Oscilloscope smoke so need a new one, any suggestions?

[dr pepper]

Bear in mind I have a few 'scopes and my main goto is one that cost me a tenner.

 

[camerart]

Bear in mind I have a few 'scopes and my main goto is one that cost me a tenner.

Hi D,
What did you get for a tenner? Actually, I was offered a couple, so the CRT type can be cheap, but I received mine today, and once I've figured out how to use it, I think I'll be glad I paid more.
C.

 

[dr pepper]

I went to collect my 100 mhz fluke from a computer disposal centre & saw the cheapo in the doesnt work skip and procured it for a 10 quid note, its a dartronic, I've never heard of them, I think they were intended for educational use, just a 10mhz dual trace job.
One handy thing is that it has vertical, trigger & sweep outputs, as well as a Z in, I've used the vertical out a few times, and the sweep out.
I only need 'fancy' stuff now & again.

 

[Ian Rogers]

My first scope was £50... They were selling them off at the college.. Cracking scope... still got it Telequipment D1011, I did get two at the time, but I never used the other one.. Focus was never great on that one...

 

[dr pepper]

I have a D61, but I never got it to trigger properly, its a pig to work on.

 

[Ian Rogers]

The TDS210 is just perfect for me.... the bigger older 2210 is too complex the digital storage isn't as easy as the new TDS..

The "other" one was a "scopex" Didn't get on with that at all.... Funny enough.. The DSO201 I bought for the field is pretty good as well.. Battery charges and lasts forever... It's just awkward to change volts and timebase..

 

[dr pepper]

Just looked up the D1011.
Waay back when I was 19 I worked in an electronics repair centre, I was assigned one of those, I think it was a case of oh we'll give this to'lad as it doesnt matter if he blows it up.
I fixed many a fault with it, and only blew it up once.
I didnt like the way the bnc's are on the side though.

 

[tomizett]

a computer disposal centre

CDL Runcorn perchance? That place is dangerous to have on your eBay watch list...

 

[dr pepper]

Yep I think it was.
I thought they'd closed not seeing anything listed for ages.

 

[throbscottle]

My (40MHz) Cossor cost 99p on eBay. I think it's as old as I am. I then paid £20 for a photocopied set of manuals for it...

 

[dr pepper]

40Mc's must have been top notch in them days.

 

[throbscottle]

I think they were about £2k when they were modern. They were produced for the military too - mine has a little crow's foot sticker on the back just to prove it. TBH though it's a bit like being one of those people who have an old Ferrari but it spends half it's time on ramps...

 

[dr pepper]

Yes I think I know the one, some had red caps on the knobs.
The later ones, maybe even those had nuvistors.

 

[throbscottle]

Ummm, it does have some red caps on the knobs, but is fully solid state (apart from the CRT of course). It's a CDU-150 if you want to look it up. Can't imagine them putting nuvistors in the later ones.

 

[dr pepper]

I found a schem for one of the Y amps, it is all tranny, dont panic no bottles in this one.

 

[throbscottle]

There see? All good. I have a full set of schematics and board layouts, though sourcing obsolete trannys can be a pain. I have a little supply now (rubs hands together gleefully...)

 

[dr pepper]

Have you ever had to fix it?
My telequipment has a problem with its trigger circuit, I've looked at it before but struggled to find owt, its a total pain as it takes 20 mins of unsoldering to disconnect all the wires going to the main board to lift it out enough to do any soldering on it.

 

[throbscottle]

I've done a few repairs now. It's fairly modular so easy to get at the boards. The only one where much unsoldering is involved is the Y-input attenuator and pre-amp module, there are about 7 wires I think to unsolder. Most of the rest are easy to move and get at the backs with a minimum of disconnection involved.
I've had to replace a couple of transistors in the Y pre-amp, 1 in the timebase, 1 in the calibrator, a decoupling cap in the timebase, a resistor in the HV end of the blanking circuit, something else around there I forget what, a resistor in series with the EHT lead since I fried it by putting the back cover on upside down, I also repaired a very old slide switch which had split it's contacts, repaired very old pot wiper which had broken for one of the channel's vertical position, took apart the beam finder switch because it was far too sensitive, and adjusted it's contacts.... Phew!
And now the EHT anode rubber cap has melted, I've been very kindly offered a replacement by another ETO member, taken from an old small monitor, so that should be ok.

 

[dr pepper]

Sounds like you've had fun with that, was it worth it, nope dont answer that of course it was.
I have a ekco weather radar which I converted into a vector monitor, it had an anode cap that had gone to goo, I too robbed an a cap from am old Tv, and the springy connectory bit too.
I keep looking at this old 'scope, I'd like it up on the bench for some of the 'rough' stuff, might see if I can fix it over the hols, might even have a schem for it somewhere. All the trannys are in sockets so they probably all need pulling & soldering in.
Better root out my octipus.

 

[tomizett]

Nice to hear that people are still putting time into their favorite testgear. My father had (still has, I think) a Cossor with Nuvistors in, I believe, so they did make them. Can't tell you the model off the top of my head, I'm afraid.
As for CDL, they're still going. £15 will currently buy you a BBC Micro, should you want one...