EMP Protected (somewhat) / Military wiring

Coachgeo

Explorer
I'd ask this at Steel Soldiers but anything EMP is a topic that is against the rules :confused:

For ****s and grins on my LMTV (to be fitted out as ruff Expo rig) thought I'd stick with military type wiring for Aux. things that has a bit of EMP protection. Not really wanting to discuss the pros-cons, the chance of needing it or not etc. Plenty of discussion other places on that.

For example; the LMTV uses 12v sealed beam head lights (3prong) except the wires are prefixed to the prongs with military wires and covered in something.... Epoxy? . Pigtail from light are attached via special crimps to the trucks harness. For now if all possible I'd like to cut the wires and attach 3 female spades so I can use standard 3 prong sealed head lights. *Year+ down the road when $$ allows go to military 12v LED's.

so question is how to potentially get a little bit of EMPish protection which would also give some level of waterproof too with a Civilian Headlight with 3 prongs. Will below idea get me close at all.

1. Use military wire and crimps to end up with 3 female spades.
2. plug spades to headlight (ensure all is correct first)
3. Keeping in mind being able to change out a bad headlight in the future........ Fill/encase all spaces at back of light and over spades along with being well overlaped onto rear face of headlight with material from?
.... Glue gun?
.... Silicone?

Thought is that by using either glue gun plastic or silcon it can be removed; though a bit of a PITA to do it, when needing to switch out a headlight. Hopefully by time first light goes out again I'd be prepaird to swap to military units anyway. Got one headlight out now.

? Would it be better to wrap the area with Tinfoil first then glue? Silicon? as described above. Obviously before tinfoil wrap all exposed metal must first be completely covered (liquid tape?) so tinfoil can't come into contact and cause a short between male spade material at back of headlamp. Probably should do this after # 2 above anyway.


*Military 12v LED are about $400/pair and up right now while reg. 3prong sealed beam is $30 pair?
 
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IMO

Do it right the first time and leave it alone until youre ready to go to the LEDs

You can't undo, cutting the OEM plug ends off to put them back on for the LEDs.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
?
silicone / rubber don't give any EMP protection. EMP is high frequency radio energy which damages electrical circuits via induction. Like zapping something with a microwave. A Faraday cage -type arrangement or a fully enclosing metal box are about the only ways to truly block / divert such an assault. You're confusing regular insulation against circuit flow of electricity with the different mechanism of EMP.

/at least as far as I understand it.
 

Retired Tanker

Explorer
Yeah, what Rayra and Verkstad said.

EMP shielding requires total coverage with a path to true ground. Pretty hard to do in a vehicle.

What you're probably seeing is RF shielding to keep all of that dirty DC contained and away from the comms equipment, or also to reduce the RF signature of the vehicle.

And I'm curious if someone has modded the vehicle from 24vdc to 12vdc. If so, there are likely a number of places where the EMP/RF shielding has been compromised.
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
No modifications done. All the trucks in the FMTV line have 12v headlamp and driving lights. This is why FMTV rigs have both 24v and 12v circuits. Figure this was done to be part of the concept of having a vehicle built from readily available commercial components available world wide. Headlights seem to be a simple H6024 modified professionaly with a military spec. wired pigtail. All miliary wiring in the FMTV line is shielded.

After posting last night occured to me the sheild inside military wiring might be connected to a ground or some device which means just wrapping in foil or similar would have to have this wrap be connected to the shielding so it will remain in the path as the intended shield circuit. Silicon or glue would be only try to eleminate gaps in the wrap. There has been discussion of what is assumed to be an EMP device in the circuit on some FMTV trucks but do not know what it does. Lot of mentions as well that the EMP level of protection is classified. Rumor? bull****? that all comes from same sourse??? who knows; except that in orginal design paramenters EMP resistance was an item listed.

As to Packard Connector....... Headlamp has a pigtail with a special military connector. My plugs at end of pigtail look smaller than one pictured below I took from net. A solid tug could not seperate them..... sure seems crimped on to me. Maybe it is a Packard. not sure. Guess I should tug harder?
1-2_sm.jpg


As to do it later... well HAVE to do something now. Got a headlight out. But might take your advice and just not wory about trying to similate the EMP side of protection untill can afford military grade set of LED headlights.

as to abundant how to topics..... nope looked previously. Ton of them about storage via faraday like cage. None about wiring could I find.
 
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Coachgeo

Explorer
Just got word that the lights in my LMTV should also have connectors similar to the image above. When discovered the light was out few months back..... it was pitch black outside and was investigating with a flashlight App. At that time did not see any connecters like above except what looked like military grade crimps. hmm.. truck is still 200 miles away since that trip. When go back that way will investigate further that aspect of this discussion.

Also just got word the headlight circuit...... least at the end by the Headlight does NOT use shielded wire. So for headlights on and LMTV this is a mute point.

BUTTT..... question still remains when installing other Aux. items for example installing a radio, or USB ports for example into the cab where circuits do use shielded wire.
 
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No modifications done. All the trucks in the FMTV line have 12v headlamp and driving lights. This is why FMTV rigs have both 24v and 12v circuits. Figure this was done to be part of the concept of having a vehicle built from readily available commercial components available world wide. Headlights seem to be a simple H6024 modified professionaly with a military spec. wired pigtail. All miliary wiring in the FMTV line is shielded.

After posting last night occured to me the sheild inside military wiring might be connected to a ground or some device which means just wrapping in foil or similar would have to have this wrap be connected to the shielding so it will remain in the path as the intended shield circuit. Silicon or glue would be only try to eleminate gaps in the wrap. There has been discussion of what is assumed to be an EMP device in the circuit on some FMTV trucks but do not know what it does. Lot of mentions as well that the EMP level of protection is classified. Rumor? bull****? that all comes from same sourse??? who knows; except that in orginal design paramenters EMP resistance was an item listed.

As to Packard Connector....... Headlamp has a pigtail with a special military connector. My plugs at end of pigtail look smaller than one pictured below I took from net. A solid tug could not seperate them..... sure seems crimped on to me. Maybe it is a Packard. not sure. Guess I should tug harder?
1-2_sm.jpg


As to do it later... well HAVE to do something now. Got a headlight out. But might take your advice and just not wory about trying to similate the EMP side of protection untill can afford military grade set of LED headlights.

as to abundant how to topics..... nope looked previously. Ton of them about storage via faraday like cage. None about wiring could I find.


I don't exactly remember but if the part of the connectors you need to tie into the chassis wiring are on pigtails connected to the lights, then your MILSPEC replacement LEDs should also have pigtails attached. Therefore if you want to clip the pigtails off the lights to connect to the temp lights then your not exactly effecting the chassis side of the wiring, just the ability to reuse that particular set of lights, which you don't care about anyway. IMO I would be fine with doing that as it would be 100% reversible as any non milspec splicing/crimps would be eliminated when you finally got the LEDs.
 

dwh

Tail-End Charlie
Normal silicone corrodes wires, which is why they make dielectric silicone.
 
i have a mercedes 1017a which is pretty similar to the lmtvs. Emps will usually only fry electronic circuits, not headlamps and dashes (unless you are under a very strong pulse) My vehicle has a killswitch for all the electronics, it would be hard to predict, but if you flip the killswitch when its coming, you save all your electronics. But as stated, the only true way for 100% emp protection, would be either have no circuit boards in your vehicle, or fully enclose everything in a brass mesh. And by everything, i mean everything. My vehicle is set up so i can still drive and whatnot in case of an emp, but my camper would be in rough shape.
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
i have a mercedes 1017a which is pretty similar to the lmtvs. Emps will usually only fry electronic circuits, not headlamps and dashes (unless you are under a very strong pulse) My vehicle has a killswitch for all the electronics, it would be hard to predict, but if you flip the killswitch when its coming, you save all your electronics. But as stated, the only true way for 100% emp protection, would be either have no circuit boards in your vehicle, or fully enclose everything in a brass mesh. And by everything, i mean everything. My vehicle is set up so i can still drive and whatnot in case of an emp, but my camper would be in rough shape.
Yeah know there is no complete protection. If you need "complete" odds are you got more worries than what it did to your rig. Just want to try to compremise what ever protection is already on the rig and have some spare ECU's and other parts that might get messed up. Wish the LMTV had a Killswitch like that. Maybe it does? Again can't even ask that at SS.

What was done to it that would allow it to still drive??? as in it is all mechancial after you get her started? (no ECU's?)

This thread needs Zombies :)
Well I guess I could consider adding a hydraulic pump and get a Zombie Dicer..... ahhh I mean Snow Blower to put on front. But again as mentioned in first post there is tons of places to discuss possibilities of something Solar or Man Made occuring and respectfully request to just stick with electronics in this thread.
 
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Yeah know there is no complete protection. If you need "complete" odds are you got more worries than what it did to your rig. Just want to try to compremise what ever protection is already on the rig and have some spare ECU's and other parts that might get messed up. Wish the LMTV had a Killswitch like that. Maybe it does? Again can't even ask that at SS.

What was done to it that would allow it to still drive??? as in it is all mechancial after you get her started? (no ECU's?)

Well I guess I could consider adding a hydraulic pump and get a Zombie Dicer..... ahhh I mean Snow Blower to put on front. But again as mentioned in first post there is tons of places to discuss possibilities of something Solar or Man Made occuring and respectfully request to just stick with electronics in this thread.
The merc 1017 is fully mechanical as far as I can tell. All the gauges are mechanical, and I believe it's mechanical injection, So no computers.

Sent from my 0PM92 using Tapatalk
 

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