Hello dear all, this is my first post on this blog.
I'm on the market for a scope and signal generator for renew my home lab.
I was an OM since 70's, and experimented in electronics for many years. Up to now in my lab I have a Tektronix 2205 analog scope, an Escort EFC-3203a 2,4 GHz counter, and an homebrew digital function gen up to 100 kHz (square, sine, triangle) and some multimeter.
With my son (freelance computer consultant), we are starting to work with Arduino boards, but are interested also in others simple analog-digital mixed environments as temperature control, intrusion detection systems, an so on.
So, new instruments are to cover our general needs for the next 5-7 years, i hope :-)
For a new scope, I selected a Rigol DS2102A for the big screen, 2Ms/s, and I hope 100 MHz bandwith meets my needs now and in future. Never used a DSO, but saw many videos about, firstly on EEV. The italian representative of Rigol told me the A model is coming in 20-30 days, so I prefer the new model: and selected 100 MHZ because if the A models are not upgradeable in the future, 70 MHz would be cheaper, but remain 70 and not 100 :-)
Function generator is Rigol DG1032Z, 30 MHz. I don't know if in future i will need arbitrary forms, but if I will need, I just had it. Price and speed, as for the scope, is a crossing between money and performance. But at this point perhaps is better a 60 MHz.
Note: I have not considered the Rigol 1000-S line with generator inside because:
1) I don't need (I think?) 4 input
2) 2 Gs/s (DS2000 line) is better than 1 GS/s
3) I don't know performance of the inside generator
4) have no problem of space on workbench and a separated gen could be useful also in other manner.
Please, help me to understand how many bugs have my choosing path...
Other firms? Models?
Many thanks
Maurizio