First Oscilloscope

[rrittenhouse]

I am about to go pick up an HP 1222a for $30 but it's untested as he had no probes. He apparently has got some probes and said that I could test it even when I show up. Ad is here: http://columbus.craigslist.org/ele/5350024006.html

I saw that it had a single dot on the screen but I assume that's because he had no probes hooked up. It's been YEARS since i've touched an o-scope.

I assume that for $30 even if its dead it's probably a fun project to tinker with. Let's just hope I don't need an o-scope to fix the....o-scope

I found the manual for it but was quickly overwhelmed with "Why not just save up for a Rigol?". I figure I should learn/break an older one before making some mistakes on a newer scope.

Thoughts on this model? Good deal to pick it up even if its junk?

Thanks

[Isad]

For 30$ even just to take it apart its worth it
might be broken sicne i dont think that that scope
has a dot mode but idk i havent touched any kinde of
old HP scope.Btw why dont you get the hp digitizing oscilloscope
seems to be working but idk.Good luck with it .

[jitter]

An analogue scope will show a dot when set to xy-mode without any signals connected.
Perhaps it was when they took the photo?

When googling for a better photo I stumbled across this thread on this forum.

[Isad]

An analogue scope will show a dot when set to xy-mode without any signals connected.
Perhaps it was when they took the photo?

I dont think that scope has xy-mode since there is no button indicating that
but idk for sure.

[Audioguru]

A dot on the screen means that its horizontal oscillator or horizontal amplifier does not work. The dot might have burned a mark on the screen.

[jitter]

An analogue scope will show a dot when set to xy-mode without any signals connected.
Perhaps it was when they took the photo?

I dont think that scope has xy-mode since there is no button indicating that
but idk for sure.

It has X-Y mode. Look at the photo of the link in my previous post. It has no separate knob for it, but next to the time/div knob there's the text: "MAGNIFIER SET TO CAL FOR X - Y".

That is the little knob on the time/div, but it's missing on the scope in question.

[rrittenhouse]

Thanks for the reply. I only grabbed this one because it was local. Like 5 minutes from house to house. He didn't have proper probes so I really didn't get to test it besides turning it on and playing with knobs.

The HP digitizing scope is about 45 minutes away so I dismissed it. That, and I don't claim to know much about scopes and if that one is good or not. I'll check on it though and do more research on that one. Thanks!

[Isad]

Thanks for the reply. I only grabbed this one because it was local. Like 5 minutes from house to house. He didn't have proper probes so I really didn't get to test it besides turning it on and playing with knobs.

The HP digitizing scope is about 45 minutes away so I dismissed it. That, and I don't claim to know much about scopes and if that one is good or not. I'll check on it though and do more research on that one. Thanks!

The digitizing scope seems to be working tho he doesnt
show a waveform but only the line a scope display so if you
go to that persons house make sure you play around with it.

An analogue scope will show a dot when set to xy-mode without any signals connected.
Perhaps it was when they took the photo?

I dont think that scope has xy-mode since there is no button indicating that
but idk for sure.

It has X-Y mode. Look at the photo of the link in my previous post. It has no separate knob for it, but next to the time/div knob there's the text: "MAGNIFIER SET TO CAL FOR X - Y".

That is the little knob on the time/div, but it's missing on the scope in question.

Oh i didnt see that post.Sorry Your right.

[rrittenhouse]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I will have to buy some probes and give this one a test. For 30, i'll at least have something to tinker with while I get another scope that works. I went and picked it up on my lunch break. I made sure to introduce him about EEVBlog while I was there. He just had this sitting around from when he went to school for Electronics in '89.

I'm assuming that probes are pretty standard? I need to do some more research on that and then purchase a couple. Ideally, if it is broke, I would love to be able to use the probes on another scope. I'm sure that it's probably able to be done; I just figured I would ask.

Thanks!

[tggzzz]

I'm assuming that probes are pretty standard? I need to do some more research on that and then purchase a couple. Ideally, if it is broke, I would love to be able to use the probes on another scope. I'm sure that it's probably able to be done; I just figured I would ask

If you do just the tiniest bit of research (I.e. look at a distributor such as Newark or digikey)  you will find that bog standard  probes cast from $10 to $10000. And then there are the expensive probes...

[rrittenhouse]

I'm probably going to grab these unless someone says its a bad idea?

Hantek 2 X 100MHz Oscilloscope Clip Probes with Accessory Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030KWM30/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_-OVIwbKMETHPZ

[rdl]

Those should be fine. You can find P6100 probes and others on ebay for a little cheaper, they'll do the job too. Look for free shipping from US only for good deals with fast delivery.

[rrittenhouse]

Those should be fine. You can find P6100 probes and others on ebay for a little cheaper, they'll do the job too. Look for free shipping from US only for good deals with fast delivery.

Thanks. I went ahead and ordered the ones from Amazon so they get here quicker haha. I'm impatient and i'm sure i'll be disappointed (but motivated) to fix the HP 1222a scope. I was trying to look up how to build a scope but I didn't know if I should trust doing something like that. It looked like for an x10 scope that you could just get a bnc connector, 50 ohm coax, 2 (specific value) resistors, and a specific value cap, a probe, an alligator clip, etc. But I just figured even if I don't get this one working I'll end up buying something else that is known to work.

Thanks