Need oscilloscope - what to buy?

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2 channels would be pretty minimal. Most audio is fairly low frequency, but circuits can oscillate at many megahertz.

The standard bench oscilloscope for many, many years (if there is such a thing) has mostly been 2-channel, 100 MHz bandwidth, and more often than not, Tektronix.

Pretty good scopes are available at reasonable prices these days from manufacturers such as Rigol. Worst thing about them might be that the probe hook clips don't last very long before going intermittent. Also, not quite as many trigger options as Tektronix, but still pretty usable most of the time. Many people seem quite happy with them.

For those on a very low budget, ebay is one place to look. It's possible to get a very minimal scope for maybe $30. Of course, that's about what they are worth.
 
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I'd keep an eye out for a used Tektronix 2215 (2-channel, 60 MHz, analog). If you do buy on eBay, get a calibrated one from a reputable seller who knows how to pack these items for shipment.
My first scope was a 2215. I still have it... It was superseded by a Tek 2465B (4-channel, 400 MHz) that I fished out of the surplus pile at work and repaired.

I'd stay away from the various USB scopes as their sensitivities tend to suck. If you do consider a USB scope, definitely get one with a sensitivity below 10 mV.

Also have a look at the many "which scope should I buy" threads here.

Tom
 
im in europe...so the options in USA are impossible to consider due to shipping costs.

The rigol 1102 it's above my budget. i Was thinking in a used one from other brands. Maybe the tektronix.

What other brands can i consider if 2 channel analog?
 
You might want to check out the older Fluke/Philips combiscopes. Watch out however, they tend to be a bit overrated. In Europe, a second-hand analog Hameg can be had for peanuts, while being quite OK nonetheless.

If you need an analog scope, look for Tek, Hameg, Hp, Fluke, Philips, Lecroy. Prices of these are dropping fast, because of the availability of cheap digital scopes that mop the floor with them in daily use. A digital scope is a different matter: older mid to high end models may be worthwhile (and tend to fetch good money still), but lower end older digital scopes of the traditional brands are vastly outperformed by the cheap offerings from Rigol, Siglent, GW Instek to name a few.

If I were you, I'd look either for a (very) cheap analog scope (you can sometimes get one for free from universities or companies that clear out their basements), or save a few more euros and buy a recent entry-level digital scope like a Rigol 1000Z.

EDIT Stay away from the kind of rubbish mentioned in post #2. It's a toy, nothing more. That is, if it reaches you in working order, otherwise it's a poorly made doorstop. For that money you can get something far better second-hand, and if you have a simple brand-name oscilloscope, chances are good that you can fix it when it needs repair. Although the right CRT tends to be a bit harder to find nowadays.
 
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There is something to be said for "USB Oscilloscopes". Namely, that with waveform capture, your PC can in turn do math transformations such as spectrum analysis … essentially "for free". Use that CPU for something smart!

I echo other folks' feelings that 20 MHz is a minimum bandwidth. and that 2 channels are also a minimum. But don't go crazy, either. You don't need 8 channels and 100 MHz for audio work. The other nice thing about USB scopes is they now often come with onboard arbitrary waveform signal generators up to 1 megasample/second. This can be great for seeing the response of your audio electronics to 'interesting' waveforms. And you can read out the response and do FFTs. (spectrum analysis)

See those even and odd harmonics. Measure the level. Consider what it all means.

FINAL THOUGHT: there's not a darn thing wrong either with getting a nice, used, perhaps even well-used conventional scope off Ebay. Wouldn't spend more than $100 on a used scope of vanilla vintage specs tho. A hundred is enough.

The nice thing about used scopes is that they're almost always shipped with probes. not costing extra. The not-so-nice thing is that very often the probes are no longer reliable without serious cleaning and refurbishing by YOU the experimenter. Small price to pay for a Tektronix scope and decent tippy-clip gold 10:1 active probes!!!

GoatGuy
 
im in europe...so the options in USA are impossible to consider due to shipping costs.

The rigol 1102 it's above my budget. i Was thinking in a used one from other brands. Maybe the tektronix.

What other brands can i consider if 2 channel analog?

First off, for the Rigol, you would get the DS1054Z, not the DS1102Z. The main reason being, as a hobbyist, you can easily unlock all of the optional functions of the DS1054Z (including bandwidth) by using a certain website that somehow combines the words Rigol and LOL. In essence, making your a DS1102Z+ (fully optioned out) for only $375. Literally, one of the best values on the market, with a few Siglent models and the newly introduced Keysight X1000 Infinivision series fighting for second. I have the EDU-X1002G (G version includes integrated function generator and can use it to do Bode plots) and it is very clear they went for top quality, the interface and use is smooth as butter and have yet to encounter ANY issues.
 

rjm

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Depends what price range is acceptable, and what you actually want to do with the unit.

I use a Tektronics TBS1032B. It's about $500US. Has all the modern conveniences (LCD, small size, USB, digital storage) and the peace of mind of the Tektronics brand. If you are just looking at pulses from i.e. an pulse generator though audio equipment, it's more than enough.

With test equipment, confidence is more important than performance.

(At first I looked at USB scopes ... the screenless boxes that plug into your laptop. The problem there was that any decent one would soon get to the same price as the Tek unit, which doesn't need a laptop to use. I suspect the Tek pricing on the 1032B is "gateway drug" level, to get people into their products - it strikes me as a very good deal.)
 
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Depends what price range is acceptable, and what you actually want to do with the unit.

I use a Tektronics TBS1032B. It's about $500US. Has all the modern conveniences (LCD, small size, USB, digital storage) and the peace of mind of the Tektronics brand. If you are just looking at pulses from i.e. an pulse generator though audio equipment, it's more than enough.

With test equipment, confidence is more important than performance.

(At first I looked at USB scopes ... the screenless boxes that plug into your laptop. The problem there was that any decent one would soon get to the same price as the Tek unit, which doesn't need a laptop to use. I suspect the Tek pricing on the 1032B is "gateway drug" level, to get people into their products - it strikes me as a very good deal.)

Not to dump on your scope, but Tek REALLY needs to come down more on their prices, the 1032B isn't a bad scope per se. Specs are very low end for the modern era, but it has Tek build quality which is usually good. That being said, it sure as hell isn't price competitive with ANYTHING on the market from ANY manufacturer (even those that are equivalent in quality). Plus, I hope the interface isn't as slow as some of the more advanced Tek's can be (they use the same processor for the interface that processes data, which means a heavy load can cause it to lag).

For comparison to the Tek 1032B (which has 30Mhz, 2channels, 500MS/s, 2.5kPts mem, unknown waveform update rate, no "digital phosphor" feature which is a killer):

Keysight EDU-X1000A: 50Mhz, 2 channels, 1GS/s, 100kpts memory, 50,000 wfs/sec update rate, has intensity grading (aka digital phosphor), HP/Agilent/Keysight quality (which is on par with Tek). Price: $448

Siglent SDS1202X-E: 200Mhz, 2 channels, 1GS/s, 14MPts memory which can be split between channels, "up to" 100,000 wfs/sec, 256 step intensity grading. You also get essentially all decoders free. On the other hand, you get Siglent's lower quality, not horrible like Hantek, but you certainly don't want to buy right at product launch.

Rigol DS1054Z - Hackable to 100Mhz, 4 channel, 1GS/s shared between all channels, 24MPts memory, "up to" 30,000 wfs/sec, has intensity grading, Rigols quality which is on par with Siglent.

GWInstek - A virtual cornucopia of models in that range from $400-$500: with either 2 or 4 channels, varying from 50-100Mhz bandwidth, 1GSa/s, 10Mpt/channel memory, 50,000 wfs/sec, 256 step intensity gradient, GWInstek's OK quality (better than Siglent and Rigol but not Tek/Keysight).

Plus a smattering of other smaller players who are entering the game with lower quality stuff (Owon, Hantek, etc.)


As for OP, you don't give us a price range (if your price range is $100 then all you can find are used analog), you don't give us requirements on size (if you live in a small European apartment, then a huge analog scope is a major negative), you don't mention to use if you plan to do anything besides audio (if you plan to do digital work, a multi-purpose multi-function integrated device like the Analog Discovery 2 (PSU, Logic Analyzer, Function Generator, etc. all in one) might be more useful than a full-scale oscilloscope).
 
It depends on what you are going to use the scope for.
I have a 15MHz scope which works fine for most of what I want to do.
I paid £60 for it on ebay. The second channel doesn't work properly but I knew that when I bought it. I have had it for about 10 years now and it still works fine.

A USB scope can be useful for amateur work but remember it is always connected to ground through your PC.
 
I'd keep an eye out for a used Tektronix 2215 (2-channel, 60 MHz, analog). If you do buy on eBay, get a calibrated one from a reputable seller who knows how to pack these items for shipment.
My first scope was a 2215. I still have it... It was superseded by a Tek 2465B (4-channel, 400 MHz) that I fished out of the surplus pile at work and repaired.

I'd stay away from the various USB scopes as their sensitivities tend to suck. If you do consider a USB scope, definitely get one with a sensitivity below 10 mV.

Also have a look at the many "which scope should I buy" threads here.

Tom

The 2215 is one Tektronix scope I would take a pass on. The mesh screen on the CRT is subject to deformation if the scope is badly handled and you'll never get a correct trace if the instrument has been dropped.

I have a 2465B and it is excellent.

You can use Jan Didden's "Autoranger for soundcards" in front of a Digilent USB instrument.
 
Its only a hobby for me. (emphasis added)

Consider a portable scope.

For garden variety hobby type stuff, RF and AF, I have found a simple, handheld, one megahertz bandwidth, two channel, digital storage scope, to be adequate.

It takes up near zero space in my small bench work area; I have used it at the airport, my car shop, office, trouble shooting at the rentals, pretty much anywhere I would otherwise use a VOM. It counts frequency, and a few other useful functions in one meter.

The bandwidth is severely limited, but this isn't a big deal for hobby use. It will respond to considerably higher frequencies, but with reduced sensitivity, so the calibration is meaningless when it is out of its bandwidth. Often all I am looking for is a null or peak, or just the existence of a signal, and the exact value isn't all that important. It will easily peak a 10.7 MHz IF, null a balanced modulator, and let you look at the signal. If I suspect I have made an accidental oscillator, I probe around with a wavemeter or a frequency counter.

If you are going to play with tubes ( valves ), pay attention to the voltage rating on the inputs. Mine is marked for 600 volts maximum- pretty high for a handheld.

Mine is ten or twelve years old, a Protek S2401 - I'm sure much less money today would get much better resolution and bandwidth.

Win W5JAG
 
I'm no expert but I've been going through a similar process of trying to find the right test gear and the scope I have on loan needs to go back. After a lot of searching I'm going to give the Analog Discovery II a try it arrives on Monday. I know this isn't going to be an incredible scope but it has a load of features and the specs are pretty good for a USB scope... might be worth a look. Oh and there's a BNC breakout board with 2 scope channels and 2 waveform generator channels.
 
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