Does any body know where i can get a cheap oscilliscope - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Tom10000
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 06:45:04 am
content: Hello,i am a 12 year old in sydney australia i am looking for my very first oscilloscopei cant get a cheap one off ebay because all of the cheap ones come out of the US and the shipping costs more than the actual oscilliscope.from Tom10000

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 07:45:06 am
content: Quote from: Tom10000 on May 03, 2017, 06:45:04 amWhat do you call cheap Tom ?Do you have a chance to save or earn, say with a paper round ?We all want something for nothing but we value more the things we have saved and paid for.Be patient, work and study hard and you will get what you want in the end.In a few years if you don't go the way of so many wasting their money on grog or worse even the price of a new DSO won't seem like a lot. Stay strong and don't lose sight of your goals.Keep an eye on the Buy/Sell/Wanted on the forum and place a Wanted ad there too.

author: X
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 07:47:54 am
content: You may find something in gumtree.com.au, and you can either go to the place to pick it up or have them ship it over to you, since these sellers are all in Oz.If you can find a good analog scope (some even give these out for free!) then you will learn a lot from them.Also if you've just started in electronics, consider whether you really need an oscilloscope at this stage. You are far better off with a cheap Jaycar DMM while learning how things work, an oscilloscope is usually good once you start getting into analysing how a signal changes, or analysing waveforms/oscillations.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 08:12:27 am
content: Local hackspaces/makerspaces often have scopes that can be used. I'm trying to persuade my local hackspace to give 4 away, leaving only 6A *working* analogue scope is almost certainly useful for you, and has the advantage that all the settings are visible on the front panel. Modern digitising scopes are far more complex, and many important settings are hidden in menu systems; that makes them more difficult for beginners to understand and use effectively.Don't ignore the cost of probes; you wouldn't believe the cost of high-end probes!You can do a lot of electronics with a PSU, a meter, a switch, and an LED. It requires more thought, understanding and imagination - but those are good qualities to cultivate. (And will impress any potential employer in your CV and during interview).

author: danadak
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 10:11:10 am
content: You can start with a PC sound card based scope for free. Will give you basicallyaudio rang scope, spectrum analyzer, and function generator all using yourPC sound card.https://www.zeitnitz.eu/scope_enhttp://www.zelscope.com/http://www.ledametrix.com/oscope/http://www.virtins.com/downloads.shtmlBut first build a simple circuit to protect sound card inputs so you do notruin from transients, overvoltage. Google "protect sound card input".For examplehttp://makezine.com/projects/sound-card-oscilloscope/Regards, Dana.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 07:32:08 pm
content: Checking with schools and universities is definitely a good place to start. Also if you have something like craigslist that can be a good source, and the buy/sell/wanted section of this forum. Another thing you can do is set up a saved search on ebay filtered to return local results, it will notify you if anything comes up. If you are willing to take something that is big and heavy that increases the chance of finding something that's very cheap or even free, especially if it's not in great cosmetic condition or has some problems. I wouldn't pay for a broken one but free is a good price even if it's only partially working.

author: jimdeane
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2017, 03:48:33 pm
content: Maybe Dave will let you sweep floors and count parts at his lab in exchange for one of the bazillion scopes he has lurking around.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2017, 05:11:42 pm
content: Heck I'd sweep floors and count parts just to have a look around the lab and hang out with Dave for a bit but it's about as far away from me as it's possible to get without leaving the planet.