Author Topic: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?  (Read 11875 times)

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Offline MrAlTopic starter

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Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« on: November 28, 2022, 05:25:36 am »
Hello there,

What is the going best brand name for a scope these days?
I saw one that advertised 100MHz but it tested at only 30MHz bandwidth so i can see some of them lie drastically about their product specs.
I'd like to know the best name for actual working well and not lying about the bandwidth.

Is there a best name or a group of best names?
I may want to stay away from Techtronics though because they may be out of my price range right now.
I was thinking something like maybe Rigol, Siglent, or Hantek, or Techtronics if they have a lower price range model.

Any current trends here?

 

Offline tautech

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2022, 06:10:27 am »
It's just about one thing only, available budget determines everything.
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Siglent Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiglentVideo/videos
 

Offline pcprogrammer

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2022, 06:15:56 am »
Best brands are expensive.

Rohde & Schwarz
Tektronix
Keysight
Yokogawa
LeCroy

Good brands

Rigol
Siglent
GW Instek
Micsig
Owon

Stay away from

FNIRSI
YEAPOOK
Hantek
Daniu
All the other cheap Chinese brands that all use the same hardware.

Most likely missed some brands. There are so many threads about which is the best scope for me here on the forum, like this one https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/need-advise-on-a-new-oscilloscope-to-meet-my-requirement-but-lost-on-brans/

Online Fungus

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2022, 10:45:56 am »
I saw one that advertised 100MHz but it tested at only 30MHz bandwidth so i can see some of them lie drastically about their product specs.

That brand is the exception, I'm not aware of any brand that isn't an "Aliexpress special" that lies about basic specs.

I may want to stay away from Techtronics though because they may be out of my price range right now.

PS: I wasn't aware that "Techtronics" makes oscilloscopes.  :o
« Last Edit: November 28, 2022, 11:58:35 am by Fungus »
 

Offline nokin

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2022, 11:42:32 am »
So sad for Hantek hahahaha :palm:
 

Offline pcprogrammer

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2022, 12:01:44 pm »
So sad for Hantek hahahaha :palm:

Yep, but they brought it on themselves with the DSO2X1X series. There are a lot of issues with this one and they can't get a handle on fixing them properly.

Used it yesterday while measuring on a 27MHz remote control transmitter, and got unreliable results. Had to break out the Rigol MSO5074 I also have to get it done properly. And you know it is bad when you can't trust what you see on the screen. Advantage of the Hantek is that it boots quicker and is silent, but that is it.

Offline nokin

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2022, 01:45:39 pm »
I think mine quite good for price/performance
With $120 I got DSO + WG + 2 channel high bw Rms AC milivolt metter quite accurate when comparing with my Fluke 8805A (only 50kHz bw). That's all my needs for analog calibration audio equipments.
 

Offline MrAlTopic starter

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2022, 01:48:27 pm »
I saw one that advertised 100MHz but it tested at only 30MHz bandwidth so i can see some of them lie drastically about their product specs.

That brand is the exception, I'm not aware of any brand that isn't an "Aliexpress special" that lies about basic specs.

I may want to stay away from Techtronics though because they may be out of my price range right now.


PS: I wasn't aware that "Techtronics" makes oscilloscopes.  :o

Yes Techtronics makes oscilloscopes, in some other universe i bet (ha ha).
In this one they just dont spell it that way (ha ha ha, big typo).
You can see how long it has been since i have used one of their scopes.

 

Offline MrAlTopic starter

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2022, 01:49:23 pm »
I think mine quite good for price/performance
With $120 I got DSO + WG + 2 channel high bw Rms AC milivolt metter quite accurate when comparing with my Fluke 8805A (only 50kHz bw). That's all my needs for analog calibration audio equipments.

So which scope did you get for $120 i assume that 120 is in USD?
 
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Offline MrAlTopic starter

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2022, 02:18:27 pm »
Best brands are expensive.

Rohde & Schwarz
Tektronix
Keysight
Yokogawa
LeCroy

Good brands

Rigol
Siglent
GW Instek
Micsig
Owon

Stay away from

FNIRSI
YEAPOOK
Hantek
Daniu
All the other cheap Chinese brands that all use the same hardware.

Most likely missed some brands. There are so many threads about which is the best scope for me here on the forum, like this one https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/need-advise-on-a-new-oscilloscope-to-meet-my-requirement-but-lost-on-brans/

Thanks much for the detailed list that is probably good enough for me right now and it does have quite a few brands that i was interested in.
Glad you mentioned the Hantek i was looking closely at those, now i wont anymore :-)

The FNIRSI (strange name looks like a scrambled English word game) has been confirmed that it is not 100MHz by the manufacturer.  They are stating that it is 40MHz so i think still lying a little because a test done here (was that you) shows 30MHz and the test i did on the scope of the person i know who just bought one shows 30MHz also.
What they actually said though was that "It is 40MHz but can reach to 100MHz in some cases".  So they must have put in a Mr. Magoo magic chip in there that suddenly increases the bandwidth to 100MHz when Pluto is in the 7th house and you are not observing the scope display screen  :-)

I am a little surprised that Owon is in the "Good" list i thought it was a wackadoodle name too :-)
I dont know anything about it really though.  I'll have to check pricing.

Is the order of the "Good" scopes in descending order of quality or preference or anything like that?

Thanks again very interesting.

 

Offline pcprogrammer

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2022, 03:50:54 pm »
The lists are randomly compiled.

Owon has some interesting models but probably is on the low end of the good list. Don't have any experience with them though.

Placed Hantek on the avoid list because of the DSO2D10 I have and it is not very good. Believe they do have some older models that are not that bad, but for prices that get you Siglent or Rigol scopes.

The FNIRSI models can measure just shy of 100MHz based on the fact that they sample with 200MSa/s, but above somewhere in the 40MHz range, they start to calculate a perfect sine based on the measured frequency and amplitue and show that on the screen.

Offline nokin

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2022, 04:19:47 pm »
Yes I got my Hantek 2 weeks ago, bought directly from taobao. Just only $120 (usd) # 850RMB for 2C10 version and free shipping in China local.
I think mine quite good for price/performance
With $120 I got DSO + WG + 2 channel high bw Rms AC milivolt metter quite accurate when comparing with my Fluke 8805A (only 50kHz bw). That's all my needs for analog calibration audio equipments.

So which scope did you get for $120 i assume that 120 is in USD?
« Last Edit: November 28, 2022, 04:25:41 pm by nokin »
 

Offline jjoonathan

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2022, 04:21:22 pm »
> Placed Hantek on the avoid list because of the DSO2D10 I have and it is not very good. Believe they do have some older models that are not that bad

I put Hantek on my own avoid list due to the older DSO2150. It was abysmal, except in the sense that it served as a life lesson in the importance of placing a monetary value on time & risk during purchasing decisions.

I can personally confirm pcprogrammer's categorization on: R&S, Tek, Keysight, LeCroy, Rigol, Siglent, GW Instek, Micsig, Hantek. Good list  :-+
 

Offline Martin72

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #13 on: November 28, 2022, 09:51:17 pm »
Quote
Best brands are expensive.

So we can add rigol (27000€ for the DS70000 3Ghz) and siglent(11876€ for the SDS6000A 2Ghz) to them too.  ;)

Quote
Stay away from

FNIRSI
YEAPOOK
Hantek
Daniu

I would count owon also to this and Uni-T...

Offline nokin

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #14 on: November 29, 2022, 12:15:05 am »
You get what you pay for, that's alway the truth.
I don't recommend any Hantek but for audio hobbies it is good DSO for price range. You have to know your demand.

Even if the DSO is bad the built-in WG is good function.
I left mine burning run 24hrs for testing, looped back DSO + WG and its was steady and smooth. 

 

Offline scoper007

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #15 on: November 29, 2022, 03:25:59 am »
I can personally confirm pcprogrammer's categorization on: R&S, Tek, Keysight, LeCroy, Rigol, Siglent, GW Instek, Micsig, Hantek. Good list  :-+
As a Micsig & Rigol user, I agree this list! Hantek has no much reputation here in China, lol.
 

Offline BillyO

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2022, 04:26:43 pm »
Quote
Best brands are expensive.

So we can add rigol (27000€ for the DS70000 3Ghz) and siglent(11876€ for the SDS6000A 2Ghz) to them too.  ;)

Quote
Stay away from

FNIRSI
YEAPOOK
Hantek
Daniu

I would count owon also to this and Uni-T...

I agree WRT Uni-T.  Not that the scope I got off them all those years ago was that terrible, it wasn't for a (not so cheap) DSO of that era, but it did have some issues that in 12 years were never addressed.  Not even a single FW update.   They have absolutely NO support and will not respond to requests or reports or anything else, for that matter.  I would never again spend more than $50 on any Uni-T product.

Owon I don't know much about but what others have said and that they get sold through Ali-Express and such.  Never a great sign.
Bill  (Currently a Siglent fanboy)
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Offline Zucca

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #17 on: November 29, 2022, 05:32:15 pm »
Stay away from

FNIRSI
YEAPOOK
Hantek
Daniu
All the other cheap Chinese brands that all use the same hardware.



anything else.
Fixed for you.
Can't know what you don't love. St. Augustine
Can't love what you don't know. Zucca
 

Offline pcprogrammer

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #18 on: November 29, 2022, 07:56:44 pm »
Owon I don't know much about but what others have said and that they get sold through Ali-Express and such.  Never a great sign.

You can also get micsig scopes on Aliexpress, does that mean they are crap too?

I don't have experience with either brand, but what I have read on the forum about the micsig is that most users are very happy with them.

Offline pcprogrammer

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #19 on: November 29, 2022, 08:00:21 pm »
Stay away from

FNIRSI
YEAPOOK
Hantek
Daniu
All the other cheap Chinese brands that all use the same hardware.



anything else.
Fixed for you.

What are you trying to say here?

That these brands are any good?

Go and read the reviews about their products and you will see they are crap. And I can attest this for certain about the two FNIRSI scopes that are sold under at least four brand names. Did my homework on them :-DD

Offline pcprogrammer

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #20 on: November 29, 2022, 08:10:49 pm »
Quote
Best brands are expensive.

So we can add rigol (27000€ for the DS70000 3Ghz) and siglent(11876€ for the SDS6000A 2Ghz) to them too.  ;)

I know they also have expensive scopes, but for as far as I know they are still not ranked up there with the renowned brands from the first list.

They do have good value for money in the lower price brackets for sure, which I believe can't be said for the brands on the first list. Due to the name there is a certain mark up in price there.

But to be fair I only have worked with a Yokogawa (DL9705) scope in comparison with a Rigol (MSO5074). The other cheap ones I have, I don't really count as proper scopes. (FNIRSI 1013D, FNIRSI 1014D and Hantek DSO2D10)

Online Fungus

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #21 on: November 29, 2022, 08:32:32 pm »
I think the best brand name for an oscilloscope would the "The Scopinator".

"The Scopinator 2.0 - scopinates your signals like no other"


(you have to say it in a Strongbad voice)
« Last Edit: November 29, 2022, 08:35:49 pm by Fungus »
 
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Online Fungus

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #22 on: November 29, 2022, 08:37:34 pm »
You can also get micsig scopes on Aliexpress, does that mean they are crap too?

No, because they're more expensive on Aliexpress than in a regular store.
 

Offline BillyO

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #23 on: November 29, 2022, 08:53:11 pm »
Owon I don't know much about but what others have said and that they get sold through Ali-Express and such.  Never a great sign.

You can also get micsig scopes on Aliexpress, does that mean they are crap too?

I don't have experience with either brand, but what I have read on the forum about the micsig is that most users are very happy with them.

I think your reading too much into what I wrote.  First, I did not say everything on Aliexpress is bad, it's just not a great sign.  Aliexpress is known as one of the best places on the planet (2nd only to Wish) to get truckloads of your favorite useless crap and reputable companies tend not to sell there.  Second, I never used the word crap to describe Owon or anyone else.  That, of course, dos not mean Owon are not crap.  They could very be, or some of their product could be crap and other just fine.  I don't know, and I know even less about Micsig.  I'm guessing though that Micsig do not have an "official" store on Aliexpress.  Fungus is right though, I can get them for less on Amazon or though other dealers.
Bill  (Currently a Siglent fanboy)
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Offline Zucca

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Re: Best Brand Name for an Oscilloscope?
« Reply #24 on: November 29, 2022, 09:22:51 pm »
What are you trying to say here?

Stay away from anything else. I agree with you.
Can't know what you don't love. St. Augustine
Can't love what you don't know. Zucca
 
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