Looking for a digital oscilloscope

[Pentium4]

So I figured it's time to step it up and also feed my curiosity of all the things I recap, I want to get a quality digital scope.

I'm willing to spend up to $200 and maybe even a little more. I'm wondering what would be a good option, as I don't know anything about them and I've never used one

I would love some input from you guys, thank you very much

[Kiriakos GR]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Due the fact that you are staying in Washington and not in any isolated village in the middle of the desert, I would suggest you to visit one store and get some first hand information from the seller.

[capkid]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Have you searched the forum? There are a few threads on oscilloscopes. $200 is quite low for a digital scope. If you're in the Seattle area, I've seen several Tektronix scopes on Craigslist for sale by the same seller, so I'd feel somewhat confident they're in good condition: http://seattle.craigslist.org/search...inAsk=&maxAsk=. Most of them appear to be analog scopes, though.

I have a Rigol DS1052E digital oscilloscope that's been modded from 50MHz to 100MHz. I think I paid $350 for it a couple years ago - good bang for the buck.

[Pentium4]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Thank you very much for the link...Yeah I'm in the Seattle area. I'd be willing to spend $350-$400...I really want a quality one that will work for a long time. The DS1052E looks nice...I want to get one that has USB, might do some searching. How do you like it?

[capkid]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Thank you very much for the link...Yeah I'm in the Seattle area. I'd be willing to spend $350-$400...I really want a quality one that will work for a long time. The DS1052E looks nice...I want to get one that has USB, might do some searching. How do you like it?

The DS1052E has USB. It's my first oscilloscope, so I don't have much of a point of reference. It seems to work just fine for me. I like that it's lightweight and compact.

[Pentium4]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

The DS1052E has USB. It's my first oscilloscope, so I don't have much of a point of reference. It seems to work just fine for me. I like that it's lightweight and compact.

It looks nice Is it easy to use? How did you modify it for 100MHz?

[capkid]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

There's a hack for it. I'd have to dig up the info, but it's on the EEVBLOG forum. I find it fairly easy to use, although I'm no expert. I know just enough to get what I need from it. There are also tutorials on YouTube for the scope. I've attached a USB waveform capture from a Philips plasma TV. There's also software you can load on your PC to remotely control the scope; I'm not sure I'd ever use it that way, but it's a cool feature.

[Pentium4]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Thanks man! I'd mostly be testing PSU ripple I wonder if 50MHz is enough for that? I might get this one. Got enough cash

[capkid]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Funny, and I thought I'd read this somewhere, but it looks like the DS1102E is gradually replacing the DS1052E; the DS1102E is the 100MHz version (not sure of other differences). Saelig.com, which is one of the major distributors, doesn't show the DS1052E anymore. The price of the 1102E is pretty close to the 1052E. The hack might have something to do with it

[Pentium4]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

That's funny cause I was just looking at that one too. For only $30 more it seems like a good deal. They're a little cheaper from the China sellers but A) I don't want to wait that long to get it and B) I Don't want to contribute to the Chinese economy

[eccerr0r]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

They're probably made in China anyway, so it doesn't really matter - you're still contributing to the Chinese economy even if you bought a new Agilent or Tek scope...

I was thinking about getting a 1102E as well but unsure. Currently I'm using a dual channel analog scope. I think its bandwidth is only around 20 to 50 MHz and it's fast enough for pretty much any PSU I stick it to - just that I wish it had storage...

[Kiriakos GR]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

I'd be willing to spend $350-$400...I really want a quality one that will work for a long time.

That wishes has nothing to do with the offerings regarding price or quality by the market today.

The correct questions are:

1) What I should get so to have a 3 years warranty plan?
2) Which is the price barrier which separates low-end DSO from med range?
3) Which DSO haves easy to use graphic interface?
4) Which is the average life cycle (in years ) of the modern DSO?
5) What is my options if it gets damaged by accident ?

Ripple measurements is something that you can do if you have a comparison point which was offered by advanced service manuals with info regarding PCB check points & measurements, those days they are not offered any more.

I will encourage you to move forward so to get in touch with one scope,
but using it in diagnosis this is another story which requires experiences which you probably gain in time if you shown determined about getting them.

[jetadm123]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

The 1052E hack to 100Mhz is readily available on YouTube. The video is also around 3 yrs old and the manufacturer could have changed things around to prevent the hack. $30 more for the 100Mhz might be the way to go.

[LDSisHere]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

I bought my scope from Saelig.com just a month or two back. I think you would do well to buy from them. I went with the Owon SDS7102 instead of the Rigol mostly due to the screen size / resolution. I like this scope so far, but it is not without its' faults. If I had to do it over again today I think I would still go with the Owon, but like you I have no experience to compare it with so that makes it harder to be disappointed. I know that it will take a while to figure out how to use all the features to the utmost whatever your choice you make. I still have a whole lot to learn about mine.

Here is the link to my thread on this same subject: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=28515

If you are also interested in an isolation transformer for you power supply work, I suggest you see my thread where I got an excellent deal: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=29085

[capkid]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

The 1052E hack to 100Mhz is readily available on YouTube. The video is also around 3 yrs old and the manufacturer could have changed things around to prevent the hack. $30 more for the 100Mhz might be the way to go.

I'd personally go with the DS1102E if there's a relatively small price difference instead of messing around with the hack. My 1052E was a newer scope, and it's suspected that the manufacturer caught on to the hack before my scope was produced. So, I had to downgrade the firmware before I could apply the hack.

[Kiriakos GR]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

The rule of thump regarding bandwidth is five times more than the measured frequency.
The peak of my function generator is 20MHz, with 100MHz scope I can now test it and even repair it if needed.
Most waveforms in basic electronics are tremendously slow, what maters is accuracy than bandwidth.
And even just respectable accuracy does not come for cheap.

[Pentium4]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Thanks for the input guys. Those Owon scopes look nice as well. I went with the DS1102E, I think it will be a nice first scope. I know it probably depends on what you are doing but 2 channels with high bandwidth should be plenty for what I'm doing. I've never used one before though. Definitely willing to learn

Maybe later on down the road I will buy a nicer one

[LDSisHere]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

Where did you decide to order it from?

[Pentium4]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

I got in on ebay, from a US seller. He's sold over 40 of them with good feedback

[Kiriakos GR]

Re: Looking for a digital oscilloscope

US seller as title does not say much when it comes down to a warranty plan.
You should contact RIGOL about checking if this seller is truly an authorized reseller.
If it is used or refurbished this is a completely different story.