Welcome,
To the second half of the blog about communications. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.
Videos/Podcasts:
The Tonight Show - Text Message vs Morse Cord
Instructions:
Electromagnetic Pulse Protection
Most preppers will need to protect one or two backup radios from EMP. These backup radios would be used to listen for/gather information after a Nuclear/EMP attack.
The easiest method for protecting a radio is to place the radio in a box padded with bubble wrap or crumpled paper then wrap the box with aluminum foil. If you are like me, you will then place the first box wrapped in foil into another box and wrap that box with aluminum foil, too.
But then you have to unwrap everything to listen to the radio. Another method involves popcorn tins.
Basically, you take a popcorn tin, I get mine from swap meets, and place the radio inside the tin. I place padding between the radio and the tin. This padding prevents the radio from touching the metal canister. Then all you have to do is place the top on the tin and your radio is protected from EMP, supposedly.
Just so you know, I provided a link to the Popcorn Factory to show you the various sizes and graphics of popcorn tins that you might find at flea markets.
Other Information:
Codes and Ciphers
All of the radios I talked about are available to anyone, so people could be listening to your conversations. To keep folks from understanding what you and your family may be talking about, you might want to create a code for your family to use.
As an example, in the book "Alas, Babylon," the two brothers have a code word that signals the possibility of a nuclear war. This code word and the arrival of one brother's family sets into motion a series of preparations by the other brother.
The United States Military used to use a one-time pad, as a code. Basically, it is a sheet of paper with letters representing words such as
IBR = attack DLH = break
FMQ = defend LZE = launch
MPT = report LBD = find
AKY = tomorrow NHG = tonight
so the message "LZE, IBR, AKY" would be decoded as "Launch attack tonight."
Now, a one-time pad is used only once, so the message "LZE, IBR, AKY" would mean something totally different the next day.
The links, below, give a lot more information about codes and ciphers. Some of the information is technical, but it is interesting. So, go read about codes and ciphers; additionally, your local library might have some books on codes, code makers, and code breakers. Check them out, if you are interested.
Links:
Wikipedia - Morse Code
The Popcorn Factory
Protecting Yourself from EMP by Duncan Long
Grounding and Bonding in Command, Control, Communications, ...
Wikipedia - Cipher
Wikipedia - Code
Wikipedia - Tap Code
SparkNotes - Alas, Babylon
SparkNotes - Alas, Babylon: Chapter 1 and 2
Wikipedia - One-Time Pad
