[sdiy] Oscilloscope on a Budget

[Tom Wiltshire]

On 31 May 2016, at 10:05, Gordonjcp <gordonjcp at gjcp.net> wrote:

> On Tue, May 31, 2016 at 11:22:23AM +0300, Trevor Cunningham wrote:
>> 
>> If being cheap in the short will just cost me money in the long run, please
>> advise. I'm just looking for a scope that will be reliable with modular
>> kits. The more money I have to build kits with, the happier I am.
> 
> Buy a dual-trace analogue 'scope that will go to about 20MHz from someone near enough to go round and see it working.  There's this online auction site that'll probably help there.
> 
> Digital 'scopes are either hideously expensive or terribly limited.
> 
> My 20MHz Iwatsu dual-trace is just about never switched off…

My previous scope was a 20MHz dual-trace analog, and it was ok, but my OWON digital scope is much better.

Given that prices on the digital scopes are falling and falling whilst features keep getting added, I don't think they're either hideously expensive or terribly limited. For the sort of synth and audio stuff I do, the Owon is pretty much ideal.  For example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Newest-low-noise-OWON-100Mhz-Oscilloscope-SDS7102V-1G-8-FFT-LAN-VGA-UK-ship-/281234611113?hash=item417ae39ba9:g:SKkAAOxycmBSvaf8

Still, that said, this is *also* forcing down the price of entry-level dual trace analog scopes. They used to fetch around £100-£150, but I've regularly seen them for much less than that now, sometimes as little as £50-75. Definitely worth it at that price.

The Lab Nation gizmo looks very clever. I'd be interested to hear what people who've used one seriously think of such a thing. I could use a logic analyser sometimes. That's the only thing my Owon scope doesn't have.

Tom