Posted: 1/23/2012 1:33:39 AM EDT
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Are they still in the toy stage rather than instrument quality?
Since I no longer have access to test equipment thru work, I thought I would add something here at the house. I don't need anything super fancy but would like something with a 200MHz bandwidth. I found this to be fairly popular for the hobbyist but find some of the specs to misleading especially concerning sample rates. Starts out saying 200MHz 50G sampling then when you read further in the specs it says max rate 250MS/s then states data samples 10K-1M Being 2 channels does that mean max bandwidth when using both channels is 100MHz? http://www.hantek.com/english/produce_list.asp?unid=66 What got me thinking about this is the RF sampling thread. |
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Quoted: Are they still in the toy stage rather than instrument quality? Since I no longer have access to test equipment thru work, I thought I would add something here at the house. I don't need anything super fancy but would like something with a 200MHz bandwidth. I found this to be fairly popular for the hobbyist but find some of the specs to misleading especially concerning sample rates. Starts out saying 200MHz 50G sampling then when you read further in the specs it says max rate 250MS/s then states data samples 10K-1M Being 2 channels does that mean max bandwidth when using both channels is 100MHz? http://www.hantek.com/english/produce_list.asp?unid=66 What got me thinking about this is the RF sampling thread. 200mhz is pretty fancy in my opinion.  |
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This would be an awesome ipad app for low voltage / low current observations You might like this. |
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Quoted: I would have no clue on how to use it but, I htink I peed a little bit there Jax.Quoted: This would be an awesome ipad app for low voltage / low current observations You might like this. How ya been Jax, LTNS!!!!! |
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Picoscope is one of the leading companies for USB scopes. They are very high quality, the biggest problem is resolution that would be useful for radio equipment will cost some coin, but then again so will a big scope so it is relative. Most of the USB scopes have an Arbitrary Waveform Generator, and signal generator.
http://www.picotech.com/oscilloscope-specifications.html I owned a Pico 2205 for automotive diagnostics, I also used it for CAN network diagnosis, and it worked very well. I ended up trading it for a dual band radio and I kind of wish I still had it. |
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I looked at the Pico Scopes and for the price I could pick up a good used Tektronics 485 scope.
But then again I lose bench space and is not near as portable. ETA: One of the things I am seeing in youtube videos of the Hantek unit is ground loop problems. It appears the inputs are not isolate from the USB power. |
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This would be an awesome ipad app for low voltage / low current observations You might like this. Damn you....as if I didn't have enough to spend my hard earned paycheck on! Now I really want one
More money that I want to spend....but now you planted a seed...why do I know that for the next month, every time i have a little electronic project to do I am going to think of how great it would be to have this tool. Seriously...thanks for posting this....very cool |
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I looked at the Pico Scopes and for the price I could pick up a good used Tektronics 485 scope. But then again I lose bench space and is not near as portable. ETA: One of the things I am seeing in youtube videos of the Hantek unit is ground loop problems. It appears the inputs are not isolate from the USB power. Just a suggestion, don't buy a 485. Stick with the 465 or 475's if you want a nice analog scope that's SERVICEABLE by ordinary humans. Ask me how I know abt the 485 and all the reasons why.
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Ok I will bite. Tell me why? Also noticed there is TAS465 and a TAS485. I am assuming these are more recent models with readout on crt. Had one in the mid 80's and it had a problem with the fast vertical channels. Tried and tried and couldn't fix it and would have cost a fortune to send to Tek. Finally traded or sold it. Parts aren't plentyful like the 475/65. They're far more exotic and unless you need the ~350 mhz BW, I'd stay way from them like the plague. OTOH I've had many 475 and 465's and some have needed repairs. Once a bad HV xformer for the CRT, other times attenuator issues on the input channels. Mostly mechanical on the input channels. A few electronic issues but easily diagosed. Always fixed them myself. Generally very reliable. The tech manuals are readily available. One thing to keep in mind is if you get nice T&M equipment, you need to be able to service it unless you want the mfgr to rip you a new one. I never was into that very much. 
Not a fan of analog scopes with digital info in the display. Now there are better separate alternatives and there is less to break. The scopes are so cheap and plentiful, parts are not too much of an issue as far as I know now. Just glanced at ebay and there are so many wonderful deals. I use 475's [or 465's] on my benches. I use HP digital scopes, have one older tek digital, either digitals are OK, just when they fail, if you can't troubleshoot, you're screwed for a lot of dough. But for an analog scope [and I like them for many applications] 475/465 are still hard to beat! Just take your time and find a nice one from a seller w/ good feedback and then if you are technical enough to do your own repairs, buy a parts unit for backup. Now that I no longer have my co and don't have any deductions I can take, I try to stay a generation or so back so that used equipment is plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Last week my HP 8510 network analyzer failed and I fixed it in 2 1/2 days, a rather long time, but it's an exceptionally exotic instrument with 4 modules, mutiple processors,etc. The problem was in a PIN diode switch that distributes the LO signal from a separate sig gen that goes to over 40+ ghz in some models. I have no need that high and the sig-gen I have with it only goes to 20 ghz but has 2 cps resolution at that frequency. The problem was luckly a mechanical one and I had no fear [had already analyzed the issue externally and proved it] taking the gold plated assembly apart to study what it was internally and find the problem. It was a broken connection where a pin went into a hermetically sealed microstrip subassembly between the pin and another microstrip. At first I thought they used a wire bonder but it was a tiny solder joint and easily fixed. It is a POOR design at that point [altho I don't see a better way to do it and I can imagine the many 100's or 1000's of units exchanged for 'rebuilt' assemblies at the cost of at least $1000 per pop. All HP had to do was take out a couple screws, resolder and ka-ching -PROFIT! For this 'mechanical' issue. The 8510 does have great internal diagnostics and having a backup modules to swap bds from initially is priceless. 8510C–– http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5091-8484E.pdf Problem was in the bottom unit, the 'test set'. Then you have to add a signal source to it. The new models aren't that much more feature rich but the cost is absolutely prohibitive. They are smaller... But highly integrated so if a bd fails well, bend over -real far. HP used to send and let you buy boards and if they didn't fix the issue you could return them. I think they stopped that 10 years ago. You used to be able to personally talk to the highly competent service techs for guidance. Now it's a different unfriendly world. Sorry to be so long winded but I wanted to give some sort of insight to acquiring TE. |