Affordable Personal Oscilloscope

[jrevard]

What is the best oscilloscope under $400?

I love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTG6jWL0ZqA&feature=youtu.be (awesome personality), but it is 6 years old so...

Thanks!!!

Justin

[Shock]

What is the best oscilloscope under $400?

If buying new the Rigol DS1054Z end of story. $375 from tequipment.net with free shipping (using the EEVblog discount code). 4 Channels 50Mhz 1 GS/S but "user" upgradable to 100MHz.

There is a 100 page thread here on the forums about it please read this and use google before asking further questions because they have been answered many times.

Oh and check out Daves videos on it as well.

[pickle9000]

[Fungus]

What is the best oscilloscope under $400?

That's the easiest question ever asked here!

Answer: Rigol DS1054Z

[znroot]

I have bought a new Siglent SDS1102X oscilloscope. I am pretty happy and it works fine for about 470€.
Now i'm also waiting a good sds1000X thread on this forum! 

[tautech]

I have bought a new Siglent SDS1102X oscilloscope. I am pretty happy and it works fine for about 470€.
Now i'm also waiting a good sds1000X thread on this forum! 

I'd never guess why. 

[SteveLy]

What is the best oscilloscope under $400?

That's the easiest question ever asked here!

Answer: Rigol DS1054Z

What Fungus said. There is no contest at present.

[Fungus]

What is the best oscilloscope under $400?

That's the easiest question ever asked here!

Answer: Rigol DS1054Z

What Fungus said. There is no contest at present.

Normally on here it's like, "What 'scope should I buy for $300?"

Answer: "Save up another $100 and buy a DS1054Z".

...usually followed by a lot of whining/complaining.


Or: "What 'scope should I buy for $200?"

Answer: "Save up another $200 and buy a DS1054Z"

...followed by even more whining/complaining and the CRO crowd chiming in about how a used 1970's green-screen 'scope is a good buy for a first 'scope (hint: It's not!)


But if you've actually got $400 to spend then it's easy peasy, lemon squeezy! Get a DS1054Z!

[Fungus]

...a used 1970's green-screen 'scope is a good buy (hint: It's not!)

Ok, I should probably qualify that before I get lynched: A 1970's green-screen 'scope can be a good buy, if you can get one really cheap, ie. no more than about $80 for 2 channel, 100MHz bandwidth. They're just too limited in functionality, take up too much desk space, and are probably about to die unless they've been refurbished (in which case you won't get one for $80).

[Deathwish]

...followed by even more whining/complaining and the CRO crowd chiming in about how a used 1970's green-screen 'scope is a good buy for a first 'scope (hint: It's not!)

Oh no, you did it now, now your in for it.

[SteveLy]

Normally on here it's like, "What 'scope should I buy for $300?"

Answer: "Save up another $100 and buy a DS1054Z".

(This will usually be followed by a lot of whining/complaining)

Or: "What 'scope should I buy for $200?"

Answer: "Save up another $200 and buy a DS1054Z"
...

LOL, too true. Or even to: "Can anyone donate a scope or let me have one for $50?"

@OP Don't waste your hard-earned on a DSO, get a real scope. You can pick up a nice analog scope for $50 or less! You can't beat the smooth display, high educational value, and general cool factor of a slick analog scope.

Just kidding! If you have $US400 to spend, get the DS1054Z. Total no-brainer. 

[smbaker]

I prefer my DSO for just about everything, but still I'm glad I learned on an analog scope. I felt it gave me a good appreciation for how the instrument worked, and there's still a few things it does better than the DSO.

If I had to pick one, clearly it's the DSO. If I got to pick two, I'd have both the DSO and a 2465B (and a couple extra feet of bench space to accommodate it).

[Fungus]

I prefer my DSO for just about everything, but still I'm glad I learned on an analog scope. I felt it gave me a good appreciation for how the instrument worked, and there's still a few things it does better than the DSO.

Don't get me wrong, I like analog 'scopes. I like the clicky range switches, I like the glowing phosphor trails on the screen. Analog 'scopes are cool.

Functionality-wise though, the bang-per-buck simply isn't there any more. Not unless you can get one for next-to-nothing.

[znroot]

I have bought a new Siglent SDS1102X oscilloscope. I am pretty happy and it works fine for about 470€.
Now i'm also waiting a good sds1000X thread on this forum! 

I'd never guess why. 

I think it's the best way to see if there are any new firmware, bugs, tweaks and any other things related to the new scopes!

[tautech]

I have bought a new Siglent SDS1102X oscilloscope. I am pretty happy and it works fine for about 470€.
Now i'm also waiting a good sds1000X thread on this forum! 

I'd never guess why. 

I think it's the best way to see if there are any new firmware, bugs, tweaks and any other things related to the new scopes!

You may not have noticed but the SDG2000X seies AWG has been BW hacked, this was what I was referring to.
Maybe the SDS1000X series DSO will be BW hacked soon to? 
Keep watching the forum. 

[Deathwish]

if I was a cynic I would design a scope for 100Mhz BW then restrict it to 50Mhz, then sit and watch laughing as people bought it, hacked it to it's original 100Mhz and watch as it sold like mad.

In the meantime I will stick to torturing toads with dynamos, its way more fun.

[tautech]

if I was a cynic I would design a scope for 100Mhz BW then restrict it to 50Mhz, then sit and watch laughing as people bought it, hacked it to it's original 100Mhz and watch as it sold like mad.

In the meantime I will stick to torturing toads with dynamos, its way more fun.

Why stop at 100MHz design BW?

[Deathwish]

if I was a cynic I would design a scope for 100Mhz BW then restrict it to 50Mhz, then sit and watch laughing as people bought it, hacked it to it's original 100Mhz and watch as it sold like mad.

In the meantime I will stick to torturing toads with dynamos, its way more fun.

Why stop at 100MHz design BW?

I was being cynical about the DS1054Z .... it would be a great marketing ploy though wouldn't it, all those thousands of people thinking they had hacked something and making it a best seller...

[znroot]

I have bought a new Siglent SDS1102X oscilloscope. I am pretty happy and it works fine for about 470€.
Now i'm also waiting a good sds1000X thread on this forum! 

I'd never guess why. 

I think it's the best way to see if there are any new firmware, bugs, tweaks and any other things related to the new scopes!

You may not have noticed but the SDG2000X seies AWG has been BW hacked, this was what I was referring to.
Maybe the SDS1000X series DSO will be BW hacked soon to? 
Keep watching the forum. 

I wasn't following the sdg2000x threads but I've just read something good.

I'll keep watching the forum for any news

[znroot]

if I was a cynic I would design a scope for 100Mhz BW then restrict it to 50Mhz, then sit and watch laughing as people bought it, hacked it to it's original 100Mhz and watch as it sold like mad.

In the meantime I will stick to torturing toads with dynamos, its way more fun.

Why stop at 100MHz design BW?

I was being cynical about the DS1054Z .... it would be a great marketing ploy though wouldn't it, all those thousands of people thinking they had hacked something and making it a best seller...

I thinks it's cheap to design only one model of scope and then place the correct components to make different versions... but I am pretty sure that the cheapest way to achieve this is via software.
You can see it with the decode keys and upgrades.

So yes, if I was Siglent/Rigol engineer I think I'll make only one board and then work with firmware   

[vk6zgo]

What is the best oscilloscope under $400?

If buying new the Rigol DS1054Z end of story. $375 from tequipment.net with free shipping (using the EEVblog discount code). 4 Channels 50Mhz 1 GS/S but "user" upgradable to 100MHz.

There is a 100 page thread here on the forums about it please read this and use google before asking further questions because they have been answered many times.

Oh and check out Daves videos on it as well.

Good luck on the "free shipping" if you don't live in the "contiguous United States"
Alaska,Hawaii,& Puerto Rico need not apply!

If you live in Oz,a DS1054Z is around $A633 (approx.US$456),including GST,before it leaves the supplier-----plus not inconsiderable freight costs if you don't live next door to Emona!
Actually,that isn't all that bad,as the "special" Tequipment price translates to about $A520 before freight!

Australians were horribly spoilt for imported test equipment in the halcyon days of exchange rates of US$1.30 to the $A!.00.
They were lousy days for people in the USA,though!

[KL27x]

I was being cynical about the DS1054Z .... it would be a great marketing ploy though wouldn't it, all those thousands of people thinking they had hacked something and making it a best seller...

Haha. I have wondered about doing the same thing for some of my projects. Release a youtube video showing how to HACK it to unlock extra features, and hope for a new market to emerge.

FWIW, there's a hack for my Hantek. Guess what. I haven't done it, and I don't plan to unless I need the extra BW. In the meantime, there may be a useful new FW released by the manufacturer, and I rather not waste time redundantly hacking my scope just to say it has a higher BW I currently don't use, anyway.

The gear don't excite me; I can't fall backwards into riches by having cool gear. The app does. When I need a higher BW scope, it'll be because I'm learning new tricks, and even buying new equipment may be justified, anyway.

Buying/having and not needing is nice. Outgrowing your equipment is also nice. That's a good problem to have.

[smbaker]

Haha. I have wondered about doing the same thing for some of my projects. Release a youtube video showing how to HACK it to unlock extra features, and hope for a new market to emerge.

At the very least, they don't seem to care a whole lot. The DS1052E was hackable, and they bring out the DS1054Z with the same 'defect'.

Either those who hack the scopes aren't significant enough to cut into the sales of the more expensive variants, or it is indeed a clever marketing ploy.

[vk6zgo]

Just looking at DS1054Zs on eBay.com.au.

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_odkw=RIGOL+DS1054Z+-&LH_PrefLoc=2&_localstpos=6108&_fcid=15&_clu=2&gbr=1&_osacat=0&_stpos=6108&LH_AllListings=1&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XRIGOL+DS1054Z+.TRS0&_nkw=RIGOL+DS1054Z+&_sacat=0

It turns out that Tequipment is still the cheapest overseas source for Oz,when you take postage into account.
For the miserable difference,though,I would buy from Emona .

Not gonna happen anytime soon,though!
$A600 may be worth less Internationally,but it still hurts just as much as ever in the wallet department!

[pickle9000]

Haha. I have wondered about doing the same thing for some of my projects. Release a youtube video showing how to HACK it to unlock extra features, and hope for a new market to emerge.

At the very least, they don't seem to care a whole lot. The DS1052E was hackable, and they bring out the DS1054Z with the same 'defect'.

Either those who hack the scopes aren't significant enough to cut into the sales of the more expensive variants, or it is indeed a clever marketing ploy.

For individuals Rigol turns a blind eye and sells more units. If a company is buying 50 then it's another story I'm sure. I will say this, it is a good general purpose scope and I use one daily (to my surprise). If it was not then the discussion would be about another crap Chinese scope.