"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
William Sommerwerck wrote:

What do you mean by excessive? If a magnetron can be modulated
by varying its B+, why shouldn't each PWM cycle be just one or two
seconds long? You DO NOT want the magnetron running at full power
for "long" periods, followed by even longer periods off (eg, one minute,
four minutes off, for 20%).

If you like switching a kilowatt sized transformer on and off every
second, power to you. Same for a reed relay rated at kV at hundreds
of mA.
It would obviously be easier with one of those switching power supply
microwaves, but that's not how the old microwaves worked.

As far as I know, my 10-year-old GE is a "newer" model.

This has become one of those "inquiring minds want to know" questions. There
are leakage meters, which would show changes in level. Does anyone make a
power meter you can place in the cavity?