Cheapish 4 channel scope, maybe Rigol DS1104B or modding a DS1074B ?

[dren.dk]

I'm pretty happy with my current Rigol DS1052E DS1102E, but I some times find that I'd really like to have an extra channel or two, so I have my eye on the Rigol DS1104B  (100 MHz / 4 channel).

Aside from doing the soft mod on my DS1052E to turn it into a DS1102E I also exchanged the fan with a non-shitty, silent one, so I'm not opposed to hardware modding my tools.

I saw a post by someone who hardware modded an Agilent DSO1014A to get 200 MHz bandwidth in stead of the usual 100 MHz. It looks as though the bandwidth limiting circuit is identical to the DS1052E pictures I've seen:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/general-chat/agilent-dso1014a-scope-increasing-bandwidth-from-100mhz-to-200mhz/msg41890

Is there anyone here who has taken a look inside a DS1074B and a DS1104B and can tell me if the hardware is identical?

Does anyone know if it's possible to do a software upgrade for the DS1074B (70 MHz) that turns it into the DS1204B (200 MHz)?

Are there any alternative 100 MHz/4ch DSO options in the low price range?

[0xdeadbeef]

I hope you are aware that the DS1104B has only 16kPts record length.
Unfortunately, there are not too many entry level 4ch scopes and you quickly enter the 2k€ range...
The only 4ch scope roughly in the area is the GW-Instek GDS-2104, but it has only 25kPts and I'm not sure if it's really worth the surcharge.

Probably the cheapest scopes really worth getting in the ~2k€ range are the Agilent DSOX2014A, the Hameg HMO1024 and the Rigol DS4014.

[dren.dk]

Yeah, too bad about the 16k samples.

The R&S Hameg HMO1024 certainly looks quite nice, but it's out of my budget for now.

[Gall]

There are relatively low cost 4-channel PC-based scopes too. Or you want a stand-alone device?

[dren.dk]

Hmm, yes, that might be an ok compromise, but which ones are good and have Linux support?

[saturation]

If you're happy with the 1052e performance [ the 1104B has faster sampling, wmfs/s, and update rate] and need not analyze any 2 channels together [the firmware for the 1104B cannot analyze all 4 channels simultaneously] you can buy another 1052e, hack it, and effectively get "4" channels for $660 instead of $1300 for the 1104B, {or 2 1102e for $800}. 

[0xdeadbeef]

Maybe I don't see your point, but even if it was possible to synchronize the two scopes via external trigger out/in (which I think is impossible since the DS1102E misses a trigger output) and even if this approach wouldn't introduce a delay and/or jitter: this would be still two separate two channel scopes and not one four channel scope. Measuring timings between channels on different scopes would be close to impossible, even judging e.g. the order of edges would be a pain.
And without the possibility to synchronize the two scopes, I don't see the benefit at all.

[NiHaoMike]

You could always keep a pulse generator on hand (a Linear app note had some plans for a good one, BTW) and deskew the scopes. You could also add a buffered trigger output to one of the scopes so you don't need to rig something up to trigger both scopes.

[saturation]

You're right 0xdeadbeef, you would have to consider external triggering if you use the 2 scope approach, and all the fine recommendations of NiHaoMike.  That's the trade off for doing it on the cheap, but at 100 MHz, it may not be significant.  It all depends on what you need it for.  What you save in money, you have to do yourself.

Maybe I don't see your point, but even if it was possible to synchronize the two scopes via external trigger out/in (which I think is impossible since the DS1102E misses a trigger output) and even if this approach wouldn't introduce a delay and/or jitter: this would be still two separate two channel scopes and not one four channel scope. Measuring timings between channels on different scopes would be close to impossible, even judging e.g. the order of edges would be a pain.
And without the possibility to synchronize the two scopes, I don't see the benefit at all.

[Galenbo]

Does anyone know if it's possible to do a software upgrade for the DS1074B (70 MHz) that turns it into the DS1204B (200 MHz)?

Why all this effort?
With the new Rigol DS2000 series coming out, I'm sure there are some scope fetishists, wanting to sell their practically unused DS1204 to buy the new thing.

[T4P]

There's no 4ch option neither are you able to search the memory