Serial # needs to be changed to DS1EF********** I believe.
No reason it can't be done with USB -- see the very first post of this thread, section 5B.
As for the serial number: IIRC, the DS1EF prefix came from a DS1152E manual someone found. However, someone else theorized that the "D" in the original 1052 serial number set the bit that enables the 50MHz filter -- hexD = bin1101. This was based on the serial numbers of the 4 known machines (DS1052D, DS1052E, DS1102D and DS1102E). The 50MHz machines both had a the third rightmost bit set to 1, the 100MHz machines had 0, like so:
Model b/w serial bitwise
DS1052D 50 C 1 1 00
DS1052E 50 D 1 1 01
DS1102D 100 B 1 0 11
DS1102E 100 A 1 0 10
(The second part of the supposition was that the second rightmost bit set the 2ns option)
hex F = 1 1 11
If the earlier theories are correct, you would end up with the 2ns option, but limited to 50MHz bandwidth.
The original HW hack was to simply remove a capacitor from the 50MHz filter, leaving a scope with the higher bandwidth, but no 2ns setting and, IIRC, disabling the 20MHz filter too. If Rigol used a different filter with the DS1152E, then the F designation in the serial number fits the theory. I don't know of anyone who has actually opened up a DS1152E and looked -- I think I remember reading something about that model only being sold to educational institutions.
It was suggested by someone else to leave the serial number and just change the model number, but I don't think that worked -- IIRC, the change doesn't survive a reboot. I think this requires someone who has done the HW hack already and has the capability of doing the proper tests to confirm whether or not that will work.
I don't remember why it was decided that the 2ns option was 2nd and the 50MHz was 3rd.
If the order is actually the other way around, and
if the function of each is inverted, then F should work quite nicely -- second and third bits would both be ones.
The question I have is: would making the DS1052E think it is a DS1152E actually accomplish anything? If there is only one high-frequency filter, and that is already disabled, what more can be added? A 500ps resolution? From what tinhead says, it seems unlikely the amplitude will become any more accurate.