Oscilloscope Probes with Spring Tips

[jjoonathan]

At work I have some of those fancy low-capacitance Tektronix TPP 10x passive probes with the spring tips. I love 'em! Not all people do, but my probing difficulties tend to have more to do with keeping my hands steady than with crunching through well-developed oxide layers, so I go for the spring tips. Or I would, if I could find any. It doesn't seem to be a feature that's easy to search for, assuming it even exists outside the name brands. Does it?

EDIT: Ok, it looks like Tektronix calls them pogo tips. Makes sense -- like pogo pins. I'm still not seeing much of anything with that term.

[nctnico]

I have probes like that with the R&S RTM3004 but I can't say I'm very happy with them. They are easy to bend and it isn't easy to push them through a layer of solidified rosin flux.

[tautech]

Pogo tip probes are more for usage in a probe holder to maintain contact without continuous pressure.

For getting through solder pad crud you're better off with needle point ordinary probes.
Some you can get replacement tips for so sharpen them to a fine point for such work and use the standard tip for general purpose work.

[jjoonathan]

I use pogo tips on a regular basis and thoroughly understand the tradeoffs. I'm asking how I can obtain them at hobby-tier price points, not so much how they fare for your purposes.

I suspect the answer is simply that they aren't available in the hobby tier. Too bad.

[nctnico]

Pomona seems to have probes with pogo pins. The R&S ones I have here don't look particulary expensive so I think you should find probes with pogo pins with some applied Google-fu.

[2N3055]

Picotech TA375 and TA386 can have rigid or pogo tips an both are available as spares..

[Neomys Sapiens]

I've made some for both standard modular and Tek probes by soldering the smallest pogo pins onto spare tips.
In the case of the standard modular ones (Testek or whatever), I used not the pogo pin, but a pogo pin receptacle.
Not exactly the best solution for very high frequencies, but it filled the need when it arose. If I find them without a excavator, I'll show.

[MarkL]

PMK has a lot of models with pogo tips:

  http://www.pmk.de/en/products

Many of the passive probes from Keysight, LeCroy, R&S, etc. are re-badged PMK probes.

[jjoonathan]

Picotech TA375 and TA386 can have rigid or pogo tips an both are available as spares..

PMK has a lot of models with pogo tips

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for!

[Old Printer]

Being a DIY type I made a bunch for myself after watching this excellent video from Alan Wolke. I use a drill bit as a mandrel and assorted wire types from hard copper to steel music wire. If the tip is cut at a sharp angle with a good pair of dykes the music wire version will get through a lot.