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A compact, battery-powered pulse device has reportedly reset or scrambled a pocket calculator—but only at very close range in the experiment described. Hackaday reported a best calculator-effect distance of about 3 inches (7.6 cm). That result shows a particular calculator could be affected in one setup; it does not establish that a pocket-sized device can disrupt electronics across a room or farther.
What did the calculator experiment actually show?
In a June 17, 2021 account, Hackaday described a builder’s experiments with a battery-powered high-voltage pulse setup aimed at disturbing a simple pocket calculator. The setup included a high-voltage module, spark gap, coil, and capacitors. Hackaday reported the unit as capable of 9,000 volts; that is the article’s account of the builder’s unit, not an independently verified measurement.
Hackaday’s Dan Maloney reported: “The best range for a reset and scramble of the calculator was only about 3″ (7.6 cm), although an LED hooked to a second coil could detect the EMP up to 16″ (41 cm) away.” The calculator’s reported effect distance and the LED’s pulse-detection distance describe different observations: the LED result does not mean the calculator was reset or scrambled from 16 inches away. Read Hackaday’s account of the experiment.
This was a report of a builder’s experiment, not a published performance specification or an independently replicated test. The account does not establish the exact calculator model or show that other calculators, phones, or electronics would respond the same way.
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Why can one device be affected while another is not?
“EMP” is used broadly in popular discussion. In this case, the useful question is whether a particular pulse can couple into a particular electronic device strongly enough to disturb it. The result can depend on the source, distance, how the pulse couples to the device, and the device’s immunity to electromagnetic energy. A reset or scrambled display is evidence of an effect on that device in that arrangement—not proof of general-purpose disruption capability.
The FDA explains electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) as addressing both whether a device’s electromagnetic environment interferes with its operation and whether energy emitted by a device interferes with nearby equipment. It notes that interference can occur when electromagnetic energy exceeds the immunity a device was designed and tested to withstand. The FDA discussion concerns medical devices and supplies general context; it is not a test of the calculator in the Hackaday report. FDA: Electromagnetic Compatibility.
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What the reported distances do—and do not—mean
- About 3 inches (7.6 cm): Hackaday’s reported best distance for resetting or scrambling the calculator in the described experiments.
- Up to 16 inches (41 cm): The reported distance at which an LED connected to a second coil detected a pulse. This was not the calculator-effect distance.
Neither number is a universal range for pocket-sized pulse devices. The account describes one experimental setup, and the available evidence does not establish a general range or broad-area disruption capability.
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The FAA recognizes that portable electronic devices can potentially interfere with aircraft navigation or communication systems. Its AC 20-164A describes an acceptable method for demonstrating aircraft tolerance to interference from portable devices. The circular is guidance—not itself a regulation or a mandatory method—and the FAA identifies it as one acceptable means rather than the only means. FAA AC 20-164A.
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FAA AC 91.21-1D explains the U.S. rule context for portable electronics aboard aircraft. Those aviation materials address aircraft and portable electronic devices; they do not test the pulse device in the Hackaday account or establish rules about carrying or building such a device. FAA AC 91.21-1D.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to judge an “EMP” demonstration
When assessing a claim or video, separate the observation from the conclusion. Look for:
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- What was affected: A calculator reset is not evidence that all electronics are vulnerable.
- What was measured: A sensor or LED detecting a pulse is not the same as an electronic device malfunctioning.
- Distance and configuration: A reported result is meaningful only in relation to the specific setup and spacing.
- Replication: A builder’s account is not an independently replicated performance result.
- Scope of the claim: An effect on one susceptible device at close range does not establish disruption across a room, building, or city.
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