My new radio, not vintage at all!

[Mark Hennessy]

Lawrence bought an analogue 'scope in 2016: https://golbornevintageradio.co.uk/forum...p?tid=5324

I was surprised that they were still being manufactured at that time, but of course they've all gone now.

It's a shame in a way. Certainly from the teaching point of view. Analogue 'scopes just feel more real; more connected to the signal. Digital 'scopes are a bit more abstract - just another computer. Fine if you already understand analogue 'scopes. I see a lot of graduates who only ever used DSOs at uni, and they feel a lot more comfortable with 'scopes once they've had a bit of a play with an analogue model with a mechanical interface...

[PerdioPal]

The best bit of modern digital 'scopes is the "auto set" button, at least you get the basics of the signal on the screen. I have portable digi scope that on that setting does different timebases for each channel, rather confused me until I found the "link" function. I can't think of a use for that.

[ppppenguin]

.... Analogue 'scopes just feel more real; more connected to the signal. Digital 'scopes are a bit more abstract - just another computer. ......

True of just about any piece of modern kit. The functionality and user interface are a long way apart. If the UI is done well, which is hardly a given, you can believe that what you get is what you asked for. We've all seen bad UI design, sometimes verging on the malicious.

[Mike Watterson]

I've an 8″ eink ereader. I now put all the PDF manuals on it as I find many newer things or complex things are impossible to use unless using them every day. The VX5R radio is bit mad and makes the FT817ND radio seem easy. My pocket VNA and FTdx10 radio both have touch screens, so forgot the Rigol SA only uses the physical buttons beside the on screen text, which is better really.

[joebog1]

About the only nice thing about a digital scope is its maths functions. Forget the paper and pencil.
There are functions on mine that I havent even figured out how to use yet.

Joe

[AmadeusMozart]

I'd a Picoscope 2204A and it served me well. But there goes nothing above a nice analog scope in my book. After I picked up one of the early solid state driven and nicely working Tektronix scope the Picoscope went to other shores. This Tektronix model has especially sentimental value for me: I used to cycle past the factory in Heerenveen (The Netherlands) when they made these. Bonus is that it uses common semiconductors.

[joebog1]

If you all read above, you will see what I think of digital scopes. I DID do some research and the one I purchased was supposedly a well recognised beginners scope.
I have of course been using oscilloscopes since the 1960's. When I my new digital one it STILL takes me 5 minutes to find a trace, or in my case there are FIVE traces. Some are real traces, some are the newspaper headlines.
All I was looking for was the basic waveform. I didnt need to know how many bleep dongers were in each ding wanger, nor who was going to win the football, but apparently its on the screen.
Its so lightweight that when you push a button ( 3 knobs, 20 buttons ) it falls over backwards. I could drive an analogue scope with my eyes inside a Tek scope " blinkers " ,
and not need to look at the KNOBS. NOW it takes 5 minutes to search four levels deep of really nonsensical, me AND you's , that dont tell me a damn thing that I need to know.

Thats digital progress I guess ???.
So another thing thats fun with a Pico scope is that it only requires,
1. A screen
2. A mouse
3. A keyboard
4 . A computer
5. Another two or three power cords ( OK old analogue scopes needed power too )
6. A bench to hold all this crap required to connect it all
7. At least 10 years programming experience in no less than 4 languages
8. A pilots licence to know which the master switch is, OR an on/off switch. Traditionally associated with the brightness control.

AHH the simplicity of a few free'd electrons moving over the phospher to enlighten one on what that amplifier was doing.

I am not very complemetary of digital stuff am I ??.
Well, if the laws of life are correct, you blokes only have another 30 or 40 years of listening to me winge.
I am a baby 71 years of age :-).

Peace to you all.

Your aussie mate

Joe

[DrStrangelove]

The best bit of modern digital 'scopes is the "auto set" button, at least you get the basics of the signal on the screen. .

Indeed. The "Esteemed Customers" (students) would be lost without the magic "set it all up for me"** button.

The electronics lab in work had a selection of Tek TDS scopes which were A, B, or C according to who bought them & when the were bought.

It didn't half make the introductory stuff for the freshers complicated coz the button presses were different from one to the other depending on which version it was.

I* spent £1000 or so on a Tek TDS210 some 23 years ago, back when I was a rich contractor.

*By "I" I mean my company spent it and I inherited it when I closed the company down.

**Me too sometimes after setting it up for some abstruse measurement then trying to use it for sommat mundane a few weeks later.

Despite its limited memory depth the 210 has served well in my hobby of reverse engineering IR zappers which I seem to wear out quite quickly.

[PerdioPal]

" "set it all up for me"** button." As you say it is useful but not the be all and end all, I could probably set up a "knob twiddling" 'scope just as fast but they are much bigger, I don't know of a new proper knob twiddler one available. You only need three knobs, vertical gain, horizontal speed and trigger level for most situations.

[joebog1]

I wonder what they call " set it all up for me " button on my new "scope " ( https://www.digikey.com/en/products/deta...2/13998224 ) ?.

I have had it about 18 months or so now and just learned its supposedly made in usa. If that is so, they must have then had the instructions printed in Chinglish.
Our dollar was up somewhat back then, so one thing I have learned, is buy when the $ is high. Its still available but costs twice what I paid for it. Mine was post free.

Perdio has it in one. Three knobs mostly . I think there are four levels of menu with the Owon, with descriptors that mean nothing to me. I have forgotten exactly how many menu's there are.
The biggest problem with it though, is its self noise. It ALWAYS has these little negative going spikes on the traces ( except the text traces ) regardless of sensitivity settings.
Its the fastest scope I have ever owned though, but not as fast as some that were supplied by companies I have worked for.
Still, 200 megs for valve amplifiers ??? its almost wasted.

Joe