Advice - oscilloscope (HP 54502A or newer model?)

[davidb_]

I do mostly digital electronics (avrs and fpgas), occassionally integrating some analog sensors. My projects thus far have been pretty simple (I haven't really needed a logic analyzer, just a scope to sanity check a signal or adjust signal conditioning circuitry). Since I'm nearly done with school, I will no longer have access to all of the nice scopes there and figure it's about time to get a decent one for myself. My budget is under ~$350.

I have found a HP 54502A for $115, but it's in "untested condition" and I won't be able to test it until after purchasing (it's too far away, so I it has to be shipped). I've read through other threads on this forum about this scope and the price seems decent, even if I have to replace the NVRAM. The HP seems like a good scope. My only concern (other than some kind of catastrophic problem inside), is that after looking at the manual, the menu system seems like a bit of a burden compared to more modern scopes. I'm a bit attracted to the "project" aspect of getting this scope functioning again (if that's even required.. the seller has done no testing other than turning it on), but also don't want to get it working just to feel like I'm wasting my time with it when I could have purchased a better scope.

So, should I jump on this HP or should I look for something else? If something else, what's a good scope within my budget?

[casinada]

Depending on what part of the country you live, you can find electronic junk yards with vintage equipment. you can also try to search in pawn shops or Craig's list.
If you're lucky to live near a technology town it should be easy to score equipment for cheap. I would try those options before venturing on ebay as you cannot test what you're buying unless you purchase from a reputable source. Good luck with your search.

[davidb_]

I'm living in Buffalo, NY now. I haven't  found much electronics equipment on craigslist and when I do it's usually very overpriced. Where do you find electronics junk yards? I've tried searching, but there doesn't seem to be anything like that in the area. When I lived in Rochester, I found a couple of decent places but never found anything that looked like a great deal.

The seller is a semi-local electronics recycler that sells on ebay, which is why I assumed it might be a decent deal.

[PaulAm]

Buying "as is" untested equipment is an interesting experience.

My general advice when buying something marked "as is" or "parts only" is to pay the value of the item as parts.  That way you won't be disappointed.  Often you may run into a trivial problem or even a perfectly good piece of equipment.  Sometimes not.

That's a nice scope, even if it is monochrome.  However, it is limited to a 2K sample depth.  That's not necessarily a deal breaker; I have a Tek 2432a with a 2x1K sample depth and it is still very useful.  But it is a limitation to take into account.


Can you get him to send you a photo of the self-test screen?  Or at least tell you what pass/fails?

Sometimes when they say "powers on" they mean the power light turns on and nothing else.  I like stuff that is totally broken, more often than not it's a power supply problem.  But it may indicate very serious problems.

If you're on a limited budget, I'd go for something that actually works.  Fixing test equipment is fun and educational, but it may be a tangent to what you really want to be doing.  And you have to ask yourself if this piece of equipment is going to do what you need once you've finished fixing it.  If so, and you can afford the money and time, then go for it 

[trackman44]

Cross the border and come to Toronto. There are plenty of places here where you can find oscilloscopes. There is a guy selling a scope for $50 on kijiji.ca just north of the city :-

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-business-industrial-Telequipment-D54-2-Channel-oscilloscope-W0QQAdIdZ542555285

There is also a couple of Hameg 20 Mhz scopes selling for $124 and $175 at Active Surplus near Queen and Peter st :-

http://www.activesurplus.com/en/

Another place is Electronic Surplus Industries, 53 Sheffield st, Tel. (416) 240-1950. They have A TON of oscilloscopes, all makes and models.

William

[casinada]

I live in the Wild west here (Tucson, AZ) You'll be surprised the prices you can get stuff for with recyclers even if they have ebay listings. Cash is king so don't be afraid to barter them to the ground.

[davidb_]

Thanks for all of the advice.

I'm in the southtowns of Buffalo, so Toronto still seems a bit far for a day trip. I do go once a year or so to see a show/concert, though. The next time I go, I'll make a stop to check out the electronics shops you mentioned.

I asked for a picture of the self-test screen and it passed everything. I offered $100 (including shipping and taxes) and I got it. I probably should've been a bit tougher with negotiating, but that seemed like a reasonable price, so I'm fairly happy with it. My justification was this scope should last me at least a year or two until I find I need something more. I've run through most of the features of the scope from the manual and everything seems to be working fine. If I end up disappointed, I'll be sure to let you all know (for the "told ya so" and so maybe others can learn from me to not be quite so impatient and headstrong), haha. So far, the fan and relay noise are my only complaints. My old desktop's fans are still louder though.

[PaulAm]

Sounds like a winner