How to Make a Copper Wire Mesh Faraday Cage

Faraday cages are used to protect people and equipment in areas with high voltage. They isolate sensitive equipment from radio frequency interference.

Instructions

A. Select a copper wire mesh with openings smaller than the wavelength of the highest frequency you block. You can calculate the frequency that will penetrate the room by measuring the largest opening. Divide the speed of light in meters per second by the size of the opening (in meters) to obtain the frequency. For example, a screen with a mesh measuring 12mm would block all frequencies below 25 GHz.

B. Construct the enclosure to ensure it is electrically conductive. This is true regardless of its size. The top, bottom and sides must be covered. Attach the wire mesh to existing walls with brads or staples, but be sure to run conduit along the top and bottom. Fasten the mesh to the conduit with sheet metal screws.

C. Cover the door with wire mesh.It contacts the door frame and floor to provide conductivity.

D. Ground the wire mesh room with a commercial grounding rod. Locate the rod close to the room, but not inside it, and connect the mesh to the rod with a piece of solid copper wire. A metal water pipe is an alternative to a grounding rod. Do not ground to a gas pipe.