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From: ISW@cup.portal.com (Isaac S Wingfield)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,rec.ham-radio
Subject: Re: Microwave oven output
Message-ID: <22511@cup.portal.com>
Date: 25 Sep 89 01:18:34 GMT
References: <2410@radio.oakhill.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 34

Charlie Thompson writes:
>My microwave seems to be slow a cooking stuff.  I checked the
>AC current with a clamp-on ammeter and it was 12 AMPS.  Sounds
>like its drawing lotsa current but not nuking very fast. Two questions
>arise:
>
>1) Where can I get a new HV diode (cheap).
>
>2) How can you check microwave output vs. current drawn?
>
>Charlie Thompson
>WB4HVD


A while back, I worked for a small division of Litton Industries,
and at the annual inter-division "technology transfer" seminars,
I met the chief engineer of Litton's microwave oven division.

In the course of casual discussions, I found out that a good way
to determine the "microwave wattage" is to use simple calorimetry;
put a measured amount of water at a known temperature in the oven,
and run it a measured time to produce a *small* increase in
temperature. The rest is left as an exercise for the curious...

He also said that they never used one of those expensive "leakage
meters"; they just bent the leads of a NE-2 out like a dipole and
went around the seal with it. No light, no leakage.

No responsibility if these things don't work, though.

Isaac
isw@cup.portal.com