Amana Radaranges and a Mont.Ward Signature Microwave(Westminster, MD)

John, who made these? I thought they looked a bit like Litton models but now that I see that they were made in Japan?

A few years ago there was a contest by Panasonic to find the oldest microwave oven in Canada, A woman from Ontario has won it with a Montgomery Ward Signature MW oven that she said was from 1965.... (I wasn't around back in the 1960s but I don't think we ever had Wards stores here!). I doubt that she had the correct date of purchase and probably people at Panasonic doubted it too so they also gave two other Inverter microwave ovens to other contestants, including one to a resident of a small town that's just a few minutes away from where I live in Quebec. Too bad I didn't have my 1969 Amana back then, MW ovens were not popular in Canada in the 1960s, I might have won something!

There was a similar contest done in the 1990s in the USA by Amana to find the oldest counter top Radarange in the US. That information was even printed in the Montreal LaPresse newspaper with a picture showing the oven and it's owner. Amana had done just like Panasonic did later in Canada, they gave a brand new microwave oven to it's owner. I tried to find anything about this contest on Google a few years ago and I found nothing... I had kept that piece of newspaper for a while but I don't have it anymore!

See how the MW Signature microwave oven from the Ontario contestant (1st pic) looks similar to Paul's Litton-made Tappan. The 3rd and 4th pictures show the MW Signature from the CL ad that Phil posted up in this thread, it's definitely smaller and different from the larger one in the 1st picture but still looks quite similar!

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size


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Post# 783010 9/11/2014 at 11:27 (3,507 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )
Checkrate/Likes 1 1)Amana Microwave - $25 (Lawrence KS) - lawrence.craigslist.org/app/46620... I couldn't find this one on radar58.com (Cadman's)web site. 2) RR4D - Vintage Microwave (Arlington) and no price indicated - boston.craigslist.org/gbs/ele/466... 3)Made in Japan Vintage Montgomery Wards Signature Electronic Microwave Oven 1968 (westminster, md) baltimore.tr.craigslist.org/atq/4... Model KSA-80928 it appears Photos... < > Photo 1 of 7 View Full Size

Post# 783177 , Reply# 1 9/12/2014 at 07:07 (3,507 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)
Checkrate/Likes *MW MW Oven* I have that same MW, it is built like a tank and about as heavy.

Post# 783212 , Reply# 2 9/12/2014 at 11:36 (3,506 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )
Checkrate/Likes *MW MW Oven* I think it's a cool looking oven, even if for many it doesn't have the chrome and flash of a A. Radarange. Does the panel have any lights, like the earlier Radaranges?

Post# 783775 , Reply# 3 9/14/2014 at 21:15 (3,504 days old) by mom11 (Dundee, MI)
Checkrate/Likes Oh, man, I love that RR4D. I would get that one. I have a Touchmatic already but I have a soft spot for this particular model. Too far away... :(

Post# 783954 , Reply# 4 9/15/2014 at 23:43 (3,503 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)
Checkrate/Likes *MW MW ovens!* John, who made these? I thought they looked a bit like Litton models but now that I see that they were made in Japan? A few years ago there was a contest by Panasonic to find the oldest microwave oven in Canada, A woman from Ontario has won it with a Montgomery Ward Signature MW oven that she said was from 1965.... (I wasn't around back in the 1960s but I don't think we ever had Wards stores here!). I doubt that she had the correct date of purchase and probably people at Panasonic doubted it too so they also gave two other Inverter microwave ovens to other contestants, including one to a resident of a small town that's just a few minutes away from where I live in Quebec. Too bad I didn't have my 1969 Amana back then, MW ovens were not popular in Canada in the 1960s, I might have won something! There was a similar contest done in the 1990s in the USA by Amana to find the oldest counter top Radarange in the US. That information was even printed in the Montreal LaPresse newspaper with a picture showing the oven and it's owner. Amana had done just like Panasonic did later in Canada, they gave a brand new microwave oven to it's owner. I tried to find anything about this contest on Google a few years ago and I found nothing... I had kept that piece of newspaper for a while but I don't have it anymore! See how the MW Signature microwave oven from the Ontario contestant (1st pic) looks similar to Paul's Litton-made Tappan. The 3rd and 4th pictures show the MW Signature from the CL ad that Phil posted up in this thread, it's definitely smaller and different from the larger one in the 1st picture but still looks quite similar! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size

Post# 783985 , Reply# 5 9/16/2014 at 04:34 (3,503 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)
Checkrate/Likes *Early MW MW Ovens* Hi Phil, I am not sure who made some of thee early Japanese MW ovens, I have several in my collection, I also dough that the lady got that MW MW in 1965, that is probably at least a few years too early.

Post# 784025 , Reply# 6 9/16/2014 at 10:35 (3,502 days old) by turquoisedude (.)
Checkrate/Likes Darn it!! I'd love to get that Ward's microwave - it could be a parts donor or replacement to my ' Tappan-Litton microwave which is currently out of service. Sigh...

Post# 784028 , Reply# 7 9/16/2014 at 10:59 (3,502 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )
Checkrate/Likes PAUL - can't you get the Tappan-Litton fixed? I look for one like it, each time I search for microwaves...so far, come up nada. You probably have one of the last of these that exist on earth. Ok, maybe over-exaggerating. LOL! Hope someway you can find a fix for it. If I could, I'd add an LED that would simulate the electron path, after it was fixed of course). It's a little too far to chase down, for me. I'd like it, as well.

Post# 784049 , Reply# 8 9/16/2014 at 12:23 (3,502 days old) by turquoisedude (.)
Checkrate/Likes Phil, there has to be a way to fix the Tappan... I unfortunately have zero knowledge of how to troubleshoot and repair a microwave of this vintage - it may turn out to be something really,really simple! I'll keep searching for service information in the meantime.