02-11-2017, 11:22 PM
Don't buy that 'scope. The Telequipment DM64 is a dog of a 'scope to work on. Ask Sam ("Boater Sam" on here) - we spent a day together fixing one once upon a time.
Older 'scopes like that will need periodic TLC to keep them alive. That in itself can be a satisfying hobby for those of us with plenty of experience, but right now, you need a working tool, not another project.
I'd get something much newer - preferably from the '80s or '90s. There are lots of good brands, but for someone in your position, I'd be thinking about Hameg, Hitachi or Philips. I'd avoid Tek, as you'd pay quite a premium for the name and end up with a 'scope with more features that you'd need - and it would be hard to repair. In terms of spec, you want dual channel, 20MHz unit. Some analogue 'scopes have a dual timebase - especially those with a wider bandwidth - but I suggest that you avoid those as they add a whole bunch of controls to misadjust. Also, going to a wider bandwidth means a greater knowledge of probing techniques is needed. One step at a time...
As has been said, I trust a signal generator is still towards the top of your list. However, for a beginner who wishes to learn electronics, I'd argue that a 'scope is vitally important, and given that the radio is off to Trevor for repair, that nudges the 'scope ahead of the sig gen IMHO. Your existing generator will be fine for getting to grips with the basics.
Don't forget that you'll need probes. The Chinese eBay specials are fine, but expect them to fall apart after a couple of years. Not a problem at that price point.
Older 'scopes like that will need periodic TLC to keep them alive. That in itself can be a satisfying hobby for those of us with plenty of experience, but right now, you need a working tool, not another project.
I'd get something much newer - preferably from the '80s or '90s. There are lots of good brands, but for someone in your position, I'd be thinking about Hameg, Hitachi or Philips. I'd avoid Tek, as you'd pay quite a premium for the name and end up with a 'scope with more features that you'd need - and it would be hard to repair. In terms of spec, you want dual channel, 20MHz unit. Some analogue 'scopes have a dual timebase - especially those with a wider bandwidth - but I suggest that you avoid those as they add a whole bunch of controls to misadjust. Also, going to a wider bandwidth means a greater knowledge of probing techniques is needed. One step at a time...
As has been said, I trust a signal generator is still towards the top of your list. However, for a beginner who wishes to learn electronics, I'd argue that a 'scope is vitally important, and given that the radio is off to Trevor for repair, that nudges the 'scope ahead of the sig gen IMHO. Your existing generator will be fine for getting to grips with the basics.
Don't forget that you'll need probes. The Chinese eBay specials are fine, but expect them to fall apart after a couple of years. Not a problem at that price point.
