nctnico,
I was using 5k points in 100 divs on the 744a. Even moving it up to 50k in 1000, I get roughly the same picture. I don't understand the difference in record length between the two scopes. My 744a has options (depending on horizontal base) from 5k points in 100 to 50k in 1000. I had the 'fit to screen' turned on as well. Since we are quoting chapter and verse :-), on page 3-12, Normal mode on my 3054b is 10k points but it doesn't say for instance, 10k in 10 divisions. Since it displays 10 divisions, would it be 10k points in 10 divisions or 1k per? Comparing to the 744a then, 50k in 1000 would be only 50, so that can't be correct, or maybe it is as the scope is so much older as everyone points out. By the way, I'm getting a little tired of everyone saying how old my stuff is, it is all I can afford. I don't have some monster company paying for my toys, it is all me!!! Just kidding, I know the stuff is old but not as old as some of the things I have.
I was messing around the 3054b again and clearly I need to learn how to operate it better. I wonder how many people on here make that statement every day?
Anyway, success is in the pictures below. The tds744 still has much higher contrast to me, again it could be just the vision defects I have playing into it. The hardcopy mono prints look pretty much the same though there is variance in the sample time. One thing that is obvious between the two scopes is the processing engine on the 3054b is much, much faster than the 744a at the same record length.
I do have to figure out how to change the battery in the 744 as one of the previous posters has me concerned now. When I bought it, it was last serviced and calibrated in like 2011 so I wonder if they replaced the battery. Also if anyone knows, is there a way to dump the calibration either to diskette or over GPIB in case I lose it the battery?
By the way, thanks for everyone's help. It's been a very productive thread from my perspective.
Jerry