Budget Handheld Scope - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: HighMans
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2019, 03:17:32 pm
content: Hello all! What're y'all's recommendations for a cheap handheld scope? All I'm looking for is for something super basic that can plot voltage over time -- I'm mainly going to be using for diagnostics and repairing of electronics, I don't need any of the bells and whistles.

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2019, 03:49:28 pm
content: Here's a short intro/review of less than about 100us$ scopes:https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ixbt.com%2Flive%2Finstruments%2Fvybiraem-byudzhetnyy-karmannyy-oscillograf.html

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2019, 05:39:25 pm
content: It would be helpful if you could clarify your budget - peoples ideas of budget vary widely.Also, any particular reason that it needs to be handheld?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2019, 05:49:40 pm
content: "Diagnosing and repairing electronics" is a very broad topic, are you interested in working on low frequency things like audio gear and automotive electrical systems or are you working on microwave RF devices, or something in between?As others have said, "budget" can vary widely, to some a $5k instrument would be considered low cost, to others that is high end and out of their reach.The handheld requirement certainly limits the available options.

author: HighMans
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2019, 05:53:12 pm
content: Quote from: Gyro on October 27, 2019, 05:39:25 pm50-100$, I'm working with cars so having a large scope would be a bit unwieldy -- but it's not too big a deal.Quote from: james_s on October 27, 2019, 05:49:40 pmI'm working with automotive electrical systems, laptops, consumer electronics, stuff like that.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2019, 06:05:52 pm
content: Automotive is typically going to be low frequency stuff, at least if you're looking at things like crank/cam/distributor position sensors, injector pulses, etc. I don't think I have ever used a scope while working on a laptop, the signals in modern computers tend to be well up into the GHz and lots of differential signalling, it's the sort of thing requiring exotic and very expensive instruments to measure.$100 is going to limit you to what is effectively a toy, although one of the little Chinese pocket scope gadgets might be useful for the sort of automotive sensor signals I mentioned above. Looking at sold items on ebay it looks like you can occasionally find one of the older Fluke Scopemeter handhelds for under $300, other options are the inexpensive hobbyist aimed scopes like the popular Rigol and Siglent models which while not handheld are quite compact, you're looking at close to $400 for those though.Oscilloscopes are and always have been expensive instruments, and while they are an order of magnitude cheaper today than they were 30 years ago they are still not exactly cheap. It's one of those things where you can pick any two characteristics, useful, cheap, compact, can't have all three.

author: HighMans
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2019, 10:38:18 pm
content: I really wish I had 200-300$ to spend on a scope, but alas.

author: xxx2fan
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2019, 11:16:24 pm
content: look at this don't knowhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/ADS5012H-2-4-LCD-Screen-Digital-Mini-Oscilloscope-100MHz-Bandwidth-500MS-s/202706255564?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2019, 12:12:11 pm
content: Quote from: xxx2fan on November 06, 2019, 11:16:24 pmThis device has issues with triggering, it's being reverse engineered byataradovat the moment.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 07, 2019, 12:57:47 pm
content: Hantek makes an automotive scope for a little over $100 USD. Hantek and Owon make USB scopes around that same price point. You will need a laptop but that might be an option. You don't have your country flag but I am guessing by the use of y'all, you are here in the states?

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2019, 06:41:43 pm
content: Agreed, USB might be the way to go in order to meet reasonable specs (and dual channel) at the sub $100 level.In addition the the Hantek (or preferably) the Owon, Pico Technology also does a range of standard and automotive USB scopes, you are likely to run out budget pretty quickly on the Picos though...https://www.picotech.com/(particularly if you are in the US)https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/owon-vds1022i-quick-teardown-(versus-the-hantek-6022be)/