Best Oscilloscope under $300?

[Aldo22]

I'm just playing and learning. 

Including, I hope, the first two lines of my .sig 

OK!
My Hantek can't measure frequency response (or bode plot), so I made a script that does.
I had to learn some Python to do it.
Is that what you mean? 

[nctnico]

You do realise that 100MHz was just adequate for digital logic in the early 80s, don't you? Modern jellybean logic is much faster than that, and important features on the waveforms will simply be invisible.

You keep repeating this but in the real world you rarely run into situations where you need more than 100MHz.

You keep failing to understand the only reason for needing a scope for digital logic is to ensure signal integrity. Once that is ensured, flip to digital domain tools.

I understand what I need to do my daily job just fine. And what you call digital domain tools have been integrated into DSOs a very long time ago. The first ones from HP where discontinued more than 20 years ago. If you think a DSO is not good at decoding, then I strongly suggest to get a modern day DSO from a decent brand and give that a spin. You'll be in for a pleasant surprise. There is no way I'm going to mess around with a clunky USB device.

[tggzzz]

You do realise that 100MHz was just adequate for digital logic in the early 80s, don't you? Modern jellybean logic is much faster than that, and important features on the waveforms will simply be invisible.

You keep repeating this but in the real world you rarely run into situations where you need more than 100MHz.

You keep failing to understand the only reason for needing a scope for digital logic is to ensure signal integrity. Once that is ensured, flip to digital domain tools.

I understand what I need to do my daily job just fine. And what you call digital domain tools have been integrated into DSOs a very long time ago. The first ones from HP where discontinued more than 20 years ago. If you think a DSO is not good at decoding, then I strongly suggest to get a modern day DSO from a decent brand and give that a spin. You'll be in for a pleasant surprise. There is no way I'm going to mess around with a clunky USB device.

Quite possibly. Are you still within the $300 limit?

I'm certainly not going to fork out £10k (to invent a figure) for something I can achieve for £500!

[mwb1100]

There are quite a few assumptions about what the OP want/needs in this thread.  I'll admit that I made the assumption that he wanted something very inexpensive that he could "learn the ropes" of an oscilloscope on.  Not something that would be intended to be the last scope bought.  That's often the approach I take with new tools - it gives the opportunity to figure out what I really need/want in a tool before spending the usually high price for a quality item.  Or if I need the high priced item at all.

But I could certainly be wrong about what the OP is looking for. Anyway, the OP has not responded to this thread since the first post; I think I'll wait for that before posting here further.

[theaustindixon]

There are quite a few assumptions about what the OP want/needs in this thread.  I'll admit that I made the assumption that he wanted something very inexpensive that he could "learn the ropes" of an oscilloscope on.  Not something that would be intended to be the last scope bought.  That's often the approach I take with new tools - it gives the opportunity to figure out what I really need/want in a tool before spending the usually high price for a quality item.  Or if I need the high priced item at all.

But I could certainly be wrong about what the OP is looking for. Anyway, the OP has not responded to this thread since the first post; I think I'll wait for that before posting here further.

Relatively inexpensive, good for learning on but also useful for most beginner-to-intermediate level projects, so I don't need to buy another one for a few years.

[baldurn]

@tggzzz: I understand what you mean, but we're in the "under $300" thread here and we're not talking about the same thing.
I'm talking about a first somewhat "complete" scope that opens a door to a new world.

I'll sell you a very "complete" working recapped Tek 2465 4-channel 300MHz scope for £300. I have two, and ought to reclaim the space.

That is 380 USD and I don't think that is good value for someones first scope. For approximately the same you can get the new Rigol or Siglent, which after hacking will be 200-250 MHz. The old CRO has slightly more bandwidth but that is also all it has going for it. The new scopes have warranty and a list of features too long to repeat here.

[nctnico]

so I don't need to buy another one for a few years.

You have to give up on that idea  Getting something cheap is a good idea to begin with and test the water but you'll either outgrow it or choose a different path. Either way you'll likely sell it in a few years.

[Fungus]

Some have digital signal protocol decodes, so you can see the characters/digits being transmitted serially.
But the decodes only work with what is displayed on the screen, i.e. a few characters at best.

Not true of the DHO800.

Better to use a separate tool dedicated to that, e.g. a cheap protocol analyser.

Do you know of one that does constant real time triggering/decoding/updating?

Last month I was coding a bit-bang I2C function; I think it would have been a real pain in the ass to constantly hit record on the LA, upload the program, wait a few seconds, press stop, then go mousing around looking for the data packet to see if it was OK or not.

My oscilloscope just sat there constantly decoding, all I had to do was upload the program and turn to look at the result on screen at each iteration.

[Fungus]

I'm thinking of selling my Micsig STO1104C if you're interested. Shipping from Spain.

[cv007]

Another inexpensive option is a low end picoscope. I have a 2205A in an edu version (translucent red case, Allied Electronics had their name on it), and it does pretty well for most simple needs (which applies in my case). There are downsides of course to a pc based scope with a limited bandwidth, but for the price you get new hardware and software that is the same for all their scopes. The newer version of their software is more modern, and is designed to be touchscreen friendly, but I would say you will need to use Windows (or maybe OSX) as that is their primary focus (they claim to be able to run on Linux, but every time I attempt that there is some problem). The ui is well done on version 7, and you can download and play around with it if you want to get a feel for it. I do like having a screen size (laptop/desktop) that doesn't require a magnifying glass, and using a mouse/keyboard puts you in familiar territory for dealing with the user interface.

I think the lower end picoscope makes for a nice entry into scopes, but as you start to climb to the higher models you start to match prices with the stand-alone scope and now price goes out of favor (but price does not always rule). If you do get a lower end model and later decide to upgrade to something else, you will know why you are upgrading, will know what you really need (and are now lacking), and the inexpensive pico will still be useful as a secondary scope.

They do have a number of videos and app notes available, but if they had some beginner 'course' that would take the user from A-Z I think they would sell lots of these things for edu (also make some translucent colored boxes like Allied did). Maybe there is some course ware for these that I'm not aware of.

Just a thought.

[Aldo22]

My oscilloscope just sat there constantly decoding, all I had to do was upload the program and turn to look at the result on screen at each iteration.

Can you show or link a screenshot or video that shows how this looks on the DHO800?

EDIT: OK, I found it in the video.

[J-R]

Rigol, Siglent, Keysight clearance/used:
https://www.rigolna.com/clearance/
https://siglentna.com/products/clearance/
https://saving.em.keysight.com/en/used

It's gone now, but the other day I was showing the Rigol site to a coworker and there was a DHO804 for $279.  Free US shipping.  Now there is a DHO802 for $209.  This seems like a completely valid purchase for a beginner on a tight budget.  You'll have decent community support and it can be liberated if desired.

Keysight recently started accepting online CC purchases and you get 5% off right now via that method.  This 100MHz 2 channel DSOX1102A scope is still their older design, but for under $350 could be an option: https://saving.em.keysight.com/en/used/oscilloscopes/dsox1102a-u08-2509926

A while back they had some EDU models for even less, but I haven't seen any more the past couple months.  Maybe if you set up an alert you could snag one.

(Not sure why, but the Keysight links aren't showing in some browsers...)

[tggzzz]

so I don't need to buy another one for a few years.

You have to give up on that idea  Getting something cheap is a good idea to begin with and test the water but you'll either outgrow it or choose a different path. Either way you'll likely sell it in a few years.

That is a good observation and advice.

Especially with instruments that are already fully depreciated (I sell almost everything for more than I paid: a pleasing bonus)

[tggzzz]

Some have digital signal protocol decodes, so you can see the characters/digits being transmitted serially.
But the decodes only work with what is displayed on the screen, i.e. a few characters at best.

Not true of the DHO800.

Better to use a separate tool dedicated to that, e.g. a cheap protocol analyser.

Do you know of one that does constant real time triggering/decoding/updating?

Last month I was coding a bit-bang I2C function; I think it would have been a real pain in the ass to constantly hit record on the LA, upload the program, wait a few seconds, press stop, then go mousing around looking for the data packet to see if it was OK or not.

My oscilloscope just sat there constantly decoding, all I had to do was upload the program and turn to look at the result on screen at each iteration.

Good question. I don't know since I don't have a cheap analyser.

My LA sits doing nothing until triggered (i.e. Zero dead time).
I've ordered a BusPirate5, but delivery has been delayed due to PUB cockups.

[tatel]

Relatively inexpensive, good for learning on but also useful for most beginner-to-intermediate level projects, so I don't need to buy another one for a few years.

So you want one of these new or still in the oven rigol/siglent 12-bit things. Just stretch your budget some 25% more to get it done right. I mean, if you are thinking about interfacing a microcontroller and a LCD screen, or something as basic as that, four channels are useful.

Even one of these will not be the same than a pro oscilloscope in the thousands range, but any less than that, and you will fail your target.

Buying an old, 8-bit, 4-channel old entry-level rigol/siglent devices isn't the way to go, at least while people continue to ask for about 300 bucks.

Of course, you could go the very wrong way, and buy first a toyscope Zeeweii 2512. Then one of those Hanteks that many (most?) buyers are abhorrent at. Then you finally could get a decent 400 bucks benchtop scope and realize you wasted half that money buying crap.

But in the meantime you could easily fool yourself into thinking you got for pennies something that performs better than some other thing that cost three or four times that money. You'll only need to believe the published cheap toyscope specs are like the Bible (and some stubbornness, too) to achieve that.

If budget is really tight, it would be wise to follow tggzzz's advice and to buy something that does fewer things but does it right. At least it will continue to be useful in the future and you won't think about throwing it in the trash bin.

[tggzzz]

Buying an old, 8-bit, 4-channel old entry-level rigol/siglent devices isn't the way to go, at least while people continue to ask for about 300 bucks.

Beginners are unlikely to understand the consequences of a 8bit resolution - and probably fewer Effective Number Of Bits (ENOB) - especially when using the device as a spectrum analyser.

Too few experienced engineers too, to the extent that it is a useful interview question.

If budget is really tight, it would be wise to follow tggzzz's advice and to buy something that does fewer things but does it right. At least it will continue to be useful in the future and you won't think about throwing it in the trash bin.

In life in general I tend to divide purchases into a number of distinct categories.

Transient interest/use: cheap, so throwing it away is acceptable.

Learning experience: use for a while until you have worked out what you really need. Either cheap+throwaway, or  cheapish and sell after use.

Everything else: spend money on buying something pleasing that will last a lifetime. It is horrifying how many things have lasted me a lifetime !

Neither of those categories is right/wrong. It helps to explicitly decide which you are spending money on.

[Aldo22]

I have a different view.
You can very well buy a Zeeweii as your first scope, then a Hantek and later a Rigol or Siglent or R&S and continue to use all the devices.

A Zeeweii DSO2512G has clear advantages over a benchtop scope (and of course also many disadvantages).
It is portable, light and robust. You can take it to the DUT and not vice versa. It's easy to use, and it starts up in 3 seconds etc.
In principle, this is a different category of device and you can still use both types.

Even a Hantek DSO2000 has a few advantages over a DHO800. It starts up in 12 seconds, has no fan and is therefore noiseless, it consumes less power and has a signal generator. This may not be important for everyone, but there is no reason not to continue using all these devices in certain situations, especially if they are not a financial burden.

[tggzzz]

I have a different view.
You can very well buy a Zeeweii as your first scope, then a Hantek and later a Rigol or Siglent or R&S and continue to use all the devices.

A Zeeweii DSO2512G has clear advantages over a benchtop scope (and of course also many disadvantages).
It is portable, light and robust. You can take it to the DUT and not vice versa. It's easy to use, and it starts up in 3 seconds etc.
In principle, this is a different category of device and you can still use both types.

Even a Hantek DSO2000 has a few advantages over a DHO800. It starts up in 12 seconds, has no fan and is therefore noiseless, it consumes less power and has a signal generator. This may not be important for everyone, but there is no reason not to continue using all these devices in certain situations, especially if they are not a financial burden.

Agreed.

Most of my scopes start up in 3-6 seconds. Those that don't are a pain - and tend to stay on the shelf except for the few occasions when I need their USP

I can't hear their fans, which makes me sad.

[tatel]

I have a different view.
You can very well buy a Zeeweii as your first scope, then a Hantek and later a Rigol or Siglent or R&S and continue to use all the devices.

A Zeeweii DSO2512G has clear advantages over a benchtop scope (and of course also many disadvantages).
It is portable, light and robust. You can take it to the DUT and not vice versa. It's easy to use, and it starts up in 3 seconds etc.
In principle, this is a different category of device and you can still use both types.

Even a Hantek DSO2000 has a few advantages over a DHO800. It starts up in 12 seconds, has no fan and is therefore noiseless, it consumes less power and has a signal generator. This may not be important for everyone, but there is no reason not to continue using all these devices in certain situations, especially if they are not a financial burden.

 

[nctnico]

I have a different view.
You can very well buy a Zeeweii as your first scope, then a Hantek and later a Rigol or Siglent or R&S and continue to use all the devices.

A Zeeweii DSO2512G has clear advantages over a benchtop scope (and of course also many disadvantages).
It is portable, light and robust. You can take it to the DUT and not vice versa. It's easy to use, and it starts up in 3 seconds etc.
In principle, this is a different category of device and you can still use both types.

IMHO the key should be that a piece of test equipment behaves consistently and what is implemented, works well. If the bandwidth is not as advertised, I don't see a really big problem (unless ofcourse the bandwidth is needed but for tinkering this typically isn't the case). Those Zeeweii scopes are cheap enough not to cause a major pain in your wallet. A couple of years ago I was stupid enough to spend 2500 euro on a Siglent scope which ended up in the trash. A useless POS and the (authorised!) Siglent distributor didn't want to take it back.

Since then I have a rule not to spend more than around 100 euro on really cheap equipment OR just pony up the money and buy the real deal.

Along tatel's statement from a few posts up; there aint no such thing as a free lunch so you won't be able to buy the same functionality cheaper from Chinese brands. In China engineers are just as expensive nowadays and A-brand equipment is being produced in China. So the only corner the Chinese brands can cut is spending less on software quality and testing if they want to pretend to offer the same functionality.

[Fungus]

A couple of years ago I was stupid enough to spend 2500 euro on a Siglent scope which ended up in the trash. A useless POS and the (authorised!) Siglent distributor didn't want to take it back.

 

[Aldo22]

IMHO the key should be that a piece of test equipment behaves consistently and what is implemented, works well. If the bandwidth is not as advertised, I don't see a really big problem (unless ofcourse the bandwidth is needed but for tinkering this typically isn't the case). Those Zeeweii scopes are cheap enough not to cause a major pain in your wallet.

Zeeweii is quite reputable for a cheap(-est) Chinese manufacturer.
The device does not crash and works as you would expect. The firmware seems quite mature.
Auto-range is very fast and it is overall pleasant to use.
The specs are certainly a little on the optimistic side, but what do you expect for $80 shipped including 2 probes etc?
I think it's better than Zoyi etc.

It can show a 10MHz square wave reasonably well (attachment). That's enough to have a quick look at "what's going on" and that's what it's there for.

A couple of years ago I was stupid enough to spend 2500 euro on a Siglent scope which ended up in the trash. A useless POS and the (authorised!) Siglent distributor didn't want to take it back.

Oops!   

[tautech]

A couple of years ago I was stupid enough to spend 2500 euro on a Siglent scope which ended up in the trash. A useless POS and the (authorised!) Siglent distributor didn't want to take it back.

Oops!   

Oops indeed, Nico's memory cells are in failure mode, it was 10 years ago ! !

I hope to be able to post a short review in a few days. Don't expect a video but some photo's and some screenshots.

[nctnico]

A couple of years ago I was stupid enough to spend 2500 euro on a Siglent scope which ended up in the trash. A useless POS and the (authorised!) Siglent distributor didn't want to take it back.

Oops!   

Oops indeed, Nico's memory cells are in failure mode, it was 10 years ago ! !

And Siglent still can't get decode to work reliably between firmware updates... Technical support doesn't even know the use case for protocol decoding and gives an utter BS answer. But also more recently Siglent gear I thought was good enough, failed miserably for basic functionality.

[tatel]

It wouldn't be useless to remember what the OP wants

Relatively inexpensive, good for learning on but also useful for most beginner-to-intermediate level projects, so I don't need to buy another one for a few years.

So, neither any Zeeweii (BTW, I love my DSO154Pro, that's what i get to go under my car to see what the lambda sensor is sending to the ECU) nor any of these Hanteks (whose buyers motto seems to usually be never again) will do. Therefore, to speak about what DSO2512G can/can't do, is off-topic and misleading.

There is people here that have much more knowledge than me, and OP would be wise following their advice. But there is also people that recklessly and stubbornly open their big mouth to give (I think) very bad advice. Not going to get into any arguments there; for reference, I think anybody will understand what I mean simply by looking at this post:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-2ch-pocket-dsosg-sigpeak-dso2512g/msg4887584/#msg4887584