Cifrocco

Hello, can anyone offer an informed opinion on the Tektronix TDS3000 line of Digital Phosphor oscilloscopes? Does anyone here own one or have experience using one?

I am in the process of deciding if it will be worth the expense to buy one. I haven't found a local distributor that has any on display.

If anyone owns or has used the TDS1000 or 2000 series I would also like to know.

Thanks.

Optikon

I've got a TDS3054... LOVE IT!
Worth the cost for serious electronic work & lots of it - YES.
For the occasional work / amateur - NO.

What else ya wanna know?

Cifrocco

You lucky son of a gun! That must be one gorgeous instrument. I've been drooling over it and others in its line every time I read their catalog or view it on their website. I'm a serious electronics and computer enthusiast, with an engineering degree, although I work in Finance, doh!

I was about to buy the TDS2024 but then when I saw the 3000 series that has a full VGA screen (4 times more screen real-estate than the 2000 series) plus of course the digital phosphor technology, I started to begin to find ways to justify the extra expense. My wife and friends think I'm insane to spend $6K or more on a "toy" but they don't understand what it feels like to use FFT and get a spectral view of a complex signal.

We'll drop $5K easy on a 2-week vacation down south, and what are you left with? Photos and fading memories. So why is it so outrageous to spend as much on an instrument that can show you what electrons are doing? Only engineers can understand what I'm talking about.

I guess I should settle for the 2024, but then I'll always be regretting not getting the 3024 for a couple thousand more. Sigh.

You know, a Pontiac Sunfire will get me to wherever I want to go, but an Acura RSX will do it with much better style and I'll have a big smile on my face in the process. No?

jrz126

There is a junk room at work that has a bunch of old scopes in it. some of them are dinosaurs, I already bought the newest ones they had for $0.25/Lb.
They have a really nice TDS-540A sitting down there, which they are hanging on to for parts. I'd love to get my hands on it.

I could never justify spending 4 grand on one though, probably because I'm so cheap. I wouldnt own any oscopes if I couldnt have gotten them for under $10.00 each.

__________________
Jeff Zimmerman
To the optimist, the glass is half full.
To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.
To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.