Rigol support

[dr.diesel]

After 3 attempts to obtain the latest firmware for my DSA815, with no response, I turned to a fellow forum member.  Note I bought mine at the Dayton Hamfest so I had no vendor to help me out, I was dealing directly with Rigol.

I went to Dayton with cash in hand for the DSA815 and a DS4024, skipped the Scope cause I found out there are new models just around the corner.  Given what I've seen so far I think I'm going with a different manufacturer.

Firmware should be posted on their website, being forced to get it via the community is a disgrace.   

/rant

[Orange]

After 3 attempts to obtain the latest firmware for my DSA815, with no response, I turned to a fellow forum member.  Note I bought mine at the Dayton Hamfest so I had no vendor to help me out, I was dealing directly with Rigol.

I went to Dayton with cash in hand for the DSA815 and a DS4024, skipped the Scope cause I found out there are new models just around the corner.  Given what I've seen so far I think I'm going with a different manufacturer.

Firmware should be posted on their website, being forced to get it via the community is a disgrace.   

/rant

Well its available if you fill out this website, no problems at all directly from RIGOL

http://beyondmeasure.rigoltech.com/acton/form/1579/0012:d-0001/1/index.htm

And from my dealer (Batronix) I got a direct download link for the DS2000 scope in the mailbox a month ago without asking.
That is what I call service.

Different manufacturer ? different problems !

[dr.diesel]

Well its available if you fill out this website, no problems at all directly from RIGOL

Filled it out twice, no response, waited 3 weeks.

[KedasProbe]

I got fairly quick replies (days) from their international form: (including 2 firmware updates)
http://www.rigol.com/account/user.php?act=login&redirect=/feedback/?act=addtechnical
They will reply by email, after that you can email that person directly if you want.

[dr.diesel]

They will reply by email, after that you can email that person directly if you want.

My first attempt I emailed directly one of the guys I bought it from!  He initially replied saying they don't just give out firmware, unless I was experiencing an issue.  I replied back with my issues and he never responded.

Three fails in a row, from two different angles = shitty support IMO.

But, perhaps it's just me, the stars were aligned type of thing, which is why I'm posting.

[dr.diesel]

On a side note, I've talked with Hameg several times now, and am REALLY loving my HM8118.  I didn't give them a serious look when I was comparing scopes a couple months ago, but I'm going to throw them back in the mix.

All the emails to/from Hameg were answered within the same day, usually an hour or two.  Plus their firmware is nicely posted on on their website.   

[ElectroIrradiator]

I was looking at Hameg scopes recently, and found their current models to be severely lacking in some key specifications compared to the competition. For instance screen update rate on their 500 MHz model was around 5000/s, which is not a lot these days.

Would love to be proven wrong though, as their models otherwise seemed very nice.

[Orange]

I'm not positive about the new Hameg scopes. Some of them have to go back to the factory several times to get them correct.

The Hameg brand was always considered as a hobby scope, not for professional/engineering use at least.
The new models have improved on this, but still I don't want to own one, the screen is too small, and they are too pricy for what they deliver.

[markce]

I've talked with Hameg several times now,

Given the unclear situation of Hameg representation here in NL I send a question to Hameg Germany who to contact.
Never got an answer, not even a confirmation...
Rigol is well supported here, both by Batronix and Arbenelux. Access to Rigol company support was Ok as well.

[Orange]

Hameg is represented by Rohde & Schwarz in Holland.

Source : http://www.hightech-events.nl/uploads/media/BCHC-BCLS_Catalogus_LowRes_02.pdf

[alm]

The Hameg brand was always considered as a hobby scope, not for professional/engineering use at least.

Around that same time, Chinese test equipment were considered inferior knock-offs. Hameg is R&S's low-end brand these days. Which is not that bad, given that R&S scopes are usually in the $10k+ range.

I was looking at Hameg scopes recently, and found their current models to be severely lacking in some key specifications compared to the competition. For instance screen update rate on their 500 MHz model was around 5000/s, which is not a lot these days.

I'm surprised. Ever since Agilent's marketing department was successful in making wave update rate a key selling point, it appears that everyone and his dog is tracking down rare glitches. A higher waveform update rate is sometimes nice, but 5000 wfm/s is by no means slow. You should consider how often you would need the higher waveform update rate to track down glitches to other specs and features. No reason to discount it off-hand.

Hameg is represented by Rohde & Schwarz in Holland.

Hameg is owned by R&S.

[good_cap/bad_cap]

I wrote to Rigol using mail and the web formular. No response. Then I discovered rigol Europe. Their office is located in Germany but I couldn't find a phone number on the rigol website. I searched google, found a number and ended up speaking to a very helpful woman... who could give me the correct number of rigol Europe 

Well, they couldn't solve my problem with the DM3061 but said it was normal.

[DigiGal]

It took me a week to get a response and the update for DS1102E from Rigol USA.  The response included an apology, explaining he was on vacation the week I inquired.  No change log was supplied but the update was attached and no problems with the installation.

It would be nice if the updates were available on their website.

[ElectroIrradiator]

I'm surprised. Ever since Agilent's marketing department was successful in making wave update rate a key selling point, it appears that everyone and his dog is tracking down rare glitches. A higher waveform update rate is sometimes nice, but 5000 wfm/s is by no means slow. You should consider how often you would need the higher waveform update rate to track down glitches to other specs and features. No reason to discount it off-hand.

Not discounting it off hand. I just have a nasty habit of going over DSO spec sheets with a very fine toothed comb, due to past experience. In the case of the HMO30xx series, the update rate is 5000/s. OK. But the persistence delay is either zero, 50ms or infinity. Which means that any complex trace on the screen is at any given time crafted from the data of only 250 traces. Not sure what the result is for something like a complex, modulated RF carrier (video, AM). The one example shown in the manual isn't very convincing IMO.

Additionally, the scope appear to have a proper XYZ mode, complete with proper intensity modulation on the Z scale (great!). Yet when you consider your visible traces are always comprised of the 250 mentioned above, it really makes me wonder what the image quality of showing video might be, or not be. Again, the XY(Z) example in the manual is even less convincing than the modulated carrier, and the manual makes absolutely zero mention of the Z bandwidth. Tek could figure out 20+ years ago that some of us might be interested in that little detail...

tl;dr: I would need to do a lot more research here, to make certain I know what I would be buying, before I could decide on the Hameg.

PS: Yes, I know I am probably expecting too much if I am looking for a DSO, which could display video convincingly.

[markce]

@Orange

Hameg is represented by Rohde & Schwarz in Holland.

Thanks for the R&S adres in the link. However the Rohde & Schwarz site (.nl) still does not list any Hameg scopes.
The .com site in your link now does.

[dr.diesel]

I would need to do a lot more research here, to make certain I know what I would be buying, before I could decide on the Hameg.

Agreed, 100%.  It's too bad, Rigol's feature set is decent for the price, but being completely ignored by support is unacceptable.

As you said, the search is once again on for the right piece.