Although not usually a published specification, the average life of a magnetron is roughly 1000 hours. There are many factors that can reduce or increase this time period such as temperature and misuse. At the time of a bench check, a radar transceiver’s magnetron is tested for power and frequency stability which provides an image of the health of the magnetron. However, although these tests are performed and the unit/magnetron may meet the manufacturer’s specifications, it is not possible to measure the exact life remaining in a magnetron.