How Do They fit the CMB Into those Little Ovens?

[popeyespappy]

When microwave oven was an esoteric and futuristic concept,  the US decided to build a chain of exceptionally large and powerful radars in the Canadian tundra to warn of the approach of any soviet nuclear armed bombers in the event of WWIII.    The crew manning theses radars found the best way to warm up in their frigid and desolate duty post during long arctic winter was go out from their monitoring sheds, climb up into the radar antenna, and stand in front of the transmitting horn at Thebes focus point of the radar antenna.

Once upon a time, I was a Nike Hercules Radar Mechanic. One of the Radars I worked on was the AN/MPQ-43/44 High Power Acquisition Radar (HIPAR). The HIPAR had a peak transmit power of about 10 MW. By comparison, the AN/FPS-19 long range search radars deployed on the Dew Line had a peak transmit power of about 1 MW.

By the 80's we knew better than to stand at the focal point with the transmitter energized, but if you cranked the elevation all the way down the HIPAR would light the fluorescent bulbs in the ready building every time it swept it.