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Microwave oven — Parallax Forums

Microwave oven

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2000-08-17 04:49 in General Discussion
Take it from a microwave technician -DON'T MESS WITH MICROWAVES!!
ESPECIALLY WITH A MICROWAVE OVEN!!!!

Microwave communications radios transmit with very low power levels; anywhere
from tenth's of a watt up to around three watts.

Where I work we have a state wide microwave communications system. For 20
years the backbone microwave radios were Farinon FL-1's. These radios used
only a Gunn diode as the carrier generator. Put 10 watts of DC voltage in
and blamo...
you get 0.25 watts of 6.5 GHz RF out. The Gunn diode is enclosed in an
inovar cavity with a varacter. The RF baseband is added to the Gunn diode to
fm modulate it and the varacter is used for frequency tuning and stability.
By the way, inovar is a metal with a low temperature coefficient. That's so
that the cavity dimensions and therefore the transmit frequency won't vary
too much with changes in temperature.

The 0.25 watt modulated carrier is then waveguided up the tower to the dish
antenna and out into the world. We have a 142 mile microwave path with a
transmit power of 0.25 watts!

The old FL-1's have mostly been replaced now with newer (and crappier)
Motorola Starpoint 6000's. They also have a Gunn diode carrier generator but
the RF is then amplified up to +33 to +36 dBm. That's one to three watts for
those of you who are rusty on your dB's.

On the subject of microwave ovens....don't even think of messing with these
babies.
First of all, the oven frequency will probably obliterate cell, pager, upper
UHF communications and interfere with everybody else. Second, if you're
caught, the FCC will put you in the slammer with Charles Manson until one of
you dies. Then they'll let the other out when he dies. Third, microwave
ovens have magnetrons and the power output will fry you, your dog, your
mother and your career on this planet.

Consult with the hams, read ham magazines, email hams and go that route.
You'll live longer and you won't become Charlie's butt boy.
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