Newbie Looking for Some Help Finding a First Scope. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Bobajake
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2014, 04:10:42 pm
content: Hi I am 15 and am new to the eevblog forum so i dont know if there are any people that have asked this, but i am looking for a scope (analog or digital) cheap. I have looked at the ds1052e, but that is even too much money right now... i know that is pretty much the cheapest scope out there. That is why i came here! Dave has said in a few of his vids that some people on the forums might be willing to sell one of there old analog scopes, so that is what im asking. Does anyone out there want to sell me their analog scope? Im looking for something under like $200, but the lower the price the better. I may even take it even if its broken!Any help would be greatly appreciated!JakeAnd Please no bs posts, i know its fun to pick on the newbie but i am being serious here...

author: Syntax_Error
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2014, 05:42:45 pm
content: You're into the used 2ch analog vintage scope territory at that price point. Not that this is a bad thing, not at all. For 200USD it is possible to find a 50MHz or less 2ch analog CRO. I would recommend finding one that supports/features cursor measurements. On an analog CRO, cursors are incredibly useful. Don't forget to think about probes when calculating your cost. It's ok if your scope doesn't come with a full compliment of working probes, as long as that is factored into the price. Probes are available new and used and are likely to have equal or more wear and tear than the scope when used.Edit: Forgot to mention, when looking for a used vintage CRO, I personally wouldn't worry too much about branding. Basic scope features are the same across the board, and basic is about all you will get around these prices.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2014, 06:00:57 pm
content: I just picked up a used metrix ox8040 for 120 euros shipped...it is 40MHz bandwith, analog AND digital with cursors AND also differential probes on each 2 channelsI bought it to check smps mainly.really nice, and there were quite a lot of bidders on it.so my advice : be patient, put searches on ebay that warns you by emailask for scopes with beginning price under $50 and you will get onefor $200 I'm pretty sure you can get a used ds1052e, they are selling now that the ds1054z is out.good luck

author: Bobajake
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2014, 06:11:54 pm
content: Yeah theres nothing on ebay right now i looked earlier today but i will definitely set the email search and yeah like i said this would be a first scope so basic is fine. Thank you so much for the help!

author: whipman
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2014, 07:47:01 pm
content: Not sure how you're searching ebay but there are plenty to be had for way under $200.00 for a beginner knock around scope. Just be patient! I recently bought two. A Philips 3055 and a Goldstar 9020 for around $100.00 each! Both looked and worked perfectly! Good luck!

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 06, 2014, 11:07:06 pm
content: I have to ask, any relation to Boba Fet? Seriously, could you give a hint at your country? USA usually has the best deals on used scopes but shipping outside of US can be frightening.

author: Bobajake
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2014, 03:49:36 pm
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on December 06, 2014, 11:07:06 pmHaha you are the first person to ever get that and yes i am in the us, and shipping is always scary...

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2014, 04:29:04 pm
content: Quote from: Bobajake on December 09, 2014, 03:49:36 pmThen try to find where the hams hang out and see if they have swapmeets, or just ask if anyone has a scope in a closet somewhere.A few years ago I gave a HP1741 to a hackerspace here because I didn't want to ship it. If someone had asked me before...Go on craigslist. It's free to ask! And to look!

author: PaulAm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2014, 05:05:41 pm
content: For $200 you should be able to find a good working 2 channel 100MHz analog scope or an older basic DSO. Key an eye on your local Craigslist; sometimes things show up there, but you'll need patience.If you have any large universities near you, check them out and see if they have a surplus equipment store. Sometimes you might find test equipment if they refurb a lab or somebody gets a grant. That's pretty hit or miss, but sometimes you can score big.See if you have any hamfests in your area. Ham swaps can be good places to get cheap older equipment.Unless you get into cursors and measurement capabilities, analog scopes really didn't change much once you got to triggered sweep. A 1960's vintage Tek 454 has pretty much the same capabilities as an 80's 465. Everyone knows Tek, but HP made pretty good scopes in that period as well. There were many other manufacturers that made good scopes as well. For a while manufacturers made interesting hybrid scopes that were analog with some DSO capabilities. That was during the period of transition to pure DSOs. They generally had a higher bandwidth analog section coupled with a low bandwidth digital section (eg Tek 468). The DSO capabilities of those are poor compared to what's currently available and they were fairly complex animals, but they can be fun to play with. Avoid any kit scopes (Eico, Heithkit, etc). They're good for making clocks and not much else.If you get an older analog scope, the odds are good that service manuals are available so if anything breaks you can fix it. In fact, I would not buy an older analog scope unless you could get a service manual. Manufacturers stopped providing service information, for the most part, around 2000, so an older DSO is likely to have little or no service information available. Even the factory serviced those by board swap. When those die, they become doorstops unless you're a very good troubleshooter.An example of a older basic DSO is the HP 54603b. It's a 60 MHz scope, but usable to 100MHz, and has all the measurement and autoset capabilities. As a DSO it lacks storage and has poor glitch capture performance, so it compares poorly with a current Rigol, but it's an easy to use basic scope. You might be able to find one of those in your price range. It's a CRT based scope, so it's not quite as compact as a current LCD model, but it's not too bad.The advantage of a new DSO (besides all of the neat features) is the warranty coverage. You can just use the scope and not worry about having to fix it if something goes wrong. Older scopes do break, but they can be surprisingly dependable. I have a 60's Tek 453 that I use occasionally and I've never had it opened. It's been on my bench for about 20 years now. That scope is pushing 50.