Is Rigol DS1054Z still a good option in 2019?

[Old Printer]

No other recommendation from me, I would too get the DS1054Z with this recommendations.

But the DS1054Z is very old and does have several drawbacks. For a little bit more you can buy a much better oscilloscope nowadays. Technology has moved on.

Bravo. Rigol has clearly moved on from the 1054Z to the MSO5000. Siglent is activly developing the 1104x_E and supporting it with regular firmware updates. Sorry, as I bought the Siglent, I have not kept up on the GWS.

[bitseeker]

The OP implied his budget was up to around $500.

So? Maybe the OP would like a nice multimeter with his oscilloscope, or a decent soldering iron.

(but only the OP knows that)

So, yes. His choice.

[Martin72]

We got three new young colleagues in the developement this year- And now we got three new DS1054Z...

It was the first they´ve ordered.
Sure, technology have moved on, but at this price…
We also got a SDS1104X-E in the laboratory too, cost a little bit more but in my opinion, it´s also a little bit more "better", especially what FFT concerns or the really useful ( shame on rigol) enhanced resolution function.

So I want to sign this too:

If you have only 339€+VAT, go for the DS1054Z. If you have 429€+VAT, go for the SDS1104X-E.

It's that simple!

[nctnico]

If I got a DS1054Z on my desk at a new job I'd quit the next day. If a company can't afford proper tools for me to maximize my productivity then I will seriously question if I ever get a raise. The best paying companies I have worked for had good (top notch) equipment.

[Martin72]

Fault. 

They request it by themself, we got lecroy stuff at all.

[Fungus]

For a little bit more you can buy a much better oscilloscope nowadays.

Sure, but:
a) 50% more isn't "a little bit" if you're on a tight budget. 50% more will buy a nice multimeter or soldering station to go with your Rigol.
b) The Siglent isn't a perfect utopia either (people seem to forget this one).

If you can get the GW-Instek at a reasonable price then it beats the Siglent in everything except sample rate, and it has a much better/faster UI. It has separate channel controls, a separate button for menu selections (no pushing a twisty knob...). It's the one to go for after the Rigol if we're being 100% unbiased in these threads but weirdly enough it never seems to get a mention.     Prices and availability vary wildly though.

If you have only 339€+VAT, go for the DS1054Z. If you have 429€+VAT, go for the SDS1104X-E.

It's that simple!

I'll add: But if you can get a GW-Instek for $429 then grab it as fast as possible!

[Fungus]

If I got a DS1054Z on my desk at a new job I'd quit the next day. If a company can't afford proper tools for me to maximize my productivity

You don't know the job being done. If you start demanding top end equipment for basic tasks then I wouldn't want to hire you.

It's a poor workman who blames his tools.

[shschris]

What about the Owon XDS3064E? Anyone on here have experience with that one? It’s $400 on Amazon right now

[Fungus]

What about the Owon XDS3064E? Anyone on here have experience with that one? It’s $400 on Amazon right now

Nope.

a) There are threads discussing it. If it was any good, we'd know.
b) In these threads there's an assumption that 'scopes will be hacked to enable all features including bandwidth upgrades. Discussing 'scopes with no known hack is pointless, the value is too different.

What Dave thinks of Owon:

[Adrian_Arg.]

If I got a DS1054Z on my desk at a new job I'd quit the next day. If a company can't afford proper tools for me to maximize my productivity

You don't know the job being done. If you start demanding top end equipment for basic tasks then I wouldn't want to hire you.

It's a poor workman who blames his tools.

I totally agree with Fungus

[nctnico]

If I got a DS1054Z on my desk at a new job I'd quit the next day. If a company can't afford proper tools for me to maximize my productivity

You don't know the job being done. If you start demanding top end equipment for basic tasks then I wouldn't want to hire you.

It's a poor workman who blames his tools.

That is utter nonsense. That boils down to 'if you only have a hammer then everything looks like a nail'.

Good tools improve productivity. It is a poor workman who can't get an optimal productivity from good tools or recognize better tools can improve efficiency.

If I hire someone and they want a DS1054Z as a scope then I'd tell them no. It is time for you to use a real oscilloscope (likely something in the 1.5k to 4k euro range).

[BillB]

If I hire someone and they want a DS1054Z as a scope then I'd tell them no. It is time for you to use a real oscilloscope (likely something in the 1.5k to 4k euro range).

Why stop there?  Why not the 15k to 40k euro range, or perhaps 150k to 400k?  I think the answer to that question is the answer to why some companies might need to make do in the 400 euro range.

At my company, we have a wide variety of tasking.  Some can be easily completed with low cost equipment, some cannot.  If an associate engineer wanted to use a DS1054Z to perform quick,basic I2C decoding then why not?  If he asked to use a DS1054Z to take critical measurement in a microwave RF circuit, then of course he'd be directed to use more appropriate equipment.

While I agree in principle that high quality tools pay for themselves, sometimes the reality is that we can't afford them all the time.     

[nctnico]

No, but a reasonable business (in a Western country) should be able to afford an oscilloscope costing about a one month's cost of an engineer. Otherwise it is likely they can't afford the engineer in the first place.

[Mr. Scram]

No, but a reasonable business (in a Western country) should be able to afford an oscilloscope costing about a one month's cost of an engineer. Otherwise it is likely they can't afford the engineer in the first place.

"We sure could do the job with this tool boss, but we simply wanted to spend more of your money than the problem required. I'm sure you understand."

If there's anything I've learnt it's that horrible bosses insist on meddling with how you do a job, rather than assessing the result. Besides, I think it was in one of Dave's videos where we saw the ubiquitous cheap Korad power supplies being used in a billion dollar telescope installation. Maybe we should be write those people they're doing it wrong and should have been using a Keysight supply all along.

[Fungus]

That is utter nonsense. That boils down to 'if you only have a hammer then everything looks like a nail'.

Rubbish. If your only job is nailing things down then you don't need a 500 piece socket set and an angle drinder.

Any employee who asked for those should be turned down, it wouldn't increase their productivity and the money can be spent on something the will increase productivity elsewhere.

[nctnico]

That is utter nonsense. That boils down to 'if you only have a hammer then everything looks like a nail'.

Rubbish. If your only job is nailing things down then you don't need a 500 piece socket set and a cordless drill. Any employee who asked for one would be turned down.

Well, that employee could ask for a nail gun for example and do the same job 10 times quicker compared to using a simple hammer.

[Fungus]

Well, that employee could ask for a nail gun for example and do the same job 10 times quicker compared to using a simple hammer.

Yes but a better FFT won't improve anything if my job doesn't involve FFTs.

A Rigol DS1054Z shows wiggly lines on screen just fine.

If a company has to invest in 100 Oscilloscopes then the difference in price isn't trivial. In your system you might end up with a fancy oscilloscope that you don't really need and a shitty chair.

Me? I'll tell the boss I want to trade a worse oscilloscope for a better chair.

[Candid]

Don't feed the troll and get back to the purpose of this thread.

[Fungus]

Don't feed the troll and get back to the purpose of this thread.

I'm amazed how people who only work for infinitely rich companies feel entitled to post advice on buying cheap goods for home use.

[BillB]

Don't feed the troll and get back to the purpose of this thread.

One quick story, and then I promise I'll stop.

One customer I work with has a full, high-end Keysight suite (must be at least $40K per engineer) of equipment for each engineer.  On many visits, I've never seen any of it really used very much, even though they're all on, all the time, connected to nothing.

One engineer used his spectrum analyzer to determine when the microwave oven in the break-area was free.  I think he could probably have used a Rigol for the same job. 

     

[bitseeker]

One engineer used his spectrum analyzer to determine when the microwave oven in the break-area was free.     

Hehe. 

[Mr. Scram]

One quick story, and then I promise I'll stop.

One customer I work with has a full, high-end Keysight suite (must be at least $40K per engineer) of equipment for each engineer.  On many visits, I've never seen any of it really used very much, even though they're all on, all the time, connected to nothing.

One engineer used his spectrum analyzer to determine when the microwave oven in the break-area was free.  I think he could probably have used a Rigol for the same job. 

They definitely employ at least one real engineer.

[nctnico]

Well, that employee could ask for a nail gun for example and do the same job 10 times quicker compared to using a simple hammer.

Yes but a better FFT won't improve anything if my job doesn't involve FFTs.

Who is talking about FFT? How about a big screen? Better than 8 bit ADCs, remote control, proper support, quick repairs, solid firmware, etc, etc. I don't get the inefficient make-do attitude. You make live miserable at work and are wasting money by doing your job slower. In what world does that benefit anyone? I've had my fair share of shoe-string budget employers but in the end it just came down to messing around. The most succesful companies I have worked for had good test equipment and didn't skimp on equipment.

If a company has to invest in 100 Oscilloscopes then the difference in price isn't trivial. In your system you might end up with a fancy oscilloscope that you don't really need and a shitty chair.

I guess you never heard of financing/leasing equipment which is what large companies typically do.

[nctnico]

Who is talking about FFT? How about a big screen? Better than 8 bit ADCs, remote control, proper support, quick repairs, solid firmware, etc, etc. I don't get the inefficient make-do attitude. You make live miserable at work and are wasting money by doing your job slower. In what world does that benefit anyone?

I guess you never heard of financing/leasing equipment which is what large companies typically do.

Engineering is the art of doing for 10 shillings what any fool can do for a pound.

The biggest fool is that one who gives a good engineer 10 shillings instead of a pound.

Why do you refuse to consider this tool may very well be perfectly adequate for the job? We'll again point at the Korad power supplies used in multi billion telescope installations. If it works, it works. Gilding the lily is easy. Although I suspect this whole discussion may have to do with your dislike for Rigol.

Nonsense. At one of my customers they have a couple of Rigols and a Tektronix TBS2000. The Rigols sit idle and the TBS2000 gets used all the time.

[Fungus]

Nonsense. At one of my customers they have a couple of Rigols and a Tektronix TBS2000. The Rigols sit idle and the TBS2000 gets used all the time.

Proving what? That they bought too many oscilloscopes? That that bought a Tek when a Rigol could do the job? What...?