30-07-2011, 08:51 PM
Whatever you get on a limited budget will be quite old, and in my view, you're much better to get as simple a cope as will meet your needs as you'll stand a better chance of repairing it, plus less chance of it going wrong.
Whenever test gear is mentioned, there will be those who suggest 'buy the best' and brand names such Textronic, Fluke, and Avo trip off he tongue. But I think that all too often, where scopes are concerned, keen enthusiasts buy aging Textronic scopes with plug-ins, and storage scopes, that are so complex, that not only do they far exceed the needs of the individual, they never really know if the scope is working right or what settings they need to set it to to get a trace.
I'm not belittling anyone when I say that, but I think something like a 10Mhz Hameg or something similar - Trio or whatever, which can be had quite reasonably, will suit most people's needs admirably.
If you google secondhand oscilloscopes and check out e-bay to faimiliarise what you can get for your money, you'll get a better feel of things. A lot of scopes have been little used - others have been worked hard on a daily basis. The simpler the scope, then the more modern it will be for your money.
This will give you some idea of what's around:
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=oscilloscope
If you can, from your own piece of mind and the vendor's, I think it's wise to try to buy one that you can inspect and collect personally. Scopes don't travel well, and there are scores of 'war stories' about them arriving with a smashed irreplaceable CRT, and all the hassle that follows such incidents. What you spend on petrol to collect it, you'll say to some extent on not paying P&P.
Of course, if you want one with a guarantee, that means paying the price from a reputable dealer, and in that regard, Stewarts of Reading tend to be the benchmark.
I use an aging Gould 300 10mHz dual trace scope, but rarely use both traces. If I'm checking say a decade divider, it's just as easy to put the probe on the input, then on the output of the IC to observe that it's doing what it should be - dividing the input by 10.
Though they tend to be seen as a 'must-have' item, scopes have little application in radio restoration, more so for TVs, and even more for digital applications which you seem to be involved in. I suspect that many, once bought, stay on the shelf.
Those are just my thoughts and observations - others may adivse you differently.
Hope that helps a bit.
Best of luck in your quest!
David
Whenever test gear is mentioned, there will be those who suggest 'buy the best' and brand names such Textronic, Fluke, and Avo trip off he tongue. But I think that all too often, where scopes are concerned, keen enthusiasts buy aging Textronic scopes with plug-ins, and storage scopes, that are so complex, that not only do they far exceed the needs of the individual, they never really know if the scope is working right or what settings they need to set it to to get a trace.
I'm not belittling anyone when I say that, but I think something like a 10Mhz Hameg or something similar - Trio or whatever, which can be had quite reasonably, will suit most people's needs admirably.
If you google secondhand oscilloscopes and check out e-bay to faimiliarise what you can get for your money, you'll get a better feel of things. A lot of scopes have been little used - others have been worked hard on a daily basis. The simpler the scope, then the more modern it will be for your money.
This will give you some idea of what's around:
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=oscilloscope
If you can, from your own piece of mind and the vendor's, I think it's wise to try to buy one that you can inspect and collect personally. Scopes don't travel well, and there are scores of 'war stories' about them arriving with a smashed irreplaceable CRT, and all the hassle that follows such incidents. What you spend on petrol to collect it, you'll say to some extent on not paying P&P.
Of course, if you want one with a guarantee, that means paying the price from a reputable dealer, and in that regard, Stewarts of Reading tend to be the benchmark.
I use an aging Gould 300 10mHz dual trace scope, but rarely use both traces. If I'm checking say a decade divider, it's just as easy to put the probe on the input, then on the output of the IC to observe that it's doing what it should be - dividing the input by 10.
Though they tend to be seen as a 'must-have' item, scopes have little application in radio restoration, more so for TVs, and even more for digital applications which you seem to be involved in. I suspect that many, once bought, stay on the shelf.
Those are just my thoughts and observations - others may adivse you differently.
Hope that helps a bit.
Best of luck in your quest!
David
