Just make it clear, I'm not against DSOs. I'm agains cheap DSOs operated by people who do not know the limitations. Like I'm against cheap tools in general. Mechanicl snd electrical. If I buy something I wait until I can buy a good tool ( or camara, TV, ect) and I kep using them very long. If they brek I first repir them and exchange them only if they become to old to function. In the long run this is the cheapest way. ( at least for me the last 30 years)
But I become a bit recalcitrant if people talk bad about my precious babys. Analog scopes are history, that is sure.
Not all DSOs are alike. The very high end scopes are in a way more related to analog scopes as to cheap DSOs. And the problem with the hybrids was they were so good you indeed almost never needed the ( whole) analog part. Most times the analog amplified signals were send to the CRT direct or to the ADC nd then to the CRT so you ould add nice functions. i have a hybrid Tek SA who does this.
The difference between high end and cheap scopes is the way they sample. If I would use the output of an anlog sample plugin and send the output of that to an ADC/ uP and LCD display you get the idea. ( btw, using a 132 and 1S1 makes that possible, something like this and will be for me a future project) Much higher resolution and less dead time. The ADC only needs to deal with rather low frequency signals. But in modern high end ( many GHz) sample scopes the sawtooth, stepper ect is made digital intstead of analog. And that is not how a siglent, Owon, Rigol, Agilent 3000 ect work.
( in a very raw nutshell)
I'm a scope collector too so I love to restore and play with analoge scopes.
I know the limitations of both DSO and analog scopes. And like I said in an other topic. If I had to keep 1 scope it would probably be the Hameg DSO ( but I hope I never have to choose, because I'm in love with my 547) if I had to choose between the DS1102E it would be an analog scope for sure, would not have to think more as a second)
This 547 ( and even nicer but I do not have one, the 556) scope including my plugins can do things most DSOs can not even dream of.
- most sharp trace I've ever seen. ( btw the 24XX have , for an analog scope has rather fluffy traces)
- i can measure up to 5 GHz
- measure things with 10 uV/div resolution
- measure very high voltages
- it has several differential plugins, for AC, DC, high voltage, low voltage ect
- high DC offset measurements, the Z plugin can do upto 2000 divisions offset ( max 200V) , no DSO can do this)
- measure transistor timing ( R plugin) ( ok, not very usefull today, but it can do it)
- with the Opamp plugin you can do the wildest things like integration, preamplifiction, measure capacitance ( managed to come down to 1 pF/div), meaure BH curves ect. Just two very good tube opamps in one unit with a buch of in and outputs. Real cool, a build in breadboard in your scope.
- it has a very good delay option and two timebases. Excellent calibrator, 1 mV to 200V
- upto 4 channels, very much trigger options and very good triggering ( you can show two traces and each adjust their own trigger. This I find the biggest downside of a DSO ( but maybe in the high end they have dual timebase and dual trigger)
- whole lot of input and output connectors
- It does TDR with high resolution using the 1S2
- it can be used as a SA and the 556 can do time domain and frequency domain at the same time ( So a realtime SA and realtime normal trace at the same time, upto 8 traces, Williams used that in appnotes)
The 7000 4 slot can do even more because you can use vertical and horizontal plugins in all slots, so make things like raster displays.
( downside, the 547 works very good as a heater and it gives a new definition to large, including the scopemobile and no cursors, readout ect and that for sure is the best thing of DSOs)
If you do, like most, do only digital then a DSO is first choise. But I'm analog.