$250 or less 100mhz oscilloscope? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: iLearn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 11, 2013, 05:21:48 pm
content: Hi EEV Blog community.I'm looking for my first oscilloscope to use on car projects and hopefully any car-related engineering projects when I start graduate school next semester (mechanical engineering). I read the rave reviews about the Rigol 50mhz being hacked to 100mhz, but even that is above my $250 budget.So, I wanted to ask you more experienced folks, what are some good 100mhz oscilloscope options for $250 or less in this new 2013 year? (the more portable the better)I'm also open to any diy kits as long as they have beginner-friendly build instructions.

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2013, 05:45:24 pm
content: All the analog you want, or some old hp with vey limited sample rate.

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2013, 06:19:46 pm
content: I bought a Tektronix TDS380 oscilloscope (2 channel, 400MHz, 2GSa/s, 1kpt) on ebay for less than $250. With shipping. But it takes patience and knowing enough to decide what is a good deal when you see it.

author: iLearn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 11, 2013, 08:45:56 pm
content: Quote from: dfmischler on July 11, 2013, 06:19:46 pmThank you for your input guys and this is why I'm asking you more experienced EEVBloggers. I'm a beginner, but I want to get something that won't limit me 1-2 years from now as I become more knowledgeable in engineering and small electronic projects. I understand the Rigol DS1052E has been out a while now, is there a better 2013 alternative?(yes, I've searched the forum, but need some help since I'm a n00b)

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 11, 2013, 10:47:54 pm
content: Quote from: dfmischler on July 11, 2013, 06:19:46 pmThe one in israel? Haha I linked that one to a few people.

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2013, 12:29:31 am
content: Quote from: marshallh on July 11, 2013, 10:47:54 pmNo. Mine was purchased in, I think, 2010. Shipping from Israel to the USA would probably be a deal killer...

author: Chalky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2013, 02:52:11 am
content: Quote from: iLearn on July 11, 2013, 05:21:48 pmHow about portability? I bought a Fluke 123 portable scope, which is great for cars, but the guy who sold it reckons that Picoscope is the way to go. Never used one of those myself, just thought worth mentioning.

author: iloveelectronics
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2013, 04:33:39 am
content: I don't think you will be able to find any new 100MHz DSO for under $250, except for some unknown Chinese brands before any shipping fee is added. Your best bet would be to find some used equipment.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 12, 2013, 09:03:36 pm
content: There is no brand new scope with 100Mhz capability and some portability for <$250 - just not going to happen.Do you really need 100Mhz capability? I can't see many (any?) situations where that would be needed for automotive work.

author: PA4TIM
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2013, 11:42:31 pm
content: 100 mHz ? Just place a very good Low Pass filter and you can use any scope that has a 1 sec/div timebase. A DSO would be best. Otherwise you only see a slow moving dot.Sorry, could not resist it. It is MHz. 1 mHz is 0.001 Hz.Buy a good secondhand analog Tek instead of a Chinese toy scope.

author: iLearn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 14, 2013, 09:49:25 pm
content: Ok guys,how about the best bang/buck PC USB oscilloscope with 100MHz accurate bandwidth?Recently, I'm playing with PropScope. It's very visually-comfortable to use because my laptop monitor is much bigger than most dso display screens. Unfortunately, the propscope is not accurate to 100MHZ..http://www.parallax.com/go/propscope

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 14, 2013, 10:28:16 pm
content: 25 MS/s would be good for a few MHz real-time bandwidth. From what I gather from the extremely limited specs, its vertical range is also extremely limited (1/2/10/20 V full scale). Yet another toy.Some Picoscope models might be suitable for your application, but they're not going to be under $250. And the UI still sucks compared to a stand-alone scope for general purpose use. In my opinion, either pony up cash for a real DSO (DS1102E would probably be the cheapest that I would consider), or

author: iLearn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 15, 2013, 02:12:43 am
content: Thank you to those of you who contributed your valuable and experienced advice.Per your advice, I've decided to wait a little more and buy something when I have a budget of ~$400. At the $400-$500 (USD) range, which 100MHz oscilloscopes do you guys recommend(including the PC-USB based interface ones)that have a bigger display screen compared to Rigol while also being battery powered and somewhat portable?

author: iLearn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 03, 2013, 10:33:56 pm
content: I just purchased a Rigol DS1052E that is still in 50Mhz mode, but it feels like great quality and I'm excited to learn everything about it!Currently, I'm educating myself on all the functions and will test everything. One thing I'm pleasantly surprised is the fact that it's much more portable than I anticipated.YES, I have my 1st oscilloscope, woohoo!Btw, are there any fun automotive applications any of you have used this oscilliscope on for fun and testing, etc?

author: Chalky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2013, 11:45:58 pm
content: Quote from: iLearn on August 03, 2013, 10:33:56 pmGood choice! In-car automotive is a bit hard with that scope unless you're able to run a mains lead out to the car - I used a portable scope recently when I was proving that my power windows were not causing significant drop in the voltage level at my bluetooth car kit.

author: iLearn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 13, 2013, 07:30:08 pm
content: Hey guys (and gals),are there any good oscilloscope tests you can recommend me beside what's in the manual to make sure this oscilloscope is working 100% perfect?

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2013, 07:52:39 pm
content: The classic test is to feed the scope a square wave or pulse edge with a fast rise time. Sub nanosecond would do it. The scope should show the edge rising at the scope's maximum slew rate (which for a 50 MHz scope should take around 7 nanoseconds or less).