EEVblog #86 - Buy a real Analog Oscilloscope PLEASE!

Drive time rant.
Dave is sick of getting emails asking if the cheap toy DSO nano and FPGA/PIC/AVR oscilloscope kits are worth buying.
Guess his response... answers by telepathy please.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• DSO
• nano
• ipod
• pocket
• oscilloscope
• fpga
• pic
• avr
• atmel
• microchip
• kit
• analog
• CRO
• tektronix
• hp
• rigol

[superdau]

An oscilloscope really is the next thing you should buy after a multimeter and a regulated power supply. I can't even describe how much I learned with an old 10MHz 1-channel CRO (it even had vacuum tubes in it; and I'm not talking about the CRT here). Shipping was more expensive than the CRO itself. I've since stepped up to an 60MHz 2ch Tektronix analog with 2 timebases. Don't really need more than that for most of my hobby.

[EEVblog]

@superdau Yep, a basic 2CH analog scope is plenty enough for a lot of work.

[Nermash]

Hi Dave, did Dhaba Indian restaurant paid for brand placement in this video:))))

[EEVblog]

@Nermash

I sold out for a dodgy Indian curry!

[Schmiki24]

You're driving on the wrong side Dave! hahaha ^^

[SigEpBlue]

What's funny is that the lab equipment at my old community college was mostly vacuum-tube powered surplus equipment, but it still worked better than the USB scopes offered on the web for ~$100 today. The function gens, oscilloscopes, etc. were made in the USA, freakin' HUGE, and weighed a lot, but man, they always WORKED! I'm willing to bet they're STILL working today (I've been out of CC for about 8 or 9 years).

Regardless, I'm still super-dooper jealous of Dave's Agilent 4-channel 'scope.

[audiogamer]

i took your advice and found a tektronix 465m, thank you... now time to learn how to use this bad boy :)

[YouFailEpic]

hahaha...love this guy. props mate.

[ndyt]

Analog scopes are big, take up too much space. If you are doing digital stuff like Arduino then you would be better off with a digital scope, even a USB one. I have both and I hardly use the analog scope because it just takes up too much space. It is about the size of a PC! XD

[Oldbmwr100rs]

@TheManicNick That Tech 465 is a great scope,and You got it for a steal. I used one for over a year on my first job,fixing Atari 2600 motherboards at a factory in sunnyvale!

Congrats on that scope,they have the best triggering circuit of any other brand I've used.

[JingleJoe]

must ... watch ... back to the future!

[FACP07]

I just picked up a Eico 460 Analogue Oscilloscope, one from the 60's that runs on tubes and its the best darn thing Ive ever used. WAY better than all this new digital crap.

[thewii552]

While the DSO nano is OK for taking over to my friend who doesn't have a scope when we need it, nothing beats good old CRO. NOTHING!

[aristotleschild]

@EEVblog What about calibrating an analog oscilloscope? I'm leery of purchasing one because I want to know it'll measure accurately.