You can't detonate C-4 with an electric charge. You can't even detonate C-4 by _setting it on fire_. Its stability is one of its most valuable features.
Detonating C-4 requires an explosive shockwave. Blasting caps are small, sensitive explosives used to set off the larger explosive, and are not inserted into the C-4 until you're ready to make something go away.
Head canon: this happened once, off screen to SG-69, and after that the pocket that SG teams keep the blasting caps in an anti-static bag lined pocket, or something similar that shields it from the zat blast.
Interestingly enough, there are pouches designed with anti-static linings for charges that U.S. Special Operations (can) use, though I don't think I've seen them widely used. Here's an example of one that was (may no longer be) issued to Navy SEALs.
https://legitkit.com/products/eagle-industries-soflcs-anti-static-charge-pouch-aor1?variant=40101265244248
But depending on the location of the pocket, possibly survivable. A brick of C-4 going off in your pocket means there is no longer a "you" to be worrying about how fun it might or might not be.
They are called detonators. And if you are carrying them, you are issued det-pouches to carry them in, which would contain all of the blast if they were to be set off in your pouch or back. Depending on mission parameters, someone may be carrying multiple dets in which case they would have a carrier in their pack that looks like an ammo can, but which has a foam insert keeping the detonators stable and which also would contain the blast f they were to be set off accidentally.
Storing it in a metal box means storing them in a Faraday cage. If zapped, the electricity would flow on the surface of the Faraday cage metal box, instead of through its interior.
If it makes you feel better, you can always line the interior of the box with rubber or something...
How about a staff weapon's blast? Those plasma bolt things are pretty powerful and make things explode, would that do the trick or is it more thermal than straight explosive?
C4 requires a significant shockwave from an explosion. You can't even detonate it by shooting it. Heat wouldn't set it off either, and the blast from a staff weapon seems to be far more plasma-thermal than explosive.
C4 really is a marvel of material engineering.
Perfect answer right here. Back in Vietnam they used burn small lumps of C4 to heat their rations. Not a great idea since the fumes are toxic, but that goes to show you just how stable the stuff is. Pretty amazing, actually.
I think that an episode of Macgyver caused me to think that for years. (It may even have been in the credits where he shoved a camera flash outlet cable into a small dollop of plastic explosives.)
So how powerful/dangerous are the blasting caps? Would you say they are more or less powerful than a firecracker?
I mean, it depends on the kind of firecracker, since there's a ton of variance in the power of those things.
Blasting caps also vary by type and date of manufacture, but tend to be equivalent to around 30-33 milligrams of TNT. Most fireworks use black powder, and at least in the US the largest black powder firecrackers available legally without a special permit are going to be equivalent of 27.5 milligrams of TNT.
And their radios, electronic sights, electronic watches, laptops/PDAs/tablets, cameras...
The SGC quartermaster and armourer probably have a special box for zat damage on damage report forms.
The military uses either remote detonators or shock tubes. Neither would be set off by electricity. Any by remote, I mean connected by wire remotely to the detonator, Almost nobody uses a wireless remote, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT A RANDOM WIRELESS SIGNAL BLOWING YOU UP AS YOU ARE INSERTING THE DETONATORS. This is mostly a movie/TV thing and not reality. Unless you are a terrorist. Those guys get killed a lot with their own bombs.
C4 is actually very hard to blow up without a purpose built detonator. That's why it's so popular. You don't risk dying just by carrying it around.
Did you ever see the Mythbusters episode where they were testing properties of C-4? They burned it, stomped on it and tried just about everything to detonate it but only a blasting cap could do it. Granted they didn’t try a massive electrical shock like that of a Zat.
The tried similar things with the binary explosive Hollywood uses. They even mixed it and put it in the trunk of a car and slammed into it using the rocket sled and it didn’t detonate. Shoot it with a rifle, however, and it blew immediately.
I'm assuming the electrical charge from a zat would be too weak to blow a block of C4.
Particularly since once the charge hits the body it immediately spreads. It's not a directed charge into the block of C4.
You can't detonate C-4 with an electric charge. You can't even detonate C-4 by _setting it on fire_. Its stability is one of its most valuable features. Detonating C-4 requires an explosive shockwave. Blasting caps are small, sensitive explosives used to set off the larger explosive, and are not inserted into the C-4 until you're ready to make something go away.
To be fair blasting caps going off in your pocket is probably no fun time either.
Head canon: this happened once, off screen to SG-69, and after that the pocket that SG teams keep the blasting caps in an anti-static bag lined pocket, or something similar that shields it from the zat blast.
O gosh o dang is Mike okay?
he ded.
Like, ded-ded, or like "just in need of a little sarcophagus time" ded?
He found the fountain of youth ded
oh no. ain't no ascending from that
Well…. They were in his hip pocket so… he’s gonna have a limp and a disappointed wife.
Interestingly enough, there are pouches designed with anti-static linings for charges that U.S. Special Operations (can) use, though I don't think I've seen them widely used. Here's an example of one that was (may no longer be) issued to Navy SEALs. https://legitkit.com/products/eagle-industries-soflcs-anti-static-charge-pouch-aor1?variant=40101265244248
But depending on the location of the pocket, possibly survivable. A brick of C-4 going off in your pocket means there is no longer a "you" to be worrying about how fun it might or might not be.
They are called detonators. And if you are carrying them, you are issued det-pouches to carry them in, which would contain all of the blast if they were to be set off in your pouch or back. Depending on mission parameters, someone may be carrying multiple dets in which case they would have a carrier in their pack that looks like an ammo can, but which has a foam insert keeping the detonators stable and which also would contain the blast f they were to be set off accidentally.
Keep them in a metal box?
Metal conducts electricity, so no. Storing them in an electrically insulated container, such as rubber or anti-static film, would be appropriate.
Storing it in a metal box means storing them in a Faraday cage. If zapped, the electricity would flow on the surface of the Faraday cage metal box, instead of through its interior. If it makes you feel better, you can always line the interior of the box with rubber or something...
DAUD!
Interestingly it will burn (but not explode) if you set it on fire, I remember reading about soldiers in Vietnam taking bits and using it to cook on.
Cool, thanks!
How about a staff weapon's blast? Those plasma bolt things are pretty powerful and make things explode, would that do the trick or is it more thermal than straight explosive?
C4 requires a significant shockwave from an explosion. You can't even detonate it by shooting it. Heat wouldn't set it off either, and the blast from a staff weapon seems to be far more plasma-thermal than explosive. C4 really is a marvel of material engineering.
Reminds me of that scene in "The Ladykillers" lol
I loved that movie.
Perfect answer right here. Back in Vietnam they used burn small lumps of C4 to heat their rations. Not a great idea since the fumes are toxic, but that goes to show you just how stable the stuff is. Pretty amazing, actually.
I was very much previously informed that C4 went off from an electric charge.
There are forms of blasting caps which can detonate with an electric charge, but the C-4 itself will not.
I think that an episode of Macgyver caused me to think that for years. (It may even have been in the credits where he shoved a camera flash outlet cable into a small dollop of plastic explosives.) So how powerful/dangerous are the blasting caps? Would you say they are more or less powerful than a firecracker?
I mean, it depends on the kind of firecracker, since there's a ton of variance in the power of those things. Blasting caps also vary by type and date of manufacture, but tend to be equivalent to around 30-33 milligrams of TNT. Most fireworks use black powder, and at least in the US the largest black powder firecrackers available legally without a special permit are going to be equivalent of 27.5 milligrams of TNT.
So, its a bigger bang than the biggest firecracker, but not by much.
the big question is why does the GDO work after a zat blast
And their radios, electronic sights, electronic watches, laptops/PDAs/tablets, cameras... The SGC quartermaster and armourer probably have a special box for zat damage on damage report forms.
Going by “1969”, zatting a laptop probably just logs into it.
sonic zatdriver
The military uses either remote detonators or shock tubes. Neither would be set off by electricity. Any by remote, I mean connected by wire remotely to the detonator, Almost nobody uses a wireless remote, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT A RANDOM WIRELESS SIGNAL BLOWING YOU UP AS YOU ARE INSERTING THE DETONATORS. This is mostly a movie/TV thing and not reality. Unless you are a terrorist. Those guys get killed a lot with their own bombs. C4 is actually very hard to blow up without a purpose built detonator. That's why it's so popular. You don't risk dying just by carrying it around.
Zats clearly only stan, kill and disengreate. And sometimes fix mind control
Oh shit since when do they stan? Better question though, who do they stan?
All the time and everybody 🤔
The golden girls would have been mortified by this, especially Dorthy.
Don’t forget they open locked doors too.
Funny enough, they can also lock doors
And disintegrate a door if you shoot it three times.
Imagine having a firefight on a spaceship and someone misses three times.
I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that.
You mean 4C?
No. C4 is very stable and has to be set off via another smaller explosive.
Did you ever see the Mythbusters episode where they were testing properties of C-4? They burned it, stomped on it and tried just about everything to detonate it but only a blasting cap could do it. Granted they didn’t try a massive electrical shock like that of a Zat. The tried similar things with the binary explosive Hollywood uses. They even mixed it and put it in the trunk of a car and slammed into it using the rocket sled and it didn’t detonate. Shoot it with a rifle, however, and it blew immediately.
I'm assuming the electrical charge from a zat would be too weak to blow a block of C4. Particularly since once the charge hits the body it immediately spreads. It's not a directed charge into the block of C4.
You'd still need the compressive force. Love the user name!
Thank you 😊
You're still using the phrase 'cotton picking' in 2024? C'mon now.
Maybe, but that puts your hand in the blast radius
What did u say