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Products => Test Equipment => Topic started by: erikaeick on March 29, 2021, 01:50:34 pm

Title: Thinking of getting a used Tek TDS 3012
Post by: erikaeick on March 29, 2021, 01:50:34 pm

I have a Rigol DS1052 and I'm thinking of getting a used Tek TDS3012 scope. I like antique TMDE, I have a Simpson 260, and  Triplett 630 meters. I tinker with old radios and other old electronics. Anyone have any experience with the TDS 3000 series???

-Erika

Title: Re: Thinking of getting a used Tek TDS 3012
Post by: THDplusN_bad on March 29, 2021, 04:31:52 pm

Hi Erika,

welcome to the Forum (I am pretty new here myself...)  :-DD

I'd recommend to get a TDS30xxB or TDS30xxC series instead. Nobody would want to use Floppy Disks in the 21st century. The communications module were optional for the initial TDS30xx series.
The TDS30xxB series added the Ethernet port as a standard feature, and the TDS30xxC added USB host (read: you can connect it to a USB memory stick) and Ethernet as standard features. https://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/TDS3012 (https://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/TDS3012).

While a waveform memory of 10k points may sound silly these days, they were definitely a lot better than the 2.5k points the TDS10x/20xx provided.

Cheers,

THDplusN_bad

Title: Re: Thinking of getting a used Tek TDS 3012
Post by: erikaeick on March 29, 2021, 07:46:33 pm

Thank you for the info! I've no idea how old the TDS3000 is. My Rigol 1052 is a pretty old unit I guess. A friend recommended I look into a Tek DPO2000 series but the prices seem high for used ones.

-Erika

Title: Re: Thinking of getting a used Tek TDS 3012
Post by: wizard69 on March 30, 2021, 12:20:44 am

Just go for it!   If you like working on the old stuff think of this as an intermediate step to getting a room heating tube based scope. 

Just realize that almost all used equipment needs a little TLC.