Opinions on brands of OLD scopes

[rsjsouza]

Kikusui made some excellent scopes, peaking at around the COS6100M I think.

If you are feeling brave... Check this eBay listing.

[Stonent]

Ok I've seen a few Tek TAS 455/465/475 scopes for fairly cheap, but for all of them they have a no-doa guarantee but that's it.

One of them the price is really cheap but the shipping is high. That was described as "works but with glitches"

Opinions on that series? And what can you do with an "Analog Storage" scope?

At first I thought they were what some people were talking about earlier in this thread, but a TAS 465 and a 465 appear to completely different series.

[Electro Fan]

In general, since you live in the USA, I think it would be insane to go with anything other than Tektronix, because there are just so many of those old scopes around.  The 2235 and 465 are nice scopes that should be pretty easy to find.  Maybe you can get lucky and find a 2465.  If you live in a decent-sized city, you should be able to buy via craigslist, so you can check it out first, and not worry about shipping damage.  I agree that your options are more limited if you have to buy via eBay.

Ditto what grenert says:
There are many models of Tektronix scopes (almost everyone ever made) to choose from on eBay and probably other sources.  And within any model you can find multiple samples if you are just a little patient.  Among the Tek models you can find almost any combination of features and you can no doubt find good prices.  I still don't have a digital scope but the Tektronix 2247A I purchased years ago has continued to run like a champ (knock on wood) and I still haven't learned all the features.  It's like a continuous treasure hunt.  Whether you look at the 400 series or the 2200 series or the 2400 series you can't go far wrong if you just find a decent unit from a good seller, and sometimes it's possible to find units in excellent condition.  As with purchasing anything used it takes some study and perceptiveness to figure out what you are getting plus a tad bit of luck but it's definitely doable to get a very good scope at a good price.  For a few hundred dollars or less I think you could be very happy with either the the 400 series or the 2200 series, and for a few hundred dollars more a 2400 series might be very cool investment too.  Plus, the parts, documentation, and know-how support ecosystem is probably second to none.

My guess is that in the $275 to $300 range some of these buyers got a very good deal and if the scope was in really good condition it would have been a good deal at $400:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=tektronix+2247a&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&_okw=&_oexkw=&_adv=1&LH_Complete=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=200&_fpos=&_fsct=&LH_SALE_CURRENCY=0&_sop=3&_dmd=1&_ipg=200

This one looks very nice:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tektronix-2247A-Four-Channel-100-MHz-Oscilloscope-/121095525788?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item1c31db159c&nma=true&si=67FC5UV9n%252BVVXS0bLc0vxmuW4tg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557#ht_626wt_1017

[Stonent]

I'm staying under 100 for now.

[SLJ]

You are in the US so check Craig's List.  Sometimes there are good deals locally and you can try them out first.  I've found some really nice pieces of Tek gear within a short driving distance for under $100.

[jancumps]

I'm a Philips fan. Might be biased because at school (80s) most test equipment was from them.
Their lab equipment department has always produced good tools.
At home I have the PM3305, one of their first analog/digital scopes.

Living in a country that borders with Holland, Philips has been dominating our electronic life up to the late 80s: lamps, radios, tv, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, shaver, hair dryer, coffee grinder, water cooker, mixer - even my first xt compatible with mouse screen and printer - aaah - everything
The lab equipment department is now part of Fluke.

[Stonent]

You are in the US so check Craig's List.  Sometimes there are good deals locally and you can try them out first.  I've found some really nice pieces of Tek gear within a short driving distance for under $100.

So far craigslist has been a bust. Several people trying to sell 1950's scopes as collectible.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=oscilloscope&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=101

Plus I refuse to buy something from someone who doesn't know the difference between Dual and Duel



I found one of these for $50 (Same model but no cart or accessories)


Snap-on MT1665 Oscilloscope by dolphinfxt, on Flickr

Not sure how good it would work for me. But might help with car repairs.

[edavid]

Kikusui 4CH 100MHz with readout $125
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kikusui-COM-7100A-Oscilloscope-100MHz-/121135792137?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item1c34418009

Good value philips:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Philips-Fluke-PM-3070-100MHz-Oscilloscope-/290913705284?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item43bbcedd44

The Kikusui COM7100A looks fine, but you could probably get a Tek 2445 for the same price.  Maybe he will accept a lower offer though.

That Philips PM3070 seems to be missing a bunch of knobs, so I would avoid it.  I don't like that model very much because I don't think the LCDs are very readable, and I've seen some that have gone black.  (I have a soft spot for the PM3267, which is a simple Tek 465 like model.)

In general, if you are looking at anything other than Tek or HP, make sure you have a service manual lined up before you buy.  If you have to spend $50 on it, that can easily wipe out the savings from buying an off brand.

[G0HZU]

I'm missing Iwatsu. They are pretty decent and not very common. For some models you can find complete service manuals on the internet.

I agree that Iwatsu make excellent scopes. eg the SS-5711 is a very nice and solidly built 100MHz (4 channel!) scope from the 1980s and is easy to use. There is also a 60MHz version the SS-5710.
I'm less keen on Philips or HP scopes from the 1980s because they have such flimsy controls. eg it's quite common to see missing/broken knobs or worn out timebase controls.

My favourite scope is the classic Tek 465 but it does suffer a bit of fan noise and some may find this tiring or distracting in an otherwise quiet workroom. Plus these scopes are getting very old now...

Iwatsu really are hard to beat if you want a reliable analogue scope that has good quality user controls and a nice CRT.

[nctnico]

So far craigslist has been a bust. Several people trying to sell 1950's scopes as collectible.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=oscilloscope&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=101

Plus I refuse to buy something from someone who doesn't know the difference between Dual and Duel

Why not? People who make spelling errors obviously have no idea / don't really care what they are selling and are likely to get you a good deal.

[Skegget65]

Opinion on a Advance Instruments/Advance Components Ltd OS3000.
I hope it's not crap 
Got it cheap, to be in Sweden anyway. I think it is 40 MHz but not sure.
Haven't found user/service manual yet, anyone know where to find one?
What Test probe do I need, 40MHz or higher is better?


Sorry for my bad English

[Stonent]

Why not? People who make spelling errors obviously have no idea / don't really care what they are selling and are likely to get you a good deal.

Dual/Duel is an old pet peeve of mine from long ago. I don't know why. It just is.

[Stonent]

Opinion on a Advance Instruments/Advance Components Ltd OS3000.
I hope it's not crap 
Got it cheap, to be in Sweden anyway. I think it is 40 MHz but not sure.
Haven't found user/service manual yet, anyone know where to find one?
What Test probe do I need, 40MHz or higher is better?


Sorry for my bad English

Välkomna! Min farfars far var från Sverige. Hans efternamn var Andersson men ändrade det när han kom till Amerika eftersom det var alltför vanligt. Jag tror faktiskt inte talar svenska. Jag använde google.

[Hydrawerk]

Never buy any Tesla oscilloscope from Czechoslovakia... They are too heavy and non-modern.

[grenert]

So far craigslist has been a bust. Several people trying to sell 1950's scopes as collectible.

What are you talking about???
From the Dallas craigslist:
Tek 455
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/3902809332.html

Tek 7600 series
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ele/3876504465.html

Cool super-retro Tek 547 boat anchor
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/ele/3889285718.html

[bluesmoke]

My favourite scope is the classic Tek 465 but it does suffer a bit of fan noise and some may find this tiring or distracting in an otherwise quiet workroom.

I think you need a new fan... my 465b fan is whisper quiet.

[JohnnyP]

I picked up a nice Tek 2235 from ebay for $250 a couple weeks ago.

Shown here with my Leader LBO-315, which is small enough to take on calls and can be powered from 12v.

[Electro Fan]

Not sure Craigslist is the best/safest way to purchase scopes or anything - Craigslist probably has it's plusses and minuses, but a random sampling indicates there are some interesting items for sale - although not a lot under $100.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ele/3892961254.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ele/3839068592.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/ele/3789099182.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ele/3895432583.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ele/3895476283.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ele/3895647544.html
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/ele/3879415129.html
http://porthuron.craigslist.org/for/3878649201.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/ele/3860461633.html
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/ele/3828878296.html

[Stonent]

So far craigslist has been a bust. Several people trying to sell 1950's scopes as collectible.

What are you talking about???
From the Dallas craigslist:
Tek 455
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/3902809332.html

Tek 7600 series
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ele/3876504465.html

Cool super-retro Tek 547 boat anchor
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/ele/3889285718.html

Well after seeing the TAS 455 that I could have gotten for less than $100 on Ebay if I didn't feel like getting some sleep for a change the regular 455 didn't look as appealing.

[SLJ]

My favourite scope is the classic Tek 465 but it does suffer a bit of fan noise and some may find this tiring or distracting in an otherwise quiet workroom.

I think you need a new fan... my 465b fan is whisper quiet.

My 465 is quiet also.  Original fan.  Bought it at a swap meet a few years ago for $125  from an older tech that repaired and calibrated them for a living. It's got the DM44 option (digital meter) also.

[edavid]

Well after seeing the TAS 455 that I could have gotten for less than $100 on Ebay if I didn't feel like getting some sleep for a change the regular 455 didn't look as appealing.

Are you sure you want a TAS scope?  It's a lot more convenient to have more knobs on the scope, instead of menus...

[Stonent]

I like menus!

Several little toaster shaped Yokogawa scopes just went on Ebay. I haven't seen any like that before.

[alm]

The TAS scopes were much cheaper built and are generally considered inferior to the normal 400 or 2200/2300/2400 series. They were cheap analog scopes introduced when digital scopes were starting to get popular. Are schematics even available for the TAS scopes?

They may have some features like cursors and autoset not available on the 400 series, and they are newer, but I would much rather have a 465 or 455 scope than a TAS. The similarity of the model numbers is only marketing, just like the 465 and 465M.

[Yankee495]

Hi all...first post.

I just bought a Tektronix 468 digital storage scope.  I know, it is not so hot as a digital but even if the digital didn't work I would still have a good analog scope.  The digital on top of this one is not a DMM, it is storage. Thought I'd add that for people who may confuse the two.

Well, it arrived and it all works. The top corners on the digital got scuffed and bent down to the point it made small cracks on the top.  It looks like they set another scope on top of it and "drug it off", had plastic fuzzy road rash.  This did not happen in shipping because it was packed like they never wanted me to get it open.

It works great and calibration seems to be really good also. It came from Halliburton and had a repair made in 1991 to the +5 and looking inside it they replaced a lot of caps.

Deals are out there and after getting outbid over and over I hit buy it now!  I may have paid a little more than some would want to, but I got one today and it works! 

I posted this because the 468 seems to be an orphan in conversations most of the time. It is basically a 465 100 Mhz scope with a digital storage unit on top.

Here it is:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171057434738?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

Note: The numbers in the second picture could be an error message on the digital part but they are not. Just because it is lit up does not mean it is functional. Read the manual for error codes. No errors should be all zeros after startup then it may show a measurement reading. You can turn it off and just use the analog scope.

[PaulAm]

The 468 is an interesting scope.  The DSO part is not impressive by today's standards (25MS/s, 10MHz bandwidth and cursors for voltage and period), but it is on top of a 100 MHz analog scope and, depending on your application, can still be very useful.

The TRW cpu is huge (about 1.3 x 3 inches).  The ROMs can sometimes go bad, but there are procedures available to replace them.  I've had a couple 468s where the digital power supply went south.  Analog section still worked though.

Given a choice between a 468 with storage and a 465, I'd probably pick a 465 just because it's much less complicated on the inside and somewhat easier to repair.  Still a cute scope though.