SparkFun Forums

[freecookies]

I'm not looking for a high performance o-scope, I'd rather optimize for dollars spent first. I'd prefer the unit to be freestanding, not attached to a PC.

Right now, I anticipate the fastest signal I'll be analyzing would be around 500khz or so.

[angelsix]

I started with the handheld 10Mhz oscilloscope available here http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?C=S ... onal+Scope for £70.

It did the job for me for almost anything until I needed the larger resolution, timespan and multiple probes. It is good for 10Mhz (2Mhz analogue signal) so can easily cope with 0.5Mhz and is cheap for a scope. It proved very useful for me.

I now use the PicoScope 2205 at £340 with 2 probes and 25Mhz bandwidth, and yes you reall notice the difference and and range, but its only useful if you need it, and it also requires a laptop.

[theatrus]

Whats your budget? Pure analog or storage scope?

You can usually get a very good deal digging through eBay for used Tek or Agilent equipment. An entry level 60-100MHz analog CRT scope will usually be under $100US. Storage is going to add a lot to the cost.

The Rigol scopes are a good deal if you're going new - Agilent even rebrands them as their entry level. They're not as polished as the similar spec Teks, but about 1/2 the cost.

[Vraz]

I would suggest looking on Craigslist to find something local. That way you can play with it before purchasing (and don't have the cost/worry of shipping). A while back I picked up a 20mhz Hitachi dual-trace w/probes for $75 that works well for me. While there were a couple cool Tek scopes out there, they were BIG. As I have been doing video related development, 20mhz is slightly limiting though it has still been very useful. If you can find 50mhz+, it will probably benefit you in some future project, even if you only expect 500khz now.

[wholder]

I'm not looking for a high performance o-scope, I'd rather optimize for dollars spent first. I'd prefer the unit to be freestanding, not attached to a PC.

Right now, I anticipate the fastest signal I'll be analyzing would be around 500khz or so.

I haven't received mine yet, but I have high hopes for this one I ordered a few weeks back ($90):

http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/micro- ... p-512.html

I already have a decent digital scope (Rigol 50 mHz, dual trace model), but I wanted something portable for field work, so I decided to give this a try. I'll try to follow up with a post once I have some experience with it.

Wayne

[abb51]

I already have a decent digital scope (Rigol 50 mHz, dual trace model), but I wanted something portable for field work, so I decided to give this a try. I'll try to follow up with a post once I have some experience with it.

Wayne

Care to share your experiences with the Rigol?
either in my thread viewtopic.php?t=18548
or via PM?

Thanks in advance