advice on new or used scope?

need advice on buying a scope, never used one, but need to start! any one know of a good scope to start? thanks arty

I have just gone through the same process and opted for a new and shiny one. Ebay's were just not attractive enough and is still quite expensive for some old CRT scope. of course I did pay much more in the end.... mostly because of the ego thing... but I am happy with my Rigol DS2102 (targeted the DS 2072 first, but they send me the DS2102 as a demo here in Switzerland - did not return it ;-)

you could probably go for a DS1000 series scope or equivalent if more budget oriented.

things that triggered the decision:
only low-tech scopes below 20Mhz are cheap (<100$)
some 70/100Mhz analog scopes around for some decent money, most heavy and clunky...
no warranty of course on 2nd hand
some really cheap scopes have borked user interfaces or are sloooooow
USB PC scope adapters seem to be a great product, but are at least as expensive as a scope if you want some features
go look at some youtube review of your favorite model. even if not fair in terms of comparison the reviews helped me to take a decision.

- Michael

I'm seconding Rigol DS2072. Got it a while ago and never ever regret. Wonderful scope and reasonably priced.

I got a used panasonic 20MHz off of ebay for cheap cheap cheap, and it's worked great.  There are lots of nice, used scopes around - hell, picking up a used tektronix wouldn't run you more than a couple hundred.

thanks for the replys, wow! 1300.00 is a little more then I have to spend right now. any ideas for some thing cheaper? 

dude24man said:

thanks for the replys, wow! 1300.00 is a little more then I have to spend right now. any ideas for some thing cheaper?

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If you're meaning DS2072 not sure where you got that price. In the US it's closer to 850$. I bought mine here: http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDS2072.html.

While Rigol DS2072 is an awesome piece of gear, it's a bit steep for "my first scope" type thing. Steep price and far too many RF related features most people never need, let alone the usual audio and PSU related uses we require.

I recommend Rigol DS1052 instead. It still gets new firmwares every once in a while and Rigol has pretty good software for it should you ever need better data recording facilities. I have come to trust it for my work. I managed to fry a probe once (entirely my fault) but one can get higher quality replacements in most electronics stores.

[edit]
and the link was http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDS1052E.html

depending on where you are in the world this may be cheaper: http://dx.com/p/rigol-ds1052e-5-6-tft-lcd-50mhz-2-channel-digital-color-storage-oscilloscope-30573

I would forget used scopes with deals like this around. unless you find a really trustworthy dealer.

Nice, I think the 3 to 4 hundred range is a little more my speed. in my studio I have a dbx 160 vu, 1176 that needs some calibration, or just to learn with.  I just finished a pair of the ez1290's that are ready for biasing aswell. thanks for the heads up! arty

Well

The past week I bought 2 Kenwood-Trio CS1562 scopes, they were so cheap (40€ for both) so I had to get them. The seller said "for repair", but told me he didn't know about any issues, just they are used so long. I'm hoping to get at least one of them working... Ideally, I'd like to get both of them working, sell one and get the invest covered.

I didn't try to fire them up, I've been too busy with my daytime job.

I downloaded the user manual which has an schematic, so maybe I can start with it. Any advices? did I throw my money away? I have lots of free time the next three months, and no real need for a scope right now, so I have no pressure on that.

What the hell, I'm on holydays, I will fire them right now or open them  ;D

dude24man said:

need advice on buying a scope, never used one, but need to start! any one know of a good scope to start? thanks arty

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Knowing which side of the pond you are can change the answer radically.
In Europe there are a lot of 2nd-hand Hameg.
In the US there are a lot of Tektro/HP/Agilent.
For $400 you can even get a DSO!

Beware that Rigol 'scopes are fully digital, and as such may have some unexpected quirks if you're not fully familiar with notions of sampling and windowing.
I have noticed that since these are becoming more and more powerful, their limits can be pushed harder, and you may never encounter them, but still these limits exist.
OTOH, these CRT-less 'scopes don't interfere with the equipment you evaluate.

I'm in upstate ny. I'm gonna do a little research localy to see if theres anything avalible. 

I'm setting up the tech bench.
I've got an old, like new Beckman Industrial Circuitmate 9020-20Mhz dual trace scope.
Is this good enough for testing our DIY projects?

got a line on a Hameg hm203 for 75.00 usd. the guy is an older electronics dude! says it works great and looks like new. He got it from a school close out. would this be a good unit to learn on? arty

sure enough a valid candidate if it comes equipped with pdecent probes and shipped for that money. 20Mhz analog BW is OK for starters, and the layout of the controls look quite usable I think.

good luck!

- michael

cool, it looks like I'll give it a go. no probes included! No shipping Its 30 minute ride from me, so maybe I'll be scoping by the weekend. thanks again arty 

If you are happy with one channel and 5mhz (I am ) I would really recommend this small bastard. It's great for field testing and it's pocket size. Also, the price is great too
http://www.accudiy.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=187

For what it sounds like your going to be doing, just buy a nice old CRT 20MHz and be happy that its so pretty (which is one thing the Rigol can't do).

Oscilloscope talk always makes me think of this:

http://robinfox.com.au/projects/oscilloscope/

When I cocidered an oscilloscope purchase, space was very inportant factor. Used CRT scopes take up too much space. And can't be taken outside quite as easily as modern digital.

I bought a Tektronix 2215 I found in a local ad...$50. Works great....

has anybody tried using the computer for a scope, you have to buy some hardware and software, but it could save space and save money if it worked,

fastest transformer i know of is the API 2503 output at 1 mega hurts so you do not need that fast of a scope for audio,