Tektronix 160 Series

[ppppenguin]

Regarding fuzzy trace, are you looking at trigger jitter or astigmatism? Or even simple lack of focus? Some scopes are sharper than others. You could cut yourself on the trace of my 547. The much later 24xx series are nothing like as sharp though still more than good enough for all purposes.

Of course, the 547 is a 50MHz 'scope, and some of those 24-series 'scopes were 200, 300 or 400MHz. What looks like softness is sometimes noise - engaging the BW-limit mode confirms that. Even my humble 100MHz Fluke Combiscope is slightly fuzzy when not in 20MHz BWL mode.

And let's not get into the whole "digital 'scopes are noisier than analogue 'scope" debate

But yes, there are many variables...

Of course there's noise when at full BW. I'm talking about with the 20MHz filter switched in. The fundamental electron optics just aren't as sharp as on the 547. Shorter CRT? More compormises due to wide BW? Higher PDA?

One day I might get myself a nice digital scope, one that can do a decent job of displaying video. Will need digital phosphor or equivalent. My TDS210 and all simpler DSOs do a horrible job on video.