If I were to buy a scope for audio circuit testing purposes, what would you recommend ?
pc based vs standalone
what would be the must have features for audio circuit analysis ?
Let's limit the budget please. If the scope would cost as much as a Pass amp, I'd buy the amp instead.
Gert
pc based vs standalone
what would be the must have features for audio circuit analysis ?
Let's limit the budget please. If the scope would cost as much as a Pass amp, I'd buy the amp instead.
Gert
Re: "Audio" Oscilloscope features
timolien said:If I were to buy a scope for audio circuit testing purposes, what would you recommend ?
pc based vs standalone
what would be the must have features for audio circuit analysis ?
Let's limit the budget please. If the scope would cost as much as a Pass amp, I'd buy the amp instead.
-----------------------------------------------
Get an analogue with as wide a badwidth as you can afford; making sure it is in good condition.
Unless you have loads of money, digital/computer based scopes have limited dynamic range 8 to 12 bits and the spectrum analysers are not really good enough. A good sound card (24/96 and not Creative) and Cool EDit will give you good spectral analysis ability.
NOT PC-based. You want 2 channels, and >10MHz of bandwidth. These can be picked up S/H for £100. However, if you pay a little more, (£200-£250) you could get a Tek 465, which is a proper oscilloscope, and has 100MHz of bandwidth. If you're serious, go for a 100MHz Tek.
I paid £4.25 for my first oscilloscope (the 25p was for the optional mains lead). It was made by Solartron, and was a two-man lift.
I paid £4.25 for my first oscilloscope (the 25p was for the optional mains lead). It was made by Solartron, and was a two-man lift.
The first o-scope I had was a Tek 555. Another two man lift and two trips too. This one had a seperate power supply chassis which had 24 tubes providing the regulated voltage for the main chassis. The scope tube was a dual beam tube and you could plug in 2 dual trace modules for quad trace operation. The scope was about 75 lbs. and the power supply was over 100 lbs. 13amps. @ 120VAC power requirement. State of the art in 1960.
Later
BZ
Later
BZ
you would spend as much on a decent PC scope as you would on a TEK machine in very good shape. Tektronix does have a PC Based option, btw, Gage Instruments, but tres cher!
I've owned about a dozen scopes -- I really liked my TEK 453 - 50MHz bandwidth, little cousin to the 456 -- it cost me $50 with cart. I have also used the 5XXX series, but these are real boatanchors, serious low noise scopes. I would avoid the TEK 2215 as the CRT mechanism is really fragile -- not a good scope for an undergraduate physics lab as I have said here before. I had one in and it cost me as much for a CRT as the scope, but after that it worked fine.
With regard to bandwidth -- the tradeoff is (as mentioned a few minutes ago on another thread) you start to delve into the realm of probes which approximate the cost of a scope.
I've owned about a dozen scopes -- I really liked my TEK 453 - 50MHz bandwidth, little cousin to the 456 -- it cost me $50 with cart. I have also used the 5XXX series, but these are real boatanchors, serious low noise scopes. I would avoid the TEK 2215 as the CRT mechanism is really fragile -- not a good scope for an undergraduate physics lab as I have said here before. I had one in and it cost me as much for a CRT as the scope, but after that it worked fine.
With regard to bandwidth -- the tradeoff is (as mentioned a few minutes ago on another thread) you start to delve into the realm of probes which approximate the cost of a scope.
A 50MHz dual channel will get you far. As will a delayed timebase.
For audio work, rise time may not be the most important, but high sensitivity is.
Use a HP180D myself, 25kg. Dropped it once, made a dent in the carpet but the scope is fine Also have the manual and a second one for spares.
For audio work, rise time may not be the most important, but high sensitivity is.
Use a HP180D myself, 25kg. Dropped it once, made a dent in the carpet but the scope is fine Also have the manual and a second one for spares.
If I were to buy a scope for audio circuit testing purposes, what would you recommend ?
I´d go for a Tek series 7000. This are IMO the most universal scopes ever made. There are all kinds of plug-ins avaiable, from general purpose, ultrahigh sensivity differential, storage, to highest bandwith.
With the according plug-ins You can convert it to a sampling scope, spectrum analyzer, curve tracer etc. etc.
The nice thing is You can begin with the required basic equipment, a mainframe, a universal purpose Vertical-Amp and Time-Base plug-in and You can buy and upgrade later to whatever You need or want afford.
You`ll find hundrets of series 7000 mainframes and plug-ins on ebay - and they are dirt cheap meanwhile.
like this?
here's a 7633 that nobody is bidding on, it's been through at least one other round unbid:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2555429414&category=45005
talk about dirt cheap. is this one to avoid, or is it decent for a starter.
it has no plugins, which might be one reason noone's bidding on it. plus it's an 'as-is' sale, but that doesn't seem to stop bidders on many other models. are plugins necessary for operation? how expensive are they?
/andrew
**edit: oops someone got it, for 10 bucks.
here's a 7633 that nobody is bidding on, it's been through at least one other round unbid:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2555429414&category=45005
talk about dirt cheap. is this one to avoid, or is it decent for a starter.
it has no plugins, which might be one reason noone's bidding on it. plus it's an 'as-is' sale, but that doesn't seem to stop bidders on many other models. are plugins necessary for operation? how expensive are they?
/andrew
**edit: oops someone got it, for 10 bucks.
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