Why does everyone have twenty oscilliscopes?

[Macbeth]

You know what, this thread has shown just how mentally ill some people are.

Take me for instance.

I only have 2 scopes. An old analog Kenwood CS-4025 20MHz totally basic boatanchor and a Hantek MSO5102D.

I keep wishing I had a Rigol DS1054Z instead, but that would mean selling the Hantek for peanuts and I don't fancy that, besides I will end up cursing myself when I need the 16 channel LA. But the Rigol has protocol decoding which the Hantek laughably doesn't, and it also has SCPI. Both things I could do with right now...

As for the analog scope, it's worthless and hasn't been used in years. But I have always wanted a decent analog storage scope with proper vector traced annunciators ever since I was blown away by them in my first job a couple of decades ago.

So I persevere with what I have. Like I said, this is a mental illness. I thank this thread for snapping me out of it.

There is nothing wrong with owning four or more scopes. I've procrastinated long enough. I will shortly be ordering the Rigol and will be on the lookout for another boatanchor for local pickup.   

[HighVoltage]

Before joining EEVBlog, I had just ....

Proven fact, its contagious ... 

Very true!
I would not have bought two 7000 series Agilent scopes, if it would not have been for the eevblog forum and the content here of how to enable all options.
If Dave would have collected only a dollar for each sale that is resulted out of readings on eevblog, I think he might be rich already.

[commie]

...and may sell the GW Instek GDS3254, it been a good scope...

Nice to see someone else with a GWInstek scope, I say this because apparently it is a sacrilege crime to have chosen a GWInstek over a Rigol.

[OldSchoolTechCorner]

...and may sell the GW Instek GDS3254, it been a good scope...

Nice to see someone else with a GWInstek scope, I say this because apparently it is a sacrilege crime to have chosen a GWInstek over a Rigol.

The GWInstek is much better then the Rigol hardware wise, not sure why the Rigol's are so hyped up, only advantage I see is price and they can be hacked easy. I tried the Rigol for a while and didn't care for it for several reasons I won't get into as would require a whole another thread alone, not to mention it had lockup issues and broke where a channel started cutting out at random, but in all fairness did use it extensively for hours at a time and left it powered up, but still sure have not have broke in two weeks of time. The GWInstek 5GSa/s and High BW as i could get with low ppm and 50, 75 and 1M ohm selectable input impendence. You have to spend around 10k it seem to find one spec similar, as for me it not all about just having long memory. It would be nice, but will only sell the GWInstek and upgrade, if it actually a upgrade, otherwise just keep the GWIstek as have no issues with it. 

The next step up would be a keysight, or Lecroy, unless GWInstek comes out with something newer in the next couple of months that has long memory and same good features, not in a hurry, as has to have other features mention above to consider upgrading. The LA is not important as have a good separate 32 channel one with good memory and prefer a bigger screen. Plus scope sit on top of bench, so LA cable won't reach and you need short cables. So would have to move stuff around. Built in arbitrary signal generator would be nice, but has to have low THD and dual channels and doubt that any scope will have a good one built in.

[guido]

Same disease here...

Tek
TDS430A
2430A
2465
7704A   On a chart, just for the looks
7603   to run 7A22/7A13 diff amps
7623A   to run 7L5 SA
5115   to run 5L4N SA
Three and half 76xx boatanchors for spare parts (two are ~in running order)

Iwatsu SS7810 with home build calibration pod.

Most of the Teks needed repairs or at least replacement of the power supply caps and batteries.
Not all is working at the moment; the 7603/7623A are getting the supply caps replaced and the 5115 combo needs further work.

No modern scope; no need for one yet. E.g. I have several LAs, including a modern one for serial decoding.
And two old ones to repair old stuff

So i guess i'm half way there 

[rickv14623]

I only have two that I use. The other five or six are for historical value. 
This one's my favorite:


Not sure what I'm doing with 150 tube testers though  , again, I only use two of them.

One of the coolest things I have seen here. Thanks for sharing

[rsjsouza]

I only have 2 scopes. An old analog Kenwood CS-4025 20MHz totally basic boatanchor and a Hantek MSO5102D.

I thought I was the only one with a Kenwood CS-4025! I bought mine new in 1995.

It then took me 17 years to get my DS1102E, and only two years to get my DS4014. I sold my DS1102E and I now have the same as you: two oscilloscopes.

I have no space to store boat anchors, but I would really love to do that. But the eevblog gave me the itch to get many DMMs and the eventual old school calculator.

[commie]

The GWInstek is much better then the Rigol hardware wise, not sure why the Rigol's are so hyped up, only advantage I see is price and they can be hacked easy

I bought a GW-Instek 2022E a couple of months ago and it is way better than my RIGOL DS1104Z, as far as hacking goes, everything is included standard with the GW2022E so there isn't any reason to hack.I noticed a couple of days ago GW-Instek have knocked 20% off their 'E' series model versions which have only been on the market for about 4 months. It appears as though GW-Instek are head to head with RIGOL's DS2000A scope series and vice versa.

[Fungus]

not sure why the Rigol's are so hyped up, only advantage I see is price and they can be hacked easy.

That's not enough? $400 for a four channel, 100MHz DSO with plenty of memory+features isn't enough for them to be worthy of a bit of hype...? 

[OldSchoolTechCorner]

not sure why the Rigol's are so hyped up, only advantage I see is price and they can be hacked easy.

That's not enough? $400 for a four channel, 100MHz DSO with plenty of memory+features isn't enough for them to be worthy of a bit of hype...? 

I get that part as was unheard of for specs and feature for it price point before and know that the reason, just don't care for their midrange line up and the fact some consider it better then anything else, even scopes in a whole another class that is clearly better.

[N2IXK]

20?  I thought I was doing OK at only 5 of them:

Tektronix 453--Oldest of the bunch. 50 MHz dual trace. Sharpest trace of any scope I have ever used. Freebie from dumpster.

Tektronix 7904--Lab grade 500 MHz analog monster with a good assortment of plugins.  Highest bandwidth scope in the lab. $15 at auction.

LeCroy 9310C--400Mhz dual channel DSO. Another freebie from a dumpster. Needed only minor repairs.

Rigol DS1052E--50Mhz dual channel DSO (unlocked to 100MHz). Only scope in the shop I actually bought new.

Fluke 124 "ScopeMeter"--40 MHz LCD portable scope/DMM.  $10 from hamfest w/dead battery pack.  Lives in toolbox in truck, used for field/automotive work.

[Fungus]

not sure why the Rigol's are so hyped up, only advantage I see is price and they can be hacked easy.

That's not enough? $400 for a four channel, 100MHz DSO with plenty of memory+features isn't enough for them to be worthy of a bit of hype...? 

I get that part as was unheard of for specs and feature for it price point before and know that the reason, just don't care for their midrange line up

OK. I wasn't aware that anybody was "hyping" a scope other then the DS1054Z.

[OldSchoolTechCorner]

not sure why the Rigol's are so hyped up, only advantage I see is price and they can be hacked easy.

That's not enough? $400 for a four channel, 100MHz DSO with plenty of memory+features isn't enough for them to be worthy of a bit of hype...? 

I get that part as was unheard of for specs and feature for it price point before and know that the reason, just don't care for their midrange line up

OK. I wasn't aware that anybody was "hyping" a scope other then the DS1054Z.

Strangely enough I seen comments from some that compare that model to everything else and claiming it better.

[FlyingHacker]

For my wife I only have the 2 scopes on my bench, a digital and a Tektronix 2465. She can also see an old 1940 RCA, but she doesn't know what it is. I have another 8, all Tektronix, 3 of them I have fixed, working on one and 4 that are waiting to be fixed. I have bought many of this scopes on Craig List and they had to ride in the trunk of my car sometimes for weeks until I find the opportunity to bring them home. I know that I cannot win an argument "You have two scopes already, why do you need another one, bla, bla, bla" What do you say?; "Honey, I need this one to measure the backpressure of my farts".

Hahaha!

Been there!

[5ky]

I could easily live with my 4 channel MSO, but can't get myself to get rid of my DS1102E as it was my first digital scope.

[Weistek]

For my wife I only have the 2 scopes on my bench, a digital and a Tektronix 2465. She can also see an old 1940 RCA, but she doesn't know what it is. I have another 8, all Tektronix, 3 of them I have fixed, working on one and 4 that are waiting to be fixed. I have bought many of this scopes on Craig List and they had to ride in the trunk of my car sometimes for weeks until I find the opportunity to bring them home. I know that I cannot win an argument "You have two scopes already, why do you need another one, bla, bla, bla" What do you say?; "Honey, I need this one to measure the backpressure of my farts".

Hahaha!

Been there!

I face the same battles as well. Except I get caught more often than not.. sitting at work a large package arrives at home and I get a text "wtf did you order now!.."

I currently have
TAS460 working great.
A 500 series (in pieces)
A rigal DS1054Z unlocked.
Had a "newer TDS 50Mhz scope but sold it to a friend.
And a TLA704 working with 7L4 and 7N3 modules, if you count that as a scope.

Not to mention the various monster psu's abundant benchtop multimeters, function generators etc...

Once you realize the older equipment ins built like a tank and still within decent calibration it's hard to pass them up.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[Muxr]

A scope is such a versatile instrument. You can never have enough of them. I have 3, and I can see myself eventually getting a 4th, if a right deal/spec combination comes along. Although there are a few tools that are of higher priority on the list currently (laser cutter for one).

I have a:

- Hameg HM 605: old analog, with a component tester that has come in handy a few times.

- HP 54610B: Highest bandwidth scope I own. Useful for high frequency repetitive signals, also I quite dig the simplicity of controls. It's my daily.

- Rigol DS 2072A (unlocked): Necessity for when I need to single shot store signals.

[Weistek]

Also as a side note I really want a tek 224 scope... would be great for my kids first scope. Just can't justify the $300 asking price on fleabay.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[AF6LJ]

Also as a side note I really want a tek 224 scope... would be great for my kids first scope. Just can't justify the $300 asking price on fleabay.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

That is a cute scope,

[SLJ]

Got a couple of these little 30 MHz 1970s Non-Linear Systems (NLS) portables in the collection also. Each is 6 1/4" x 2 5/8" x 8" deep.

[commie]

Hmmmm...yummie.....tempting, my hand is hovering over my debit card.

http://uk.farnell.com/hameg/hmo2024/oscilloscope-4ch-200mhz-2gsps/dp/2408770

[dr.diesel]

Hmmmm...yummie.....tempting, my hand is hovering over my debit card.

http://uk.farnell.com/hameg/hmo2024/oscilloscope-4ch-200mhz-2gsps/dp/2408770

I've been exceptionally happy with my Hameg gear, go for it.   

[bitseeker]

Got a couple of these little 30 MHz 1970s Non-Linear Systems (NLS) portables in the collection also. Each is 6 1/4" x 2 5/8" x 8" deep.

Those are really neat, Steve. I hadn't seen portables before. How usable are they given the mini screen?

[commie]

I've been exceptionally happy with my Hameg gear, go for it.   

There is something funny going on at Farnell, the 2 channel is more expensive than the 4 channel scope, also the y amp controls are multiplexed between the 4 channels.My Rigol ds1104z does just that and I don't like it, I much prefer separate controls.

[pascal_sweden]

And the memory depth is only 2 Mpts for that Hameg. Not that impressive at all!