It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
year old Sharp model.)

Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a new
fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2 ohms!)
Just to make sure it was really shorted, I connected it in series with
a 1156 automotive bulb and a 12V source. The bulb lights. It's
really shorted..

It's odd that it went from OK to shorted overnight, but the big
question is: Is there typically any collateral damage when this
happens?

(The diode is OK)
--
Email reply: please remove one letter from each side of "@"
Spammers are Scammers. Exterminate them.

"Doug Warner" wrote in message

Since my background is in electronic repair,

So, shouldn't you be telling us what the problem is?


It's odd that it went from OK to shorted overnight,

I thought shorted was shorted. Did you expect it to be a little shorted at
first? Sort of like being a little pregnant?

In article , Doug Warner wrote:

It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
year old Sharp model.)

Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a new
fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2 ohms!)
Just to make sure it was really shorted, I connected it in series with
a 1156 automotive bulb and a 12V source. The bulb lights. It's
really shorted..

It's odd that it went from OK to shorted overnight, but the big
question is: Is there typically any collateral damage when this
happens?

(The diode is OK)

It is normal for capacitors to work just fine and dandy and then totally
short (or open) suddenly with no warning. Early warning, if any, is
changes in leakage resistance or in dissipation factor or slight change in
capacitance - and you have to take the capacitor out, discharge it, and
measure these characteristics. Occaisionally the capacitor may run warmer
when it is in its final months or days.
But expect no warning.

Electrolytic capacitors (which the high voltage one in a microwave is
not) sometimes give warning signs of deteriorating performance or
overheating that may be noticed without removing and testing the
capacitor. My experience is that electrolytics that obviously start going
downhill fail (or become unusable or, in the case of CRT monitors, cause
something else to fail) in a few months.

If the diode is still good, chances are nothing went bad except the
capacitor.

- Don Klipstein )

"Doug Warner" wrote in message
...

It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
year old Sharp model.)

Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a new
fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2 ohms!)
Just to make sure it was really shorted, I connected it in series with
a 1156 automotive bulb and a 12V source. The bulb lights. It's
really shorted..


Nitpicking here, not really shorted, but appears to be acing like a resistor
than a capacitor from what you describe.


It's odd that it went from OK to shorted overnight, but the big
question is: Is there typically any collateral damage when this
happens?


I am not familar with the schematics of microwave circuits, but is the cap
failure the cause, or was it a result of another part failing? Are you sure
the diode isn't trashed? How are you testing it? The breakdown voltage
isn't your typical voltage considering the application. If I were tring to
fix your oven I'd replace the diode too.




(The diode is OK)
--
Email reply: please remove one letter from each side of "@"
Spammers are Scammers. Exterminate them.

Doug Warner wrote:
It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
year old Sharp model.)

It's ten years old. Just replace it. You will like the newer one.

It has been my experience that if I repair something like that it is
likely to need an even more expensive repair next week.


Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a new
fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2 ohms!)
Just to make sure it was really shorted, I connected it in series with
a 1156 automotive bulb and a 12V source. The bulb lights. It's
really shorted..

It's odd that it went from OK to shorted overnight, but the big
question is: Is there typically any collateral damage when this
happens?

(The diode is OK)

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Doug,

It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
year old Sharp model.)

Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a new
fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2 ohms!)

I worked as a microwave tech for about six years. Be VERY careful working
with those capacitors. They can store one heck of a charge, even weeks or
months after the oven has been unplugged! We always discharged the caps
with an insulated screwdriver across the terminals. One big "POP" and flash
I never got used to!

Anyway, the caps often failed without any other damage to the machine. But,
they sometimes took the diode with them too. I'd replace both parts if it
were my machine.

And, I'm guessing you'll need a new fuse too...

Depending on the price of the parts, it may cheaper and easier to just buy
a new oven... Seems to be the way of the world anymore...

Anthony

In article ,
HerHusband writes:
| Doug,
|
| It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
| button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
| year old Sharp model.)
|
| Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a new
| fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
| the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2 ohms!)
|
| I worked as a microwave tech for about six years. Be VERY careful working
| with those capacitors. They can store one heck of a charge, even weeks or
| months after the oven has been unplugged! We always discharged the caps
| with an insulated screwdriver across the terminals. One big "POP" and flash
| I never got used to!

A few years ago there was a news report from my hometown
about someone working on his microwave oven. That capacitor
electrocuted him.

"Robert Mech" wrote in message
news:43c43526$1@kcnews01...
In article ,
HerHusband writes:
| Doug,
|
| It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
| button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
| year old Sharp model.)
|
| Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a
new
| fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
| the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2
ohms!)
|
| I worked as a microwave tech for about six years. Be VERY careful
working
| with those capacitors. They can store one heck of a charge, even weeks
or
| months after the oven has been unplugged! We always discharged the caps
| with an insulated screwdriver across the terminals. One big "POP" and
flash
| I never got used to!

A few years ago there was a news report from my hometown
about someone working on his microwave oven. That capacitor
electrocuted him.

He probably had a bad heart or was working in that area with the power on.
It would not electrocute a normally healthy person. More likely get killed
by bumping your head when jumping back away from it. Kind of similar to the
voltage on a TV tube. You don't accidentally touch it twice.

I was in a lab where a guy working on a very high powered radar system got
hit by a string of large capacitors charged to 30,000 volts. It knocked him
clear across the room. Fortunately the power was off.

Doing a "crowbar short" to that system you could draw an arc over a foot
long.

it's true the price of the capacitor alone will be more than most table
top microwavwes. And your time! Time is to short....Buy a new one.

Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:47:27 -0500, Doug Warner wrote:


At ten years, that microwave doesn't owe you anything. Get a new one. Really.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

That is a stupid comment. My current microwave is 17 years old and
works fine.

TJ

It is a commercial grade microwave, not a bic disposible lighter.

TJ

And I suppose i should toss out my 10 year old fridge, also? Just
because your too clutzy to fix things doesn't mean everybody is.

TJ

On 10 Jan 2006 16:59:38 -0800, "MrAppliance1"
wrote:

it's true the price of the capacitor alone will be more than most table
top microwavwes. And your time! Time is to short....Buy a new one.

Maybe he's living in poverty and can not afford a new one. It's so
easy to spend other peoples money. Why dont you just give him a barnd
new microwave for FREE. Just think how good you would feel inside,
and you'd earn awards for heaven. Better yet, give a new MW to
EVERYONE on this group for FREE. We'd all love you, and you'd have so
many new friends to get Christmas cards from....

''economically STUPID''? I assume you think it is smarter to spend
$500US on a new one instead of a few bucks for some parts.

TJ

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:04:08 GMT, Commodore Joe Redcloud
wrote:

On 11 Jan 2006 16:02:28 -0800, "Texas Joe" wrote:


Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:47:27 -0500, Doug Warner wrote:


At ten years, that microwave doesn't owe you anything. Get a new one. Really.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

That is a stupid comment. My current microwave is 17 years old and
works fine.

TJ

It's not a stupid comment at all. When your 17 year old microwave stops working,
you would be a fool to even think about repairing it.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

So if the fuse blows or a prong breaks off the plug, you would just
toss it and buy a new MW? Apparently you have too much money, and
have no concern for our environment and natural resources.
Everything wears out eventually and it becomes unrepairable due to
cost or lack of parts, but lets be realistic. I fix anything that can
be fixed, as long as I can get parts and not spend more than a new
device.

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:07:34 GMT, "Rich256" wrote:


"Robert Mech" wrote in message
news:43c43526$1@kcnews01...
In article ,
HerHusband writes:
| Doug,
|
| It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed the
| button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no display (10
| year old Sharp model.)
|
| Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up. put a
new
| fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big cap in
| the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered it. 2
ohms!)
|
| I worked as a microwave tech for about six years. Be VERY careful
working
| with those capacitors. They can store one heck of a charge, even weeks
or
| months after the oven has been unplugged! We always discharged the caps
| with an insulated screwdriver across the terminals. One big "POP" and
flash
| I never got used to!

A few years ago there was a news report from my hometown
about someone working on his microwave oven. That capacitor
electrocuted him.

He probably had a bad heart or was working in that area with the power on.
It would not electrocute a normally healthy person. More likely get killed
by bumping your head when jumping back away from it. Kind of similar to the
voltage on a TV tube. You don't accidentally touch it twice.

I was in a lab where a guy working on a very high powered radar system got
hit by a string of large capacitors charged to 30,000 volts. It knocked him
clear across the room. Fortunately the power was off.

Doing a "crowbar short" to that system you could draw an arc over a foot
long.


I agree. I got zapped off the old tube type tv sets many times as a
child, and being a farmer, I get zapped off my electric fences at
least 5 times a year. A person dying from this either has a weak
heart, or as you said, the power was on.

Unplug the device (always do that with anything). Then place a
screwdriver with a well insulated handle across the cap, and proceed.
I learned to do the same thing with tv sets. There's no sense
instilling fear in people. Besides, we have the Bush administration
to instill fear in us now. Thats their job. They'll probably tell
you the microwave repairman is a terrorist, if you ask them....

Is this alt.home.repair or
alt.replace.with.expensive.new.unit.because.your.t oo.stupid.to.fix.the.old.one?

What is an osha?


TJ

Too much money or not enough brains? Either way, why is a schmuck with
that kind of attitude on this news group?

TJ

Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote in
:

On 11 Jan 2006 16:02:28 -0800, "Texas Joe"
wrote:


Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:47:27 -0500, Doug Warner
wrote:


At ten years, that microwave doesn't owe you anything. Get a new
one. Really.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

That is a stupid comment. My current microwave is 17 years old and
works fine.

TJ

It's not a stupid comment at all. When your 17 year old microwave
stops working, you would be a fool to even think about repairing it.


Commodore Joe Redcloud


Why?
I repaired mine at over 25 yrs old,and it is still working,*for a cost of
$25.00*,and it has a larger cavity than the current ones made.
It's a Sharp,a very good MW.



--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

"Texas Joe" wrote in
oups.com:

And I suppose i should toss out my 10 year old fridge, also? Just
because your too clutzy to fix things doesn't mean everybody is.

TJ



The MW is easier to fix than a fridge.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote in
:

On 11 Jan 2006 16:47:47 -0800, "Texas Joe"
wrote:

''economically STUPID''? I assume you think it is smarter to spend
$500US on a new one instead of a few bucks for some parts.

TJ

Uh, Joe... The original poster has a regular old microwave that can be
replaced for less than $130.

Your 17 year old microwave is no longer worth $500,

if that is what it costs to replace it,yes it is worth $500.

and you are not
going to repair it for "a few bucks for some parts".

I repaired my Sharp for $25. A new cap and a diode.

If it is used in
a place of business, you can't repair it yourself anyway. OSHA would
crucify you, and any lawsuits brought by workers exposed to radiation
would have a very easy time suing you.. After any repairs, regardless
of what they are, the unit would have to be leak tested and certified
in writing by a licensed technician using a certified and calibrated
instrument.



Commodore Joe Redcloud

Since when does the MW *HAVE* to be re"certified"?

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

wrote in
:

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:07:34 GMT, "Rich256" wrote:


"Robert Mech" wrote in message
news:43c43526$1@kcnews01...
In article ,
HerHusband writes:
| Doug,
|
| It worked OK last night, I popped in a meal tonight, pressed
| the button.. Overload hum, blue flash from the back, then no
| display (10 year old Sharp model.)
|
| Since my background is in electronic repair, I opened it up.
| put a
new
| fuse in, tried again and saw the flash location, near the big
| cap in the rear.. (Unplugged, checked for charge, then metered
| it. 2
ohms!)
|
| I worked as a microwave tech for about six years. Be VERY careful
working
| with those capacitors. They can store one heck of a charge, even
| weeks
or
| months after the oven has been unplugged! We always discharged
| the caps with an insulated screwdriver across the terminals. One
| big "POP" and
flash
| I never got used to!

A few years ago there was a news report from my hometown
about someone working on his microwave oven. That capacitor
electrocuted him.

He probably had a bad heart or was working in that area with the power
on. It would not electrocute a normally healthy person. More likely
get killed by bumping your head when jumping back away from it. Kind
of similar to the voltage on a TV tube. You don't accidentally touch
it twice.

I was in a lab where a guy working on a very high powered radar system
got hit by a string of large capacitors charged to 30,000 volts. It
knocked him clear across the room. Fortunately the power was off.

Doing a "crowbar short" to that system you could draw an arc over a
foot long.


I agree. I got zapped off the old tube type tv sets many times as a
child, and being a farmer, I get zapped off my electric fences at
least 5 times a year. A person dying from this either has a weak
heart, or as you said, the power was on.


The worst damage comes from pulling your arm back and ripping it on a sharp
piece.
MW oven caps are only around 2KV,and fairly small in capacitance,compared
to a high power radar system,or broadcast transmitter.


Unplug the device (always do that with anything). Then place a
screwdriver with a well insulated handle across the cap, and proceed.

I prefer a 1 Kohm 2W resistor glued on a plastic stick.(old tuning tool)
(unit unplugged and OFF.)


Besides, we have the Bush administration
to instill fear in us now. Thats their job. They'll probably tell
you the microwave repairman is a terrorist, if you ask them....

Now that's nonsense.

The Bush administration is doing a FAR better job than Clinton did,or Kerry
would have done.(and the terrrorism threat is REAL.)



--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

I think Commrade Joe does all his shopping at Wally World and enjoys
eyeing the teen sales girls a bit too much.

Texas Joe

Texas Joe wrote:
''economically STUPID''? I assume you think it is smarter to spend
$500US on a new one instead of a few bucks for some parts.

TJ

Calm down. :-) Most people are not going to be able to repair a 10 year
old microwave for a few dollars. Most people don't have the skills to do it
themselves. They NEED those skills because it is dangerous to work on one
of these without a good knowledge of what is in there and how to stay safe.
They also are likely to have a difficult time fining the parts. Last when
they are done they will have a 10 year old microwave. For some things it
just does not pay to repair.

I have a good idea of how to stay safe around one and could fix them,
but I have only bothered to take the time to fix one, and it only lasted two
additional years (a $5.00 fix in that case) After that I have replaced them
and each time I was happy I did replace them as the new one was better.

As for a ten year old frig, I would seriously consider replacing it as
well.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On 12 Jan 2006 01:49:06 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

wrote :

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:07:34 GMT, "Rich256" wrote:



The worst damage comes from pulling your arm back and ripping it on a sharp
piece.

I could see that happening

MW oven caps are only around 2KV,and fairly small in capacitance,compared
to a high power radar system,or broadcast transmitter.


My electric fences are 5KV to 8KV. (some go to 10KV) I've had them
knock me flat on the ground, but they are not fatal. Just hurt like
hell. They always force all the 4 letter words out of my mouth too.


Unplug the device (always do that with anything). Then place a
screwdriver with a well insulated handle across the cap, and proceed.

I prefer a 1 Kohm 2W resistor glued on a plastic stick.(old tuning tool)
(unit unplugged and OFF.)


That sounds like a good idea, eliminated that snap. I guess either
will do the job.


Besides, we have the Bush administration
to instill fear in us now. Thats their job. They'll probably tell
you the microwave repairman is a terrorist, if you ask them....

Now that's nonsense.

The Bush administration is doing a FAR better job than Clinton did,or Kerry
would have done.(and the terrrorism threat is REAL.)

Believe what you want !!!
I think the terrorism threat is far worse since Bush started the war
than it was before.

On 11 Jan 2006 17:26:48 -0800, "Texas Joe"
wrote:

Too much money or not enough brains? Either way, why is a schmuck with
that kind of attitude on this news group?

TJ

I always ask the same question about a few persons that always tell
everyone to hire a professional on this NG, no matter what the problem
is. I agree there are times to do that, but surely not because
someone has some minor, non-threatening problem. On the rare occasion
that I tell someone to hire a pro, it's because they are dealing with
something dangerous and from their message they have proven they do
not have a clue what they are doing. But these people that tell
everyone to hire a pro, no matter what the question, really are
irritating, and I take it as an insult to the OP, because even a
complete idiot knows that if they got lots of money, all they have to
do is dial a phone. If someone posts a question on this NG, it's
obvious they are trying to do the repair themselves.

Mark

On 11 Jan 2006 18:18:40 -0800, "Texas Joe"
wrote:

I think Commrade Joe does all his shopping at Wally World and enjoys
eyeing the teen sales girls a bit too much.

Texas Joe

ROTFL !!!!

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:33:13 -0800, wrote:

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:22:27 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

Texas Joe wrote:
''economically STUPID''? I assume you think it is smarter to spend
$500US on a new one instead of a few bucks for some parts.

TJ

Calm down. :-) Most people are not going to be able to repair a 10 year
old microwave for a few dollars. Most people don't have the skills to do it
themselves. They NEED those skills because it is dangerous to work on one
of these without a good knowledge of what is in there and how to stay safe.
They also are likely to have a difficult time fining the parts. Last when
they are done they will have a 10 year old microwave. For some things it
just does not pay to repair.

I have a good idea of how to stay safe around one and could fix them,
but I have only bothered to take the time to fix one, and it only lasted two
additional years (a $5.00 fix in that case) After that I have replaced them
and each time I was happy I did replace them as the new one was better.

As for a ten year old frig, I would seriously consider replacing it as
well.

I have a Panasonic convection microwave that is much older than that. It has a
noisy fan that I would love to replace. I can still get the part but I hate to
touch the thing.
I don't think there is a new Microwave convection oven that is large as this
one. Other than the noisy fan it works perfectly. I use it a dozen times a day.
From warming coffee to cooking 14 pound turkeys.
The HUGE turning platter makes excellent meatballs and bacon on the convection
settings.
I'm going to be very bummed when this oven breaks.

Changing that fan should not be a major problem at all. Just be sure
to unplug the MW and either drain that capacitor, or stay away from
it. If you dont know what a capacitor looks like, look at some of the
appliance parts websites to see pictures. Your fan repair could be
nothing more than a blade that is loose, or could need a new blade or
motor due to worn bearings. Open the case, see what the fan is
hitting, and go from there. Call to find the price of whatever you
need and determine if it is affordable compared to a new MW. One of
my favorite tricks is going to appliance stores and seeing what they
are tossing out. I have come home with appliances identical to mine,
and then I got lots of spare parts. The local shop dont care if I
take this stuff, because he has to PAY to get rid of some appliances,
plus haul them and such... When I am done stripping an appliance, I
drive over the housing with my farm tractor and have a flat piece of
steel to sell for scrap metal. (except refrigerators, the dont crush
easily).

On 11 Jan 2006 16:02:28 -0800, "Texas Joe"
wrote:


Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:47:27 -0500, Doug Warner wrote:


At ten years, that microwave doesn't owe you anything. Get a new one. Really.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

That is a stupid comment. My current microwave is 17 years old and
works fine.


and mine will be 20 this year.

TJ
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:55:55 GMT, Commodore Joe Redcloud
wrote:

On 11 Jan 2006 16:47:47 -0800, "Texas Joe" wrote:

''economically STUPID''? I assume you think it is smarter to spend
$500US on a new one instead of a few bucks for some parts.

TJ

Uh, Joe... The original poster has a regular old microwave that can be replaced
for less than $130.

Your 17 year old microwave is no longer worth $500, and you are not going to
repair it for "a few bucks for some parts". If it is used in a place of
business, you can't repair it yourself anyway. OSHA would crucify you, and any
lawsuits brought by workers exposed to radiation would have a very easy time
suing you..

So the lawsuits could sue you, not the people? That looks like it
should have been read before posting.

After any repairs, regardless of what they are, the unit would have
to be leak tested and certified in writing by a licensed technician using a
certified and calibrated instrument.



Commodore Joe Redcloud

wrote in
news
On 12 Jan 2006 01:49:06 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

wrote
om:

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:07:34 GMT, "Rich256"
wrote:



The worst damage comes from pulling your arm back and ripping it on a
sharp piece.

I could see that happening

MW oven caps are only around 2KV,and fairly small in
capacitance,compared to a high power radar system,or broadcast
transmitter.


My electric fences are 5KV to 8KV. (some go to 10KV) I've had them
knock me flat on the ground, but they are not fatal. Just hurt like
hell. They always force all the 4 letter words out of my mouth too.

I once got across the sparkplug of the gas engine of my mini-bike;magneto-
generated,that's about 40KV,one heck of a pulse.I can guess what a TASER
shot feels like.




Unplug the device (always do that with anything). Then place a
screwdriver with a well insulated handle across the cap, and
proceed.

I prefer a 1 Kohm 2W resistor glued on a plastic stick.(old tuning
tool) (unit unplugged and OFF.)


That sounds like a good idea, eliminated that snap. I guess either
will do the job.


Besides, we have the Bush administration
to instill fear in us now. Thats their job. They'll probably tell
you the microwave repairman is a terrorist, if you ask them....

Now that's nonsense.

The Bush administration is doing a FAR better job than Clinton did,or
Kerry would have done.(and the terrrorism threat is REAL.)

Believe what you want !!!
I think the terrorism threat is far worse since Bush started the war
than it was before.


Hardly;9-11,*the FIRST WTC bombing,*USS Cole,*two US Embassy
bombings,*Khobar Towers(* all on Clinton's watch),all before the Iraq
War,before Afghanistan. Terrorism was happening before Bush,and will until
Al-Qa'ida,Hezbollah,and Hamas are soundly defeated.

What's happened since then? Nada.
But the Feds did catch some terrorists BEFORE they could do their dirty
deeds.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Mark Lloyd wrote in
:

On 11 Jan 2006 16:02:28 -0800, "Texas Joe"
wrote:


Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:47:27 -0500, Doug Warner
wrote:


At ten years, that microwave doesn't owe you anything. Get a new
one. Really.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

That is a stupid comment. My current microwave is 17 years old and
works fine.


and mine will be 20 this year.

TJ

My Sharp dates from 1979,replaced a shorted HV cap in 2000,still running.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

"Jim Yanik" wrote in message
.. .
wrote in
news
On 12 Jan 2006 01:49:06 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

I once got across the sparkplug of the gas engine of my mini-bike;magneto-
generated,that's about 40KV,one heck of a pulse.I can guess what a TASER
shot feels like.

The megneto is a limited pulse. Doesn't quite approach what can be in a
large capacitor. Both can hurt like hell.

I got "bit" just turning the flywheel by hand on a mower engine. Checking
how close the magnets came. The plug wire was close to my hand. Just made
me jump a bit.

I got my fingers across a 300 VDC source once. The current flowing from
one finger to another. I had a hard time letting go. My army hurt for two
weeks.

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:57:37 GMT, "Rich256" wrote:


"Jim Yanik" wrote in message
. ..
wrote in
news
On 12 Jan 2006 01:49:06 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

I once got across the sparkplug of the gas engine of my mini-bike;magneto-
generated,that's about 40KV,one heck of a pulse.I can guess what a TASER
shot feels like.

I bet that voltage made your voice go up a few octaves
I wonder why they have such a high voltage?
I may be wrong, but I think cars only have about 5KV to 10KV going to
sparkplugs.

The megneto is a limited pulse. Doesn't quite approach what can be in a
large capacitor. Both can hurt like hell.

Similar to an electric fence. They are basically a capacitor
discharge into a coil that puts out a pulse about the same as an
ignition coil.

I got "bit" just turning the flywheel by hand on a mower engine. Checking
how close the magnets came. The plug wire was close to my hand. Just made
me jump a bit.

Thats good, then you knew the magneto was working. Thats how I always
test them. The shock is minimal when you turn by hand compared to
when the engine is running.

I got my fingers across a 300 VDC source once. The current flowing from
one finger to another. I had a hard time letting go. My army hurt for two
weeks.


DC is much worse than AC. When I was a kid I had gotten an old tube
type army radio transmitter. I got about 1000VDC shock, in addition
to the RF coming from the unit. I was grounded to a metal microphone
in my other hand. The chair under me was a heavy oak chair. After
that jolt, I was sitting on the concrete floor about 20 feet away, the
chair was flipped over and 10 feet from my bench, and the microphone
was all the way across the basement, with the plug pulled out of it,
and it hit my friend as it flew. My friend said I was walking around
in a daze for at least a half hour, and I kept drinking water. He
said I was not making sense, but I did pull the plug on that
transmitter while stumbling around.
I vividly remember this happening, but I still to this day find this
void or memory loss for a short time. I think I darn near
electricuted myself that time. I know I touched a tuning capacitor
that was directly across the high voltage output of the power supply
with a huge electrolytic cap right ahead of it. I grabbed it bare
handed, and with that mic in my other hand, I got the full load.
Additionally, I did not have a decent load on the antenna (like I
should have), and got the full load of the RF too. This thing
transmitted in the AM band, and used to knock everyones AM radio
stations off the air. After several complaints from neighbors to my
parents, my father took that thing away from me. Probably the best
thing he ever did. Even though back then I was really mad at him.
The electronics devices in the 1950's and 60's were far more dangerous
than those made today. Today, most circuits are harmless, except for
capacitor discharges, and of course the 120VAC line cord.

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 10:04:41 -0800, wrote:

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 03:22:13 -0600, wrote:

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:33:13 -0800, wrote:


I have a Panasonic convection microwave that is much older than that. It has a
noisy fan that I would love to replace. I can still get the part but I hate to
touch the thing.
I don't think there is a new Microwave convection oven that is large as this
one. Other than the noisy fan it works perfectly. I use it a dozen times a day.
From warming coffee to cooking 14 pound turkeys.
The HUGE turning platter makes excellent meatballs and bacon on the convection
settings.
I'm going to be very bummed when this oven breaks.

Changing that fan should not be a major problem at all. Just be sure
to unplug the MW and either drain that capacitor, or stay away from
it. If you dont know what a capacitor looks like, look at some of the
appliance parts websites to see pictures. Your fan repair could be
nothing more than a blade that is loose, or could need a new blade or
motor due to worn bearings. Open the case, see what the fan is
hitting, and go from there. Call to find the price of whatever you
need and determine if it is affordable compared to a new MW. One of
my favorite tricks is going to appliance stores and seeing what they
are tossing out. I have come home with appliances identical to mine,
and then I got lots of spare parts. The local shop dont care if I
take this stuff, because he has to PAY to get rid of some appliances,
plus haul them and such... When I am done stripping an appliance, I
drive over the housing with my farm tractor and have a flat piece of
steel to sell for scrap metal. (except refrigerators, the dont crush
easily).

Thanks. The new fan is cheap enough at around $30. I'm going to tackle this
because when you cook a turkey or anything that takes a long time the fan noise
drives you nuts.

That sounds reasonable enough. If you are worried about that
capacitor, leave the MW unplugged for a few days before you do the
repair. They can still hold a charge though, but tend to drain off
after a few days. Then just keep your hands away from parts other
than the fan. You most likely have a bad bearing in the fan motor.
Those small motors tend to do that. Your whole repair should be
pretty simple. Be sure to put all the case screws back when you are
done.

On 12 Jan 2006 16:03:29 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

Mark Lloyd wrote in
:

On 11 Jan 2006 16:02:28 -0800, "Texas Joe"
wrote:


Commodore Joe Redcloud wrote:
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:47:27 -0500, Doug Warner
wrote:


At ten years, that microwave doesn't owe you anything. Get a new
one. Really.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

That is a stupid comment. My current microwave is 17 years old and
works fine.


and mine will be 20 this year.

TJ

My Sharp dates from 1979,replaced a shorted HV cap in 2000,still running.

That's seems to be the most common part to fail. Microwave ovens are
pretty simple. There really is not that much to them.....
You probably have one of the first models ever made. Sharp seemed to
make all of them back then.... My mother had a Sharp from that era.
It finally died last year, and she bought a new MW and tossed that old
one before I had a chance to tinker with it. She said it blew sparks
and made smoke, and she was so freaked out that she called pulled the
plug and ran over by the neighbor to have them call the fire
department. The neighbor ran over and said there was no fire, so they
did not call the fire dept.
Mom is very old and tends to freak out from things like this.
However, she did the right thing by unplugging it.
I still hear about this "terrible fire" everytime I see her now !!!

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:57:37 GMT, "Rich256" wrote:


t him.
The electronics devices in the 1950's and 60's were far more dangerous
than those made today. Today, most circuits are harmless, except for
capacitor discharges, and of course the 120VAC line cord.\

That is what I was brought up on. Put together my first Ham transmitter in
the 40s. I remember something a professor stated in the mid 50s. It was
something close to: "The transistor is an interesting laboratory novelty
but will never achieve a useful purpose"

I worked with the first airborne digital computer. About 2000 peanut size
tubes. Within four of five years we were upgrading to integrated circuits,
bypassing discreet transistors.

The radar transmitter hat in the planes were the dangerous area. 30KV using
tube diodes about the size of 1 lb coffee cans.. They lit up like big light
bulbs so you knew to keep away.

In my life I got "hit" more times that I would like to say but was always
really careful when working around those high voltages. Work with one hand
and the other in the back of your belt was a safety procedure.

But not too many capacitors that will really hurt you. The string used in
that transmitter were charged to 30KV and could hit pretty hard. Another I
remember was about two feet square with a couple big balls sticking out.
Even with a low voltage charge it could melt a screwdriver held across the
terminals.

Reminds me of a guy working on an aircraft with a roll of solder in his
hand. He got the solder between the 28 volts and ground the the solder
melted in his hand.

"MrAppliance1" wrote:

it's true the price of the capacitor alone will be more than most table
top microwavwes. And your time! Time is to short....Buy a new one.

New cap was $15.00 Oven works perfectly now.
--
Email reply: please remove one letter from each side of "@"
Spammers are Scammers. Exterminate them.