Need to buy an osciloscope, advise please

[quadwould]

Hey all.

So i am new here, Been repairing stuff and building for a while, but i am about to take one bigger progects which will need a scope. These will range from fixing channel strips in consoles (possibly) to repairing old analogue synths (like a Memorymoog.. ugh the birds nest that will ensue), to building (finally) some ourboard gear ( Gyraf SSL, Bloo La2a, Neve 1081, SCA pres, etc..... and I would like to try modding an ADA8000 for a friend... he asked nicely...)

So. i am looking for a scope in the <$300 USD range. New or used.

Is Used advisable???? if so what models to look for on Evil-bay??

what sort of specs wshould i be lookng for??? and what accessories will i need.

ALSO.. and this IS a requirement. It NEEDS TO BE 120-240v 50/60. I work in Los Angeles And in London, with bits here and there throughout the rest of the EU (Sweden to Italy)


Now i know from Gearslutz that when someone asks a questions about what to buy in a Said price range, the some people thatt reply say "Get XYZ ... blah blah blah....." but XYZ is 1.5x or more that what the person is willing to spend.


So Please.. Under 300 USD. Not Handheld, a proper benchtop one.
i know they exist as i have seen many in that price range, but i dont know which ones are better and what options/features i need.

I find it odd :shock: that i never needed a scope before, but here i am in need.


thank you all in advance for you input and for your sticking within my requirements

 

[peter purpose]

Quad,
Those in the know regularly recommend the Tektronix 465.

peter

 

[quadwould]

that was quick, Cheers Peter. (is you website no longer up?)


so then what is the difference between:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45014&item=3877042554

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45005&item=3877229896

it looks like Dual channel is the way. thats good to clear up....

Would a DM44 be usefull???

molst i am seeing on Evil-bay are Sans Probes.

Soooooo.... what probes would be good??


Would a 465B, which look like a newer version, be better/or just a good option.


sorry for my incessant rambling list of questions. i figure, get this sorted now, so i can move on to other things quickly. [/url]

 

[peter purpose]

> (is you website no longer up?)
Ran out of space and ripped it all down.
>so then what is the difference
Apart from age and price, I don't really know. I'm no expert.
>Would a DM44 be usefull?
More use than not.
>what probes would be good?
X1 is what I use.
>Would a 465B be better/or just a good option?
Je ne cais pas.

peter

 

[asm]

i'd go for this one, comes with an ardvark allready!:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45005&item=3877654365&rd=1

 

[Guest]

Decent second hand UK web sites...
Tested and from decent places

http://www.johnsradio-uk.com/products.asp

And also the people who advertise in the first couple of pages of EPE Magazine or is it PW - can never remember - they had some real good bargains.. will check tonight

Simon

 

[gar381]

Just bought a 465 on ebay about 2 months ago. Our chief eng.
helped me pick it out. It came with probes for around $150 USD.
Be sure and buy one with probes as probes by themselves are
about $100. Love my 465..Its a great choice!!

Best of luck shopping Quad.

Gary

 

[gyraf]

For most audio work, you should get a two-channel scope. 5mHz or more. Vertical sensitivity at 5mV/div or better. You'll find that relatively low-MHz-scopes often has better vertical sensitivity than faster ones. You'll probably most often need sensitivity more than speed - that is, for audio work.

Jakob E.

 

[jdr]

The 465 is a great scope - I use the 465M, which I picked up on eBay (for about $180USD; tested to it's specs, but I had to find someone who'd ship it to me in Canada, you should do better stateside). The 465M is the US military version of the 465, it's ruggedized which is great if you'll be travelling with it. Also, no fan so it's nice and quiet.

I second the notion that you should get one with a pair of the right probes included. It took me about three months to track down a pair seperately for a decent price ($40USD for the pair). The 10x probes for the 465 are the p6105 (or P6105a) that's what the scope shipped from the factory with. Also, I'd make sure that the scope still has it's front cover so that it can travel protected.

happy hunting,
John

 

[quadwould]

Excellent advise everyone, cheers.

please keep it up


And what about the 465B?? any benefits? it looks like it has a few more ports on the front (for what i know not)

 

[soundtrack2life]

How bout this one linked from Eddie Ciletti's web site?
http://www.tangible-technology.com/audiobasics/tools/essentials.html
I think this is a new unit and is in quadwould's price range. BTW I am in the same position as quadwould and was considering it.
Joe

 

[gar381]

JOE
Looks good but you just
can't go wrong with a well maintained tektronix!!
evilbay

Gary

 

[quadwould]

evilbay it is....


so 465. and with probes. If not...then... X1 .. 10x(X10).....



Anyone know what the deal is with the 465B?????????????

 

[jdr]

Bama has the pdf manuals for the 465, 465b and 465m:

http://bama.sbc.edu/tektroni.htm

If I remember correctly from when I was choosing a 'scope: All 3 are 100mHz and the same range of 5mV-5V/div, and the 465B and 465M (The 465M is the ruggedized version of the 465B) feature a couple of extra display modes (sum or difference of A and B for instance) that the 465 does not have.

The manuals at Bama will lay it all out for you though. Have a look around while you're there, its a great resource.

:guinness:

John

 

[quadwould]

anyone know the difference between the 465 and the 475??


any features that i might need on the 465 that the 475 doen not have... or is the 475 a unit with better/more features??