I would like to have an oscilloscope. I am not an electronics repair person or an electronics engineer but I have had some experience using an oscilloscope and repairing circuits.

I would use it for computer and entertainment equipment and vehicle, boat, aircraft type stuff.


What is the practical side of buying and having one at home? Any recommended models or brands or features to seek or avoid?

Check out E-Bay for older Heathkit scopes. Make sure you get the assembly manual(s) and check for bad solder joints if you do buy one.

Alternatively, find a product to turn your PC into a scope. Do a search for "computer oscilloscope" on google or dogpile.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

Ditto that, I used the computer scope for because we had to save the test's performed and it was a much cheaper example.

The applications for electronics are basically unlimited, if you have the schematic you can fix it.

I had a couple of the heathkits and they can be little frustrating try Protek if they are in your budget.

Fluke also has a graphing multimeter that might work well for you.

I have a tektronix 472 scope.......along with a signal generator....several meters.....and an RF generator.

But then I have a degree in electronics

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I like the idea of the scope on the computer card except for the hassles with portability. If I got a PC based scope I would want one I could use with a laptop. Is the PC scope as versatile as a stand alone unit or do you lose other functionality?

The A/D capture for use as a recorder would also be nice sometimes.

I probably should have said that I would buy one used. I wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost of a new one.

If you had to do it over again would you buy the same unit or a different model or brand?

I swiped the one I got when several offices got closed up a number of years ago........

THe other equipment I bought new during a clearance sale at a now closed Amature radio store.

I think Tektronix makes the best equipment.....but they are expensive to purchase...

HP is another top brand....quality wise. Fluke is good but not as well made.

I repaired test gear for a short time at a previous employer while waiting for my Clearance to go through to work on the really good stuff.

Buying used gear is tricky....they can be expensive to repair.....some are very hard to aquire parts for. Buying from an individual is a lot like buying a a 350 SD or 350SDL its hard to assess what you are really getting.

THe Key is deciding what you will really need and base your descision to that. Its the High frequency work that requires gear that costs the really big bucks....If you work on audio gear you don't need a scope that can handle 1 GHz fequencies.....

Problem is asking what is the best scope for me.........Is like asking whats the best car for me...........

Low frequency work , or something where you are looking at low freq signals and not very precise measurments of those signals you have a LOT of choices....and the lowest price ones.

I am still trying to get a spectrum analyzer for the irght price.....one that is good below 4 ghz.......all are out of my affordibility range.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Keep me in mind if you see any more offices closing.

Sometimes I see several for sale at a time and I think it is the same type of thing, a shop gets closed or moved and they update the equipment instead of moving it.

The question of what I want is a big one and one that is not clear to me. I tinker with everything I can get my hands on. So I want as versatile a machine as comes my way at an affordable price. Does versatile translate to fast mostly or are there other common limitations?

My degree is in Computer Science so I am mostly software oriented but nowadays I only work with that stuff when I have to.

Partly.....keep in mind you need special probes for certain types of usage.....

THere are RF probes to getting into Rf circuits becasue the capacitance of regular probes will exxectively kill certaing oscillators etc...not fry just load enough they change or cease working all together.

THere are High voltage probes for certain things...............

Don't worry so much if it has 2 or 4 channels.....you are not likely to need that many.........focus more on the frequency range....

Odds are you are not going to need some of the more esoteric functions like delayed triggering etc......but most have those anyway.

Storage ---------thats something else you won't need as Harry homeowner hobbyist.

What is the equivilant to a mechanics inspection would be see about getting one with valid calibration....or finding out how much a callibration would cost if its a reasonible expense for you.

That would tell you that it is fully functional, and that its display levels are accurate.....Not sure what that would cost you, I thing corporate discounts cost about $150 and if you can do it as a private owner. THey will make minor adjustments but not repairs.

Or if its a local purchase find a local TV shop...pay them a few bucks to "check it out" they will be familiar with its operation and can tell if there are any gross problems......sort of like dragging a mechanic buddy along to look at a car you plan to buy. If they don't have work comming out of their ears they should do it.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Jeeze, I just threw out a couple old ones I've had for years. Didn't use them anymore, as I gave up electronics many moons ago. Should have put them on Ebay I guess.

__________________
past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

I rarely mess with them either.....but I keep it around for emergencies and to keep myself from forgetting it all. I dabble a couple times a year. I haven't worked in an R&D lab for 11 years.......I use them fairly rarely in my current job.......

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

that can talk to a PC. Then you can post the waveforms here

I had an old Knight Kit Scope(similar to Heathkit) that my dad built back in the early 60's, and an old Eico (another similar type kit) I got from who knows who way back when. Both worked just fine. But I figured they weren't going to be fast enough scopes for today's electronics anyway, so off to the dump they went. Also had an old home made scope I got from an old timer ham radio fella, along with a case or 2 of Navy surplus CRT's.
Electronics was fun way back when. You could actually make sense of it. There were real wires, and discrete componants you could see and identify. Now there's nothing to replace except a circuit board, or toss the whole unit because it's cheaper to just buy a new one.

__________________
past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

If you just want to see the general shape of the waveform this looks kinda cool. I wouldn't use it for serious work but checking for clipping in an audio amp or watching your fuel injector pulses are within it capabilities. And $117.99 ain't a bad price.

http://www.pc-oscilloscopes.com/40_42.htm

Google for "USB oscilloscope" or "parallel port oscilloscope" for more ideas.

Michael

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Usta haves '69 250/8, '76 280C, 1971 250C 114.023, 1976 450SEL 116.033
Current have, 1983 300SD 126.120

Oh ya,
This is the one I have, have never used, but just had to have.

http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/Wittig/ozsifox.htm

Michael

__________________
Usta haves '69 250/8, '76 280C, 1971 250C 114.023, 1976 450SEL 116.033
Current have, 1983 300SD 126.120