What is a MAGNETRON - How Does it Work

►WHAT IS THIS
In this video, I look at a microwave's radiation emitter: a magnetron. This component is DANGEROUS!!!! It has several toxic materials inside of it. Please be careful.
Unlike other videos I could find, I focus on the physics of what is going on inside of a magnetron. I hope this will help people understand them better.

►TIMESTAMPS
0:58 - Inside a Microwave
1:20 - High Voltage
1:54 - The RHR
2:09 - Magnetron Physics
4:08 - How the EM is Created
6:00 - What the Wave Looks Like
6:36 - Beryllium - BAD
8:40 - A Cross-Sectional View

►EXTERNAL LINKS
I didn't have time to explain everything. Here is where I did my research.

►NOTE
On a personal note: All of you catastrophist peers of mine who said I didn't know what I was doing when I made a Microwave Gun. Eat your words!

►CREDITS
Narrator: Dayton Aardema - EE
Editor: Dayton Aardema
Music: Cody Aardema - Blueprint Theme

#Blueprint

[SouthernExploring]

When used correctly YouTube can be a continuous flow of knowledge. This channel is a gem.

[atulp]

You, sir, have just earned the highest respect of an old electrical engineer who has long forgotten a lot of the fundamentals! A FANTASTIC set of explanations, animation to something sooo practical!! I came across your video when attempting to repair my m-wave.. and you absolutely ROCK it! Thanks, and keep these awesome videos coming. Love your genius and passion for this area!! Two thumbs up!

[stoatrepublic]

Finally not a Russian messing with a magnetron, so pleased this is in English, lol.

[tiempoespacial]

FANTASTIC ! I am engineer in electronics since 40 years, and this is the first time I see such an interesting and clear explanation of the magnetron. Congratulations. Looking forward to see other of your videos.

[yetanotherjohn]

GREAT VIDEO! The cavity magnetron was once one of the greatest WW2 military secrets, comparable to the atomic bomb and the ENIGMA projects; the cavity magnetron allowed radars to go from only being able to see ships and airplanes to being able to see the narrow periscope of a submarine poking up from the water.... a huge leap in screen resolution!

[amisnerk]

I just feel bad for the first poor souls who had to discover the hard way how toxic, cancerous, and life threatening berilium oxide is.

[moiquiregardevideo]

Probably not interesting for most viewers of this channel, but in case someone care:
The electrons have tendency to regroup in a single bunch that rotate in spiral. The oscillation comes from hitting a wall versus entering a cavity. There is 8 cavities so the rotation speed is : 2.45 ghz / 8 = 306 million turn per second.

The rotation speed is approximative, magnetron are so imprecise that they can not be used as power source for a radar. In case of old style microwave ovens with the 10 pound transformer and the high voltage capacitor and diode, the voltage/current is pulsed : the system is a voltage doubler which produce 4000 volts for half a cycle and zero volt for the other half. In other word, the pulse rate is 60 hz and the magnetron works 50% of the time.
I don't know if a full rectifier would makes the magnetron produce twice the energy or if there would be some kind of latch-up without the pulsed supply.

[JoeCdaYT]

I will say the first thing is that the magnetron is a vacuum tube. the coils in the can tune the high voltage so that the filament will turn on and heat the only plate inside that is itself. Some of the common deaths of these is the tube itself getting weak, the diode in the high voltage path leaking current back, capacitor failure, or lastly control circuit failure. Solid state devices do not like surges which a microwave generates when it first powers up. Nice disassembly. Beryllium oxide is bad for your health but companies have been using a different material to make them ROHS compliant.

[davegtar]

Which is absolutely fine! Great video :)

[kjamison]

The magnetron is also a key part of any radar system. Guess what I did at university… yup, worked on radar systems.

[jimmyross]

Definition of a capacitor;  A device that while charged is passed around Basic Electricity classes to emphasize the importance of respect for the power of

[whiteivory]

Wonderful video! Forty+ years ago as a US Navy Gun Fire Controlman the description of the maggy in my AN/SPG-53F pulse-modulated radar was "PFM" or "Pure Fxxxxg Magic." Really appreciated your explanation, your humor, and your animations. Thanks! Never too old to learn something new!

[ApplyWithCaution]

... it's interesting to note that the cavity magnetron is what generates the power to radar transmitters ... it was invented by british engineers in the late 1930s ....

[Apocalypticable]

Might also be a good idea to add a warning in the description regarding the potentially deadly charge a microwave capacitor can store for quite some time after being unplugged.

[karlr.]

Who knew George Harrison traveled to the future in his youth to teach us cool stuff, now where is the time machine bro.

[mattx]

you should point out that compassitors still have a charge even when they are not plugged in, for the adventurious types.

[dougc]

Awesome some real information on youtube;
I am so tired of click bait, and so thankful someone is doing real videos.
Yes, you were wearing proper safety gear, (forgot about the safety tip for the cap),
but anyone that is smart has learned about caps before they get to this
level. And you even mentioned about the dangerous pink stuff.
So well done, I know more about the microwave than I did yesterday.
Thanks

[flyguyl]

Ok I admit this might be a dumb question, but if the electrons are forced off the source, how are they replenished, or are they?

[mrb]

Great video. But you had me literally crying with laughter when you spun the fan with your finger. :D

[UpcycleElectronics]

You don't need to cut anything to get to the magnets and cooling stack. The assembly is held together with bent tabs. A screwdriver and pliers will get the tabs apart. I've taken several apart for the magnets, and high voltage through panel connector.
This was just suggested in my feed.
Sub'd for interesting
-Jake