[sci.electronics] microwave oven degradation

news@flash.UUCP (News System Admin.) (10/26/89)

In a recent discussion, a friend mentioned that the klystrons in microwave
ovens can degrade (somehow) over time, putting out less power. I went and
measured the output of our oven (I'd suspected it's been low for some time)
and found we were getting about 250 - 300 watts out, for an oven rated to
draw (under) 900 watts from the line.

Do klystrons in fact degrade? Is there anything else could cause this?


-- 
News

arnief@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Arnie Frisch) (10/26/89)

1.  Getting 250 to 300 watts of RF from an oven that draws 900 watts
from the line is probably par.

2.  They're Magnetrons, not Klystrons.

3.  They degrade with time - sloooowly!


Arnold Frisch
Tektronix Laboratories

kleemann@vms.macc.wisc.edu (Brad Kleemann) (10/27/89)

In article <238@flash.UUCP>, news@flash.UUCP (News System Admin.) writes...

>In a recent discussion, a friend mentioned that the klystrons in microwave
>ovens can degrade (somehow) over time, putting out less power. I went and
>measured the output of our oven (I'd suspected it's been low for some time)
>and found we were getting about 250 - 300 watts out, for an oven rated to
                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Interesting.  How did you measure the output?
>draw (under) 900 watts from the line.
> 
>Do klystrons in fact degrade? Is there anything else could cause this?
At my previous job, we had a microwave that cooked food more and
more unevenly, leaving some of it frozen at times.  I noticed
that the door latch was a little loose.  I took the thing to
the bench, took it apart, tightened the latch screws, and it
worked fine.  Check if this may be your problem.

Incidenty I never stand in front of a microwave when it is
cooking.  Now you know why.
> 
-- Brad Kleemann (WB9WHI)

yahoo@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Kenneth L Moore) (10/27/89)

In article <6233@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> arnief@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Arnie Frisch) writes:

==>2.  They're Magnetrons, not Klystrons.

==>3.  They degrade with time - sloooowly!
==>Arnold Frisch
==>Tektronix Laboratories

Unless you heat a pot of water in them like my son did, then
they degrade quickly.
-- 
                   yahoo@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Kenneth L Moore)
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