Author Topic: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay  (Read 84015 times)

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Offline Rasz

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #100 on: July 28, 2013, 03:05:13 pm »
How to use ebay, short version:

Many people blogged about this, there are youtube guides and tutorials, this is just the low-down.
Rule #1: Never bid before the end of the auction (end means the last few seconds).
Rule #2: Decide the MAXIMUM amount you are willing to pay for it, and put it in as the bid. Get a realistic picture of prices by viewing closed auctions.
You'll get the item for the maximum opposing bid + minimum increment. Say there is a scope listed for $19, and nobody has bid yet. You've researched and see that these often go around $70. It looks really good, and is hardly used, so you decide to go as far as $80 to get it. Last moment you enter a bid of $80, and at the same time, someone else enters a bid of $50.
You'll get the scope for $50 + minimum increment (say, for example, $55).
Rule #3: NEVER get caught up in a bidding contest with someone. One bid, with your maximum. That's it. If someone pays more for it, you didn't lose - you won by NOT wasting money. :)


http://youtu.be/pqzcCfUglws?t=59m31s

http://youtu.be/pqzcCfUglws?t=1h7m13s

Whole video is worth watching :)
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Offline Sigmoid

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #101 on: July 28, 2013, 04:47:27 pm »
You've summed up my thoughts exactly. At what point though does it all become pointless guesswork? Yes if there are bids already you often see someone, for reasons I can't fathom, chiping away with ever increasing bids just to ensure they are on top. Until someone else bids higher. They often stop at nice round numbers so you can get an edge by not doing the same.

Does the presence of a bid encourage more people to bid than it discourages those who think an item with a bid is not going to be snapped up as a bargain? Who knows.

At the end of the auction after everyone has bid the item gets sold to the highest bidder regardless of the bidding shenanigans that has gone on. The last second sniper will still always win the item IF they bid more than you were prepared to. If you lose the bidding because you tried to be clever and wound up having bid less than you were willing to pay then you only have yourself to blame.
It's all psychology. If you see an item without bids, that's where you want to keep it. You can be assured that there are others watching it, and what your goal is to have a last second showdown, everyone puts in their maximums, and the one with the highest wins.
Because in that case, the item will likely go for a realistic price.

If you put in a bid early, there is guaranteed to be a blockhead around who'll just keep bidding until he reaches your maximum and comes out on top. The way he's thinking is "well this guy put in $80, it sure as hell is worth $85 for me". The end of this is that the item is bid up to a ridiculous price, where it's quite far from a bargain, and you sure as hell don't want it for that price.

List out the auctions ending today. The ones you're interested in are the ones that are, at this moment, well below your pre-decided bidding price. Then, bid that price on them at the last moment. This way you're protecting yourself from your own endocrine system (which WILL drive you into doing something stupid if you let it), and also minimizing the damage from the stupidity of others.
 

Offline Stonent

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #102 on: July 29, 2013, 04:54:40 am »
Well my "$50" scope is on the way.  There were no bids on it even in the last 5 minutes, so I waited 45 seconds before the end and threw out $30 as a bid and 4 other bids came in with the auction closing at $29 with $17 shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tenma-oscilloscope-/300937689970

I contacted Newark support because they sell this brand and got them to e-mail me a manual with schematic.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2013, 02:27:51 am by Stonent »
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Offline Kernel

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #103 on: July 30, 2013, 10:53:07 am »
Moving right along.
That Snap On Digital Oscilloscope for sale in Scoresby, Victoria (near me) - do you guys think it could be a simple fix? Cause I bet it would be an excellent scope in working order and I'd be over the moon if I got it for $50-$100 and only had to replace a transistor or capacitor or something. I'm just getting into Electronics and I am looking into getting my first scope.
if you are just getting into electronics, fixing a scope is not realistic. That' s an advanced exercise.
Buy a working one.
Okay.

By the way, that Snap On is an automotive scope for car diagnosis. It's not for electronics use.
What's the difference?
 

Offline Stonent

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #104 on: July 30, 2013, 04:15:16 pm »
Moving right along.
That Snap On Digital Oscilloscope for sale in Scoresby, Victoria (near me) - do you guys think it could be a simple fix? Cause I bet it would be an excellent scope in working order and I'd be over the moon if I got it for $50-$100 and only had to replace a transistor or capacitor or something. I'm just getting into Electronics and I am looking into getting my first scope.
if you are just getting into electronics, fixing a scope is not realistic. That' s an advanced exercise.
Buy a working one.
Okay.

By the way, that Snap On is an automotive scope for car diagnosis. It's not for electronics use.
What's the difference?

I'm guessing it is probably not very sensitive on the low end. I.E. it is designed for 12V signals.

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Offline ivan747

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #105 on: July 30, 2013, 06:28:59 pm »
PPS: More rants plz! :-)

I have a new segment coming soon that will do just that.

Oh please... call it Whining Wednesday
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #106 on: August 01, 2013, 11:58:07 am »
Oh please... call it Whining Wednesday

Nope, it's the EEVblab

BTW, I just got this for $19:

Can't get a good working scope for under $50 my arse!  :P
« Last Edit: August 01, 2013, 12:05:37 pm by EEVblog »
 

Offline Stonent

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #107 on: August 01, 2013, 03:25:39 pm »
Dave, the Goldstar scope you pointed out in the video that you said nobody would be looking for closed at 35$ plus 25$ shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Goldstar-OS-9020A-20-MHz-Oscilloscope-/300937319076
« Last Edit: August 02, 2013, 02:26:30 am by Stonent »
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Offline jancumps

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #108 on: August 01, 2013, 03:35:32 pm »
(I found one by searching for 'osciloscope')
 O0
 

Offline madires

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #109 on: August 01, 2013, 03:38:28 pm »
BTW, I just got this for $19:

Can't get a good working scope for under $50 my arse!  :P

Nice bargain!

All HM205s sold the last few weeks at ebay.de:
- HM205-3  EUR 188,00
- HM 205-2  EUR 69,00
- broken HM205-3  EUR 40,50
- HM205-3  EUR 215,00
- HM205-3 EUR 156,00
- HM205-3 with Graphic Printer HD-148  EUR 151,55
- HM205  EUR 89,00
 

Offline chickenHeadKnob

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #110 on: August 02, 2013, 02:07:51 am »

@dave- EEVBLOG

That Hameg looks nice and clean except for the grungy CAL button. Any idea why that button is so dirty?  That kind of detail would worry me until I had an innocent explanation.
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #111 on: August 02, 2013, 02:22:41 am »
That Hameg looks nice and clean except for the grungy CAL button. Any idea why that button is so dirty?  That kind of detail would worry me until I had an innocent explanation.

It is not a button it is the probe cal output hooks. They are fine.
 

Offline chickenHeadKnob

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #112 on: August 02, 2013, 03:05:33 am »
That Hameg looks nice and clean except for the grungy CAL button. Any idea why that button is so dirty?  That kind of detail would worry me until I had an innocent explanation.

It is not a button it is the probe cal output hooks. They are fine.

 :-[ D'Oh!, derp derp. Now that you point it it out I can clearly see the hooks, what an optical illusion. What they say about too much auto-erotic activity must be true.
 

Offline poida_pie

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #113 on: August 02, 2013, 10:51:54 am »
I just sold my Tek 454 CRO on AUS ebay tonight at 7:40pm. Some of you may have seen my post
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-aus-ebay-tek-434-oscilloscope/

There was a lot of interest. There were 40 watchers, and approx 400 views. I want to note clearly to all here there were 20 bids, starting from $1. It sold at $202 to the person who bid approximately 12 seconds before the auction finished.
This person only bid once. He lives in Canberra and so can use my offer of free freight to that location.

Here in AUS not many good CROs are for sale at prices we call cheap. Currently there are maybe only 20 used CROs on ebay here in AUS. Most have starting prices from $200-300 and up to $600.
Only one is an auction starting from $1. That is the 7000 series Tek mainframe CRO.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tektronix-2-CH-60-MHz-Oscilloscope-Trolley-7403N-7A18-7B53N-Melbourne-/121151580709?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item1c35326a25

Postage for a CRO type item from the USA is about $160. So add that to any US ebay listing. That is why we do not see many cheap deals here. It costs to get stuff here. And there is not a lot to choose from so the few that are offered for sale are bid up by the many who have maybe $200 to spend.

Now it's time to offer my Tek 2245A for sale. See the buy/sell forum for details.





 

Offline poida_pie

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Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Offline poida_pie

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #116 on: August 02, 2013, 11:49:40 pm »
Giving away the Hameg?
Awesome!




 

Offline Halfdead

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #117 on: August 03, 2013, 10:55:52 pm »
After watching the video I bought a Hitachi V-422 "tested and working" for 65$ shipped.


So it shows up and appears to be working but now the voltage divider dials are a bit wonky and distort the reading.


Ugh
 

Offline amtpdb

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #118 on: August 04, 2013, 08:28:52 pm »
Dave needs to get a commission on the difference in past sold items verses the prices they seem to be getting since his video here in the states!
Don
 

Offline Psi

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #119 on: August 04, 2013, 09:16:20 pm »
So it shows up and appears to be working but now the voltage divider dials are a bit wonky and distort the reading.
They probably just need a clean, as in the Hameg video.
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Offline amtpdb

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #120 on: August 04, 2013, 09:28:13 pm »
Looking at one that says turns on and off every few seconds when turned on! Any thoughts as to what this might be and how hard to fix.
Thanks
 
 

Offline Stonent

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #121 on: August 04, 2013, 09:44:29 pm »
Looking at one that says turns on and off every few seconds when turned on! Any thoughts as to what this might be and how hard to fix.
Thanks

Do you have a link?
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Offline Psi

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #122 on: August 04, 2013, 09:51:41 pm »
Could be the high voltage on the CRT or flyback arcing over every so often due to insulation breakdown.
That would cause the screen to disappear for a sec and could also cause the power supply to restart from the excess load.

Faulty flyback/triplers is quite common. Sometimes it's just dirt on the high voltage traces (fallen in from the grill on top). Other times the flyback/tripler breaks inside and needs to be replaced.

Usually you hear a "crack" every time it arcs which is dead giveaway for a high voltage issue.

If the issue isn't high voltage then it's probably a power-supply problem. bad caps, shorted rails etc.. and the supply keeps doing a overtemp/overcurrent shutdown and restart.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2013, 09:56:16 pm by Psi »
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Offline amtpdb

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Offline Psi

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Re: EEVblog #498 - How to get a $50 Oscilloscope on Ebay
« Reply #124 on: August 04, 2013, 10:04:05 pm »
At least being a tek you should be able to get the circuit diagrams pretty easily.
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