Measuring the voltage and current of a microwave oven magnetron

2012-06-25

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I took apart my microwave oven and measured the voltage and current supplied to the magnetron. The device appears to start conducting current at 4KV, and will allow lots of current to flow once this threshold voltage is reached.

My current probe is pretty cheapo, so I wouldn't trust its measurement too much, but the final determination of 1300 W average seems pretty spot-on.