Rotary Microwave- to good to be true?

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Chetlaham

Chetlaham

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I got one for my mother. It works fine. There’s no start button, for whatever that indicates. When you close the door after opening it during a cycle, it restarts right away when the door latches.

Also, I saw one of these, with the position of the knobs reversed, on an episode of Zelensky’s show Servant Of The People. Took a picture of the screen, can look for it if anyone’s interested.
 
When my mom's dementia was beginning and she no longer could figure out her microwave I found a second hand small m/w that only had one dial, no start or stop buttons. You put the food in, shut the door and cranked the timer dial up to 15 minutes and that was all. She could still manage that for about a year. Then the day came that she put some foil wrapped leftovers in it and it caught fire which signalled it was time for us to get her into a care home.
 
@dadoes: Yup, the variable power control motor cycles a contact which turns on/off the magnetron X number of times each minute. The top user knob adjusts the timing, the lower the power level the longer the contact stays open and the higher the power level the longer the magnetron stays energized.

Elegant way of doing it, though I rarely use any other power level than 100%. The few times I've ever used a lower power level is when melting or softening butter. But other than that I let the food full power.

@Vacbear80: Small, but cozy. They offer a 0.9 cu 900 watt model too. I wish they offered a larger sizes as well, even an over the range model, but hey, this is a great start. UK knows that they want!

@ Suburbanmd: That can be a downfall, however at the same time the lack of a start button eliminates one more component that can fail. Typically you rotate the knob past 10 minutes, then set it to the time you need.

The only down side to not having a start button is that some people will close the door after they take out the food and forget to rotate the dial to "off". I've personally seen this in gas stations in the late 90s-2000s. Many of times we would stop to get a sandwich, and the micro would always be running empty with no one in sight. I thought it was kids playing around, until several times I saw people stick in a sandwich or coffee, turn the dial half way, watch the food until say the cheese started to bubble, pull the door open, grab it out, pitch the door shut and literally walk away 1/2 a second latter.

I honestly think microwaves are the few appliances that actually need a "push to start button" however I can also see the other side where a start switch would contribute to lower dependability in the home setting.

Key is being aware- and never relying on the door interlocks as primary control.
 
@petek: I can personally relate to your grandmother in part. I have difficulty focusing and figuring out how to use my GE over the range micro. Every time I use it its like the first time I'm using it and I keep hitting the wrong combination of buttons. The touch pad is just chaos and the superfluous complexity gives anxiety. And more than anything its just irritating.

One thing that I always fall for is that I will hit "4" and then "0" but the micro goes into 4 minutes of express cook. I first have to press "time cook" then press "4", "0" then press start. However, when I do remind myself of time cook, I sometimes accidentally press "timer", which I find is wrong, then I instinctively hit "clear/off" only finding out it doesn't work so I have to go back and hit timer again to get out of the kitchen timer mode. One things progresses into another and I find myself getting lost in a rabbit hole.

I've restored to hitting "30 seconds" most of the time, but after you hit 30 seconds you have to wait 5 seconds of run time until you can add another 30 seconds to add up the time. Just more complicated.

A bit off topic, but one thing I have found very cruel about electronic microwaves is that they rely on just the primary door interlock switch being open to prevent the turn table and fan from running when the door is open. Meaning if this one switch gets hung up, the turn table, light and fan will all start running when the door is opened which there are cases of that on the internet. Hits the average user by surprise questioning if they've been exposed to microwave energy as well as any first responders/doctors involved.
 
Office lunchrooms and 7-11s were probably the first places most people experienced their first microwave ovens in the late 70s and early 80s. Where I started at the railroad we worked in a track side wooden shack about 10 ft long each, two actually joinded together and a 3rd which was actually a construction site trailer off its wheels also joined. Furnished in the oldest passed down railroad furniture and desks. All I remember is there being a coffee pot and you were expected to bring your own lunch dinner. There was nowhere to cook. When the railway sold all those downtown yards in 1980 to build for Expo 86 we moved to a brand new modern terminal out in the hinterlands and they built a beautiful office building for us onsite. It was supposed to be a showcase of modern rail intermodal terminals. Beautifully carpeted, all brand new desks, typewriters, keypunches, printers, state of the art etc., nice bathrooms and a nice but small lunchroom. I got to pick some of the furnishings and decor and when it came to the lunchroom the plan was counters and sink and some sort of stove and a fridge. I feared they just pick one of those all in one things they used in the cabooses. I suggested a microwave instead and they ordered one.. It was a large full size two dial Hotpoint (GE). THe fridge was full size as well, and a toaster,electric kettle and coffee maker. Everyone was happy except for one surly employee who was afraid of microwaves and wouldn't go in there if it was running. He'd run out if someone came in and turned it on.
 
Reply number seven

No microwave has ever continued microwaving with the door open. It’s a very safe system. There are no record of accidents as such.

Chat you need to get a life and stop worrying about things that don’t happen. Yes, there some models where the fan or turn table, continues to operate after the door opens, when a door switch fails but they are not microwaving

No need to worry about first responders, etc

With all the problems in the world and all the real problems with appliances, why sit around and just make things up?

John
 
John; I completely concur with the safety of microwave ovens. They have multiple interlocks, as well as the electronic ones have an additional switch telling the controller that the door is open, so that it opens the relay powering the microwave. That is two sets of contacts open, plus the interlock monitor closed every time the door is open. 

 

Having said that, in our younger days, my friends made some unsafe and (in hindsight, foolish) experiments with microwave ovens trying to learn how they worked. We all got some degree of microwave exposure but none of us got hurt.   The results of exposure to microwave energy can cause burns which could be severe; however none of us ever had any lasting harm come from it. My reason for explaining this is to say, even if all the interlocks failed, you would not be injured unless you placed your hand in the oven and kept it there in spite of the burning you would receive.  Microwave energy is not the same thing as ionizing nuclear radiation and does not carry a cancer hazard. 
 
@Reply #12: Re-read what I wrote. I specifically stated turn table and fan operating with the door open and never included the word magnetron in my sequential list yet took it upon your self to say I had said microwaves continue microwaving with the door open. You then you re-vindicate reply #7 by saying:

"Yes, there some models where the fan or turn table, continues to operate after the door opens, when a door switch fails but they are not microwaving"

To which I'm going to say, yes, certain models run their turn table and fan with the door open when the primary interlock switch (one of 3 switches) fails as I originally said in reply #7. Nothing to do with RF coming out of the oven.

The thing is, people don't now that. They see a running light, running turn table, and can hear a fan so they have no idea what is happening and often no one else has a clue outside of those who fix/sell appliances.

Read my posts word for word instead of skimming them...
 
Hide Function

@john: When you accuse me of making claims I never made, it causes others to believe I actually made them.

There are several users on this forum that have my posts in their "ignore" list due to an inability to think in grayscale.

As a result they don't see replies #6 and #7 but do see reply #12. They are lead to believe I said the following, which I never did:

1) microwaves are emitting RF energy with the door open

2) I don't understand how interlocks works, or that microwaves have at least 3 of them.

3) That microwave ovens are unsafe.

4) That I make up information.

This causes escalating dislike toward me which only grows with each post. I also have to see people re-posting facts (like I never made them) in agreement toward you, which is triggering to be frank. In reply #1 I showed that microwaves have at least 3 interlocking switches (primary, secondary and monitor) only to have people seeing your post thinking I was unaware of the fact it is physically impossible for the magnetron to operate with the door open.

Please keep this mind assuming you already haven't. Its not fair on me. I don't want people to dislike me without reason.
 
Chetlaham...

Just to be sure..... No dislike here. I read your post but was replying to John L. This thread reminded me of my younger days and I wanted to share that. It wasn't a jab at you. 

 

One of the pitfalls of a forum like this is that people get personal out in the open and that serves no good. Life has taught me that if one is to fit in on any forum, personal differences are best kept in personal messages. 

 

If anybody is interested in how to troubleshoot and fix 80's era simple microwaves, here's a video where I fixed my parents' 1988 Sharp microwave. It's still going, by the way! 

 

It's true that all microwaves have some electronics because they contain at minimum a diode and magnetron tube, both of which are a form of electronics. However, they are easy to troubleshoot. 

 

  

 

 
 
 
<blockquote>One of the pitfalls of a forum like this is that people get personal out in the open and that serves no good. Life has taught me that if one is to fit in on any forum, personal differences are best kept in personal messages.</blockquote> And thus perhaps one of the values an upgraded membership that provides access to the on-board direct messaging feature ... for $1/month ... if the individual with which the issues need to be discussed is also an upgraded member.
 
@neptunebob: I've no idea what your trying to say.

@turbokinetic: I'm sorry if I came across that way. I feel better now knowing it wasn't a jab at me and I am glad you like me! :) I love everyone and anyone that loves me back. Again sorry if I thought it was directed at me. I've always had great respect for your posts, they offer great value and always fun to read. Your younger days fit in perfectly with this topic.

Way back when, there were many more options for dial type microwaves. How I wish I could time travel to a JCPenney lol.
 
Hi, whatever your name is

Nobody here dislikes you not the least of which me.

But you’re very hard to figure out you make a lot of claims and posts and you never back up any of them where did you get this information etc.?

I frequently put check marks on your post. Some of them are very good, but then you just go off the wall with this crazy stuff again with no back up.

Nobody has any idea who you are where are you live? Maybe you only live a mile from me who knows in order to have a discussion people like to know a little bit about who they’re talking to.

I upgraded your membership a year ago and paid for that to try to get you a little bit more involved because I think you do have a lot to offer but that didn’t seem to make any difference

I hope you have a great holiday. I don’t dislike anybody on the site I’ve never blocked anybody on the site etc.

John
 
@john: Ok, that is relief and comforting to know. I respect your appliance collection and experience as a service tech and enjoy reading your posts thus I want to be on your good side.

I'm not sure what comes off as "crazy stuff" though. Or why I need to do a works cited when I say something. In my observations I think it comes from you skimming my posts instead of reading them in depth. For example, in this thread I explicitly left the word "magnetron" when talking about the turn table and light coming on but the leap was made to microwaving with the door open. I think this might be the crux of the issue.

I know your beliefs/culture/upbringing appreciates intimate details about a person when conversing with them on the internet, however my advice to anyone on the internet is to remain anonymous when posting, videoing or speaking in open (public) forums. While there aren't any such members this forum- the internet is full of haters, hackers, stalkers, bullies, trolls, ect, ect. You've even got influencers being swatted, social activists being mailed things, ect. Employers can get hold of anything you say online, and anyone going into politics or the pubic spotlight can have their internet activity attached to them. And of course you've got bots mining data which gets sold to everyone from major corporations to hackers looking to drain your bank account.

Speaking from personal experience I've been doxed before, and also have been bullied more than once which has taught me to never share or reveal anything of personal value.

Do not take this the wrong way, but while this forum itself is more or less a safe space, the world outside it isn't safe and neither are those who look in.



The internet is a glass house with cameras, you have to be careful what you say and do including the information that you reveal.

Which is why I encourage everyone to do the same. Its not that I'm trolling or that I have anything to hide from you. Its that me, and most of the members here ought to be proactive.

I hope you also have a great holiday as well! Warm wishes, and I hope that Whirlpool dishwashers in your kitchen is running all day while it snows outside! :)
 
@turbokinetic: No, you aren't getting carried away! I appreciate your posts and I hope you make more of them. Not just entertaining, but fun! I want to think of appliances ways back when, that is what I seek, considering that modern appliances (if we can call them that) are silhouettes of a time long gone. (I don't mean to offend those interested in modern appliance, simply expressing my opinion :) )
 
Microwave

Had the pleasure at a lake house of using a newer microwave that did operate the fan, light and turntable when the door was opened.

At first using and finding this did cause initial internal excitement thinking "the microwave is still running". But after not feeling heat on my hand, assumed the magnetron was not engaged and that one switch had failed. Gotta love new appliances...
 

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