Newly purchased OWON VDS 1022i - probe question - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: _jryan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 16, 2019, 09:23:39 pm
content: Hello everyone,Though this is my first post I've lurked here and on the eevblog YT channel for some time. I recently purchased my first scope and was hoping I could get a little advice - I'm a complete oscilloscope noob, and have only dabbled with building circuits. Mostly, I write software.I have a pet project building digital cinema cameras using machine vision modules and I need to build an electronic trigger / exposure controller that will connect to the camera's GPIO. I could easily mess up my camera (it's a 24v PLC which will work with 5v TTL) so I wanted to validate the controller output with a scope and dmm before connecting it to the camera proper.After much research here and elsewhere I chose the OWON VDS 1022i.Long story short, I was expecting a particular probe model but got something different. Though it's not really stated officially anywhere I was expecting the P2060 probes but instead received the P7060 probes. My belief these are inferior from the bits and pieces I could glean. Before purchasing I even asked the seller and they said they didn't know specifically the probe model but the photo shows the model I'll receive (it shows the P2060).My questions - Are the P7060's in fact inferior to the P2060's? General quality and that sort of thing. Would it be worthwhile to wait on the seller to replace the probes, refund and re-purchase elsewhere, etc, or are the probes equally adequate and there would be no real functional difference between the two.I'm a complete noob and what I received is far better than what I had and I'm sure I could get to work testing my camera trigger. I also like to get the longest possible life out of my tools (my dmm is now almost 20 years old and still awesome) and holding out for the P2060 probes wouldn't be wasted time.Deep gratitude for any advice that can be offered.jay

author: _jryan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 16, 2019, 09:40:44 pm
content: A little addendum....I read what specs I could find for the two probe models, which was rather light, and wasn't able to decide from that if I should just use the P7060's or hold out for the P2060's.What raised the question is purely visual. The compensation trim pot on the P2060's is at the base of the cable in a rather substantial block whereas it's just a flimsy screw on the top of the cable for the P7060 - I know both models are low end though. This just leads me to believe the voltage divider and compensation in the P2060 is of much better construction.

author: Jwillis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2019, 05:10:00 am
content: Both are very similar and work pretty much the same. The P2060 looks to have better construction.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2019, 10:07:27 am
content: Irrc, both probes are specified at 60MHz. Given the 25MHz bandwidth of the Owon, you're really not going to see a difference in practice.Spending out on another set of probes (unless the other ones break) is, to some extent, taking away from the good value for money that you got with the scope. Just get on with enjoying using it.P.S. looking at ebay listing photos, P2060 seems to a blanket term covering the ones with the metal bnc and the plastic sleeved BNC anyway.

author: _jryan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 17, 2019, 11:15:06 pm
content: Thank you both for the great advice!I'm glad to know there will be no real practical difference, at least through my noob coloured glasses, and will get to work. I won't need it for a few days so I'll see what the seller has to say in that time, I won't sweat it though.Thanks again!