Tek TDS5054B for under 1K USD still good in 2023? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: ptech1231
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 22, 2023, 08:28:28 pm
content: Hi all,I have an opportunity to purchase a very good condition TDS5054B for 800 USD.I'm wondering if this is still a good buy in 2023 or should I look for something else.I currently have a Picoscope 3204D that I use for my projects but I don't like that I need to have my laptop connected to and that it doesn't have knobs and buttons.The TDS5054B caught my eye since it's a higher end scope that I think I won't be outgrowing for a long while. The tekprobe interface also has a lot of accessories that I can get affordably on the used market.

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2023, 07:38:21 pm
content: Are high bandwidth essentiel for your need?If not, I would think twice before jumping on a multiple old decade scope running windows 2000 which can be a pain as ones main scope.Im not sure what the bootup time is on one of these, but wouldnt be suprised if its around 1½ to 2 minutes if its still on a mechanical drive.Are you able to repair it yourself, change caps etc. as some people loves to fiddle with that, while others dont, and just want a hazzle free experience.Here in 2023 you can get some quite decent new model scopes for under a grand, but they aint 500Mhz.

author: KungFuJosh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2023, 08:42:16 pm
content: Quote from: DaneLaw on July 24, 2023, 07:38:21 pmNot that far off though. The regular price of the SDS2104X+ is $1400, and it's been on sale closer to $1k. That can easily beimprovedto 500MHz.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2023, 11:40:50 pm
content: Quote from: ptech1231 on July 22, 2023, 08:28:28 pmThis is an excellent point, for "fancy" scopes it is fairly common to spend as much money (or more) on the probes as on the scope its self. Tekprobe is affordable

author: Weston
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2023, 12:40:53 am
content: Buying probes with the tekprobe interface make sense because a lot of adapters exists. You should be able to get the Tektronix 1103 external power supply for the tekprobe interface for <$200 off ebay if you are patient, <$300 if you want something now. And a lot of companies (Siglent and Rigol at least) have adapters from tekptobe to their own probe interface.Its a bit funny, for some active probes there are tekprobe and tekVPI versions and the tekprobe version sells for a lot more on ebay because there are no adapters to use tekVPI probes with other equipment (I think there are some IP issues involved?).Beyond the built in tekprobe interface do the other features of the TDS5054B make sense? A scope running an old version of windows is going to be a bit of a pain to deal with and take a long time to boot. You might find the limited memory depth and lack of protocol decodes (?) limiting. And not to mention the lack of warranty and possibly hardware issues with something that old.Price wise you are pretty close to a (software unlocked) SDS2104X+ or MSO5074 with similar bandwidth, and they both support a logic analyzer too.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2023, 05:22:40 am
content: Quote from: ptech1231 on July 22, 2023, 08:28:28 pmThat depends on whether you want something that has a warranty and "just works" or not.Quote from: ptech1231 on July 22, 2023, 08:28:28 pmThe same can be said of a modern "2000-series" DSO (in fact they be even more growth-proof).Quote from: ptech1231 on July 22, 2023, 08:28:28 pmOn the flip side: The Tek still has a lot of value if you're going to take advantage of that.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2023, 03:53:11 pm
content: Quote from: ptech1231 on July 22, 2023, 08:28:28 pmYou have to define what you need first. Buying probes that work on any oscilloscope is typically a better idea because then you aren't stuck to a particular brand.Another problem is that you can't adjust these scopes without external software / equipment AND you might run into trouble with non-volatile memories failing at some point. I have bought and owned many oscilloscopes but not a model from this series because maintenance is just too cumbersome.Like others already wrote: if you pony up a little bit extra money, you can buy a new, hobby grade DSO that can also do 500MHz.