Thinking of getting this Philips scope

[Marcel_D]

Philips PM 3310 60MHz. For audio application of course. Is buying something this old with its analog-digital tech asking for trouble or would it be not too bad?

Philips PM 3310 60 MHz Portable Digital Oscilloscope on eBay.ca (item 230553862615 end time 22-Dec-10 09:57:45 EST)

[johansen]

I wouldn't.

there's 4-6 tektronix 2230/32 scopes on ebay right now for 100$
The digital capture is only 20MS/sec though, but the analogue bandwidth is 100MHz. I doubt that Philips has anything higher than a 20MS/sec sample rate, but I couldn't find a spec sheet for it, not to mention parts will be harder to find for it.

I can't really think of a digital scope that's worth the money right now.
I'm don't like those usb digital scopes in the sense that there's only 20$ worth of components in them, and the rest is our trade deficit.

[VictoriaGuy]

If it's working (the ad doesn't say....)and if you can get a manual (ad doesn't mention, as far as I could see), then it would probably be fine for audio work.
I don't know whether the price is reasonable or not, but the shipping costs (unstated in the ad) would be a factor in my decision.

The seller feedback is not very good - not a lot of eBay sales for a commercial operation, either.

If you are still interested (I wouldn't be) it's probably a good idea to give the seller a phone call on Monday.....

Cheers
John

[VictoriaGuy]

Mahawk-
A few more thoughts-
I agree with the Tektronic recommendation if you are thinking about resale at some point. Also, you will probably be able to get parts (or another scope for parts) easily with a Tek. Quality built. I found the Tek modular design to be very confusing when I was 'shopping' for scopes. Make sure you know what you are buying.

Have you used a scope before?
What sort of tests/work do you want to do with it?
The answer to the second question will determine what features you should be looking for.
I've got a couple of scopes (not expert user at all) and the simpler one is a lot easier to use, and is the one I turn to, most of the time.

John

[Marcel_D]

Well right now I've got a Class A amp project going and seems to have some sort of nasty oscillation which I can't pinpoint...or at least I haven't tried in a while. That's the main reason. I built the amp before I had a lot of experience with electronics so I've been considering just scrapping the thing and starting over. Design the circuitry myself this time around.

Also I'm working my way through an EE program so I figured I'd need a scope in the future anyways. I've used digital and analog scopes in the labs at the university. Things like finding the value of an inductor by measuring an ellipse on the scope's screen, resonating circuits, frequency responses, etc. Basic stuff since it's my first year. And I've recently been collecting broken electronics and fixing them so who knows, a scope may come in handy once or twice. So far my tool set consists of a single, cheap multimeter that cannot properly read AC voltages. It's sad really, but I found you can do a lot with just voltage and resistance measurements.

[spind]

Where are you located?

Steve.

[Marcel_D]

U of Saskatoon/SK.

[VictoriaGuy]

Your skill level with a scope is quite a bit above mine, from the sounds of it.

For (usually older) test gear for the budget-minded, ham (amateur radio) swap meets are usually worth a look. A couple of months ago I bought several (good) analog multimeters for $1 each, and there were some scopes, cap testers, power supplies, etc all at very reasonable prices.
Lots of older hams are clearing out the basement these days.....
Try contacting:
Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club

John

[LAJ]

parts too expensive. I've got an Iwatsu now. Bought it used and it works well. Like many things Japanese, it was a good deal for the money.

[spind]

Sorry for the slow reply. I have a Tek 465B available if you wanted a good analog.

Steve.