Please be aware of that fact that high voltage multi-junction diodes for
microwave ovens are available for next to nothing and can be a good
substitute for long diode strings with a single element.

Now THAT's a good idea! Any idea how to test USED ones?

On my morning school-bus route, I see about one discarded microwave oven
per month, and if they're not too far from the bus-barn, I return later,
"liberate" them from the "sidewalk store" and tear them apart for their
super-strong magnets which my grandkids really enjoy. But I've also been
saving the transformers, diodes, fans, and capacitors, with the ultimate
goal of making a high-voltage power supply for a homebrew amplifier. So,
without any high-tech equipment, how might those diodes be tested?
--
--Myron A. Calhoun.
Five boxes preserve our freedoms: soap, ballot, witness, jury, and cartridge
PhD EE (retired). "Barbershop" tenor. CDL(PTXS). W0PBV. (785) 539-4448
NRA Life Member and Certified Instructor (Home Firearm Safety, Rifle, Pistol)