How microwaves work

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   'Tis Himself

   July 13, 2012 at 6:27 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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   Magnetrons were originally developed by the British in World War II for short wavelength (~10 cm) radar sets in night-fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft.

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   LJ Briar

   July 13, 2012 at 6:32 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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   For further education on the miracle of microwaves, I recommend this group of young scientists: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/loadingreadyrun/5683-Fun-With-Microwaves-3

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   Jeff Hess

   July 14, 2012 at 4:24 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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   Good morning Mano,

   I would offer these two, quite possibly apocryphal, anecdotes regarding microwaves and radars (the first commercial appliances I remember were the Amana Radarranges).

   The first came from my dad who was stationed in New Mexico during the Korean war. Soldiers on guard would stand in front of radar domes around the base to get warm during the long cold desert nights.

   The second comes from my own military years on board the USS Bainbridge, CGN-25. We had a number of radars, but the most powerful were our four AN/SPG 55B fire-control radars. The FT’s (Fire Control Technicians) told Sea Stories of flash cooking a frozen turkey with a micro burst from the narrow beam of the radar and of dropping seagulls from the sky when they flew through the beam.

   I suspect that both stories may have a kernel of truth, but are mostly “exaggeration.”

   Do all you can to make today a good day,

   Jeff

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      Steve

      July 14, 2012 at 9:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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      A read that it was a scientist who was standing around a magnetron and noticed that something in his pocket was cooking.

      Standing near an operating radar set isn’t a good idea by the way. The high power vacuum tubes that power them often create x-ray radiation, which can cause cancer. There are many cases of former radar technicians who became ill later.

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         kagerato

         July 15, 2012 at 1:50 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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         Probably not the best thing to bring up in this context, considering many people falsely believe that microwaves and cell phones cause cancer.

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   HOW YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN WORKS… | Have Coffee Will Write

   July 14, 2012 at 4:09 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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   [...] Via Mano Singham… [...]