GW Instek - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: TheLaSwamp
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 27, 2022, 09:26:37 pm
content: I feel like I have found my people.I test a lot of gasoline generators and inverters, as I live in a place where hurricanes hit often and can knock out power for up to a week in summer temperatures that would make you lose your religion without auxiliary electricity. Everyone here has them and I am asked to test them on a regular basis. It's a lot of fun. I used to test the output signals with a multimeter only. Eventually, wanting to upgrade, I decided to order a scope. I had never had one before and decided to pick up a Hanmatek DOS1102. The best that I can tell, it's an Owon clone of some flavor. It's not bad for the sale price I got it for. I didn't think I'd use it much, but as it turns out, I really enjoy tinkering with it. So much so, I've decided I want something a bit higher in the food chain. I've been looking at different models. Valuetronics has the Rigol DS1202Z-E (my original choice) for $299. I spent Friday night here reading all of the wisdom and found out that the FFT function on the Rigols are subpar. I see a lot of love for the Siglent models, although they are priced a bit more than I'd like to spend. Much better FFT presentation than the Rigols, though. I wish the Rigol had better FFT usability since that's the one I'd really like. I did learn that I need to avoid the 2-channel models and look to the 4-channel offerings, or at least to give it serious consideration.The GW Instek GDS-1054B is on sale for $385 on Valuetronics, although I've seen it about $50 cheaper on other vendor sites. Based on what I have seen here, the opinion about the Instek offerings is somewhat lukewarm. No one seems overly impressed with them. The darlings and favorites clearly seem to be the Rigol and Siglent scopes, without a doubt. The Instek, however, appears to have vastly superior FFT to the Rigol offerings in the price range. I'd love to have the scope be able to calculate the THD on the signals from the inverters, but from what I understand, that's a high-dollar capability that simply doesn't appear in scopes in the $300-$450 range. I believe you have to drop about $2-large to get in the range for that feature.I see there is a lot of love for the Rigol DS1054Z scope. However, some have noted that it's an older design (7+ years) and it's a bit more than I had wanted to pay. Plus, I don't know if the FFT function is more usable than the DS1202Z-E. But, I do hear very good things about the Rigols. So, this has created a bit of a conundrum for me. Knowing what you know, which way would you cut if you were in my shoes? Go with Rigol or choose the road less taken with the Instek?Thanks!

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2022, 09:54:32 pm
content: Just go for the GDS1054B . I have the bigger brother and it is a fine oscilloscope which won't let you down.

author: TheLaSwamp
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 27, 2022, 11:36:55 pm
content: I hadn't heard of the brand before I began looking to upgrade. I only really knew about Rigol and Siglent. What do you like about the GW over those other two, if you don't mind sharing?I saw a teardown video for a similar unit from 2014 by a guy that I think is associated with this board. He seemed a bit perplexed by some of the interior design decisions, but he did seem impressed with the speed of the interface. The teardown of the Rigol seemed to show a more robust, conventional design. It's been more difficult to decide than I thought it would be. All of the scopes seem to have different strengths and weaknesses, at least in the price range I'm aiming for.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2022, 11:53:13 pm
content: Quote from: TheLaSwamp on March 27, 2022, 11:36:55 pmI wasn't familiar with the brand either but gave it a try a couple of years ago and bought a GDS-2204E which is the same software platform as the GDS-1054B. I like the user interface. Snappy and straightforward to use and I still have & use the GDS-2204E. At the current price point it is better value for money compared to the Rigol DS1054Z. Anything else means going a couple of US $100 up in price. But as you wrote: every scope has it's strong points and weaknesses. It is not like you can buy one unit that has all the features.The 'owner' of this forum did a teardown a long time ago but I'm pretty sure he got a prototype-ish / demo unit instead of a production model.

author: TheLaSwamp
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 28, 2022, 12:18:11 am
content: I looked up the GDS-2204E. That looks like a very nice scope. I wish I was in at that price point. I like the bigger screen. Indeed, that'd be overkill for the things I would use it for. I probably don't really need another scope, but I saw the teardown on the one I have. Needless to say, it's pretty bare-bones on the inside, nothing like the Rigols and Instek. Both of them look vastly more advanced than what I have.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2022, 12:40:53 am
content: Why not get a Micsig?Easy to transport, battery powered, big touch screen... awesomely responsive and fast to use.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2022, 12:45:46 am
content: Quote from: TheLaSwamp on March 27, 2022, 11:36:55 pmSeparate channel controls, a proper button to push for menu selections instead of pushing a twisty knob, responsive UI, very good price.https://www.testequipmentdepot.com/instek/oscilloscopes/digital/50-mhz-4-channel-digital-oscilloscope-gds-1054b.htm

author: TheLaSwamp
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 31, 2022, 10:55:41 am
content: I've still been on the fence about what to get. I saw a recommendation for the Siglent SDS1104X-U and I looked it up. It's at the very top of my budget, but it looks like it's more of the total package than the Rigol or Instek. The DS1202Z-E looks nice, but it's only 2-channel and it retails for $339. The GDS-1054B is within $15 of the Siglent. I saw the teardown on the SDS1104X-U and it looks like it has nice build quality. It's not a $1k scope, obviously, but I don't need something that exotic or powerful. Anyone here have that scope and like it?

author: mbratch
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2022, 09:10:02 pm
content: Any of the decent 4-channel entry level scopes from GW Instek, Siglent, or Rigol are at that $399 price point and, yes, you can occasionally find them discounted somewhat. For what you want to do you really can't go wrong with any of them. I have the Rigol DS1054Z (which I "hacked" to be a DS1104Z). I bought it for about $330 open box as new on eBay. It was completely unused and all the accessories were still wrapped. I've grown to like the Rigol UI because I'm just a couple of button presses away from just about any function. The web interface and application remote interface suck totally, but I don't need them and, so, I don't care.Siglent has done a better job in this regard. I haven't read up as much on the GW Instek.