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Why did Tektronix stop making the great scopes?
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Ecklar:

--- Quote from: Rupunzell on December 27, 2014, 06:29:23 pm ---The death of CRT O'scopes is directly related to the rise of DSP and computing in general. As the electronics world became more and more data centric and digital, the need and understanding of all that analog stuff fell by the way side along with the appreciation of what analog CRT based O'scopes do best.

For most users, interpreting the CRT display can be tiresome with much hassle and futzing. If one is dealign with repetitive pulses, what matters most is on-off, time, amplitude and at time maybe spikes, glitches and noise. For the analog folks, that CRT display can contain a host of extremely important information that can tell much about what is actually happening.

One of the core and key technologies for tek was their CRT expertise and vertical integration allowing them to build everything from the ground up. This worked against them as low cost and "cheap" instruments began to flood the market. To this day, I'm not fond of these low cost alternatives for a host of reasons. This along with the rise of DSO and digital and being purchased by Danaher Corporation has turned tek into a zombie company. All that has happened is a reflection of how the electronics industry has changed over the years.

Most every company purchased, run by Danaher Corporation has become second-rate. They are much about profit for their share holders and little about actual product.

--- End quote ---

Thank You for all the great answers to my query on the why behind Tek's slow slide and why the change in product focus.  As someone with very little experience but a great deal of interest and curiosity in the subject, I'll speak up and say what may be old news and obvious to many of you, is totally new and informative to most of us.  Also, I believe if I learn a little about as to how and why technology has changed over time; it will give be a better understanding and appreciation of the modern digital scopes I buy and use today. 

Eck
Rupunzell:
If possible purchase a classic tek O'scope like a 547 or even a 465, get a tek service manual then proceed to cal or repair it. These classic tek scopes are excellent teaching tools. There is MUCH that can be learned by working of these classic tek instruments.
The circuit design, mechanical design and overall consideration for serviceability and longevity was second to none. Back then tek built stuff to last, to be easily repaired and to stay in cal, in service for a very, very long time. Much of this is no longer true today for a host of reasons.

The price one pays for smaller, lighter, portable and all that (modern DSO) comes with a cost and it is not initially apparent.

If you're really curious spend some time at the on-line tek museum photo and video gallery as there are quite a number of historically significant films available there.
http://www.vintagetek.org/video-gallery/

I'm still using a tek 7104 at work, there is nothing modern that can replace it for the work I'm doing.


Bernice


[/quote]

Thank You for all the great answers to my query on the why behind Tek's slow slide and why the change in product focus.  As someone with very little experience but a great deal of interest and curiosity in the subject, I'll speak up and say what may be old news and obvious to many of you, is totally new and informative to most of us.  Also, I believe if I learn a little about as to how and why technology has changed over time; it will give be a better understanding and appreciation of the modern digital scopes I buy and use today. 

Eck
[/quote]
Howardlong:

--- Quote from: Hydrawerk on December 27, 2014, 06:39:46 pm ---
--- Quote from: Richard Crowley on December 24, 2014, 01:23:39 am ---Does ANY modern equipment still use CRT technology?

--- End quote ---
It depends on what you call modern. http://www.gwinstek.com/en/product/productmcategory.aspx?pid=3&&mid=

--- End quote ---

Have you seen the prices on those CRT scopes?!? Shocked.  I am sure they are still sold though.
Alex Eisenhut:
I have a theory about the mass:information ratio.
don:
This is an interesting thread.  The topic is "why did Tek stop making great scopes".  Great scopes in what category? True that Tek is not leading in the $300k tier.  But at the low end,  the MDO3000 is very hard to beat.  I would say class leading in it's tier, especially with it's integrated  SA (3GHz capture BW!)    More so when 3GHz SA was free with last promotion.

I have dozens of scopes to choose from for my day job.  Typically 1GHz is more than needed.   My everyday scope is an MDO4000.  If I was greedy and were to  pick from our lab  I'd choose  a lecory 8zi first.  Though I do not need high bw for day to day so would likely pass to get a simpler probing solution.  Next I would choose a tek 7000/4000 or mdo3000, followed by an agilent (4000/6000/7000/9000/90000).  So from my perspective, Tek scopes are still very competitive and I see they are preferred by a very large percentage of my peers at the low to mid end.  They need to beef up their high end scopes but low end is looking very good, mid range is still meeting needs. 
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