Best Oscilloscope for the $

[toddfun]

I'm purchasing an Oscilloscope for X-mass and I have a question if you don't mind.

I'm just a garage enthuses in Electronics now-a-days but I did get my BS in Physics Engineering specialized in Electronics 15yrs ago. Today I'm just a simple BANNED DBA.

I believe I would be ok with a 2 ch 100MHz scope. I’m thinking of one of these two.

Techtronic TDS2012B 100MHz 2Ch 1GS/s but that's $1,600
http://www2.tek.com/cmswpt/psdetails.lo ... =psu&lc=EN

INSTEK GDS-1102 100MHz 2Ch 250MS/s at $829
http://www.instek.com/html/en/showprodu ... n=4&p2sn=4

My question is: Would I get enough for my $ if I go with a “non” Tektronix product like the "INSTEK GDS-1102 100MHz 2Ch 250MS/s" for $829?

It seems like the INSTEK has nice specs, other than maybe the 250MS/s. It is a great savings over a Tektronix. I know I would pick the Tek but I really can't get myself to spend 2x as much if my level of usage does not require it. Then again I don't want a $800 INSTEK paper weight if that is what it is either.

Are there any recommendations you could give me on getting or not getting the GDS-1102?

[macegr]

I bought a Tektronix 465B analog 100MHz scope for $100 years ago and it still serves most of my purposes. I also use a Tek digital scope sometimes, but that's at work. It's not an investment I would make for a hobby, before knowing exactly why I needed it.

Here's a plan: find a cheap Tek or other brand (Kikusui?) 100MHz analog scope and use it for a while. Maybe even splurge and spend over $200 for one with a storage function. You'll get an idea of exactly what you need in a scope. Maybe you won't even need to buy a newer digital one. But if you do need something better, you're only down a fraction of the price of the new scope...and now you have two.

If you were planning invest kilobucks into an oscilloscope, I would go with Tek or Agilent/HP over a lesser known brand. The quality might be the same, but Tek support has always been top notch.

[adafruit]

a really $$$ scope isnt necessary until you're really into electronics. i'd go with a used scope for cheap till you find you need something better.

[toddfun]

That's for the help.
I think you are both right. I will keep it cheap for now. I used a scope a lot 15yrs ago and I remember it always helped tons but since I never had a scope at home I always figured out my problems in my head or with just a DVM. I know a cheap scope would have helped over the years but I'm one of these people that once I use the best I just hate to use something cheap ever again. I used a cheap DVM and Power supply for years before getting a top of the line Fluke 87V DVM and a top Power supply, I could never go back now . I guess I could get a cheap scope for now and see where it takes me from there.
Thanks again.
Todd

[eil]

macegr's advice is spot-on. The 465B seems to be very popular among hobbyists.

You do have to be careful when buying a used scope, though. On eBay, most of the scopes that are offered for sale come from government and business auctions which generally means somebody somewhere decided they weren't worth keeping for whatever reason. You can get scopes that are guaranteed calibrated and working but they tend be priced at least 2x higher than the ones that are sold with the decription, "plugged in and the lights came on."

That's not to say you can't get a good deal on one if you're patient and careful. I nabbed a really nice 100MHz 4-channel Tektronix 2246A for $300 that was being sold "as is" and it turned out to be in perfect working condition.

[westfw]

THere's a guy from PICList (otherwise unknown) selling a Tek TDS220 for $600:
http://mdmiller.com/garagesale/product_ ... ucts_id/54

I have a TDS210 (the 60MHz version), and they're nice scopes. Unlike most of
the surplus scopes, they're TINY and won't take up half your lab...

[mitchinomaha]

@westfw -- Thanks for mentioning my scope for sale. I've been a long time piclist-er, but haven't been around for about the last three years. Just don't have time to build stuff anymore, so I'm cleaning out my electronics corner.

I bought the scope from Fry's Electronics when we lived in the Sacramento area several years ago. Used it a lot with PIC projects, although I was more into the Scenix SX stuff. I also have some related Parallax stuff for sale (SX-Key programmer, test boards, etc.).

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me, or email me direct.

Thanks,
Mitch

[amberwolf]

Personally, I'd recommend the same as others: a used 2-trace scope in the 100mhz range. Most of the time you won't need anything better than that even with MCUs. Heck, most of the time I got by until recently with a PC-soundcard scope, once borrowing a B&K 20mhz scope from a friend when I had to have something better for some of my ebike motor controller testing.

FWIW, if anyone is interested in them, I'm about to be able to get a number of old modular Tektronix scopes, without any of the modules (unfortunately). They come with the bundle of stuff I'm getting from a friend that has the misfortune of having to move out of his house into a place that has no room for his huge collection of older test equipment and such (including a working VAX core and even a BIT!). There'll probably be a ton of other stuff, too, but we're still moving it, and reminiscing about it as we do, which slows the entire process down a LOT.

[toddfun]

I started searching eBay for used scopes as you all suggested a week or so back. I found one gentleman selling a new Tektronix TDS2012B (never used) for $900. He said he got it as a door prize at a tech show he attended in New Jersey but he really didn't have any use for it. I checked out his selling history and his story seemed to check out being he had a 5 year history of selling guitar amp equipment and other music electronics with a 100% feedback rating. I took the big dive and bought it. It came Friday and I ran the self calibration test and tested it against my scope test-board function generator (see photo). It worked perfectly! And it was new in the box just as advertised. This scope is over $1600 new! Wow, you guys where right to check for used scopes but I never thought I would get a new Tektronix! The calibration docs that it came with stated it was calibrated in the factory Oct 2008 so I guess you don't get newer than that.
Thanks again.
Todd

[gamerfreak]

Nice find!!

If anyone else is looking at this thread shopping around for a scope, here are two dirt cheap solutions for a beginner:
Parallax USB oscilloscope
http://www.nkcelectronics.com/digital-s ... -cost.html

[bdhubbard]

Hi all,

I am also looking for something portable, which can be used both for debugging (digital and analog) and for giving my students a visual feel for signal behavior.

I have a Tektronix 465B and would recommend something like it to anyone who has seriously 'scopy things to look at (I used it on PDP-11's and VAXen, but that was in a universe long long ago). Problem is that they are getting old and have no memory. And, unfortunately, mine is old and tired and too big to drag into class. The fan scrapes and the switches are intermittant. Looking at what is available at the lower end, both Parallax and Sparkfun offer inexpensive logic analyzers. Has anyone used either of these? (Sparkfun is made by Saleae.)

Carl's electronics has an inexpensive scope too, but it does not appear to meet high speed digital requirements.

At the pricier end, Bitscope offers hybrid machines with both analog and digital inputs (BS50U and BS100U). The price difference is considerable (it is coming out of my pocket): $150 for the above units, versus about $600 for the Bitscopes. The benefit of the Bitscope is that one (or two) analogue inputs lets you look at solder joint quality, capacitive loading, amplifiers, etc, in addition to digital signal trains. The analog stuff is harder (for me) to psych out using only a DVM &/or logic probe. LeCroy has interesting units too, but the price seems even higher.

Best,

Bruce

[amberwolf]

I don't know about the other scopes, but if you want to fix the problems with the 465, I've heard this place is a good start for parts:
http://stores.ebay.com/The-Oscilloscope ... idZ2QQtZkm

[gamerfreak]

Here is another great beginner scope:
http://www.saelig.com/miva/merchant.mvc ... ry_Code=PS

[zener]

Here is another great beginner scope:
http://www.saelig.com/miva/merchant.mvc ... ry_Code=PS

WOW!!!

Do you have one?

[gamerfreak]

Here is another great beginner scope:
http://www.saelig.com/miva/merchant.mvc ... ry_Code=PS

WOW!!!

Do you have one?

No, I've been using the shop scopes at school, but I may buy one for the summer, or buy a Fluke 99 scopemeter from a friend for $150.

Here are some vids of that exact scope working+some of its features:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUIgAu3QQWQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_KuGEh0PyA