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| Best Oscilloscope under $300? |
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| theaustindixon:
I'm planning on taking some electronics courses in the fall, and I'd like to get a budget oscilloscope (hopefully under $300) for practicing at home. Looking around online, I see these options: New: * Hantek DSO5102P * Siglent SDS1052DL * Rigol DHO800 Used: * Siglent SDS1202X-E * Rigol DS1052E * Tektronix TDS2012 Any reason to buy one of these over the others? |
| tautech:
--- Quote from: theaustindixon on February 20, 2024, 10:04:00 pm ---Any reason to buy one of these over the others? --- End quote --- USB screenshot capability especially for a novice where you can capture waveform screenshots and present them to a mentor for advice/guidance. The new SDS802X HD will be priced close to your budget. |
| tggzzz:
Make sure you leave sufficient budget for the other items you will need. Bench power supply. Multimeters. Soldering iron. Scope probes. 4mm banana flying lead. Signal generator. Hook up wire and copperclad (unetched) PCB, or stripboard. A basic component kit. Diagonal cutters and pliers. If you are considering second-hand equipment, then you can get scopes much much cheaper than $300; just make sure it is working. All equipment has a learning curve, which means a beginner is often better served by having simple easily understood equipment. Beginners should be learning fundamental electronics, not spending too much time on the GUI of one manufacturers 2024 entry level equipment. A good engineer will always be looking for simple easy ways to do the job. Once upon a time recording a scope trace required Polaroid cameras or pen plotters. Now the simplest and fastest way to record the complete experimental setup and all measurements is with a phone or digital camera (ah, bliss. The past wasn't always golden :) |
| baldurn:
Used always depends on what you can find. New however I would only consider Rigol DHO800 or Siglent SDS800X HD. The Siglent will be released in about a week, so wait for pricing on that before deciding. Those two are the newest tech and while you probably won't actually need the signature feature of 12 bits, there simply is no reason not to play with the most recent iteration of a DSO. Unless you are on a tight budget and want to spent significantly less by going used. |
| abeyer:
--- Quote from: theaustindixon on February 20, 2024, 10:04:00 pm ---I'm planning on taking some electronics courses in the fall, and I'd like to get a budget oscilloscope (hopefully under $300) --- End quote --- Given that's a while away still, if you don't have an urgent need now, you might consider waiting: * You might decide you want to get (or not!) the same brand/model you use in school * School might suggest something and/or be able to get you a discount * The new 12 bit models will have shaken out a bit by then * It gives you some time to possibly save up a bit and look at a slightly higher price point... $300 is a cap that seems like it's hard to stay under without making some compromises you probably wouldn't if you look up to even just $400ish. (of course there's always a more sparkly bit of test equipment... but this price bracket in particular seems like it brings some pretty noticeable trade-offs that you might not otherwise have to make.) |
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