EEVblog #480 - 300MHz Owon SDS Oscilloscope

[sagdahl]

Hello, McFly!!!
I bought the 100MHz Owon for $330 with battery and a bag.
Where can you get a portable scope with 8" screen and vga, LAN, USB.
Light and small!
The Rigol DS1052E is not useable due to the increadable high fan-noise.
Sometimes the alternative to the cheap scopes is not an expensive Agilent, but
rather no scope at all.
If a miss-spelling is a big problem for you guys, then I rest my case.
/Roger

[c4757p]

The Rigol DS1052E is not useable due to the increadable high fan-noise.

Why? Are you a spy who needs an oscilloscope to use while sneaking onto enemy territory? Has your wife warned you she'll leave if she catches you with one more bit of test equipment - and your lab is in the bedroom? Personally, I can't hear the fan over the voices in my head anyway...

[Len]

The Rigol DS1052E is not useable due to the increadable high fan-noise.

Why? Are you a spy who needs an oscilloscope to use while sneaking onto enemy territory? Has your wife warned you she'll leave if she catches you with one more bit of test equipment - and your lab is in the bedroom? Personally, I can't hear the fan over the voices in my head anyway...

Maybe it doesn't matter to you, maybe you work in a boiler factory or something, but this is a problem for lots of people. I got fed up with the fan noise about 10 minutes after I first turned on my DS1102. I replaced the fan with a quieter one and it's much easier to use.

[Hydrawerk]

Hello, McFly!!!
I bought the 100MHz Owon for $330 with battery and (...) and vga, LAN, USB.

Well, battery, VGA and LAN has nothing to do with actual performance of the scope... I will never miss this on my DSOX2002A. What I miss is a longer memory. I will buy the DSOX2MEMUP upgrade in future, when I get some money.

[c4757p]

Actually, you're right. I work at Owon where this scope was designed, and I can't hear my Rigol over the sound of all the engineers hitting their heads on their desks to get warmed up. Then they start their hourly ritual crying, and dear lord I can't hear anything over that.

Seriously, though, is there some variation in fan loudness in the DS1000 series that I don't know about? Mine's quite quiet. I wish I had a way to measure it, but it's really one of the quieter cooling fans out there.

[BravoV]

Mine's quite quiet. I wish I had a way to measure it, but it's really one of the quieter cooling fans out there.

Once the ears tell you its quite, especially your own  , then it is quite enough, no further proofing needed. 

[marmad]

Seriously, though, is there some variation in fan loudness in the DS1000 series that I don't know about? Mine's quite quiet. I wish I had a way to measure it, but it's really one of the quieter cooling fans out there.

From all that I've read on the subject, it seems as if there might have been a variation in fan models used at different times by Rigol in the DS1000 series - although it might just be people's subjective reaction to different pitches plus the environment in which the DSO is used. I found the Rigol DS1000's fan to be annoying - although it's quite possible the DS2000's fan is just as loud - it just happens to be a much lower pitch which doesn't bother me.

[mikeselectricstuff]

The Rigol DS1052E is not useable due to the increadable high fan-noise.

Replacing a fan is not exactly difficult, and nowhere near as annoying as putting up with a poor user interface for years....

[sagdahl]

Hello, McFly!!!
I bought the 100MHz Owon for $330 with battery and (...) and vga, LAN, USB.

Well, battery, VGA and LAN has nothing to do with actual performance of the scope... I will never miss this on my DSOX2002A. What I miss is a longer memory. I will buy the DSOX2MEMUP upgrade in future, when I get some money.

Seriously, don´t compare a $300 scope to a $1300 one!
My Agilent MSOX2014 at work is of course better then my Owon at home. BTW, a vga, LAN interface module to my Agilent would cost more then a complete Owon 100MHz.
Tried a lissajous at 50Hz, will not work with my Rigol, but is fairly ok with the Owon. The old analog 20 MHz will of course beat them all.

[sagdahl]

The Rigol DS1052E is not useable due to the increadable high fan-noise.

Replacing a fan is not exactly difficult, and nowhere near as annoying as putting up with a poor user interface for years....

I won´t defend the Owon for shortcomings, but you often get what you pay for. I would recommend the Owon to beginners
if the alternative is none at all. Tektronix, Agilent will of course be a better choice if you want to pay 3-4 times more.
Rebuilding a new oscilloscope to be able to think in the same room must be considered a defeat!
But maybe I will try to open it instead of putting it in the recycle bin.
Anyone have suggestions of replacement?
And c4757p....some of us needs silence when we are working with complex electronic circuits.

[c4757p]

And c4757p....some of us needs silence when we are working with complex electronic circuits.

So you can hear the transistors whisper to you?

[sagdahl]

It would be interesting to see if Dave could take a look at Siglent and GW Insteak also, although
the advertisement on the blog 
I believe in Daves integrity, but it could be fun

[marmad]

It would be interesting to see if Dave could take a look at Siglent and GW Insteak also, although
the advertisement on the blog 
I believe in Daves integrity, but it could be fun

I thought Dave's #474 and #475 videos were looks at the GW-Instek?

[sagdahl]

And c4757p....some of us needs silence when we are working with complex electronic circuits.

So you can hear the transistors whisper to you?

Believe it or not but my brain is a very delicate thing. Living in silent Sweden maybe has spoiled me rutten.
 

[sagdahl]

It would be interesting to see if Dave could take a look at Siglent and GW Insteak also, although
the advertisement on the blog 
I believe in Daves integrity, but it could be fun

I thought Dave's #474 and #475 videos were looks at the GW-Instek?

Have I missed a couple of Daves blogs? Bummer!
My apologees to my idol

[Arp]

Agreed. Sweden can be pretty silent. DS1052E fan used to bother me. I even purchased a replacement, but it was louder  . DS2072 bothers me less

[sagdahl]

Agreed. Sweden can be pretty silent. DS1052E fan used to bother me. I even purchased a replacement, but it was louder  . DS2072 bothers me less

Then you should hear the Owons fan, if possible. It´s really quiet.
And, no I am not selling or in any other way have income from Owon.
I just like the performance/price ratio.

[c4757p]

Then you should hear the Owons fan, if possible. It´s really quiet.

"You guys! Look at this! If I cut out half the performance so it has jack to process, we can make the fan nice and quiet..."

[Hydrawerk]

I would recommend the Owon to beginners

I would rather recommend Siglent or Rigol, maybe GW Instek GDS-1000 series... Owon is maybe the slowest scope ever.. 

[c4757p]

Owon is maybe the slowest scope ever.. 

I'm more baffled by the basic software bugs. Those artifacts while persistence is enabled? Yeah, I wouldn't trust anything on that screen to be correct after seeing those. How does it make it out the door like that? Does Owon's product testing consist of "Hey, I turned it on - can you smell anything?" Piece of crap...

[sagdahl]

Ok.
Owon is defeated by the numbers of negative comments.
My personal experience is only limited to Tektronix, Agilent, Rigol and Owon.
I presume that I have to considered myself defeated by my adversaries peronal experience that
covers all the low cost scopes.
You guys that know everything, if I want a scope for around $300 with vga and USB, prefearably with
battery-support.
Which should I buy?

Thanx in advance for your guidance!

[EV]

You guys that know everything, if I want a scope for around $300 with vga and USB, prefearably with
battery-support.
Which should I buy?

I don't know everything, but maybe you can buy an old used Tek 3000 with Vga and battery, if you are lucky. USB you must change to diskette drive station. Maybe the battery does't also work anymore. There is also less memory. 

[ddavidebor]

Ok.
Owon is defeated by the numbers of negative comments.
My personal experience is only limited to Tektronix, Agilent, Rigol and Owon.
I presume that I have to considered myself defeated by my adversaries peronal experience that
covers all the low cost scopes.
You guys that know everything, if I want a scope for around $300 with vga and USB, prefearably with
battery-support.
Which should I buy?

Thanx in advance for your guidance!

You should buy 5 old hp, repair them, and next when you've the money buy a rigol or agilent

[Hydrawerk]

You guys that know everything, if I want a scope for around $300 with vga and USB, prefearably with
battery-support.
Which should I buy?
Thanx in advance for your guidance!

At some company they use a battery powered Owon for simple measurements on high potentials. They don't want to get an expensive scope damaged.

[Hydrawerk]

I don't know everything, but maybe you can buy an old used Tek 3000 with Vga and battery, if you are lucky. USB you must change to diskette drive station. Maybe the battery does't also work anymore. There is also less memory. 

TDS3000 scopes are still bloody expensive. Ebay