Budget Oscilloscope... do they exist?

[march500]

Are there options for getting a reliable scope for a reasonable price? Do the USB scopes you see on eBay work?

[dont-tase-me-bro]

Rigol are priced low

[march500]

Rigol are priced low

Still a little out of my price range for the amount of use it would get. Anyone have any experience with the USB variety? I've read a few reviews and they don't seem to be the greatest.

[komigenie]

Rigol DS1052E 50MHz is great ...

http://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/ds1000e/ds1052e/



Can be upgraded to 100MHz

[pickdropper]

The Owon scopes are decent as are the Rigol.  As far as a new scopes go, you can find a usable one for between $300-400.  As with all of the Chinese scopes the user interfaces leave a bit to be desired, but they usually have a lot of features.  It may seem like a bunch of money for a hobby purchase but keep in mind that they are still significantly cheaper than the pro grade scopes like the Tek and Agilent scopes.  A friend of mine has a nice Tek scope and it cost him about $7k.

I wouldn't go too low on the scale for new scopes.  I've used a few of them and couldn't deal with them.  A much better solution is to try and find an old, used Tek that's in good condition.  You can find them for under $200 if you look carefully.  Ideally, find one that's been calibrated somewhat recently.

[dont-tase-me-bro]

Siglent is another one that is priced pretty low.

[march500]

Thanks for the input... Looks like I'll have to keep my eyes out for a used one.

[oldhousescott]

We've got one of the Owons at work, and it does have a nice display and plenty of features, but after a year the encoders are already getting a bit squirrely. Maybe for light shop use it would hold up better.

[pickdropper]

We've got one of the Owons at work, and it does have a nice display and plenty of features, but after a year the encoders are already getting a bit squirrely. Maybe for light shop use it would hold up better.

Yeah, they are definitely not built to last. 

I like the Agilent scopes I've used.  I'd buy a previously used one, but even at that most of the nice recent ones are pricey.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gtr2]

Keep your eye out on local craigslist too... I picked up a free Tek scope few years ago on CL.

Josh

[pryde]

Check your local community colleges or universities as well. Electronics department normally have tons of good old analog scopes sitting around never being used. Not to mention signal generators, variacs, etc.

[alanp]

Rigol DS1052E 50MHz is great ...

http://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/ds1000e/ds1052e/

I have one of those! I haven't upgraded it though.

The framerate can be pretty sucky, in the seconds range, sometimes. I suspect I need to go menu-diving, but don't want to devote the brain-time to comprehending it.

[march500]

Check your local community colleges or universities as well. Electronics department normally have tons of good old analog scopes sitting around never being used. Not to mention signal generators, variacs, etc.

That's a great idea. There's quite a few in my area.

[john_p_wi]

The new Rigol 1054Z is supposed to have fairly high review ratings. 

I have collected used analog scopes the past 20 years and I will say that used equipment can be frustrating - especially with sucky probes.  IF you find a decent used analog scope be prepared to spend at least as much or more on GOOD probes than the cost of the used scope.

[raulduke]

If you have an old laptop lying around, a PicoScope may also be worth looking at.