General Information

Serial #

3732

Part Number

1

Total Parts

3

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Metal, synthetic and glass.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

47.5 cm

Width

68.0 cm

Height

39.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Food processing

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

LITTON

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Minnesota

City

Minneapolis

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

1978-2011 Manufacture date July 1978.

Canada

Mr. Elmars Silis, the donor’s father, received this microwave as a gift for his contribution to the United Way campaign in 1978. He gave it to his wife, Elvira, who did not want to use the microwave oven. The microwave was unpacked until 1979 when Andy and Cheryl Silis, who just got married, asked to have it. Andy and Cheryl used the microwave very often to cook. Cheryl really liked the appliance and thought that food made in this oven tasted better than from a conventional oven. The family used the microwave in Ottawa from 1979 till 1981. It then traveled with Andy and Cheryl to Whitehorse, YK (1981-1984) and to Saint John, NF (1984-July 1992) and back to Ottawa. It did not fit in a standard microwave shelf and was kept on a counter. The Silis family have used the microwave until their son protested and brought home a used, but newer and smaller model. The son was afraid that the old microwave was leaking radiation. The microwave is in its original state, never needed repairs.

Function

To heat and cook food and beverages.

Technical

The microwave was made by Camco on a license from Litton Solid State. In the 1960s Litton developed a new configuration of the microwave and a new magnetron feed that changed the shape of microwaves and resulted in an oven that could survive a no-load condition, where there was no object to absorb the microwaves, indefinitely. The new oven was demonstrated in 1967 at a trade show in Chicago. It marks the point of a rapid growth of the market for home microwave ovens in the US. The market saturation in Canada was much smaller. In 1982, only about 10% of Canadian families owned a microwave oven compared to almost 30% of US families. This oven features a metal shelf (its shape and thickness makes it safe) and a Vari-Temp sensor to check the temperature of food.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Print on front "[logo]/ LITTON" and "MOFFAT". Print around dial "Var-cook/ WARM/ DEFROST/ SIMMER/ ROAST/ REHEAT/ HIGH", "Vari-Temp/ SET [dial with numbers for temperature]/ HOLD/ WARM" and below "Solid-State". Mfr's label on back of microwave "CANADIAN APPLIANCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD. GIBSON & WRIGHT AVES, WESTON, ONTARIO M9N 1E7/ MADE IN USA BY: FABRIQUE AUX E.U. PAR:/ LITTON SYSTEMS, INC.", "SERIAL NO./ NO DE SERIE/ 3732", "MICROWAVE OVEN FREQUENCY: FREQUENCES DE FOUR A MICRO-ONDES:/ 2450 MHZ", "MODELE/ MODEL NO/ MUC 2558Z", "VOLT 120 60 Hz AMP 13 KW 1.5/ SINGLE PHASE[/] MONOPHASE", "MAGNETRON OPERATING VOLTAGE/ VOLTAGE DE FONCTIONNEMENT DU MAGNETRON: 4.0 KV" and "FOR HOUSEHOLD USE ONLY/ POUR USAGE DOMESTIQUE SEULEMENT". Paper label has both French and English text, English text reads "DISCONNECT POWER PLUG BE-/ FORE REMOVING ANY PART OF THE/ ENCLOSURE.", "THE ON-OFF SWITCH AND BUILT-IN/ INTERLOCKS DO NOT PREVENT PARTS/ WITHIN THE APPLIANCE FROM BEING/ A SHOCK HAZARD.", "THIS APPLIANCE MUST BE SERVICED BY/ A QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICAN. IT IS/ RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE SERVICED BY/ GSW HOME SERVICE OR AN APPROVED/ AGENCY.", "THIS MICROWAVE OVEN HAS BEEN DE-/ SIGNED AND TESTED FOR COMPLIANCE TO/ THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT, DEPART-/ MENT OF HEALTH AND WELFARE, SOR/ 74-601 PERFORMANCE STANDARD FOR/ MICROWAVE OVENS.", "CAUTION/ MICRO-WAVES/ TYPE OF MICROWAVE POWER GENERATION: MAGNETRON/ WATER EQUIVALENT OF MINIMUM LOAD: 50 ML./ MAXIMUM OUTPUT POWER: 600 WATTS/ PLACE OF MANUFACTURE: 1405 XENIUM LANE/ MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55441", "DATE OF MANUFACTURE: L.H. JULY 1978/ 28033".

Missing

N/A

Finish

Combination of metals and synthetic parts, covered in a "wood grain" pattern. Door is a black glass, dials are synthetic. Interior of oven is white with a silver metal rack (.3).

Decoration

N/A