There has been some discussion on the Private
Forum for someone planning their
Bushtracker, as to whether or not to get a microwave... Possible some of you do not understand the benefits, thinking it is too hard on the batteries, or wanting to cook full roast in their microwave while on solar, both of which are off the track... I thought this would make a good general
forum topic... So here you go...
Both Directors of
Bushtracker are pro-microwave, wouldn't go without it... As to the worries about power, yes they can pull almost 100 Amps DC out of the batteries! But that is not amp hours! Think of it as amp minutes and put it into proper perspective....
Divide it by 60 minutes, and you get 1.67 amp hours out of the batteries per minute. That means the BBQ chook we bought in Alice, heated up in the West MacDonnell Ranges, for three minutes is only 5 amp hours out of the batteries... I have 4 - 80amp hour batteries and 5 amp hours out of them would hardly be noticed, especially if the sun is out... We use the microwave all the time, and with four batteries and four panels have never run out of power...
Better yet, I use it for a quick cup of coffee, don't even turn off the diesel anymore... It used to be a 20 minute ordeal cooling the diesel, filling the billing, turning on the gas, lighting the stove... etcetera... Now it is: Step into the van with a travel mug, in the microwave for one minute, back in the car and a quick cuppa in hand without even shutting the diesel off...
A quick re-batch of leftovers with a different sauce, extra steaks, extra rice, extra potatoes, whatever... Sure beats cooking from scratch for forty-five minutes in the hot country when you are trying to get somewhere.... We double batch food before the next leg of a trip, and put the extra in the fridge. A different sauce or batch method, 3 minutes in the microwave, beats slaving in the heat in the galley in hot weather, when you are trying to get somewhere... After eight years with my own
Bushtracker, you can bet I will always have one.... Thumbs up! As long as you don't get carried away trying to do a full pot roast or something, just reheats and coffee or tea, you can't beat a Microwave for convenience and luxury... Rice or baked potatoes? Do them in camp on gas before the next leg of the journey, or on power, and put them into the fridge for a quick reheat on the trip... Microwaves are great, just don't overdo it!!!
There has also been a question about the 12v microwaves.... They are very expensive, and all they have is a built in inverter... Why get an expensive appliance like a TV with a built in inverter, a microwave with a built in inverter, and the rest... When if you get the inverter seperate, you can use it for anything including some handy bits like camcorder chargers, phone chargers, drills, grinders, whatever... Not to mention that the 240 appliances are about 1/4 the cost... And our inverters have been extremely reliable for many years...
As to which microwave is the best? While there have been the odd breakages reported, we have never had one fail or break. Wait until your layout is settled, and get one to suit the space and door swing....
Cheers from the Source at
Bushtracker