The legality of Faraday Cages - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

HeartsOfFire · 10-13-2010, 01:06 PM

I was having a pre-lunch banter with some co-workers, and we ended up talking about Faraday Cages and how cool they are. I jokingly mentioned plans to build one around my apartment in the future, to which a co-worker replied, "That would be awesome, if it were legal."

That made me doubletake.

I've done a quick google search, yet I cannot find many mention of Faraday Cages being illegal. It's possible that the obscurity of the topic is beyond the reach of even the Mighty Google.

Forgo practicality for a moment and humour me: Does anyone know definitively -- and could you cite your evidence -- on whether or not domicile-enclosing Faraday Cages are illegal? If it is true, then conspiracy theories abound!

SebC · 10-13-2010, 01:40 PM

You know if you lived in a Faraday Cage, you'd lose your cellphone reception, right?

HeartsOfFire · 10-13-2010, 01:44 PM

Yes, I know. As would the radio. Anything wireless would be limited to the walls of the cage.

SebC · 10-13-2010, 01:46 PM

So what would be awesome about living in one? It's not like your tin foil hat is illegal.

Hack&Lube · 10-13-2010, 01:47 PM

Why would a faraday cage be illegal? Why do you want to live in a tinfoil house?

You are crazy.

Traditional_Ale · 10-13-2010, 01:56 PM

Would one of these protect against the solar radiation storm thats supposed to hit the earth next year and wreck everyone's computers and other electronics?

mykalberta · 10-13-2010, 02:04 PM

Is that the same thing as in Enemy of the State? So called "off grid" living?

SebC · 10-13-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Would one of these protect against the solar radiation storm thats supposed to hit the earth next year and wreck everyone's computers and other electronics?

Good point.

Traditional_Ale · 10-13-2010, 02:11 PM

^ I was just planning on buying a lead xray vest like you see at the dentist and draping my comp in it.

HeartsOfFire · 10-13-2010, 02:16 PM

No, it's strictly a hypothetical question. In Canada, is it illegal to surround your home in a Faraday Cage?

I realize that the practicality -- not to mention the costs -- of such a venture are absurd, but equally absurd is the illegality of it.

If the answer to the question is 'yes,' why is it 'yes'?

Besides, Faraday Cages aren't impervious. Any hard-wired transmission that crosses its boundary will be undamaged. All the cage shields its enclosed inhabitants from are wireless signals, like RF transmissions, cell phone signal, and satellite signal.

NuclearFart · 10-13-2010, 02:19 PM

Like other posters said, not sure why it would be illegal as it's not affecting anyone else but you. All the rooms that house MRI units are big Faraday cages, so its not as though they are uncommon.

Barnes · 10-13-2010, 02:26 PM

I would assume your residents association may not want you surrounding your house in chain link fencing or metal mesh.

photon · 10-13-2010, 02:27 PM

Doubt they're illegal.

And I don't think they'd protect against all the effects of a solar storm since that's charged particles. But part of the effect of a solar storm is deforming the earth's magnetic field which induces a current into conductors. A faraday cage won't help with that either if your computer is plugged into the grid. Plus the cage itself would burn your house down as it melted from the current induced by the fluctuating magnetic field. (just kidding, I don't think it'd melt)

Locke · 10-13-2010, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Why would a faraday cage be illegal? Why do you want to live in a tinfoil house?

You are crazy.

Exactly!

Hack&Lube · 10-13-2010, 02:55 PM

Many types of radiation will pass through a faraday cage anyway unless your idea of protection is a house made of 2 inch lead walls

Northendzone · 10-13-2010, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeartsOfFire

I was having a pre-lunch banter with some co-workers, and we ended up talking about Faraday Cages

at my place of employment management has barred us from having this discussion at lunch and it usually ended in a bloody fist fight.......

Flames0910 · 10-13-2010, 03:49 PM

Not sure about a home...but I remember one of my university classes the prof talked about looking into this for exams. Apparently it's illegal to interfere with cellular reception (at least in the case of lecture halls) because there could be an emergency where people need to call 911.

ShaolinFlame · 10-13-2010, 05:46 PM

Faraday cage?

CaramonLS · 10-13-2010, 05:51 PM

Will it protect me from an EMP?

photon · 10-13-2010, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flames0910

Apparently it's illegal to interfere with cellular reception (at least in the case of lecture halls) because there could be an emergency where people need to call 911.

I think there's a difference between interfering with the signals (as in having a jammer broadcasting) and just blocking them. I worked in an office that was basically a Faraday cage and we had to buy a repeater to get people's cell phones to work.

Kinda dumb for a company that made apps for cell phones.