My 3012B occasionally boots up without issue...that's why I bought a Sigilent. I do miss that TEK.
Now I pair the Sigilent with my 2465B on occasion.
FWIW, the wave-form generator of the Sigilent has THD+N of around 0.02%, at 1kHz... not excellent but good enough for a lot of analysis.
Perhaps it needs a new NVRAM? Mine started by losing the date and time, then progressed to forgetting how to save traces. At that point, I didn't have much to lose. I bought a new NVRAM from Fleabay https://www.ebay.com/itm/293776182478 having a larger and exposed coin cell, already programmed. Removing the old NVRAM isn't for the faint-hearted, but desolder wick and care got it out. Two corner pins didn't want to give up their solder and I deduce that they're to power and ground planes with insufficient thermal relief, but careful leverage whilst heating got the chip out. Defluxed the board, fitted new chip and you'd hardly notice anyone had been in there. Do keep good ventilation in the 2465B because their hybrids die.
Hi Tom,
I also have an EDU36311A. It would lock up under browser control (Firefox or Chrome). You couldn't shut the outputs off unless you turned the entire unit off. Given that it was mounted about 5' away up on on my left, I needed to control it remotely. They replaced the first one. Then couldn't replicate the issue. Nothing more was heard for a while. I discovered a firmware upgrade much later (had done those early when we were troubleshooting), installed it and that fixed it. Now the E36312A I have worked just fine, but painfully slow to respond to commands via browser control, not very quick from the front panel either. I don't use it much as a result.
Those supplies are very good, and have features I do use. I have to say I am keeping my 6236x and 6237x power supplies. The 6186x and 6228B I bought are staying as well. Turn them on, and they work, period. I installed lights in the 6228B since it doesn't have a pilot. I keep leaving it on. I'll be putting in a power light in the 3457A's and 4263A since the also lack power lights and I leave those on too.
Hi EC8010,
People either like Tektronix or HP it seems. However one complaint was that HP scopes didn't trigger well - bunk! They are both good products (or were). I have both, but I find the way an HP operates is easier for me. Just personal preference. This is likely the reason why you have that division.
I also have an EDU36311A. It would lock up under browser control (Firefox or Chrome). You couldn't shut the outputs off unless you turned the entire unit off. Given that it was mounted about 5' away up on on my left, I needed to control it remotely. They replaced the first one. Then couldn't replicate the issue. Nothing more was heard for a while. I discovered a firmware upgrade much later (had done those early when we were troubleshooting), installed it and that fixed it. Now the E36312A I have worked just fine, but painfully slow to respond to commands via browser control, not very quick from the front panel either. I don't use it much as a result.
Those supplies are very good, and have features I do use. I have to say I am keeping my 6236x and 6237x power supplies. The 6186x and 6228B I bought are staying as well. Turn them on, and they work, period. I installed lights in the 6228B since it doesn't have a pilot. I keep leaving it on. I'll be putting in a power light in the 3457A's and 4263A since the also lack power lights and I leave those on too.
Hi EC8010,
People either like Tektronix or HP it seems. However one complaint was that HP scopes didn't trigger well - bunk! They are both good products (or were). I have both, but I find the way an HP operates is easier for me. Just personal preference. This is likely the reason why you have that division.
Those Tek scopes need the covers in place when running. The fan doesn't cool those chips with the covers off. They should have installed heat sinks, but they didn't. Not happy with the trace on my 2465B CT at all. Fat and fuzzy, it has been serviced.
What I use as a hobbyist.
1. Rigol DHO802/Hitachi V-1100/Tek 465 (I love that old thing) and other old scopes.
2. AFG-2005 GWinstek Sig. Gen.
3. Greenlee DM-810 and Hioki DT4255 as main DMM and 4 AN8009 for bias and offset, Simpson 460 series 6 as analog multimeter.
4. 2 Owon XDM1241 as bench dmm. (I go them cheap and love the nice display)
4. Analog discovery 2 with audio analyzer sofware
5. BK Precision 8500 Programmable DC Electronic Load
6. BK Precision 9110 (x2) as power supplies
7. DAT v3
8. Home made dummy load.
Don't get too hang on test gear, is not needed (unless metrology is your thing) , I know extremely brilliant guys that do a LOT with a Simpson 260 and 60's heathkit test gear.
Is better to learn what are you doing, study books than Tektronix this, Keysight that, fluke this, AP that... I leave that to pros.
Good luck and have fun!
The classic Tekronix 465B was a fantastic scope, and a work of art IMO. This classic was designed back in the 70's and one personally used for decades. I once turned this scope (as a display with an interface and display blanking) into an Ansi Standard 1 octave bar graph display for the amusement. This was before those nasty computers as the devil's work came into being...
Perhaps about 20 years ago now, 40 Rigol scopes were purchased to refurbish an undergraduate teaching lab, and I personally still own a DS1102E. The problem with the RIgol's (and mine) is that the rotary switches become intermittent of proper function.
Although the rotary switches are of digital form these rely upon quadrature decoding to change ranges in one direction or the other. As seeming of mechanical contact instead of the more expensive optical they become intermittent and the quadrature starts failing. Meaning that the ranges flip all over the place. Apparently these switches can be replaced, as was done for numerous units in the lab, though I haven't done this in mine yet.
Despite this failing, as seems could be common in many inexpensive scopes, the Rigol's appear as a great little scope for the hobbyist.
Perhaps about 20 years ago now, 40 Rigol scopes were purchased to refurbish an undergraduate teaching lab, and I personally still own a DS1102E. The problem with the RIgol's (and mine) is that the rotary switches become intermittent of proper function.
Although the rotary switches are of digital form these rely upon quadrature decoding to change ranges in one direction or the other. As seeming of mechanical contact instead of the more expensive optical they become intermittent and the quadrature starts failing. Meaning that the ranges flip all over the place. Apparently these switches can be replaced, as was done for numerous units in the lab, though I haven't done this in mine yet.
Despite this failing, as seems could be common in many inexpensive scopes, the Rigol's appear as a great little scope for the hobbyist.
I have Rigol MSO5072 with full-crack, excellent oscilloscope. For audio band I have QuantAsylum QA402. I have a Siglent 16bit waveform generator too. Very usefull is Brymen BM869 and B&K Precision 880 LCR Meter.
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Agreed; personal preference. I did buy HP54600B for work years ago and they were fine for repetitive signals and students but their one-shot bandwidth was dismal. The Tek competition at the time was the TAS465, which was dreadful.
For sure. My choice was a 54600 or the Philips or the Tek. There was no choice, the Philips were analogue. I did use a 54600A in the Cal lab for troubleshooting with the memory pak. My 54642D is a far better scope on every front, but analogue anything is still better for signals.
While praising those outdated analog scopes It almost seems as if they are superior to modern digital scopes.
But IMO It’s unfair to compare a high grade analog scope that costed many thousands of dollars 20 or more years ago with a simple 8 bits $300 - digital scope.
It’s apples to pears.
I sold all my originally (expensive and) fantastic Tektronix and HP gear more then 10 years ago after it became clear that my Picoscope 5000 was superior in every single aspect.
Hans
But IMO It’s unfair to compare a high grade analog scope that costed many thousands of dollars 20 or more years ago with a simple 8 bits $300 - digital scope.
It’s apples to pears.
I sold all my originally (expensive and) fantastic Tektronix and HP gear more then 10 years ago after it became clear that my Picoscope 5000 was superior in every single aspect.
Hans
Do you think this also goes for audio? Or only in the measurement department of audio?
But those horribly expensive 'scopes can now be picked up quite cheaply, certainly for a similar price to a new digital 'scope. So the question is; which should be bought when on a budget? In general, it's easier to learn how to use an analogue 'scope. I will allow that learning how to use a dual time base 'scope properly takes a lot more effort, and in that respect, digital 'scopes have made it easier to zoom in on detail. I was horrified to see that a chap who had bought a Tek 2465B for 20 Euro (yes, twenty) gave it up in favour of a vastly inferior Hameg, because it was easier to drive. I would have given that 2465B a home...
Possibly better to buy two, so one can be used to troubleshoot the other when needed? Also, sometimes repair parts are no longer available.
Or like certain now rare scope probes. Seem to recall a DC to fairly HF Tek current probe that worked with a plugin amplifier module. Eventually most all of the probes failed in the potted module at the probe tip. No support from Tek either. Or the old high voltage Tek scope probes that required freon to keep them charged. Another Tek scope we had started to misbehave and it turned out the problem was on a board with custom ICs. Those boards eventually started failing in every scope made due to original manufacturing problems, again with no support from Tek.
Never had problems with my old Weller iron though.
Never had problems with my old Weller iron though.
Try to avoid instruments with a CRT's in them... although these can be repurposed for physical fitness or mental futility training... or as ballast in whatever needs ballasting.
My last scope was an HP military thing that I gave away a few years ago. Like other CRT scopes, it was just too big and heavy, but had some beautiful gold plated PCBs.
I recently bought the Siglent SDS804X that I bumped up to 200 MHz BW. I also bought the Siglent SDG1032X. I had some trouble bumping that one up to 60 MHz but I'll try again soon. The two instruments talk to each other via USB. I haven't used a lot of other DSOs, but the UI seems to be OK. The AWG requires a LOT of button pushing to set up anything, but it can do so much, the less than ideal UI seems a small price to pay.
I recently bought the Siglent SDS804X that I bumped up to 200 MHz BW. I also bought the Siglent SDG1032X. I had some trouble bumping that one up to 60 MHz but I'll try again soon. The two instruments talk to each other via USB. I haven't used a lot of other DSOs, but the UI seems to be OK. The AWG requires a LOT of button pushing to set up anything, but it can do so much, the less than ideal UI seems a small price to pay.
I don't know ... my CRT scopes work fine, CRTs great. My 3585A on the other hand has a toasted CRT, the other 3585A is still okay.
I have never had a CRT fail on an oscilloscope. So that's just noise in my book, plus they are cheap and easy to replace. My digital is ever so expensive compared to any analogue scope I bought new. The analogue scope all have better detail.
I have never had a CRT fail on an oscilloscope. So that's just noise in my book, plus they are cheap and easy to replace. My digital is ever so expensive compared to any analogue scope I bought new. The analogue scope all have better detail.