[geeks] TOYS:)

[Sandwich Maker]

"From: "William Enestvedt" <William.Enestvedt at jwu.edu>
"
"> "
"> "Hmmm, I have access to a supply of marine X Band radar
"> emitters :)  look
"> "like the magnetron is rated for up to 10 or 12 kW :)
">
"> oh boy, the mayhem one could commit...
">
"   <stupid_question>Like what, exactly? Frying birds out of the air, or
"disrupting cordless phones, or what?</stupid_question>
"   I'm curious, since I thought that magnetrons were what made the food in my
"microwave oven hot (and my english lit. degree didn't cover this in enough
"depth).

magnetrons, the secret to uhf radar, was a british invention that us
industry stole during ww2.  we genuinely needed it for the war effort.
we just conveniently forgot where we got it from afterward.

yes, your oven has a magnetron in it.  its characteristic frequency
[2.45GHz, iirc, chosen because it tickles a water molecule resonance]
is determined by the size of the resonant cavity and the strength of
the magnetic field.  radio amateurs have successfully used oven
magnetrons in ham gear by wrapping a few additional turns of wire
around them and tweaking the field to shift operation into a ham band
which lies adjacent.

i've forgotten where x band is, but it's up in the ghz iirc.  radar
guns are/were in the x band too...

i heard a story about a little town with an airbase.  seems the best
place to harvest speeders was a spot on the road leading to the base,
just off the end of the main runway as it happened.

well, one day, a pilot who apparently disliked this policy decided to
check the ecm gear in his f15 out as he turned onto the runway for his
takeoff.  as his nose swung across the patrol car, the policeman's
radar gun started smoking...
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought