The infamous what scope should I buy as a first analog scope thread (<100USD)?

[Beamin]

I was going to buy a digital but decided to get an analogue used one from ebay/amazon for less them 100USD. For my 2nd scope I going to buy a nice digital one: if I have something in the mean time I can learn on and I'll know exactly what I want and it gives me more time to save up for it.

Every time I watch videos on youtube I just end up not knowing which one I want. If you had 100 and needed a scope as a beginner general purpose what should I look for and what brands should I avoid?

Sorry if this topic has been done to death I just have no clue as to whats good and whats going to end up breaking and needing parts made from unobtainium.

[Beamin]

Is this a good deal? What do I need to purchase with it like probes?

https://www.ebay.com/p/Tektronix-2213-Analog-Oscilloscope/96998018?iid=162678817057


This looks like a better deal:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-2465-300MHZ-Analog-Oscilloscope-/182783462980?_trksid=p2349526.m2548.l4275

[NivagSwerdna]

I was going to buy a digital but decided to get an analogue used one from ebay/amazon for less them 100USD.

IMHO just get a cheap digital one. 

[vk6zgo]

I was going to buy a digital but decided to get an analogue used one from ebay/amazon for less them 100USD.

IMHO just get a cheap digital one. 

It depends on what you call cheap.
Such things as the DS1054z may be cheap in the USA, but exchange rates, etc, push it up to around $A700 in this country.

[rdl]

By the time the reserve is met on the 2465 it will probably be far out of your price range.

Looking for cheaper used analog scopes, I would not buy one unless it is shown to display a trace and is guaranteed to be working. You may need to go up a bit in price range to find that.

[rstofer]

And I certainly wouldn't buy a scope from a guy who says he doesn't know if it works or not and sells AS IS.

[NivagSwerdna]

I was going to buy a digital but decided to get an analogue used one from ebay/amazon for less them 100USD.

IMHO just get a cheap digital one. 

It depends on what you call cheap.
Such things as the DS1054z may be cheap in the USA, but exchange rates, etc, push it up to around $A700 in this country.

I know... and I appreciate that buying a scope is a huge cost for a non-professional... but sometimes it is worth saving to a buy a friend that will be with you for some time.

[schmitt trigger]

By the time the reserve is met on the 2465 it will probably be far out of your price range.

Looking for cheaper used analog scopes, I would not buy one unless it is shown to display a trace and is guaranteed to be working.

What you said.
I've known acquaintances who have purchased scopes only to find that one channel is damaged....or that the CRT has a severe case of CRT burn......or certain positions on the rotary selectors don't work.

[bd139]

I've got all my working analogue scopes from people who have no idea what they are. You can usually find them on ebay with the following criteria:

1. Seller doesn't know what it is or turned it on and the lights came on and that's it.
2. Seller is selling radio magazines from the 1950/60s.
3. Seller is selling cat ornaments.
4. Seller is selling old suits which are surplus to requirements.
5. Buy it now is a low price and you have to collect it because they can't be bothered to ship it.

Basically from dead engineers and hams

For me:

- Tektronix 465B 100MHz - £20 ($30)
- Philips PM3217 50MHz - £10 ($15)
- Telequipment S61 5MHz - £1 ($2)
- LG OS 20MHz - £5 ($10)
- Tektronix 475 200MHz - £10 ($20) - doesn't turn on (yes it did - think zoolander computer scene)
- Philips PM3315 60MHz digital - £10 ($20) - this one actually caught fire but was repairable.

[rstofer]

If you buy a used analog scope and it doesn't work, are you capable of fixing it?  Can you even find the parts?

We have had threads where folks bought used analog scopes only to discover things like a dead channel, broken knobs and other show-stoppers.

OTOH, I bought a used Tek 485 (350 MHz) scope about 14 years ago for around $200.   It has worked fine all these years but it was just luck.  It could have turned out to be a bunch of dead parts in a fancy metal box.

There are some good buys if you can fix what you bought.  But parts, particularly custom parts, are hard to get.

Look for a scope that is known to work.  Some sellers will actually offer scopes with current calibration.  These tend to be a little more costly.

[Gyro]

I'm surprised that no one has posted a link to this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1022-finding-a-$50-oscilloscope-on-ebay/

It's still warm and much of the above has very recently been posted there. It could save the OP some time.

[cstratton]

If there's a decent analog scope you can see locally in operation or being offered by a friend, that might barely be worthwhile.

Otherwise, just get a digital one.  95% of the time it will be a more useful tool.

More importantly, it's smaller - less bench space, less storage space.

I've still got the analog scope my parents bought me for Christmas when I was 15.  It hasn't come out of the storage box since I bought a digital one for my personal lab, but I'm stuck storing it because there are theoretically a few situations where it would be better, and perhaps moreso, because it has personal history.

[Beamin]

The 2465 still has no bids I did message the seller as to the reserve but no response which I was expecting.

60 + 40 shipping but that 60 is below reserve price. What would the reserve price be if you were selling one? I guess I could go to 150 or 200 as I expected to spend 400-450 on a digital one. I don't see myself getting board of this hobby I have already invested 2000 in stuff biggest purchase was 230 for a CC power supply which I had no idea how much that helps or how I did projects without it.

I am the second owner. The scope was given to me because the unit had failed. The problem was very common with this scope. A deflection module would overheat because there was not enough cooling. I found a new module and added a heat sink. I found the heat sink info on the internet. The CRT is in excellent condition. The scope comes with one X10 probe and all manuals. If not completely satisfied, please return the scope

[buck converter]

Don't understand the confusion over risk of buying a used CRO
What a lot of people are forgetting, is that if the seller claims that the scope was tested and works, there is little risk. If you are a beginner, don't buy an as is scope. Fixing them can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. All the negative attention in these threads regard the risk of buying a AS IS scope. Buy a TESTED WORKING scope like I did, and you will be fine.

Beamin, if you live near universities, ask them if they do not need/are chucking their old oscilloscopes. I did, got a 2235 for free. A free working CRO is better than no scope.

[ez24]

What you said.
I've known acquaintances who have purchased scopes only to find that one channel is damaged....or that the CRT has a severe case of CRT burn......or certain positions on the rotary selectors don't work.

Depends if you like to gamble.  I bought two scopes on ebay.  One arrived with the CRT broken, got about 1/2 back.   The other one had switches so dirty it could not be used, lost about $100 for a total loss of about $150 

I believe a lot of people like to get a non-working scope so they can work on it.  Repairing a scope is not for beginners.

I did find a NOS Tek 465b for $100 with all the manuals and a tape on Craigs List.  But this was dumb luck.  My advice is if you buy a used scope do so in person so you can check the switches.  If not a cheap digital scope is the better way to go. 

I know everyone will hate this but I got a DSO 112a and I like it.  It gets good reviews and is dead on compared to my Rigol 1054 and is less than $100.  It is really impressive.

https://www.amazon.com/JYETech-Battery-Powered-Oscilloscope-Display-DSO112A/dp/B01BMYS10S/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1506462166&sr=1-1&keywords=dso+112a

good luck

[Johnny10]

You are going to be hard pressed to get a 2465 for under 175 working.

I have to tell you that 3 1/2 years ago I started in this hobby and the 2465A was my first oscilloscope.
With no experience in electronics I wanted the scope to repair vintage hi-fi gear.

My reasons were:

1. High voltage inputs
2. Analog
3. Fairly inexpensive
4. Saw someone on a You tube video using it.

You are going to change your mind about what is best oscilloscope depending on your projects.
I have 8 different scopes now.

I forgot to say that the one features missing from analog scopes is multiple measurement capability.
Seeing 6 or more measurements at once without having to move cursors or count divisions makes everything so much easier.

[rstofer]

The 2465 still has no bids I did message the seller as to the reserve but no response which I was expecting.

60 + 40 shipping but that 60 is below reserve price. What would the reserve price be if you were selling one? I guess I could go to 150 or 200 as I expected to spend 400-450 on a digital one. I don't see myself getting board of this hobby I have already invested 2000 in stuff biggest purchase was 230 for a CC power supply which I had no idea how much that helps or how I did projects without it.

I am the second owner. The scope was given to me because the unit had failed. The problem was very common with this scope. A deflection module would overheat because there was not enough cooling. I found a new module and added a heat sink. I found the heat sink info on the internet. The CRT is in excellent condition. The scope comes with one X10 probe and all manuals. If not completely satisfied, please return the scope

Nor is it likely to get any bids.  The reserve price is probably in the range of other 2465s at around $150-$200 (minimum) or maybe a LOT more.  About the only way to find the reserve price is to enter a lowball bid and keep walking it up by $5 or $10 until the reserve notice goes away.  But you're locked into buying it!  Let some other fool find the reserve price and then see if you're still interested.  Or stop bidding when you hit your max price.  Don't chase it!

If the scope was like many of the others at $600+, would you even look at it?  Why would the seller want to sell what could be a $600 scope for $150?

[vk6zgo]

By the time the reserve is met on the 2465 it will probably be far out of your price range.

Looking for cheaper used analog scopes, I would not buy one unless it is shown to display a trace and is guaranteed to be working.

What you said.
I've known acquaintances who have purchased scopes only to find that one channel is damaged....or that the CRT has a severe case of CRT burn......or certain positions on the rotary selectors don't work.

A two channel 'scope with one faulty channel is a single channel 'scope.
If it is cheap enough, it is still quite usable.

I have been happy to use Oscilloscopes with a few problems in some of my jobs where you grabbed what you could get before someone else did.

[rstofer]

I forgot to say that the one features missing from analog scopes is multiple measurement capability.
Seeing 6 or more measurements at once without having to move cursors or count divisions makes everything so much easier.

In my view, the biggest thing missing in analog (non-storage) scopes is single shot mode.  It is impossible to overstate how important and useful this mode really is.
Plus more channels, decent bandwidth, MANY measurements, decoding and all the rest.  There's a reason that digital scopes have displaced analog.

[innkeeper]

guess it depends on how your going to use it.

for me my desire was for the following
100mhz+
500uv or lower range
singe shot
delay
2+ channels

that got me down to a handful.

the LEADER LBO-516 (also the lab-volt AA-798 - institutional re-badge version) ticked all the boxes for me and then some...at a good price.
i scored a NOS one for 100 us bucks. its a great scope, very under the radar so the prices are not out of sight. .It is made in Japan.
it is currently my "daily driver"

[Beamin]

The 2465 still has no bids I did message the seller as to the reserve but no response which I was expecting.

60 + 40 shipping but that 60 is below reserve price. What would the reserve price be if you were selling one? I guess I could go to 150 or 200 as I expected to spend 400-450 on a digital one. I don't see myself getting board of this hobby I have already invested 2000 in stuff biggest purchase was 230 for a CC power supply which I had no idea how much that helps or how I did projects without it.

I am the second owner. The scope was given to me because the unit had failed. The problem was very common with this scope. A deflection module would overheat because there was not enough cooling. I found a new module and added a heat sink. I found the heat sink info on the internet. The CRT is in excellent condition. The scope comes with one X10 probe and all manuals. If not completely satisfied, please return the scope

Nor is it likely to get any bids.  The reserve price is probably in the range of other 2465s at around $150-$200 (minimum) or maybe a LOT more.  About the only way to find the reserve price is to enter a lowball bid and keep walking it up by $5 or $10 until the reserve notice goes away.  But you're locked into buying it!  Let some other fool find the reserve price and then see if you're still interested.  Or stop bidding when you hit your max price.  Don't chase it!

If the scope was like many of the others at $600+, would you even look at it?  Why would the seller want to sell what could be a $600 scope for $150?

So this is like a 600$ used sscope? I bumped the price to 70 but still not at the reserve. If its worth 600 and I get it for 200 I can always sell it for 300-400 right?

[Beamin]

I really want this scope what s the most I should bid? 200

[tautech]

The 2465 is undeniably a lot of scope but before you go down that path you need know of this thread and what you could possibly be letting yourself into.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-2465b-oscilloscope-teardown/

I've considered getting one a few times and then thought better of it. 
Rather use them than fix them these days.....been there done that.

[TimNJ]

If this is your first oscilloscope, then any oscilloscope is better than no oscilloscope. If you are working with mostly analog circuits (with periodic signals), I think an analog scope is totally acceptable. Digital scopes with sample memory and decode abilities are very helpful for digital circuits.

That said, I think if you're going to get an analog scope, just low ball it and get the cheapest you can find (that is reasonable quality). It's easy to convince yourself that you need a Tek 485 or 2465B but if you're looking at high end analog scopes like those, then you might as well just go digital. (In my opinion.)

I have a Tek 465M. It's basically just a 455 that Tek sold to the military. Cost me $90 delivered. Has and continues to serve me well.

Maybe take a look at this list of Tek 400 series scopes and see if you can find a less popular one for cheap? Just a thought. http://tekmuseum.ebaman.com/400/400series.html

There are of course other manufacturers but I'm kind of inclined to recommend Tektronix because I feel like they'd have the best chance of working well after all these years.

[bd139]

Unless your triggering tunnel diodes are shot

[TimNJ]

Unless your triggering tunnel diodes are shot

There are a decent amount of replacement tunnel diodes out there plus some Russian parts.

[Johnny10]

Not sure where you are located but my local Craigslist has the following for 125.

https://ocala.craigslist.org/ele/d/two-tektronix-oscilloscopes/6294064219.html

[rstofer]

So this is like a 600$ used sscope? I bumped the price to 70 but still not at the reserve. If its worth 600 and I get it for 200 I can always sell it for 300-400 right?

If you want to know what it is worth, find out what the last one sold for!  That might be hard.
Next, look at ALL of the 2465s on eBay and figure out where they are priced.  There are a couple that are fairly inexpensive but most of them are very pricey.  Throw out the high priced unit(s), toss the low priced unit(s) and take the average of what is left.  That's probably the right price.  Or take the average of all of them.  That's what spreadsheets are for!

Assuming the one you are looking at is clean and functioning, you can expect it to be priced accordingly.  Unless the owner is just dumping it.  But he's playing with the reserve price deal instead of just doing a Buy It Now and being done with it.  It's hard to tell what game is being played.

[GreyWoolfe]

I really want this scope what s the most I should bid? 200

It has been tossed around that an analog scope should cost about a dollar a MHz.  I doubt that the reserve is much below $300 because everyone who sells them thinks Tektronix scopes are made of solid gold and platinum and demand a high price.  I got lucky myself.  My local surplus store had 2 2465 scopes for $159.  1 displayed weird stuff on the screen, 1 worked normally.  I took the normal one.

[rstofer]

But if the budget is $100, why are we having a discussion.  It is unlikely the 2465 is going for less than $100.  BTW, does the $100 include shipping?   Depending on how it is packed, shipping can be quite a bit.  Some of the larger dealers will spray foam in the box to protect the scope.  Others just dump it in a box.

[innkeeper]

there is an LBO-516 on ebay now with a buy now price of 124.00 i would bet you could grab that for under 100. heck id offer them 75
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEADER-LBO-516-Oscilloscope-/172580066650?hash=item282e92d55a:g:GMQAAOSwuLZYzAU6&autorefresh=true
looks like it is in good shape too.

then buy 3 100mhz probes from with the change, or even a set of 4 Chinese made probes for $22.99 (from the usa so no long ship times.)  so you would have a spare!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-100MHz-Oscilloscope-Scope-analyzer-Clip-Probe-test-leads-kit-for-HP-Tektronix-/181873909839?epid=1940597496&hash=item2a5887a04f:g:63cAAOSwNRlYJAUk

and still have 2 bucks left over for popcorn and a coke. 

and no not endorsing or affiliated with any of the above .. there just deals i found on ebay today.

[ptricks]

I have a tektronix 2246 that I really like , cost was about $150 shipped.
I don't use the alert thing on ebay , but you can set it up to let you know when something in your range is listed.

[Beamin]

I got a 2465 300mhz for 140.00 shipped said it was working showed the screen with a trace. Fingers crossed. That other one has some crazy reserve on it..

[buck converter]

NICE!! if it does not work, you could sell it for more if you wait long enough.

[Beamin]

So the 3465 is on its way but it has no probes. I can't complain for 140 shipped.

IS there anything special about buying the probes? All probes are just bnc and will work with any scope? What is a good price to pay? Where do you buy your probes?

[Beamin]

I see listings on ebay for 100mhz 200mhz probes but this is often bullshit like 200mhz for 10$ more. Or does it really work this way? If I want at least 300 MHz what is the standard MHz range they come in? I would imagine that all probes would work up to something like 100mhz or 1ghz in steps and there wouldn't be specific frequencies like 200mhz.

What would be the band width of a simple wire probe like this one? I would think 300mhz wouldn't have trouble traveling down a wire. You can make antennas for much higher freq. with just a wire.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-New-BNC-Q9-to-Dual-Alligator-Clip-Oscilloscope-Test-Probe-Leads-LAUS-/391851982901?hash=item5b3c32c035:g:Z9cAAOSwv9hW6EeQ

[tautech]

So the 3465 is on its way but it has no probes. I can't complain for 140 shipped.

IS there anything special about buying the probes? All probes are just bnc and will work with any scope? What is a good price to pay? Where do you buy your probes?

P6100 (100 MHz) probes are the some of the cheapest and best you can find and they'll be fine to start with and probably be suitable as everyday probes but to fully utilise your 3465 you'll want some 300+ MHz probes.
Past those frequencies you leave the realm of passive probes and need to shell out $$ to get even cheapies.

You should be able to find P6100 for USD15/pair delivered.....eBay or Aliexpress.

[Johnny10]

Tek recommends P6136 Probes.

https://www.tek.com/support/faqs/what-are-differences-between-oscilloscope-models-2465-2465a-and-2465b


Just watch for age cracking of BNC twist lock plastic.
I bought a number of old Tek probes where the BNC plastic covers crack, fall apart and drop the spring designator pin.

[GreyWoolfe]

Tek recommends P6136 Probes.

https://www.tek.com/support/faqs/what-are-differences-between-oscilloscope-models-2465-2465a-and-2465b


Just watch for age cracking of BNC twist lock plastic.
I bought a number of old Tek probes where the BNC plastic covers crack, fall apart and drop the spring designator pin.

I picked up a couple of Tek probes from the surplus store that Johnny and frequent and one of them had a crack in the plastic cover.  A careful application of Loc-Tite professional super glue resolved that issue.  They are a P6131 and a P6137 for $10 each.

[tggzzz]

There's a current thread ("2454B 400MHz gives just about 300 MHz BW") on the Yahoo! TekScopes group about one fleabay seller that takes 2445s, twiddles with them, and rebadges them as 2465s. He even sells the 2465b decal to put on the scope's handle.

The thread is worth reading to see some ways to play the ebay system.

For the avoidance of doubt, I have no knowledge of that seller, nor what he may or may not have done.