Did the microwave "inventor" heat himself with them?

Factual Questions
21
      • I used to have a trivia book by Isaac Asimov that had a bit about this (home heating with microwaves) and I have read at least one other book that mentioned it also–an older book on vacuum-tube electronics. As the vacuum-tube book was printed in the 1950’s and it mentions such use “long ago”, the time frame that this use occurred was almost certainly pre-WWII.

  • This is the book that I have (somewhere, I can’t find it today) that I believe mentions such use also: Isaac Asimov’s Book of Facts- http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=6621151
    …this page is also notable for mentioning in the “People who bought this book also bought” section, a book titled “Know It All!” by one Ed Zotti…

  • I can’t find a lot online about the subject.
    This page mentions that “effective” microwave heating requires a surprisingly small amount of radiated energy: http://www.personalmd.com/news/a1996122603.shtml
    …this page mentions that all RF radiation will cause (personal) heating at high levels: http://128.252.223.112/posts/archives/dec97/878483908.Ph.r.html
    -although it is fair to point out that a oven magnetron tube puts out what are comparatively tremendous amounts of power, for microwave radiation. Many vacuum tubes will emit small amounts of microwave and even x-ray radiation in operation, and are specified not to be used un-shielded, near people.

  • If you asked on a ham-radio or tube-audio newsgroup you might get some more useful responses–you’d certainly get stories telling that it works.
    ~

22
23

I apologize, DougC. You’ve provided a citation which has convinced me you are correct. Thank you!