Good ebay deal buy-it-now scope probes $8.99 free shipping in US

[GiskardReventlov]

I am ordering a pair, the best deal I have seen, they will ship just about anywhere it seems.

ebay.com/itm/Oscilloscope-Scope-Clip-Probe-100MHz-Tektronix-HP-/380819908443

[tinhead]

the best deal is NOT to buy such crap things ... you can save money with everything, but not with probes.

[scientist]

OP is definitely not the seller

[grumpydoc]

It annoys me somewhat that people put crap like "Tektronix-HP" in the title when they are NOT Tek or HP branded probes, just to show up in more searches. Yes, they'll work with Tek or HP 'scopes but they'll work with pretty much any 'scope.

DOI: I do have some new-old-stock Wittig 100MHz probes for sale at the moment. Cheap, yes, but cheap enough to consider disposable and perfectly OK for leaving lying around the bench. £6 to eevbloggers (postage included) - PM me if interested.

[hari]

If you're annoyed by that:

Report Item -> Listing practices -> Search and browse manipulation -> Keyword Spamming - The listing has unrelated or excessive keywords that unfairly diverts attention to the listing.

[grumpydoc]

For the probes I think it's above my irritation threshold but below my "do something about it" threshold. OTOH I suspect I will report the next multimeter sale I come across with "Not Fluke" in the title 

[GiskardReventlov]

the best deal is NOT to buy such crap things ... you can save money with everything, but not with probes.

Can you walk the walk? i.e. please enlighten us
It's a good question you bring up.
Exactly what are the things that make a $8.99 probe crap? And contrast with a real example of a probe I can buy right now that you recommend.

How can you tell if a $60 probe is better than a $8.99 pair of probes?

[GiskardReventlov]

come across with "Not Fluke" in the title

I haven't looked yet but I wonder if eBay has a search API (app. programming interface), I hate many things about eBay but let's face it the warning "Buyer Beware" should be chanted whenever using eBay.  Sure sellers get burned too but probably not as often.

[deth502]

lol, i just had to go into my history to check, and i bought that exact auction from that same seller last week.  i just got a fluke 99 scopemeter with no probes and was looking for something shitty to throw around the toolbox.

[deth502]

and no, they dont compare to "real" probes. the cables are stiffer, and more plasticy. both the main cable and the ground clip. (and no, by no means did i think i was actually getting hp probes from the title, i was looking for cheap chinese crap) teh bnc connector looked like a crappy cast pice with equally crappy chrome plating on it, not machined looking like my "real" probes. so yes, its just not an opinion, there are better and worse probes. im not going to do any actual performance testing on them to comapre then, because i really dont care. again, theyre only going to get thrown in a toolbox to use with a handleld scopemeter, its nothing id be proud to display on my bench.

[GiskardReventlov]

Here's what I've gleaned so far:

Well made probes have BNC connectors that are machined looking?
The BNC connectors have a good plating?
I noticed in a video that the tektronix probe's BNC was anodized or coated with something black.
The cables are supple.

What about the quality of the trimmer cap (for compensation)?

I think Dave needs to do a teardown of some probes!

[Macbeth]

Shipping to: Worldwide
Excludes: Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Hong Kong, Fiji, China, Algeria, Taiwan, Tunisia, Macau, Germany, Vietnam, United Kingdom

WTF does the ebay seller have against the Northern of Europe, and the Indo-Chinese, and even North Africans of Tunisia?

I could understand if he won't sell to Nigeria, DRC, Italy, Afghanistan, etc.

Oh well - no sale to me.

[grumpydoc]

WTF does the ebay seller have against the Northern of Europe, and the Indo-Chinese, and even North Africans of Tunisia?

I could understand if he won't sell to Nigeria, DRC, Italy, Afghanistan, etc.

Pretty much the same probes crop up on ebay uk.

Oh well - no sale to me.

Feel free to buy some of mine

[grumpydoc]

Can you walk the walk? i.e. please enlighten us
It's a good question you bring up.
Exactly what are the things that make a $8.99 probe crap? And contrast with a real example of a probe I can buy right now that you recommend.

How can you tell if a $60 probe is better than a $8.99 pair of probes?

Cable has been mentioned, to which I'd add consistent characterisation of things like impedance, frequency response etc.

The Wittig's are reasonably flat - I measured a couple last summer and the typical curve was within 0.5dB to 100MHz.

[edavid]

I'm sorry, but you are not very good at searching eBay... there are currently 4 "ship from US" sellers with lower prices on generic 100MHz scope probes:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=oscilloscope+probe+100mhz&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1

If you order direct from China, and buy a pair, you can get them for $5 each:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=oscilloscope+probe+pair+100mhz&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=0

[Monkeh]

I'm sorry, but you are not very good at searching eBay... there are currently 4 "ship from US" sellers with lower prices on generic 100MHz scope probes:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=oscilloscope+probe+100mhz&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1

If you order direct from China, and buy a pair, you can get them for $5 each:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=oscilloscope+probe+pair+100mhz&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=0

A single probe for $7, and a pair for $10, are a better deal than a pair for $9?

I'm sorry, but you are not very good at reading.

[GiskardReventlov]

I should know by now that if there's a video that needs doing Dave's probably done it and he did, it's called:

EEVblog #453 - Mysteries of x1 Oscilloscope Probes Revealed
http://www.eevblog.com/2013/04/13/eevblog-453-mysteries-of-x1-oscilloscope-probes-revealed/

[Co6aka]

ebay.com/itm/Oscilloscope-Scope-Clip-Probe-100MHz-Tektronix-HP-/380819908443

The listing states, "Ship worldwide from New Jersey..." which is a dead giveaway... The seller is either the drop-shipper for, or an alias of:

http://www.tmart.com/2pcs-100MHz-Oscilloscope-Probe-Set_p100479.html

Tmart!!!


(I can smell 'em -- Co6aka's nose knows!)

[sorin]

ebay.com/itm/Oscilloscope-Scope-Clip-Probe-100MHz-Tektronix-HP-/380819908443

The listing states, "Ship worldwide from New Jersey..." which is a dead giveaway... The seller is either the drop-shipper for, or an alias of:

http://www.tmart.com/2pcs-100MHz-Oscilloscope-Probe-Set_p100479.html

Tmart!!!


(I can smell 'em -- Co6aka's nose knows!)

 

[GiskardReventlov]

Tmart!!!

This anything like "Shop smart, shop "S"mart."  Now if my prrobes never make it I know the punch line.  But maybe I'm not on the right punch line.

[Co6aka]

Now if my prrobes never make it...

That'd be because they're stuck in traffic on the GWB.

[CM800]

I use these probes, not bad for what i do frankly.

[GiskardReventlov]

They are working for me, I have nothing to compare them to and no idea how to test them other than use them.  Some people insist they are junk but I can't agree with someone that says one thing's better than another just because it costs more. In fact that's a technique used frequently on ebay.

[madshaman]

I see those probes in my saved searches all the time; personally, I'd stay away; but that is only my humble opinion.

[GiskardReventlov]

I'm fine with someone calling them junk, I didn't make them so I take no offense. Can you point out some better probes and tell me what makes them better?