammatically ignorant.
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Post by Cakedaddy »

Ya, but a lot of people talk that way. Anyone "axing" if they can go home early? Maybe, if those are direct quotes, he's trying to show his perception of the ignorance of people in small towns?
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Post by GORDON »

The characters speaking this way are highly educated. I think the author is ignorant.
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Post by Leisher »

It's about an Appalachian town and what happens when someone sets off an EMP over the United States.


A single EMP over the entire U.S?

Ya, but a lot of people talk that way. Anyone "axing" if they can go home early? Maybe, if those are direct quotes, he's trying to show his perception of the ignorance of people in small towns?


Just because a lot of people talk that way doesn't mean it's right.

And using "of" in the place of "have" is found with any urban area, so trying to assign such ignorance to small towns IS ignorant. Not saying they don't talk that way in small towns, but it certainly wouldn't be exclusive.
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Post by GORDON »

Leisher wrote:
It's about an Appalachian town and what happens when someone sets off an EMP over the United States.
A single EMP over the entire U.S?
Too early in the book to know for sure. Characters are still speculating. The protagonist, a retired Air Force Colonel, said it would probably take 3 detonated 200 miles up to cover the entire CONUS, as they work line of sight.

I haven't checked his math.

In the book we still haven't heard how widespread the effect has been.
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Post by Malcolm »

That's still a big-ass device & assloads of energy to cover that large of an area. Although, wikipedia says ...
A large device detonated at 400–500 km (250 to 312 miles) over Kansas would affect all of the continental U.S.
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Post by GORDON »

Wow, that would of been a disaster.
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Post by Leisher »

Of course, it'd only affect anything turned on...
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Post by GORDON »

According to this book, it <s>effects</s> affects all electronics that aren't hardened against EMP, on or not.



Edited By GORDON on 1267730199
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Post by TheCatt »

Leisher wrote:Of course, it'd only affect anything turned on...
I think it's anything that's plugged in, not just turned on. Because something could still surge through the electrical system, like a lightning strike, to affect them.
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Post by thibodeaux »

Why does it need to be plugged in? The pulse is traveling through the air. No wires necessary.
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Post by TheCatt »

thibodeaux wrote:Why does it need to be plugged in? The pulse is traveling through the air. No wires necessary.
I thought the issue had to do with interfering with existing electrical currents, and causing surges, etc. So a KitchenAid mixer that's unplugged wouldn't blow up.

but i guess something with a battery could still blow up, maybe.

I dunno, educate us Mr. Physicist.
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Post by GORDON »

In the book the dude's cell phone died mid-call.
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Post by thibodeaux »

The EMP induces current in the conductors inside devices. Too much current can damage the device.
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Post by Leisher »

TheCatt wrote:
Leisher wrote:Of course, it'd only affect anything turned on...

I think it's anything that's plugged in, not just turned on. Because something could still surge through the electrical system, like a lightning strike, to affect them.

Unplug it and you're safe.

If it runs on batteries, it's safe.

FYI: EMPs are why the USSR stuck with tube technology. However, it should be noted that not only can equipment associated with tubes be affect, but tubes themselves have been affected by EMPs.

And hey Gordo, how was this EMP triggered in the book?




Edited By Leisher on 1267731708
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Post by thibodeaux »

Why do you think the EMP requires a plug? The pulse isn't delivered via the electrical grid.
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Post by Malcolm »

thibodeaux wrote:Why do you think the EMP requires a plug?
I think he wants to imply "turn it off" as opposed to "unplug it." But wouldn't the EMP would do a fine job fucking w\ the electronic innards, even if you're switched off or running on batteries?
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Post by Leisher »

Why do you think the EMP requires a plug? The pulse isn't delivered via the electrical grid.


That explains why I never saw an EF-111 take off while attached to an extension cord.

I think he wants to imply "turn it off" as opposed to "unplug it." But wouldn't the EMP would do a fine job fucking w\ the electronic innards, even if you're switched off or running on batteries?


To the first sentence, it's more like both.

To the second...maybe, maybe not.

As I said, tubes were supposed to be fine after an EMP, but that hasn't always been the case. Ditto for the expected results on integrated circuits.

Unless you're going to ridiculous lengths to protect your equipment from an EMP attack while in use (in the form of shielding, grounding, and keeping it off the main power grid), the best you can do is to turn it off and unplug it.

Of course, that assumes you've been warned about the pulse because you wouldn't have time to do all this after the explosion.

Also, whatever your device is, you'd better have batteries, because the power grid will be down.
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Post by TPRJones »

I think it's safe to say that in the proposed scenario (huge EMP over Kansas), all non-hardened electronic equipment in all of Kansas would be fried, plugged in and/or turned on or not. It's also likely that many devices not plugged in and/or turned on in, say, Los Angeles and New York would be fine. Between those two extremes is a progression propogating at the inverse square of the distance from Kansas.

In addition to distance there's other considerations. If you are in a solid metal elevator at the time of the EMP you'll no doubt get stuck, but your mp3 player will probably be unharmed.
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Post by GORDON »

I hesitate to even discuss that with an PhD in Electrical Engineering watching.

Anyway, two more instances of "could of" observed before page 194. That makes 6 total.
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