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what to look for in an oscilloscope

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im looking for something very affordable on a budget.

I bought one of these a year ago, and have been quite happy with it -
**broken link removed**

$39. Less than the probe costs for my Techtronix. Input impedance and bandwidth are not very impressive, and it only has one channel - but it's so cheap you can get one and use it while you are figuring out what scope you really want to buy.
 
You first need to say what you want to do with it. If you don't know and just want to play, then I'd say find a good used 20 MHz analog scope and it will teach you a lot about using a scope. If you lived near me, I'd sell you my Phillips scope I bought in the 1970's, as it's perfect for a beginner.
 
Expected frequency range? Expected p-p voltage range?

PS: I hated 3 phillips scopes of the same series. I'll take a Tektronix any day.
 
im looking to invest in a new scope. this will be my first one. im looking for something very affordable on a budget. im wondering what features to look for. could someone more experienced than me shed some light on this? ty
I got a REALLY good used Tektronix 465B off ebay for a steal of a price.
 
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At least 100Mhz bandwidth, more is always better. You need delay trigger capability, dual time base is good. I have a TEK 465B right now, it's excellent for general use. The best scope ever made is the TEK 7904A, but they don't make them anymore. If you ever see a good used one, jump on it.

Here's an example of a really good used scope I found in a minute:

**broken link removed**

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plenty more listings to look through
 
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my mom wants me to give her my xmas list. kinda looking for something around 100 bucks with the most bang for my buck. 120v peak minimum. i cant see myself needing over a mhz or 2. i have worked with FM transmitters in the past, in the multi MHZ range if i can find that in the same price range. it will be mostly for learning and tuning my tesla coil. mabey more down the line.
 
What to look for in an oscilloscope is an undying question. My suggestion as to a good starter scope is a basic 20 MHz bandwidth used analog scope. I would suggest 100 MHz bandwidth but looking at the budget unless you can do better then 20 MHz should be fine. Another option would be to be patient and wait. Save the hundred and add to it. As can be seen in the links for the Tektronix scopes on Ebay a good scope still carries a good price tag. Either way, get a good scope from a reliable source. I can well appreciate the anticipation of that first scope but remember that good things come to those who wait. Also, if your mom is really generous I could use a new truck. :)

Ron
 
i found a guy on craigslist that will sell his tektronix scope for 30$. can you please give me some feed back on this? the scope works but missing a probe. this is the email he sent me:

have 1- Model 564 Tektronix storage scope
>> With 3B4 timebase
>> 2- 3A1 Dual trace Amps.
>> All manuals
>> $30

remember, this is my 1st i dont need anything super fancy. its more of a tinker toy. 30$ isnt a huge loss. he is delivering too. he will be in the area anyway. BTW where would i get a probe and how much? are probes universal? TY
 
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That scope is a tube scope and very old and may weigh a fair amount.

https://www.thevalvepage.com/testeq/tek/564/564.htm

As you said $30 isn't a great loss. My first scope was free. An old Dumont. My second was a 100 lb HP military monster that I paid about $120 for and this was 36 years ago.

Scope probes are generally universal and are generally purchased for max bandwidth anticipated. Some will have x1, gnd and X10 switchable, while other's will be fixed. Attenuation is necessary so the probe can be "compensated". There is a capacitor that's usually adjusted to give a square wave from a built in calibrator.

Tektronix used at one time a probe which would automatically change the range when a X10 probe was used. There was a TAB on the BNC connector that activated a switch.

Scopes typically have a 1 M input Z. Very high frequency scopes may have a 50 ohm/1 meg switchable. On ebay you should be able to find two 100 MHz X1, gnd, X10 probes for <$40.

You can't seem to go wrong with a Tek scope.
 
A quick search shows that the Tek 564 has a 10Mhz bandwidth, which is a bit low by modern standards.

However, if the guy can deliver and demonstrate it working, for $30 in my opinion you have a good starter scope.

JimB
 
Just some thoughts for the newbies:

A good low cost working second hand Tek analog scope is a joy, but a malfunctioning one [ worse if its transient or glitchy rather than clearcut] can be challenging to repair without good electronics skills particularly around high [ potentially lethal] voltages. 1990s+ scopes increasingly have custom parts that are hard to find; you may have to bid later on another model to use for parts.

Even if a scope was tested and working at the time of the sale, it could fail anytime.

What you'll risk is the unknown of the above during the time of purchase, if you win you'll get a scope for typically between $100-300, focusing on 100-400 MHz, 2-4 channels as is available.

New 20 MHz dual channel China-branded DSO are typically $200-$300 ; $400 for a 50 MHz Rigol 1052e hackable to 100 MHz. Even if Chinese label, some brands have been examined and discussed in other forums as being fairly good, so you may want to check them out via google for the skinny on Owon, Hantek, Rigol, & Atten. There is a lower cost line for Instek, a reputable Taiwanese brand that can serve you well.

The feature sets on low end DSO are fairly similar, but the single biggest difference is in real time sampling rate. A simple rule is sampling rate/10 ~ true bandwidth, don't just use the analog bandwidth or the 'repetitive signal sampling rate' as a measure as they are both limited by the real time sampling rate.

Good luck!
 
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