Need help! Test bench equipment recommendations. $2k+ budget

[maglin78]

I'm in the same bout when it comes to building a home lab except I'm just an average person that loves to build various electronics projects.  I went with the following equipment to get the best bang for the buck and figure if I need to upgrade later I can do so and be able to sell my current gear for probably 75-80% of what I got into them.

Scope: SDS1104X-E - I hacked it to 200mhz/wifi/awb/mso along with getting a set of 200mhz probes.  As stated earlier you probably won't need more than 100mhz of front end bandwidth and if you do you'll probably need a lot more.  I found this scope as a return that was 20% off so I couldn't pass it up.  It's great having it connected to wifi so I can view on a 43" monitor that I have on my PC.

Benchtop DMM: VC8145 (I also have a fluke 88) - It's pretty much the goto cheap DMM that is good enough for most things people want to do.  You can get into a big hole to spend money on a DMM.  Good idea to maybe get a set of probe masters leads to speed up capacitance measurements.

AWG: SDG2042X - Easy to get upto 120mhz output with enough options to probably work for a very long time.  Also integrates with the Siglent scope easily. 

PSU: Currently still looking for a good option, but I have one I built a few years back that is good enough currently.

Soldering Station: Aixum T3A 245 JBC clone - Price is good and uses JBC carts and performance is close to the JBC.  For the price it's a very good station that will handle 99% of what you will need. 

Hot Plate: MHP30 Mini 65W - Small but big enough for lots of small projects.

Hot Air: Quick 957DW+ 580W - it decent but on larger copper it shows it's lack of power.  I wish I had gotten Quick 861DW 1kw station as it would have the needed power for any removal of components.

That is what I have so far and been working on my lab for a few years, but I think you could get all these items close to your budget you have now.  I'm not an EE so I don't have lots of experience with advanced functions and what not.  I poured over many threads and took the advise usually given which is usually (get what you can afford now and once you NEED something better get it then).  That is what I plan on doing.  I just need a PSU/Load to complete my home lab.  Wish I had a lot of sage advise for you but all I can do is share the route I've gone.  Good luck.

[kcbrown]

Guess the final verdict for an oscilloscope will be the Siglent SDS2104x+. Currently looking for a deal on it and amazon doesn't have anything special for it and I think I saw some people mention tequipment gives deals or something for being in this forum.

I've got that Siglent scope, and it's fantastic.  My only real complaint is that it can be pretty unresponsive to the front panel controls under some circumstances, but the touchscreen makes up for a lot of that.

I strongly recommend buying from a reputable vendor like Saelig, because (unlike Amazon, once you get beyond the 30 day return window at any rate) they will be willing to support you after the sale.  Fortunately, Siglent is (unlike Keysight) willing to work with individuals for warranty claims and repairs in general, but even so, I'd go with a reputable vendor for any $1K+ piece of gear.  Put another way, if it's something you can't sink the replacement costs for, you should buy from a vendor that will support you long after the return period expires and even after the warranty expires.


With respect to the Instek GPP-4323, that thing is $700!  That's quite expensive for a hobbyist power supply, particularly given that it can't supply more than 3 amps per output channel (two channels can, of course, be combined, but at the loss of a channel).  Unless you need very advanced power supply capabilities, I'd stick with supplies like the Korad KA-3005D (or the KA-3005P if you need programmability).  It's inexpensive ($110 at Amazon for the 3005D), has low ripple due to being a linear supply, has good turn-on and turn-off characteristics (e.g., minimal overshoot), has memories, has the usual current and voltage limiting and protection, has milliamp current resolution, has a floating negative terminal (so you don't risk ground loops) and a separate ground terminal, and is solid.  You're better off getting multiple supplies than a single one unless you need to be able to turn on multiple supply rails within milliseconds (or less) of each other.  Since you're just starting out, keep it simple and get one of these. 

If you need a power supply with a lot more power output, you can consider assembling a Riden-based (e.g., the RD6006) switching power supply, but be warned that its protection capabilities aren't likely to be anything as good as the Korad's.  The Riden-based supply isn't what I'd buy for the first supply, and is instead something I'd buy only to supplement a good linear supply like the Korad.

As with so many other pieces of gear, you're better off being minimalistic with respect to the power supply, getting something inexpensive but good, and going with something premium like the Instek only if/when you find you need the capabilities that are unique to it.

I'd say the same about a waveform generator.  Stick with the one built into your scope first, and only if that doesn't do what you need it to do should you consider getting anything more.

[nctnico]

As with so many other pieces of gear, you're better off being minimalistic with respect to the power supply, getting something inexpensive but good, and going with something premium like the Instek only if/when you find you need the capabilities that are unique to it.

Yes and no. Getting a cheap tool can be a good way to figure out whether it is usefull but getting a high quality tool makes work more enjoyable (cry once, smile forever).

For something basic like a PSU I think getting a more expensive one pays off and it also has more features like parallel / series / tracking operation.

For more complicated and less versatile equipment it can help to get something cheap first. Like the Nano VNA to get some hands-on experience with a network analyser.

[bdunham7]

getting a high quality tool makes work more enjoyable (cry once, smile forever)

Very true, but getting an expensive tool that turns out not to be high quality can really suck, especially if you don't realize it soon enough to return it. 

[TopQuark]

Despite the quirks of the DP832, it is good enough for what I would expect a lab power supply would do, and it is a good middle ground for a general purpose power supply.

If a project requires really special power supply requirements (power sequencing, no ground loops, ultra low noise, many weird supply rails), building the power supply will be part of the project anyways, and I only use the DP832 as a safe 12v supply with a panel meter most of the time.

[nctnico]

getting a high quality tool makes work more enjoyable (cry once, smile forever)

Very true, but getting an expensive tool that turns out not to be high quality can really suck, especially if you don't realize it soon enough to return it.

I only had that problem (expensive mistakes) with Siglent equipment  Expensive does not equal high quality though.

[geneonline]

Saelig got back to me and gave me the code . Takes a nice chunk off from the overall price!
Only downside is they have it for sale on the website, but is out of stock. No listed eta so not sure what to do with that.

Taking all the helpful info when visiting the lab today let me see how far I should really be going with some of the equipment.

I looked at the DP832, 3 outputs is nice, is 3 amps really enough?

If I'm correct running in parallel would push out a little more.

Unless you need very advanced power supply capabilities, I'd stick with supplies like the Korad KA-3005D (or the KA-3005P if you need programmability).

You are correct about currently not needing anything very advanced or under 1mV/1mA accuracy or read out. I did like that option about already having 4 output channels and an active load. Seeing that 700$ price tag after taking inventory of the minimum requirements necessary for home project use, I am very much eyeing the Konrad-3005p as it will handle most things for the rest of the year. Having programmability would be something great to have to test projects for hitting it with different power levels to see how it behaves or the ability to set timers and not needing to be around. Current reviews have been showing the Korad devices previously burnt up on eevblog have been fixed redesigned and with beefier parts. If that does the job for the next few years, I may just design my other supplies going forward or pick up another korad if it works as well as I'm seeing.

DP832, it is good enough for what I would expect a lab power supply would do, and it is a good middle ground for a general purpose power supply.

Was my thinking as well for a decent all-rounder. I may just save the difference or going all in and never think about needing another supply or load for a very load time. A little heavier up front, but does sound appealing since you arent completely thrilled with the 832->832A*. Prob going to be one of the most used equipment. The power supply for projects is always a requirement, but we have the options most times to have it battery or from an ac source. We do get let off easy some times with the ability to just buy the psu ac to dc with a converter in it to  let us focus else where.

I don't need a DMM better than 6.5 digits as it would be better than the equipment on campus. Will skip for now till I find a good deal on a respectable bench DMM. I believe during the holidays tends to have a lot of discounts or will stay focused on ebay for a nice second hand piece of gear.

Siglent scope, and it's fantastic.  My only real complaint is that it can be pretty unresponsive to the front panel controls under some circumstances, but the touchscreen makes up for a lot of that.

Which situations cause it to lag? Is it a lag or just doesnt work at all? For what it can do, I completely ok with a little bit of slowness at times when doing hard tasks. I'm not able to find any deals on the logic analyzer adapter, but I think I'll make my own. One of the tutors at school today were showing me a kit he bought that you let you make your own for low price under 25$ Came with a lot of different ribbons, ends, and plugs. Will still need to buy a few nice cutters and crimper to make the task easier. Can never have enough tools so that route seems the most viable.  1/5 of the price even if I go over board with them! I'll need that kit anyways when robotics kicks in. Perfect solution.

getting a high quality tool makes work more enjoyable (cry once, smile forever)

Very true, but getting an expensive tool that turns out not to be high quality can really suck, especially if you don't realize it soon enough to return it. 

I cancelled one of my orders last night to make sure I didn't get into this situation. Buyers remorse is the worse especially when all the other purchases rock!

Went dont the rabbit hole this morning with soldering stations! I see need for better equipment here as some of todays work didn't have wedged tips leads half of the lab fighting making connections on the perf boards. Not having a desoldering gun or solder sucker was a nightmare too. Humbled me really quick. 

Hot Plate: MHP30 Mini 65W

We actually don't have one in our lab. Seems like a very convenient item to have. Is it just a prepping surface to use at the very beginning? How would you effective utilized this after a few components are already soldered?

Getting at least an 1k watt hot air station looks to be the consensuses the more I look at these products.
How is the customer support with quick's stations? I watched louis rossman's head to head comparison between that and the attn. Amazon looked to have a flood of knockoffs and I may have to stick to brands mentioned here and on the forum for a quality device.

[tautech]

Please do not show the Saelig code online for nonEEVblog members to use.
Remove it immediately please.

[geneonline]

Edited! Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

[bdunham7]

I only had that problem (expensive mistakes) with Siglent equipment  Expensive does not equal high quality though.

Do tell.  You appear not to like them and you may have valid reasons, but I can't think of anything Siglent has that can reasonably be called 'expensive' for what it is. 

[bdunham7]

Which situations cause it to lag? Is it a lag or just doesnt work at all? For what it can do, I completely ok with a little bit of slowness at times when doing hard tasks.

After 14  or so Red Bulls,  some people--the ones that text at 2000 thumbstrokes per minute--blow a gasket if their chosen device of the moment doesn't properly buffer and respond instantly to the 700 tasks they've jammed into it.  Those are the people that complain about 'slow' or 'laggy' UIs.  Now to be fair, the menus and controls on some of the non-A-brand scopes are a little funky.  The most famous are the multipurpose control knobs that sometimes require you to spin them for what seems like 1000s of turns to make and adjustment and then won't hold still while you press them.  I see room for improvement in lots of places, but nothing that causes my blood pressure to rise even a little big.  But boot-up times don't bother me either while others seem to throw their instruments out the window in a fit of rage if they aren't ready in 2 seconds.  So are you twitchy or relaxed?

[geneonline]

twitchy or relaxed?

Depends, my pc, internet connection, and most electronics? No reason for there to be any lag at this point in a premium product with todays processing speed. Bloatware and pointless software bogging performance down is a peev.

I guess I shouldnt expect much from the scope since it is still considered entry level, but as long is its not taking more than a second for any input to register and normally pretty quick all other times, I could manage.

50/50 with impatience in most other areas.

[2N3055]

twitchy or relaxed?

Depends, my pc, internet connection, and most electronics? No reason for there to be any lag at this point in a premium product with todays processing speed. Bloatware and pointless software bogging performance down is a peev.

I guess I shouldnt expect much from the scope since it is still considered entry level, but as long is its not taking more than a second for any input to register and normally pretty quick all other times, I could manage.

50/50 with impatience in most other areas.

"Today's processing speed" is a myth. 2 GS/s scopes can create 8 GB of data every second (they use 16 bit words internally)...  Every second. That's 28 TB an hour.
For instance, SDS6000A has 4 5GS/s ADC.  That is 40GB per second. 144 TB per hour.

I would say even the slowest ones a pretty darned fast...


Processing that and doing all kinds of mathematical transformations in real time and without even 1 /100th of a second of delay at all times is not very realistic.
My favorite is people setting FFT in such a way so its time gate is 2 seconds and then complaining scope is slow because it refreshes FFT display "only every 2 seconds"......
Siglent 2000X+ series does measurements on full buffer. So if you measure frequency, and you have 200 periods on  screen, it will measure each one of them and calculate stats on that. That must be at least 200 times slower than what scopes that only measure one period per trigger do ( like Keysight Infiniivision 1000/2000/3000/4000/6000 do).
But gets you 200x more measurements from single captured buffer...

Slow is relative...

And SDS2000X+ is by no means slow..

Only thing that takes a second or two is for it to sort out through the buffer if you set it to 200 MPts (that will need to process 400 MB of data with 2 or more channels enabled), or bode plot or power analysis that needs few seconds to save scope state and restore it on enter/exit because scope needs to set specifically for the analysis.

Try working on 400 MB TIFF image on a PC. Let me know how fast it is...

[H713]

I'm a student as well (okay, victory lap student who's been working for several years). I've only bought one piece of new test equipment (siglent scope) - everything else is eBay and auctions. There are pros and cons to this method, and you have to be patient (you get good at fixing stuff too!), but it's worked out well for me.

-I really think the Siglent SDS1202X-E is a great scope in general, and an amazing scope for what it costs. Most importantly, in my opinion it's a very usable scope. That is to say, it's got a good user interface. A four channel version might be nice, but only if it has dedicated knobs for vertical sensitivity on each channel. I have a TDS3054 at work that has one knob, plus buttons for vertical sensitivity, and it drives me nuts. Strangely, however, one of my favorite scopes is an Agilent 54622A. Its specs aren't winning any awards, but it's such a darn nice scope to use, if you can get past the whole monochrome CRT thing.

-A good signal generator option that doesn't get a lot of talk is a used HP 3325. These are older, but they're very usable units and you should be able to get one for a couple hundred bucks used. Otherwise, I've used the Siglent arbitrary waveform generator and find it to be usable.

-The Siglent and Rigol power supplies are passable. I still think they're more complicated than any bench power supply needs to be, but on the new market they're the best you'll do without spending an insane amount of money. I have a Hameg HM7044 in my lab that I got used at an auction. It's 90% of what I want in a power supply, aside from the current meters. They're digital, and they're so fast that if 90% of the time your eyes aren't fast enough to read them. It also has really annoying banana jacks on it.

At work I have a Power Designs triple output power supply (don't remember the model number) that sees more use than anything else. Really one of the nicest, most well-behaved power supplies I've ever used. It annoys me less than most other power supplies, and it's very quiet.

I am a firm believer that Metcal / Thermaltronics are the way to go for soldering. Yes, they're expensive, but the short working distance makes SMD soldering far easier. You should be able to get a setup for a few hundred bucks.


The rest of your budget goes to more specialized tools that you buy based on what you want to work on. Maybe you need a high-voltage differential probe for designing offline converters. Maybe you want to work on high-voltage systems and you need a P6015 high voltage probe. Maybe you're hoping to do RF projects and need a spectrum analyser and a VNA. Perhaps you want to design analog audio equipment, in which case you'll need a distortion analyzer. Hell, a few of us (okay, maybe it's just me) feels that having a true analog pulse generator is invaluable. It's impossible to say what you're going to want without knowing what you want to work on. You might not know what you want to work on yet, and that's fine. Wait until you do to purchase that specialized equipment.

The big tip I have is that it's really easy to spend a crapload of money on equipment that isn't all that great. Just because your school bought it doesn't mean that it's something you'd want to own. I know my school has some test equipment that costs a small fortune and doesn't work very well.

[geneonline]

"Today's processing speed" is a myth. 2 GS/s scopes can create 8 GB of data every second (they use 16 bit words internally)...  Every second. That's 28 TB an hour.

That is a impressive data capture. With that much, I would hardly ever to sort through that much information . I seem to have over step my bounds and the scopes are vary capable. Thanks for pointing out that about how much data it's actually moving when people are mentioning that it is slow, more than likely user error. I have no futher worries about it being an excellent. Way more powerful than I personally need.

Current dilemma is to finish deciding on a decent choice for a soldering iron. Macal seems epic, but too much for my current skill level. I see almost everyone has a Hakko of some sort,  many of their products just don't really feel like a good bank for buck.

firm believer that Metcal / Thermaltronics are the way to go for soldering.

Can you point to a specific model you find to be a favorite or a good work horse? Praise is always overly abundant, but when I look at current models for sale, reviews are a mixed bag making it hard to know which to settle. Also, is there a company or kit for tips that work really well?  Any suggestions for the desoldering tools or is the hakko fr301 just the gold standard and what is recommended? Comments point out maintenance is the the most tedious part about it all together.  Do you find yourself every using the little solder vacuum pumps?

Currently reading about all the different soldering stations. Watching various pointers with the different tips to know. I keep seeing poor temp response, solder sticking, and bad user experience all together. From even the very expensive few 100+! Really a mixed bag and just comes down to bad luck, needing to properly calibrate, or personal preference. Least favorite area to read for the wider range of responses and too many products.

I believe I spent a few hours geeking over some of the amscope stero mircoscopes to help see. New item on my wish list for later. I'll be ok with my desk magnify glass and helping hands attachment.

[2N3055]

Since you're in USA look into Pace as well.

I tried Thermalthronics and wasn't impressed. I don't like that I cannot electronically set temperature on Metcal systems with Curie technology (there are Metcal systems that can set temp electronically).
Tips on Thermalthronics didn't wet nicely..

PACE ADS200 is 120W station. It has short tip to handle distance, and very comfortable aluminium handle that stays cold even after 10 hours. There is good choice of tips.

Also JBC needs to be mentioned.

[ehobby]

Lots said so far on this thread but I would like to add some seasoned comments based on 40 years of electronics home hobby, both design and repair.  I have done professional engineering but that is not what this thread is about. I have seen people greatly overspend on equipment and still not find they are happy with what they are using once they actually start using it. You might be surprised how much you can do without state of the art, expensive, equipment. With some good thought, you may be able to get a really good bench setup for about $1000 to $1500. Here are some rules and advice you might want to think about:

1. I have learned that simplicity in the devices and focused devices are generally the best.
2. Trying to get a device that does too many things focuses your attention on the device and not what you are trying to do with it.
3. Generally a multifunction device turns out to be a device that is only ok for many things you wish you had real focused tools to do.
4. Learn to use the devices you have and learn how to interconnect them to measure multiple things at the same time.
5. Skimping on test leads and jumper cables just leads to frustration.
6. Design may require more accuracy as you develop something, but when you repair you generally don't need much. You don't need a 6.5 digit DMM to fix a radio.
7. Don't rule out an analog meter because digital is considered the latest tech. You will probably need both as neither fully subs for the other.
8. Unless you constantly professionally cal your equipment, those extra digits might just be fantasy.
9. Lots of digits might be ok when calculating things on paper but getting 0.01% components to actually build it is also fantasy. Most components are 1% to 20% tolerance so extreme accuracy for most hobby work and repair is an expensive waste of money.  You are not really going to make sure the transistor is biased to 2.56734V are you?

Multimeters:
Get at least two digital meters and one analog. I would suggest you find some old Fluke 8000 series meters (true RMS) and an old VTVM with a really big analog meter (or an old Triplett VOM). They can be found cheap on-line.  3.5 digits is fine for nearly everything outside some speciality designs (sensors and designing other test equipment for example). Tuning things with a digital display can be very frustrating, but watching the needle move on an analog meter makes tuning things (or watching for min/max changes) simple. Don't assume a bar graph on an LCD display is a good substitute for a real analog meter.

Oscilloscope:
Look for a Tek 465B (especially if it has the DM44) or an HP 1740A as a starter bench oscilloscope. They are very easy to use, don't have to navigate a menu system, have good bandwidth (usable beyond 100Mhz) and lots of trace displaying functionality. They don't have a bucket load of advertised functions (pattern generators, counters, logic analyzers, etc.) but excel at what scopes really need to do, display traces. Later when you really need a 500Mhz or higher scope with storage, spend the money based on what is available then.

Frequency Counter:
I would look for a Fluke 1900A series counter. They go up to 500Mhz, are very accurate and are pretty small. You can get them relatively cheap on-line. You can use one directly with a coax test lead or hook into the Channel 1 Out on the back of a 465B to get a scope trace related readout of frequency. You may find less restrictions on measuring frequency with this method over using some scopes built-in frequency counter (better triggering, accuracy, display size and more usable digits).

Power Supply:
More is better... I use a Systron TL8-3 and a Protek 3006B on my bench. I actually have two of each, six HP power supplies, a Heathkit HV supply, a homebuilt HV supply, lots of switchers up to 60A, and various other vendors bench supplies. Never know what you will need and just how many of what current/voltage range.  I would suggest you collect some over time as you need them. The Systron gives the usual three voltages needed for most designs but does not have current limiting (ok as long as I keep this in mind). If I need current limiting I use the Protek. If you can find a triple supply with current limiting and digital displays get one. Vendor is not as important as long at it has high enough voltages and currents and easy to use, however voltage/current should be adjustable from knobs, not buttons.

Load Testing:
I would suggest you get a 100ohm 100W potentiometer and mount it in a box with a scale marked in 10 ohm increments, and a fuse on the wiper connection. This combined with a couple of 100 ohm 5W or 10W resistors will work for many power load requirements. A couple of 1 ohm to 10 ohm resistors are useful as well. I have a 150W electronic load (Kikusui PLZ-153W) that is really great but seldom need its accuracy. It is a bit of a luxury but when I need accurate load testing I am glad I have one. Something cheaper or used on-line could be a good future addition to your bench if you really need it. Remember the 100 ohm pot with a DMM on a 10A (or higher current shunt) will work as well. That is a reason you need more than one DMM.

Soldering:
I started with a Weller gun and a simple pencil soldering iron in the late 60's building RS and Heathkits. I have had a Weller WTCP since 1981. I use it for everything from soldering old tube radios to SMD parts (603 resistors are a little tricky, quad flat packs with 100+ pins not much of a problem). Only need one tip style. They last about 10 years each if you use them correctly. I do almost all lead based soldering but I have a tip for the newer annoying higher temp solders. A flux pin and solder wik are a must so get some. 95% of all my desoldering is done with a Soldapullt DS-17, about 1% with solder wik and the rest with a vacuum style desoldering station. If you decide to fix old tube radios and need to solder to the metal chassis, get an old Weller 150W/250W solder gun.  Later in life you might invest in a temp controlled hot plate for mass soldering SMD.  So my point here is very little low tech equipment is needed to do soldering if you get the right stuff and learn to use it.

How to spend the rest of the $2000 budget:
Invest in a set of 1% resistors and an assortment of caps. Nothing like needing a specific resistor and having to wait a few days to get one. I would get an old used Heathkit resistor decade box (six decades).

That is all I have time to cover tonight but I suggest you look at used equipment if possible, get focused function easy to use devices, and take the time to learn to use them.  I think you will be happier with this and so will your wallet. You want your focus on the project you are designing, not the equipment.

Regards

[Keith956]

That is all I have time to cover tonight but I suggest you look at used equipment if possible, get focused function easy to use devices, and take the time to learn to use them.  I think you will be happier with this and so will your wallet. You want your focus on the project you are designing, not the equipment.

The most sensible post on this thread. I bought secondhand stuff - which you can usually sell for what you paid for - until I knew what was really necessary and what were just expensive new toys. A cheap DMM or two, a used dual tracking power supply, a cheap old dual trace scope will get you a long way. HP and Tek stuff from the 80's can be picked up cheaply. Yes a new SDS2104X+ is a great scope when the time comes you know you need one. Learn to walk before you run, you will save a lot of money instead of buying stuff that a year or two later doesn't cut it anymore and you have to take the (massive) depreciation on that shiny Chinese bit of kit.

[nctnico]

I only had that problem (expensive mistakes) with Siglent equipment  Expensive does not equal high quality though.

Do tell.  You appear not to like them and you may have valid reasons, but I can't think of anything Siglent has that can reasonably be called 'expensive' for what it is.

In the past decade I have spend (directly and indirectly) over 5k euro on Siglent gear for professional use and it all fell short when the pedal had to go to the metal. Useless for the purpose it was bought for and thus a waste of money (= expensive mistake). The most recent low was the SDG2k generator which is highly recommended on this forum and was supposed to have mature firmware. NOT! A few of these generators are sitting idle in a cabinet somewhere and they may end up in the trash in a few years with only several tens of hours of runtime on them. In short: based on my own (repeated) experiences I have lost all trust in Siglent. I'm truly sad to write it; I used to be very enthousiastic about them in the past (Siglent being a newcomer to the test equipment market with good hardware at decent prices). And the problem is not in the hardware but the lack of firmware (regression) testing that they appearantly have not been able to solve.

[Fungus]

Do tell.  You appear not to like them and you may have valid reasons, but I can't think of anything Siglent has that can reasonably be called 'expensive' for what it is.

In the past decade I have spend (directly and indirectly) over 5k euro on Siglent gear for professional use and it all fell short when the pedal had to go to the metal. Useless for the purpose it was bought for and thus a waste of money (= expensive mistake). The most recent low was the SDG2k generator which is highly recommended on this forum and was supposed to have mature firmware. NOT!

Are you referring to things like this?

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sgd2042x-rotary-encoder-poor-performance/msg3565446/#msg3565446

(look at the dates, that's been years without a fix and it's quite fundamental)

[nctnico]

Do tell.  You appear not to like them and you may have valid reasons, but I can't think of anything Siglent has that can reasonably be called 'expensive' for what it is.

In the past decade I have spend (directly and indirectly) over 5k euro on Siglent gear for professional use and it all fell short when the pedal had to go to the metal. Useless for the purpose it was bought for and thus a waste of money (= expensive mistake). The most recent low was the SDG2k generator which is highly recommended on this forum and was supposed to have mature firmware. NOT!

Are you referring to things like this?

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sgd2042x-rotary-encoder-poor-performance/msg3565446/#msg3565446

(look at the dates, that's been years without a fix and it's quite fundamental)

No. Such things can be overcome. I'm about functional limitations (things that should work but don't).

[bdunham7]

Current dilemma is to finish deciding on a decent choice for a soldering iron. Macal seems epic, but too much for my current skill level. I see almost everyone has a Hakko of some sort,  many of their products just don't really feel like a good bank for buck.

Keep in mind that Metcal uses fixed temperature tips.  This isn't really a problem as such as their design theory is a bit different--the tips are 'self-regulated', so fixed temperature doesn't mean fixed power.  Still, for starting out and general work, I'd recommend going with something where you can afford a good assortment of various tips.  IMO the minimum acceptable soldering tool is the Hakko FX888D.  It is moderate power (60W) and indirectly heated, so it's main attraction is the availability of a huge variety of excellent tips.  Avoid any off-brand tips, they all suck.  I would start with this and see how you like it--for $100 you can relegate it to backup status if you decide to upgrade later, or resell it.  From there I'd look at the Pace ADS200B, although they have increased in price recently I still think they are good bang-for-buck and .  Someday I might have to sell a scope or something and get their hot tweezers...

Or you could just go pro with this:

https://paceworldwide.com/mbt360-multi-channel-soldering-and-rework-station-w-td-200-mt-200-and-sx-100

[JimLev]

Geneonline, with all this talk about power supplies you got me looking and thinking about the single channel supply I bought 2 years ago, a DCP3010D 30v 10amp voltage and current adjustable supply. Nothing fancy, LED readout for both V&I w/course and fine adj. It’s now going to be added to my for sale list as soon as my Siglent SPD3303X-E arrives from Saelig. With the discount and no sales tax I saved $52. Thanks for starting this thread.

[nctnico]

Geneonline, with all this talk about power supplies you got me looking and thinking about the single channel supply I bought 2 years ago, a DCP3010D 30v 10amp voltage and current adjustable DCP3010D supply.

That looks like it is a switching power supply. I strongly recommend against using a switching PSU for circuit testing / development work. It will output way too much noise and obscure measurement results.

[JimLev]

Thanks for the info.
My current supply is also a switching supply. I have others than are not switching.

Update, 4.3.22
After testing the new PS at full load there is only 10mv of noise. It doesn’t interfere with the AM radio next to it like my old switching supply did.