Trial options on scope

[JanJansen]

Hi, i,m looking for a digital scope,
ive been watching some movies, then i saw the Rigol scopes has trial options.

I dont wanto pay for updates or extra functions, i want it all for 1 price complete.

So is this normal?, are there also other brands that let you pay for software in a scope ?

Thanks in advance, greetings

[ebastler]

It's definitely standard practice for high-end and upper midrange scopes, I would say. All the big brands (Tek, LeCroy, KeySight, Rohde & Schwarz) offer various hardware as well as software options on their scopes.  In the entry-level market, software-enabled options are less common. (Not least because enhanced features, which lend themselves to software options, are only gradually appearing in these scopes.) Besides Rigol, I am aware of Siglent using this approach.

Extra options are not necessarily a bad thing. If you buy a scope that is only available "fully loaded", you pay for some functionality you don't need. On the other hand, the total price of all extra options can add up quickly, probably beyond what the manufacturer would dare to charge for a fully loaded standard model. That's the business idea behind this, I guess  ;-)

For some of the Rigol scopes, there is of course the possibility to enable the options for free, using a key generator from the internet -- if your moral compass allows that course...

[JanJansen]

Hi, thanks for the reply,

Is it simple like that, just use a keygenerator ?, like windows software ?, very good!

Are you sure it works, all options for free ?, great,
then i am willing to pay for the Rigol,
These EEVblog movies says its realy good quality compared to others, ( i hope the movies aint biassed )
to bad its made in China!, at least its not expensive!

The brand UNI-T, i dont like it, because i seen that teardown movie from a cheap multimeter, its not save.
btw : Why arent many shops selling Rigols ? ( i bet cus of theyr tactic in first place )

greets

btw : i have a moral compass, Rigol dont have such thing, they should be ashamed.

[nanofrog]

I can confirm you can enable all of the software trials in the Rigol DS1054Z for free. The key also increases the bandwidth to 100MHz and doubles the memory (unlocks existing hardware). 

[Fungus]

then i am willing to pay for the Rigol,

The Rigol marketing plan just hooked another customer... 

[gmb42]

...
Is it simple like that, just use a keygenerator ?, like windows software ?, very good!
...
then i am willing to pay for the Rigol,
...
btw : i have a moral compass, Rigol dont have such thing, they should be ashamed.

How do these statements square up?  You're willing to buy from a company who you don't consider to have a moral compass,  and on top of that you're willing to use a key generator to avail yourself of facilities you won't pay for.

If you're willing to cheat Rigol and their distributors then have the decency to admit you've cheated.

[Bob F.]

...
Is it simple like that, just use a keygenerator ?, like windows software ?, very good!
...
then i am willing to pay for the Rigol,
...
btw : i have a moral compass, Rigol dont have such thing, they should be ashamed.

How do these statements square up?  You're willing to buy from a company who you don't consider to have a moral compass,  and on top of that you're willing to use a key generator to avail yourself of facilities you won't pay for.

If you're willing to cheat Rigol and their distributors then have the decency to admit you've cheated.

Welcome to the human mind.  I believe it is called Cognitive Dissonance.  There are of course more direct and to-the-point words to describe it, but Cognitive Dissonance is so much more polite. ;-)

Yes, I have a nice shiny new DS1054Z, and yes, when the trials get near to expiring I will hack them.  I'm just waiting for some infant-mortality time to pass before doing so in case it needs to go back for repair  , so I'm even more of a scheming reprobate.  Only difference is, no dissonance here... 


Cheers, Bob.

[JanJansen]

I would hack em at once, it does not matters if its a illegal key, they have to repair it if the hardware is broken!

Quote " If you're willing to cheat Rigol and their distributors then have the decency to admit you've cheated. "
They are selling limitations, i just correct it!

Quote " The Rigol marketing plan just hooked another customer...  "
I dont know if i should buy it, i just listen to what those movies say,
the bad thing is, there are no movies about digital Hameg scopes to compare.

[nctnico]

Extra options are not necessarily a bad thing. If you buy a scope that is only available "fully loaded", you pay for some functionality you don't need. On the other hand, the total price of all extra options can add up quickly, probably beyond what the manufacturer would dare to charge for a fully loaded standard model. That's the business idea behind this, I guess  ;-)

IMHO it is just another loss-leader approach for some brands; they assume nobody buys the basic model so they put a very cheap price tag on it. A couple of months ago I looked at an MSO from Lecroy. The options signal decoding + logic probe where almost half the price of the scope + options!

[JanJansen]

Lecroy MSO scope ? i just looked a bit, i saw a price of 19000 euro, what is half of the price then ?

I,m looking to the most cheapest scope with everything on board for cheaper then € 1000,- , is it smart ?, i mean is the lecroy realy worth the money ?,
not that i have that kind of money, i also need a good multimeter + a good power supply, still looking around for best buy in any of these catagorys to buy first.
My current analog Phillips scope is not good enough for me, with fast stuff the line is very vague, and with slow stuff its blinking, cant pauze it, etc.

I also would like a frequency counter, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer, etc all build in 1 scope, dont they have it with multimeter build in ?
greetings

[alsetalokin4017]

If the Rigol DS1054Z scope just came with the basic stock features and had no options enabled, trial or otherwise, nor was hackable... it would still be a very good deal for the money. Testing has shown that it actually meets or exceeds the basic 50 MHz bandwidth "unhacked", and most of the enabled options would probably never be used by the average entry-level scope user. It's an absolute treat that the "options" are there and some of them are very useful indeed, but even without them the scope is very capable and will handle the needs of the people who are likely to be buying at that price point. Sure, it's not a real MSO, and it's no 10GHz bw LeCroy.... sometimes you really do have to pay for what you expect to get. 

Yes, I'd advise burning it in until the trial options expire (Trail?? A typo in the software...) before "unlocking" them with the keygen. I don't know of any cases where a "hacked" scope has had to be returned in that state so I don't know how the vendor or Rigol might respond ... but why go through the hassle and anxiety of finding out when there's really no need.

[JanJansen]

So a DS1054Z it will be!, cant find a better buy!

Only now i hear theres no logic analyzer in the teardown movie ?, or only not the connector or something

I also trying to find some EU based shops for € 339,- or cheaper.
http://www.meilhaus.de/rigol+ds1054z.htm
http://www.batronix.com/shop/oscilloscopes/Rigol-DS1054Z.html

Anyone more links please ?, greetings

[alsetalokin4017]

No logic analyzer, no connector and no board hardware for it either on the 1054z. But the software "options" include various protocol decoders and triggers.

[McBryce]

If you want the LA you'll have to buy the MSO1074 / 1104 version.

McBryce.

[pascal_sweden]

I also trying to find some EU based shops for € 339,- or cheaper.
Anyone more links please ?, greetings

AR Benelux is the official distributor for Rigol in the Benelux:
http://www.arbenelux.com/merken/rigol-technologies/

I have no experience with them personally, but know that some Engineering Colleges in Belgium order all their Rigol scopes for their university labs from AR Benelux.

[JanJansen]

Arbenelux is € 333,- without tax.
edit : oh wait, the others are without tax also ?, hmz.

About the LA, thanks, it might come in handy, but for double the price ( to bad ),
i stay with the DS1054Z for now.

[pascal_sweden]

Buy the scope on your BV or BVBA, and then you don't have to pay VAT

[JanJansen]

I was looking at the Hameg HMO1002.

They say in the movie here : http://blog.hameg.com/
that you can upgrade the bandwidth at any time...

Almost same concept huh ?, bwha

( isnt there a hack for the Hameg then ? )