Building a home EE lab on AUD $2500 - how to distribute budget?

[Emerald_Myna]

I have up to AUD $2,500 to set up a home electronics lab for structured self-study in electrical engineering (analogue circuits, embedded systems, basic power electronics, etc.).

The goal is to build a setup that supports learning undergraduate EE concepts over time, as well as hobby projects. This is also being proposed as part of a grant application, so I need to be able to justify how each item contributes to learning outcomes and long-term skill development.

I’m based in Australia and happy to buy used gear where it makes sense. I’m trying to avoid very entry-level equipment that I will quickly outgrow, but also avoid overpaying for unnecessary high-end lab gear.

So far I’ve identified the core equipment as:

 - Digital multimeter (currently considering UNI-T UT61E+ - $214.49)
 - Oscilloscope (currently considering Rigol DHO-924 ($1,215.00), or possibly used alternatives)
 - Bench power supply
 - Soldering station
 - Fume extraction
 - Heat gun
 - Basic consumables (solder, flux, wick, tips, etc.)

I already have a basic component stock including breadboards, Arduino Uno, ESP32, and common passive/active components (diodes, sensors, capacitors, resistors, op-amps, comparators, timers etc.). I also already have basic hand tools such as side cutters and wire strippers.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time researching multimeters and oscilloscopes, but I’m still unsure whether I should be buying new vs used, what brand and whether my current oscilloscope choice is appropriate or overkill. I’ve also been advised to look at used Tektronix equipment, but I’m not sure what models are actually still good value today.

I’m looking for advice on:

 - Specific model recommendations available in Australia (new or used)
 - How to prioritise budget across the main instruments
 - What I may be missing for a proper learning-focused EE lab
 - What is considered overkill vs good long-term value at this budget level

If budget allows, I’m also considering:

 - Function generator
 - Basic logic analyser (if not already sufficiently covered by the oscilloscope)
 - Microscope

Any guidance from people who have built similar home electronics labs would be greatly appreciated.

[tunk]

Instead of the Uni-T, a multimeter from the EEVblog shop?
A second multimeter is always handy.
Thermal camera?
Frequency counter?
As an amateur, I would start with a simpler multimeter, scope, etc.,
and when the need arises, getting additional equipment.

[rstofer]

https://digilent.com/shop/analog-discovery-3/

I would give serious consideration to a Digilent Analog Discovery 3 and especially the Waveforms software.  You can download free and use virtual devices to mock up projects.

There’s a student discount.

I’m using my iPad so I won’t post more about this tool.  Typing is too grim.

[David Hess]

- Function generator

A function generator is a valuable addition to an oscilloscope.  It does not need to be fancy.

[Messtechniker]

Stuff I use daily, I buy new. Stuff I use rarely, I buy used in working order or in need of repair.
Very specialist stuff, I build myself. Like my "dual pot tracking meter", for example.

[jwet]

Blowing half your budget on a scope is kind of out of whack to me.  I would keep this down to $500- in the class of the Rigol 1054.  4 channels highly recommended.  Fifty to 100 megahertz is all you can really do without getting into active probes etc. which get very expensive.

If you're doing much logic, a cheap usb logic analyzer is nice.  Someone mentioned the Analog Discovery- this is a nice fill in for everything and you can throw it in backpack and have a lot of function with a laptop.  This shouldn't be your main scope but its very flexible and their software is excellent.

I would set aside some money for good quality hand tools, quality test leads and debug clips, etc.  A small vise like a panavise is nice.  Some assembly aids- third hand jigs.  Test leads and hand tools make lab life much easier.  Consider some storage stuff, parts cabs.  Some eyesight enhancement- I wear a head magnifier.  A Hakko clone desoldering station for thru hole rework and a 700F type hot air gun for reflowing.

Having 2 DMM's will come in handy more than you might think.  Dave's EEVBlog meter is one of my favorites- battery life is infinite.  I have several Flukes that I've acquired over the years- they are great.  I have a couple of low cost 115/117 series meters- very good overall and trustworthy.  If you're not doing high voltage or high energy stuff, most of the benefits of Fluke's are wasted.  I'm not a great fan of UNI-T, don't know a lot about them but seems lower quality.  Its important to have absolute trust in basic measurement stuff.

I recently did something like this for my EE niece's graduation gift.  She had a scope and a DMM but had very cheap test leads and hand tools and no place to store it all.  She's now in grad school and uses this stuff often.  She keeps it at her apartment and can work on campus or home and occasionally takes some stuff to her lab on campus.

Hold back $500 or so for things you forgot.

Good luck- have fun.

[Grandchuck]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/sds800x-hd-review-demonstration-thread/

[rstofer]

When the word 'education' is included or implied in the OP, I jump right in to the Discovery 3 - which I did above.  I can carry the AD3, a bunch of components, a few solderless prototype boards and a laptop in my backpack.  I can grab a table and a large black coffee at Starbucks and I'm good to go!  My study partner can buy their own coffee.  Seriously, this actually works!

Think what it might take to get a Bode' plot out of a scope without the feature (most don't have a frequency generator).  Google AI for 'analog discovery 3 bode plot'.  With the AD3, it's a cake walk including the logarithmic scaling.  Or maybe you want to see the FFT of some signal.  Easy!  Better yet, construct a square wave from harmonics (just the odd harmonics) of a sine wave and see what it looks like with just the fundamental, add a third, fifth and seventh harmonic (your Arbitrary Waveform Generator should allow this) and watch how with the proper coefficients it starts to look pretty square.  Then stuff in a square wave and find the harmonic spikes at all the odd harmonics.  Just like Fourier said...

Google for 'fourier transform of square wave'

Annotate the output page and add it to the homework.

For 'education' the AD3 is ideal.  Too bad they weren't as accessible when I was in undergrad.

A lot of AD3s were sold during the Covid pandemic.

[u666sa]

- Digital multimeter (currently considering UNI-T UT61E+ - $214.49)

U.S. dollars? I have no idea why you want to pay $215 dollars for a multimeter that cost $105 on aliexpress, and you can get it much cheaper using aliexpress saver coupons and coins, I reckon down to $90. If you use alibaba instead of aliexpress, your price drops down to $70.

- Oscilloscope (currently considering Rigol DHO-924 ($1,215.00), or possibly used alternatives)

That's too much money, consider something else in and around $400 or less. Consider Siglent SDS-1104X-E
 

- Bench power supply

Get OWON SPE3103 you won't be sorry. They come with two different firmwares, one is with quiet fan, the other is with loud fan mode. I have both, both are great.

- Soldering station

I recommend China over JBC. Aixun T420D. You get C115, C210, C245 handles. Great station. There is no reason to buy original JBC. Combine it with Chinese cartridges, Mechanic S6 or more aggressive N6 refresher and proper tinner from MG Chemicals or Hakko and you're golden!

- Fume extraction

You don't need that. When you get a microscope get a fan that installs into the lift bracket and pulls fumes away from lenses. Look for Mechanic WindFlowX.

- Heat gun

Aixun H314, it even has WiFi. A special nozzle allows you to connect to it regular old style nozzles, look for ATTEN A2600 nozzle converter.

- Basic consumables (solder, flux, wick, tips, etc.)

Tips are Chinese tips, thy are good, and you get many different types for not much money. Use YCS wick, or Goot Wick, they are the best. Aliexpress sells original goot wick, 100% checked. For flux use Mechanic fluxes, for solder also Mechanic solder.


Look, here is reality. You can get much better prices than local, if you shop aliexpress. You can get even better prices if you shop alibaba. But on alibaba you must know what you doing, Ai will help you with that. Use Microsoft Copilot Ai.


 

[u666sa]

Also, consider buying a microscope. For solid factory B choihce go with high cloud. Factory A either Eakins or AmScope. Premium Sunny Optical stuff get a SOPTOP -- but real SOPTOP you can not buy on aliexpress or alibaba, where it sold I have no idea at the moment. Maybe factory direct, who knows. Best coatings from China, optics level above Leica S6E. Leica M80 level but with better color fidelity for around $450 for the head alone. Get a microscope! It's much more useful that a $1000 oscilloscope, which you will use once in a while. Microscope you will use everyday. 

[Doctorandus_P]

My scope is an Siglent SDS1104X-E and I paid EUR 450 for it new. It's already much more scope then I need.

For a DMM, I recommend you start with a relatively cheap one. You can have a nice Brymen for around EUR 80. You will probably want more then one DMM, so later you can buy a more fancy one if you need it.

For a power supply you The Korad is popular and is relatively cheap for around EUR 100. You can get an SMPS based power supply for less. And those are not great, but have a good educational value. (I.e., you will learn the limitations of cheap SMPS based power supplies) Such a power supply is still usable for lots of things.

For a soldering iron, I thing the T245 based clones have a pretty good performance to price ratio, and with very fast exchangeable tips (it warms up in around 3 seconds) there is no waiting time for exchanging tips.

Overall, I would not spend the money all at once. Buy what you need most, and keep the rest of the money for later, when you know better what you want.

And for "education". Building your own power supply has great educational value. The analog "hiwin 2mA to 3A kit (costs around EUR 10, exclusive transformer, heatsink and box) is a nice bases to learn more about power supplies.

[u666sa]

I found even better scope for you. Don't buy SDS-1104X-E, it's a good scope and will last for a long time, but in 2026 they have better scopes for the money now.

How about SDS824 for $385. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Digital-Oscilloscope-SDS804-814-824-Four_1601697340725.html
Yes it's genuine Siglent. They are sold on alibaba and aliexpress.
Free shipping. You can't beat this.

This is the best option for the money right now!

[Paulbi]

 Everyone has different work priorities, so the equipment they need also varies. Many people buy a lot of things that ends up unused , which is not only a waste of money but also takes up space. At the very beginning, you only need to purchase basic and essential equipments, such as a power supply, multimeter, oscilloscope, hot air gun, soldering iron, and some electronic components. As your work progresses and your research deepens, you can figure out which items are truly necessary and buy them later. This way, you can not only save money but also avoid purchasing unnecessary equipment.

[dobsonr741]

A computer with big enough monitor. To run simulations. And a token budget. This is the new consumables, not SnPb63.

[Renate]

I'm cheap, so I hate to see money tied up in something that I don't use enough.
That being said, once you get some equipment you might see your needs changing and wanting an upgrade.
In particular, if you haven't used a scope much $1000 seems like a lot to me.

There is a big dividing line between bench and portable.
Many people won't get much value out of anything portable.
Although you definitely should have a hand DVM for utility repairs.

The Discovery is a nice bit of kit, but only if you use it as your scope to start out.
I think an FX2LP board from China for $5 is the best value you'll ever find in a logic analyzer.
You might want a programmer/debugger, JTAG and CMSIS-DAP.

My baby is a TotalPhase Beagle USB 480 protocol analyzer.
It's pricey but I use it a lot. You probably wouldn't.

[Terry Bites]

Build up a decent wooden bench, the bigger the better! Natural wood is great, you can always burn your name in it when things are going badly. Antistatic anti-slip mats are a must.

You will want a minimum of two DMMs. A couple of Brymen BM2805CSE maybe. About AU$100each
I love my Rigol DHO-804 scope. It's staggering VFM and very cute. About AU$600. Being discounted in some areas.

Get a decent on-brand second-hand function generator and frequency counter, say AU$200 each. Tons of them on eBay. I snapped up a Racal Dana 1991 frequency counter recently. A quality item. You see them and their siblings quite often. BTW a 10MHz reference standard can be had for AU$100. Great for calibration.
Lately I've been playing with a Junctek JDS8080 as my secondary source, its dirt cheap and seems to work fine for basic testing.

A dual or triple linear PSU. I'd buy one and DIY another as your first major project. Don't buy cheap test leads. Spend a day on the bench making your own from quality parts. Pomona 4mm stuff. Use silicone wire 17 AWG or lower for power supply leads. I prefer silicone's superior heat resistance (to my iron burns) and its flexibility.
An assortment of BNC cables 160mm to 3m and some tee adaptors. Probably some SMA leads and adaptors too. I have stooped down to aliexpress on these and been happy so far.

An SMD hotplate of course. Cheap as.
Hakko soldering stations are good entry level irons.
[What do I know, I'm still using my Weller Maganstat iron from the 80's. She's a part of me now.]

Don't buy cheap hand tools, its a false economy. Decent tools can literally last you a lifetime if you're kind to them.
VDE screwdrivers and tools will save your life at some point. Buy now! Not all wire cutters and strippers are born equal. So I'd go for Knipex or Lindstrom if you can afford  them. Never try to cut a plastic rod with your best snips, the results and be explosive, I'm just saying. To my shame, I'm using an old cooker hood as my fume extractor. Toasting my curry spices, making solder flux fumes, same thing really.

[David Hess]

Stuff I use daily, I buy new. Stuff I use rarely, I buy used in working order or in need of repair.
Very specialist stuff, I build myself. Like my "dual pot tracking meter", for example.

One can save money and learn a lot by buying and repairing used test equipment, but it can cost a lot of time.

[Renate]

A dual or triple linear PSU.

Absolutely, but this is a question of taste and needs.
For me, an adjustable 0-12V, 1A with current monitoring and graphing is more useful.
That's because I'm mostly dealing with small microprocessors.
Could I sometimes use a 60V 10A supply? Absolutely!
Enough to buy one? No.

[armandine2]

...Aaron Danner is a university electronics YouTuber worth checking out (IMO).

If you delay (repress) expensive construction items like the solder stations and microscope and work with breadboards, the budget can concentrate on design and analysis tasks.

[Picuino]

A well-stocked selection of all kinds of components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, enameled copper wire, ferrite cores, diodes, transistors, etc.)

A good prototype board. I designed my own and had it manufactured with many rows of three holes connected by copper and separated from the others.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/improved-protoboard-design-with-2-54mm-holes/

SMD component library. Much cheaper and easier to store.
You'll also need specific tools, such as a good pair of tweezers and a good magnifying glass.

[David Hess]

A dual or triple linear PSU.

Absolutely, but this is a question of taste and needs.
For me, an adjustable 0-12V, 1A with current monitoring and graphing is more useful.
That's because I'm mostly dealing with small microprocessors.
Could I sometimes use a 60V 10A supply? Absolutely!
Enough to buy one? No.

I like having more than one lower current, up to 1 amp, dual tracking supplies, like the old Tektronix PS503A or equivalent HP/Harris models.  These provide isolated dual plus and minus outputs from 0 to 20 volts which are perfect for linear circuits.  If I need higher current for motors or battery charging, then I pick up a separate unit for that, or maybe even an open or closed frame modular power supply just for that.

I would not mind having a precision low noise low output capacitance version of the same thing, but short of source measurement units, I am not aware of such, so I would have to design and make it.

Examples:

HP 6235A
HP 6236B
HP 6237B
Agilent E3630A
Agilent E3620A

Supplies like this can be picked up used for reasonable prices and then repaired and refurbished.  Avoid the ones which lack full service documentation.

[BillyO]

For my money it would be...

DMM:  EEVBLOG BM2257 - $237 AUD (from the eevblog store)
Scope: Siglent SDS804X-HD - $803 AUD (from AppVision.  Don't worry, it can be "improved" to 200MHz without modification)
PS: Korad 3005D - $273 AUD (From amazon.au)
Generator: PSG 9080 - $333 AUD (From AliExpress.  You might be able to find a better deal)


That's the main equipment for $1646 AUD leaving about $900 for the rest, which should be doable in style.

I have dropped my expensive Hakko soldering station in favor of FNIRSI HS-01 irons.  I have 3 of them with my 3 favourite tips on them ready to go.  I think you can get them on amazon too.  Get one kit with the power brick and a selection of tips ($149 AUD), then if you want to do what I did, just get those extra ones by themselves ($69 AUD ea.).

I also ditched hot air station for the FNIRSI SAG-55 ($105 AUD) but I think you need to go to AliExpress for that one.  Not yet available on amazon.au.

So if you also added 3 irons and the FNIRSI hot air gun, you are a $1969 leaving you with $531 for supplies, parts, kits, etc...
 

[MT4S301]

Siglent SDS8XX offers 2Gsps max (interleaved) sample rate at similar price while DHO9XX only have 1.25Gsps max. That helps it stay Nyquist with all 4ch active (500Msps/200MHz).
The SDS8 also got 2x maximum FFT length if I remember correct

[BillyO]

Yes.  All in all, the SDS800X-HD series is superior to the Rigol equivalents in those and many more respects.

A couple of things the the Rigol proponents bring up is the small size and HDMI output.  However, the Siglent has a built-in power supply and a WEB interface which, to me anyway, makes the HDMI output kind of redundant. 

[BillyO]

Fifty to 100 megahertz is all you can really do without getting into active probes etc. which get very expensive.

** Slightly off-topic response **

Not sure where this is coming from, but I have 200MHz, 300MHZ and 500MHz passive probes and I know there are passive probes that go beyond that.

As to whether good probes are worth the money, just remember that they hold the responsibility of picking up the signal and delivering it to the scope.  Putting cheap probes on an capable scope is like putting $100 tires on your Ferrari.

**

Anyway, getting back on topic.  If the OP buys a decent new scope it will come with appropriate probes.  For instance, the probes that come with the Siglent SDS800X-HD series are known to be good well beyond 200MHz.