need of scope - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 02:00:49 pm
content: Hello, I'm a 12 year old and I love electronics I've made a few things one of them is a robot the other was a Bluetooth music streamer using a raspberry pi.I live in the United States, Washington state. I can't afford one because I don't have a job but I was able scrape up a little bit of money to buy a multimeter and it's nice.If anyone would be willing to donate a oscilloscope I would appreciate it a lot.(And I have stuff other than just a multimeter) and I may be able to buy one for a small price.

author: Isad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 03:38:10 pm
content: Hey mate.I am 17 and started a bit early then you.I didnt have any arduino or rpi stuff but it was fun stilli didnt get my 1 scope till 16 so yeah it was a long ride but i got 2 that day i wish i live in the US wouldgive you the seconde one drirectly its a analog one but it wroks fine.Have you tried your local uni or makerspacei know there is quit a lot in the US.

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 03:41:04 pm
content: No I have not done that yet I will do that,Thanks for the advice-Luke

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 04:07:09 pm
content: I've had no luck so I would love a donation

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 04:10:11 pm
content: what state are you in Luke ?. just a question ok.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 04:14:54 pm
content: You can get a very long way with a multimeter, with a little imagination. I designed and built an Altair-8080 class computer (I preferred a 6800!) from scratch with only a multimeter and some LEDs. (Seehttps://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/category/vintage-2/if you might be interested/horrified at the available construction techniques!)The basic trick is to design and debug a tiny bit of your circuit or program at a time, not to put everything together and then try to find out what's working.For example, if you wanted to send serial data from a microcontroller (e.g. Arduino) to an LCD display over a serial link then you would measure the voltage on the serial line and:when first switched and doing nothing, the voltage will be nearly Vcc or Gndwrite a program that sends one character. The voltage should twitch slightlywrite a program that sends one character repeatedly, and does nothing else. The voltage should be constant and different to (1)write a program that sends a "space", i.e. 00100000, measure the voltage, which should be lowwrite a program that sends a "~", i.e. 01111110, measure the voltage; it should much higher than the previous examplewrite a program that sends a "p", i.e. 01110000, measure the voltage, about halfway between the twoAt that point you are pretty sure you understand how what you put in your program appears on the output, and can then repeat that kind of strategy with sending simple commands to the LCD.

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 04:19:07 pm
content: I live in Washington state.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 04:22:01 pm
content: What sort of things do you want to use a scope for, telling us will help anyone wanting to help you decide if the one they have hiding in a corner would suit you and the use you want it for.

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 04:31:08 pm
content: I would read the voltage over time, see if my circuits will behave correctly before I put it in something, and frequency

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 04:53:19 pm
content: I personally can not send you one, but do not give up because it looks as if you are not getting anywhere here, likewise ignore all the nasty or hard sounding replies to your posts, not everyone who posts such hard sounding comments is being nasty too you, some will be secretly watching to see if you give up and walk away, or if you can roll with the hard as well as the smooth in life. Some will be thinking on it and others may be waiting to see if you can put a bit of hard work into getting one and then step in to help you out if they see you are.Many of them are just grouchy old men who roar from being old ( think of them as Mr Wilson from dennis the menace ) but inside are lambs who will help someone they see as young as you if you can show them your sincerity in electronics and that it is not a fad you will give up tomorrow.Garry

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 05:05:11 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on July 10, 2015, 04:53:19 pmVery very true.Many people have foundhttp://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#introhelpful in the long run. It is getting a bit verbose and terse, but there's a lot of valuable folk wisdom in there.

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 05:06:23 pm
content: Wow that was inspiring thank you for all of your help and I will not give up I will find one.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 21, 2015, 09:24:13 am
content: How are you getting on in the hunt for a scope Luke.

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2015, 04:57:17 pm
content: Not very well

author: tyguy2
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 22, 2015, 05:16:05 pm
content: http://www.ebay.com/itm/291519359775?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIThttp://www.ebay.com/itm/151752718058?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIThttp://www.ebay.com/itm/231462814525?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIThttp://www.ebay.com/itm/B-K-Model-1405-Oscilloscope-1-/221827665937?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33a5f59011http://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-OS9020A-20MHz-OSCILLOSCOPE-/141717462750?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20ff04dedeHere's a few interesting scopes for sale.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 22, 2015, 06:37:40 pm
content: whats your zip code.

author: Mephitus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2015, 08:02:30 pm
content: I am also looking for a scope. Here are some more that I have found:http://www.ebay.com/itm/291519834983http://www.ebay.com/itm/141720543420http://www.ebay.com/itm/331609990969http://www.ebay.com/itm/261961392386(Possibly an awesome score)http://www.ebay.com/itm/400962022530(in seattle, might be able to save shipping)http://www.ebay.com/itm/161768949545http://www.ebay.com/itm/321789660657(free shipping)http://www.ebay.com/itm/252028564081http://www.ebay.com/itm/201389946722http://www.ebay.com/itm/181809667485http://www.ebay.com/itm/400959655493(also in seattle)http://www.ebay.com/itm/261948352636(might need some TLC. Likely a gamble?)http://www.ebay.com/itm/231629339556http://www.ebay.com/itm/201389584122http://www.ebay.com/itm/131557930124(Free shipping. This will move QUICK)

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2015, 09:05:52 pm
content: Mephitus do you like to gamble? If so any will do.If you live in Seattle see if you can look at the 465, the 465 is popular (look how many bids). There is a large chance on all that they will need some sort of work, so if I had to pick one I would go for the Heath just because I think it would be the easiest to clean and fix.I gambled on a couple of analog scopes (wished the Heath was available when I gambled) and the best one has very very dirty switches, so bad that it is unusable. Both had photos of a trace and both had good CRTs. The other one arrived with a broken CRT, but I had to pay shipping.I am sure there is a good one on your list.Also think about the size of these monsters (I only looked about half of your list)

author: Mephitus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2015, 09:46:49 pm
content: ez24Actually, I am trying to save up a few bucks to snag one that is available locally:http://goo.gl/XHj5y0I am waiting on a refund check from a business before I can afford it. Hopefully one of those tek scopes will still be available.

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2015, 11:26:01 pm
content: $50 for a 465 - would not last 2 min where I live - working or not

author: tyguy2
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 23, 2015, 12:19:34 am
content: Ugh I just bought a scope (probably paid more than I should have) from eBay, I knew I should have checked the Eevblog first.These are some great deals.

author: Mephitus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2015, 02:59:39 am
content: Quote from: ez24 on July 22, 2015, 11:26:01 pmAs soon as I can scrape together the funds, its mine!

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2015, 07:47:45 am
content: Quote from: Code_004 on July 10, 2015, 05:06:23 pmLuke,many people will "shy away" when they hear your age.It is sad,but many folks are wary about interacting "one on one" with young people,& will want to know if you have the approval of a Parent or Guardian.A young bloke about your age was looking for an Oscilloscope a few years back.I got to the point where I was going to send him one,but he was quite cagey when I asked him to get a Parent to contact me to say it was OK,so he never got his 'scope.Imagine the reaction of your Father or Mother if this thing suddenly turns up in the mail from "some weirdo you talked to on the Internet".They'd probably call out the bomb squad!

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 23, 2015, 07:50:51 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 23, 2015, 07:47:45 amYou have now voiced all my own concerns and why I was being a bit cagey with him on sending him one myself, that and that I would want to know he really is 12 and not a 40 year old ..

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2015, 02:52:43 am
content: I have found a scope, it's a Tektronix I'm going to buy it in 2 weeks. Thank you! For helping me and being supportive!😀

author: Mephitus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2015, 02:37:29 pm
content: Quote from: Code_004 on September 30, 2015, 02:52:43 amCongratz! I was able to pick up that 465 I mentioned in an earlier post:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/newly-aquired-tek-465-scope/msg716595/When yours comes in, we would love to see some pics/teardown of what you snagged!

author: Code_004
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2015, 01:18:00 am
content: Totally!

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2015, 04:56:40 am
content: A little late in this thread; maybe a backup/contingency plan (and you would want to check it out to make sure it's in good order):https://bellingham.craigslist.org/ele/5234419876.htmlMight be too "vintage" (but only 2 owners so far?); $80The Tektronix 453 is a portable 50 MHz dual-trace oscilloscope introduced in 1966 and produced until the mid-1970's.The main market driver for the 453 scope was IBM.They wanted a portable scope for Computer Field Engineers to use for working on mainframe computers.In addition, they had a requirement that the scope had to fit under an airline seat, another reason for its size and the front cover.You can even find 453's (and 465's/475's) with IBM screened on the front panel by Tek.The 453 also marks the first time that any oscilloscope, (or perhaps any other piece of test equipment), had a lockable dual duty tilt bail carrying handle.- Seattle seems to have a pretty good market for used scopes