For about the last 10 years I’ve been using the same Rigol DS1102E. It’s alright, a decent two channel 100 MHz scope that gets the job done. About 4-5 years ago I got an old Tek 7603 with a couple 7A18 inserts and 7B53A trigger so that I would have an analog scope, but definitely use the digital for most everything.
I guess I’ve just become bored with the Rigol and was wanting to get something new, something with a bigger screen maybe. I’ve had my eye on a couple of the new Rigol 12 bit models, wanting to stick with 100 MHz or higher and wanting to go to four channels the options I was looking at were in the 700ish to 1000 range. Like the DHO924s. The DHO814 can be had for just under 500, has 100 MHz bandwidth and 4 channel, but not sure what is being given up at that price point.
Well, this past weekend was a local electronics get together/ swap meet. It happens twice a year here. I’m a vendor there so I get to go a day early to setup if I wish and also two hours early the day of to get first dibs on what I like before the public is let in. A good friend of mine also has a table there so he came early and knew I was looking to get a new scope. He has a buddy that also has a table there and only sells Tektronix equipment. He was a Tek engineer and service member (Tektronix was started in Oregon about an hour from where I live) and though retired is the go to for any Tek repair in the area. Anyways my friend saw a scope he was selling and I took a look at it. He offered it to me for a substantial discount on what he had it priced and if I was going to buy it I wanted to do it before the general public was let in. There were hundreds of people in line to come in. So I grabbed it.
It’s a Tek TDS 684A, 1 GHz, 5GS/s 4 channel scope. I paid 250 for it, it functions perfectly and is in fantastic shape, screen is nice and bright and the front panel is pretty much perfect.
Is it an upgrade from my old Rigol? absolutely. It feels to be much better quality. I saw the original price of this scope and was shocked. Cost as much as most cars. Will I ever use the 1 GHz bandwidth, probably not, but I don’t know.
So thoughts? I’m sure I could easily get my 250 back out of this scope. I see there are broken examples that sell for more. It’s approaching 25-30 years of age, somewhere in there. It has a smaller screen then the new Rigols, but I also got it for 1/3 the cost and in some ways it specs better. Should I keep the money I saved and put
It towards a new analyzer or power supply and keep this new (to me) Tektronix scope or sell the scope and spend the extra money needed for a new 12 bit Rigol?
Would love opinions
Thank you,
Dan
I guess I’ve just become bored with the Rigol and was wanting to get something new, something with a bigger screen maybe. I’ve had my eye on a couple of the new Rigol 12 bit models, wanting to stick with 100 MHz or higher and wanting to go to four channels the options I was looking at were in the 700ish to 1000 range. Like the DHO924s. The DHO814 can be had for just under 500, has 100 MHz bandwidth and 4 channel, but not sure what is being given up at that price point.
Well, this past weekend was a local electronics get together/ swap meet. It happens twice a year here. I’m a vendor there so I get to go a day early to setup if I wish and also two hours early the day of to get first dibs on what I like before the public is let in. A good friend of mine also has a table there so he came early and knew I was looking to get a new scope. He has a buddy that also has a table there and only sells Tektronix equipment. He was a Tek engineer and service member (Tektronix was started in Oregon about an hour from where I live) and though retired is the go to for any Tek repair in the area. Anyways my friend saw a scope he was selling and I took a look at it. He offered it to me for a substantial discount on what he had it priced and if I was going to buy it I wanted to do it before the general public was let in. There were hundreds of people in line to come in. So I grabbed it.
It’s a Tek TDS 684A, 1 GHz, 5GS/s 4 channel scope. I paid 250 for it, it functions perfectly and is in fantastic shape, screen is nice and bright and the front panel is pretty much perfect.
Is it an upgrade from my old Rigol? absolutely. It feels to be much better quality. I saw the original price of this scope and was shocked. Cost as much as most cars. Will I ever use the 1 GHz bandwidth, probably not, but I don’t know.
So thoughts? I’m sure I could easily get my 250 back out of this scope. I see there are broken examples that sell for more. It’s approaching 25-30 years of age, somewhere in there. It has a smaller screen then the new Rigols, but I also got it for 1/3 the cost and in some ways it specs better. Should I keep the money I saved and put
It towards a new analyzer or power supply and keep this new (to me) Tektronix scope or sell the scope and spend the extra money needed for a new 12 bit Rigol?
Would love opinions
Thank you,
Dan
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You'd be crazy to sell it unless you go hungry! That's a fantastic deal and a fantastic scope.
If you really need to sell something and need the money I would sell the Rigol.
Jan
If you really need to sell something and need the money I would sell the Rigol.
Jan
Thank you for the reply! I definitely don’t need to sell it, only reason I would need to is to fund the purchase of one of the New Rigols. So really it’s keep this TDS684A or sell it and the old Rigol and buy a new Rigol. Or keep the Tek, sell the old Rigol and find an another piece of equipment like a spectrum analyzer, don’t have one of those yet.
Dan
Did it come with probes? Matching probes are another fortune today.
Indeed they are. It did not come with probes, but he is constantly getting getting Tek gear in and once 1 GHz probes arrive I get a pair. The other pair I’ll have to purchase.
Also wanted to say, he fixes most of what he gets. This scope though was one that just didn’t get a lot of use so it was for whatever reason sent off. It doesn’t look like it’s had much use. But yeah, this one didn’t get any type of repair, still has the factory seal sticker intact on the case, which I find to be a good thing.
Dan
Giving this a bump, hoping to hear others opinions on this. Spend triple the money and get a new 12 bit Rigol or stick with the Tektronix scope I just scored?
Dan
Dan
If you really want a large screen, a Picoscope or similar high quality USB scope and your computer monitor is just the thing.
The Picoscope is also a spectrum analyzer, for free. Anyhow, 100 MHz with good probes is plenty for audio work.
Then you can sell the Rigol and Tek both, when you're tired of them.
The Picoscope is also a spectrum analyzer, for free. Anyhow, 100 MHz with good probes is plenty for audio work.
Then you can sell the Rigol and Tek both, when you're tired of them.
Max. frequency in audio is like 20 kHz, so even with harmonic analysis you need 120 kHz (6th harmonic).
SMPS frequency is also mostly below 1 MHz, so 20 MHz is enough for audio, computer SMPS, and TV repair..
1 GHz is like wow, out beyond the higher UHF amateur radio bands, which are in the 700 MHz range IIRC.
Use the one you are comfortable with, and keep both if you have bench space.
Or keep one as a standby in the closet for emergency use.
Newer scopes may be needed only if these do not have a particular function.
Meanwhile.....https://zbotic.in/product/dso138-2-4%E2%80%B3-tft-handheld-pocket-size-digital-oscilloscope-kit-diy-parts-electronic-learning-set-soldered/?gad_source=1
It is a <$20 item, make your own case, good for 200 kHz, and some models (this is a random example from the net) are capable of fairly adequate capacitance tests, it claims to have an ARM processor!
The shop I buy most of my components has a unit like this, give him a capacitor without sleeve or markings, he can check what it is...
SMPS frequency is also mostly below 1 MHz, so 20 MHz is enough for audio, computer SMPS, and TV repair..
1 GHz is like wow, out beyond the higher UHF amateur radio bands, which are in the 700 MHz range IIRC.
Use the one you are comfortable with, and keep both if you have bench space.
Or keep one as a standby in the closet for emergency use.
Newer scopes may be needed only if these do not have a particular function.
Meanwhile.....https://zbotic.in/product/dso138-2-4%E2%80%B3-tft-handheld-pocket-size-digital-oscilloscope-kit-diy-parts-electronic-learning-set-soldered/?gad_source=1
It is a <$20 item, make your own case, good for 200 kHz, and some models (this is a random example from the net) are capable of fairly adequate capacitance tests, it claims to have an ARM processor!
The shop I buy most of my components has a unit like this, give him a capacitor without sleeve or markings, he can check what it is...
I'd keep it because you'll never get a deal like that again. Then I'd add a 12-bit general purpose daily driver like a Siglent SDS800X, either an 812 or 814, depending on how many channels you'll use.
Hadn’t thought of those, but those are relatively expensive as well, but when you figure in the analyzer maybe not so much. Right, the Rigol I have now at 100 MHz is likely more than enough. For an analyzer though I’d want a pretty large bandwidth, at least into radio frequencies (am and fm).
Outside of audio I figure I’d like to be able to see clock signals and such and any radio frequencies. I have that same little project scope, I built it, but it’s just sitting. I have plenty of scopes, that one you linked, a small Tekmeter dmm/scope combo thing from Tektronix, a fnirsi 2C53P which is a 2 channel 50 MHz scope with DMM, the Rigol DS1102, the Tek 7603 and now the newest acquisition the Tek TDS 684A.
I know I’ll never use the full 1 GHz band with it offers. I was just wanting to know what people thought of it compared to a brand new Rigol 12 bit 4 channel 100-200 MHz. Considering I got it for quite a bit less than what I was planning on spending. Count it as a blessing that I saved money and still got a decent scope.
Or is one of the new Rigols so much better than this Tek that it’s worth spending the extra money for it?
It definitely looks sharper and I’m sure the screen image is superior. It’s also nice that the new one is only a few inches deep while this 684A is 16-1/2” deep. Bench space is a premium, but if people feel the Tek scope is the better scope overall and it’s worth giving up the extra space.
Awesome, thank you for the input. Hadn’t looked at the Siglents. They look very similar to the Rigol and I could get into a 4 channel 100 MHz scope for a little less and on top of that can pay 111 a month interest free for 5 months. Which I find to be a plus.
I’m guessing build quality is similar to the Rigol.
Hmmm, that’s tough, 3 full size scopes on the bench. I rarely, and I mean rarely, use the Tektronix analog scope. I know there are many instances where an analog is supposed to be better, but I haven’t run into that yet.
Dan
The size, weight and power consumption are pretty big factors in my book - old boat anchors perform poorly in these. Having said that some new stuff has sluggish boot up times (to me a piece of hardware should boot in 2 or 3 seconds at most to be ergonomic)
I currently have a USB oscilloscope, Hantek 6074BC. This have the disadvantage of needing a computer. The program which uses the scope has issues of stability and certainly needs debugging. However, the source code is closed and I have to be contented with what is offered from the manufacturer. For these reasons, I decided to buy an oscilloscope that is complete with a microcontroller, screen and user interface.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Thanks for any suggestions.
I odered the Siglent SDS1104X-E oscilloscope. It has four channels and is based on a very popular oscilloscope, the 1202X-E.
I've had one for a few years and its pretty good. Apart from intermittency in one of the original probes...
Hi saabracer23,
Can you plug a monitor into the back of your TDS684A?
Honestly, there is a lot more to a DSO than sample rates. You may be better off keeping the Tek for sure. The 7603 isn't your average analogue scope either. Big though! lol!
DSO's can have issues with analogue signals. I bought a Keysight MSOX3104T just to combine three instruments in to one improved box. It will at least show a useable CD eye pattern. 1 GHz, call it 200 MHz for real signals, although the analogue path is pretty good. Passive scope probes top out around 500 MHz anyway, so you're into a 50R feed, or active probes above that. After all that, my old Philips PM3070 still has a far better display for a CD RF pattern. It hangs out on the side of the bench.
Your TDS684A may possibly have lower noise than the new cheap scopes. I don't think I would be in any rush to get a new, shiny low end scope. "Blind time" is another consideration. Low end scopes sample, then process. You are basically unconnected to the signal for some time and may miss events you're trying to capture. That is one reason I went with the Keysight. I have intermittents I have to capture. If you never have to capture a transient, this won't matter to you.
As for FFTs, eventhe Keysight isn't that great, others worse. I kept my spectrum analyzers on the bench.
What I would do in your case is carefully decide what you really need. If what you have covers it, keep them. If you are considering a new one, look carefully at things like noise and other operational things they don't advertise. Look at what the big boys have for specs and features, then look at your affordable choices. If it's just a big screen, ou may well have a video output on the back.
Can you plug a monitor into the back of your TDS684A?
Honestly, there is a lot more to a DSO than sample rates. You may be better off keeping the Tek for sure. The 7603 isn't your average analogue scope either. Big though! lol!
DSO's can have issues with analogue signals. I bought a Keysight MSOX3104T just to combine three instruments in to one improved box. It will at least show a useable CD eye pattern. 1 GHz, call it 200 MHz for real signals, although the analogue path is pretty good. Passive scope probes top out around 500 MHz anyway, so you're into a 50R feed, or active probes above that. After all that, my old Philips PM3070 still has a far better display for a CD RF pattern. It hangs out on the side of the bench.
Your TDS684A may possibly have lower noise than the new cheap scopes. I don't think I would be in any rush to get a new, shiny low end scope. "Blind time" is another consideration. Low end scopes sample, then process. You are basically unconnected to the signal for some time and may miss events you're trying to capture. That is one reason I went with the Keysight. I have intermittents I have to capture. If you never have to capture a transient, this won't matter to you.
As for FFTs, eventhe Keysight isn't that great, others worse. I kept my spectrum analyzers on the bench.
What I would do in your case is carefully decide what you really need. If what you have covers it, keep them. If you are considering a new one, look carefully at things like noise and other operational things they don't advertise. Look at what the big boys have for specs and features, then look at your affordable choices. If it's just a big screen, ou may well have a video output on the back.
My 2c... I've got the rigol 4404, 4 channel 400MHz. More than the tek was for sure. Personally I think the tek was such a bargain that I'd keep it regardless. 1GHz 5GS could come in handy and with that price, whoa. What I have found recently is the very deep memory of the rigol is very handy. I've got the 250Mpt standard which allows some very long captures at pretty high sample rates. Handy for glitches that run a distance from what you are triggering on. Not sure the memory depth of the tek. The other features of modern DSO's that the tek may or may not have are things like ethernet to grab the data (I noticed a floppy drive on the tek front that may accomplish the same) and hdmi to drive an external monitor. I ended up using the touch screen more than I expected as well. Lastly, again not sure what the tek offers, but the rigol lets you trigger on some weird stuff like pulses of width between x and y as an example. The more recent rigol's now come with a external power block I think. the 4404 does not. I believe they have been standardizing on this. My DMM from them does this as well as my waveform generator. What this offers is an easy way to use a battery to power the instrument, which might be useful too.
Hi,
rather than looking for paper specs but look for lower Bug numbers and how the manufacturer deals with those.
In other words ... shy off from Rigol, think Siglent instead 😉
jauu
Calvin
rather than looking for paper specs but look for lower Bug numbers and how the manufacturer deals with those.
In other words ... shy off from Rigol, think Siglent instead 😉
jauu
Calvin
That tek model is a pretty nice one despite its age, have worked with a similar model years ago.
If the CRT fails there's a VGA connector on the backside to connect an external display to.
Sure it's nicer with a larger display and USB instead of the floppy drive to save the display captures, there are floppy to USB converters, aka USB floppy emulator, but there are several floppy standards beyond the generic ones plugged into a PC so one have to do some detective work finding out which would work, these floppy converters are a plenty on eBay, AliExpress, Amazon etc.
If the CRT fails there's a VGA connector on the backside to connect an external display to.
Sure it's nicer with a larger display and USB instead of the floppy drive to save the display captures, there are floppy to USB converters, aka USB floppy emulator, but there are several floppy standards beyond the generic ones plugged into a PC so one have to do some detective work finding out which would work, these floppy converters are a plenty on eBay, AliExpress, Amazon etc.