Hacking the SDS2000X HD

[seajayshore]

Hello everyone (my first post!)

I have an SDS2104X HD for several months now - purchased with the aforementioned SDS2XHD-BND bundle (great pricing) but before the base price was dropped when the SDS1000X HD released (less great pricing... nevermind )

I love the scope, best I've ever owned, but I feel a bit miffed at how expensive the (legal) bandwidth upgrades are... ~£2,000 before tax in the UK for the 100MHz to 350MHz upgrade... The base SDS3000X HD at 350MHz is ~£3,000 for comparison...

Yes I know that's not a fair comparison as the 2000X HD benefits from the bundle mentioned above while there 3000X HD doesn't... (yet...) But besides the logic analyser kit the bundle isn't that useful to me so in retrospect I may have traded for higher bandwidth at my original purchase price...

I have a question - not just moaning - does anyone know (maybe from past experience) if these licenses also drop price in time? Or is acquiring a bandwidth hack the only hope us penny-pinchers have for BW upgrades?

[axantas]

I was observing exactly that development at different brands for scopes of different age. You sometimes get bundled licenses for various options, sometimes bandwith upgrades, but I never have seen any significant drop in prices for single licenses. PA is always very expensive and high bandwith upgrades are - better not talk about it. 

[ebastler]

I have a question - not just moaning - does anyone know (maybe from past experience) if these licenses also drop price in time? Or is acquiring a bandwidth hack the only hope us penny-pinchers have for BW upgrades?

In general, manufacturers don't drop the prices for aftermarket upgrades over time. After all, these are being sold to customers you have already reeled in...   Price reductions and bundle deals tend to focus on new instrument sales, unfortunately, because they want to entice potential new customers.

But maybe the bandwidth upgrades for the SDS2000X HD will turn out to be an exception to that rule, because the price of the scope has been reduced so much and the option prices are now disproportionately high?

[seajayshore]

Thanks for the comments - that's about what I concluded also. Fingers crossed for price drops on the BW upgrades one day...

A slightly different comparison from the UK supplier I use makes me sad...

• ~£2,000 before tax for 100MHz to 350MHz upgrade for my existing SDS2104X HD...
• ~£2,500 before tax for a new 350MHz SDS2354X HD...

So if I could resell my SDS2104X HD for >£500 (highly likely I assume) then it's better to just buy another unit instead of the license... :-/

More annoying is at the time of purchase (before recent price drops) I checked the difference in price to buy a higher BW model to begin with vs. buying the 100MHz and BW upgrades later and all the pricing was perfectly in-line - no advantage either way - so I went with 100MHz presuming to change later if required.

Anyway - moan over - thanks again for comments here. 

[KungFuJosh]

So if I could resell my SDS2104X HD for >£500 (highly likely I assume) then it's better to just buy another unit instead of the license... :-/

Sold! 😉

[Performa01]

Prices for the SDS2000X HD bandwidth upgrades have been lowered indeed. Distributors just need to update their websites...

[seajayshore]

So if I could resell my SDS2104X HD for >£500 (highly likely I assume) then it's better to just buy another unit instead of the license... :-/

Sold! 😉

    

Prices for the SDS2000X HD bandwidth upgrades have been lowered indeed. Distributors just need to update their websites...

Thanks for updating!

I also confirm that I emailed the UK supplier (Telonic) and the person there agreed pricing was a bit off and would ask Siglent.
Now I check today and the same SDS2000HD-BW1T3 (100MHz -> 350MHz) upgrade is £1,391 (before tax) instead of £2,000.

Still a big chunk, but more "in-line" now :-)