On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:10:06 -0500, jim evans wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:17:34 -0700 (PDT), Too_Many_Tools
wrote:

I have a microwave that just died...the control board is dead.

I have had this microwave for a number of years and suspect I could
wire a substitute for the controller...likely a timer.

So is this microwave worth saving?

I note that the new ones look like they have been "valued engineered"
to where they may not be the best for the long run.

The cathode ray tube at the heart of a microwave gradually uses itself
up and unit puts out less and less power as it grows older. Also,

Microwave ovens don't have cathode ray tubes unless you've installed a
video game into one or perhaps you have a combination microwave oven
and television set.

They use a tube called a magnetron and usually the power supply will give
out long before the magnetron has degraded enough to be noticeable.