Try to make sure you get the full manual, including schematic, either when you buy, or better still, before you buy.
Boat Anchor Manual Archive
is great for this - they don't have everything, but they have a lot, and it's free, done for the love of it. They have moved in the past, if they move again, search. New stuff is still being added and contributions are very welcome.
Hopefully you won't need to do major repairs, but it's good to know you've got the schematic, I've certainly learnt useful stuff from them and I'm sure I use my scope better for having studied it.
Don't worry too much about bandwidth, you''ll pay through the nose for something decent that really goes high enough to see all the possible oscillations you could run into - mostly things like that change dramatically when you put a probe on them anyway, so think sideways a bit...
But do get one. Or two. I'd hate to be without one.
Boat Anchor Manual Archive
is great for this - they don't have everything, but they have a lot, and it's free, done for the love of it. They have moved in the past, if they move again, search. New stuff is still being added and contributions are very welcome.
Hopefully you won't need to do major repairs, but it's good to know you've got the schematic, I've certainly learnt useful stuff from them and I'm sure I use my scope better for having studied it.
Don't worry too much about bandwidth, you''ll pay through the nose for something decent that really goes high enough to see all the possible oscillations you could run into - mostly things like that change dramatically when you put a probe on them anyway, so think sideways a bit...
But do get one. Or two. I'd hate to be without one.
Is there a specific reason that everybody seems to steer clear from the cheap digital scopes?
With all the functions and automatic measurements they have now, they look very usefull to me. I use a few years old rigol, (with build in logic analyzer) and i like it a lot.
Paid 300euro for it. But if I had to buy now I would probably go for this: Oscilloscopes - Eleshop
The 2*100Mhz one from owon is only 450. I friend of mine has it and he likes it very much.
I really like the auto setting, but the measurements function is super. Avg,pp rms...everything just in your display. Also the mathematics.... Really nice for evaluating fase splitters...
Paul
With all the functions and automatic measurements they have now, they look very usefull to me. I use a few years old rigol, (with build in logic analyzer) and i like it a lot.
Paid 300euro for it. But if I had to buy now I would probably go for this: Oscilloscopes - Eleshop
The 2*100Mhz one from owon is only 450. I friend of mine has it and he likes it very much.
I really like the auto setting, but the measurements function is super. Avg,pp rms...everything just in your display. Also the mathematics.... Really nice for evaluating fase splitters...
Paul
Better to think that the probes are wired to the scope chassis.
This is normally mains earth, but can be floated using an isolation transformer.
Cliff
I use a 2Mhz Tek 500 series for all audio work. It has a very fine trace, nice big screen and various plugins, including true differential. <£100
For anything faster I use a 100Mhz HP.
This technique will only work if the amount the voltage is floating at is within the range of the scope amplifier.Or you are AC coupled.
the most important thing to look for is the high voltage input capability. bandwidth and other fancy stuff is not that important
like this one i just pulled off a parts vendor site:
Tenma 100 MHz Oscilloscope with Cursor Readout | 18C2258 | Tenma
This looks like a good intro to oscilloscopes:
How to use an Oscilloscope :: Electronics and Radio Today
Some of it doesn't apply to your Scopex as it's a really rudimentary scope. You won't need probes, for example. Still a 1 MHz scope like the Scopex can be useful to measure amplifier gain, bandwidth, transient response, and for troubleshooting circuits. For 16 GPB, it's hard to beat on price, that's for sure. Once you get more comfortable with it, you can decide if you want to spring for something fancier.
~Tom
How to use an Oscilloscope :: Electronics and Radio Today
Some of it doesn't apply to your Scopex as it's a really rudimentary scope. You won't need probes, for example. Still a 1 MHz scope like the Scopex can be useful to measure amplifier gain, bandwidth, transient response, and for troubleshooting circuits. For 16 GPB, it's hard to beat on price, that's for sure. Once you get more comfortable with it, you can decide if you want to spring for something fancier.
~Tom
I was going for a 2235A scope for general audio use and with tube powered stuff, but a seller on the bay advised me to lean towards the 465B for maintenance sake specially as the power supply of the 2235 is the switched type. I ended up with the 465B with DM44, a bit risky buying on the bay, great price $200US shipping includede, but the seller was only able to power it up... after some preliminary tests the scope seems to be functioning correctly so a great bargain. I still have to get into using it and learning how to use... but I have a gut feeling it will be a lifelong companion!! Does anyone here know how to date these models?
I picked up a part faulty Phillips scope for £60.
Channel 1 works fine.
Channel 2 shows but is the wrong voltage, it reads low.
However I have had it now for 5 years and it is still working fine.
It has had plenty of use in design work.
I got it off ebay.
I once bought a scope from a retailer second hand for £200 and despite going back twice never arrived to me in working condition and it must have been 10 years old at least. In the end they just gave me my money back.
Channel 1 works fine.
Channel 2 shows but is the wrong voltage, it reads low.
However I have had it now for 5 years and it is still working fine.
It has had plenty of use in design work.
I got it off ebay.
I once bought a scope from a retailer second hand for £200 and despite going back twice never arrived to me in working condition and it must have been 10 years old at least. In the end they just gave me my money back.
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