09-07-2021, 07:10 AM
I realize that my reply is coming 6 months after you had already found another probe, so this is perhaps mainly for others encountering similar problems and searching the archive for answers.
If you can't modify the tool that came with the probe (not unheard of for these cheap Chinese probes), it is trivially easy to make your own by, e.g., carving up old chopsticks or a sliver of scrap FR4 (my favorite).
You can even use a standard mini screwdriver. The screen display will be invalid while you are touching the tool to the trimmer, but merely pull it out to evaluate the compensation. By working in little steps, you can zero in on the right setting, despite the lack of an insulated tool. This method is only safe, of course, if your drive signal is suitably small (which it should be for adjusting compensation, in any case).
I've found that the P6100 probe is perfectly adequate for sub-100MHz operation. It certainly is a bargain, compared to "real" probes. The primary drawback is that it uses conventional coax cable, rather than the special low-capacitance (and lossy) cable that professional probes use. That means that the probe presents about double the capacitive loading, and a somewhat bumpier response in the upper octave, than a more expensive probe. I am also dubious about the voltage rating. But again, within those limitations, these probes are quite acceptable for general-purpose use.
If you can't modify the tool that came with the probe (not unheard of for these cheap Chinese probes), it is trivially easy to make your own by, e.g., carving up old chopsticks or a sliver of scrap FR4 (my favorite).
You can even use a standard mini screwdriver. The screen display will be invalid while you are touching the tool to the trimmer, but merely pull it out to evaluate the compensation. By working in little steps, you can zero in on the right setting, despite the lack of an insulated tool. This method is only safe, of course, if your drive signal is suitably small (which it should be for adjusting compensation, in any case).
I've found that the P6100 probe is perfectly adequate for sub-100MHz operation. It certainly is a bargain, compared to "real" probes. The primary drawback is that it uses conventional coax cable, rather than the special low-capacitance (and lossy) cable that professional probes use. That means that the probe presents about double the capacitive loading, and a somewhat bumpier response in the upper octave, than a more expensive probe. I am also dubious about the voltage rating. But again, within those limitations, these probes are quite acceptable for general-purpose use.
