RIGOL DS1052E

[vinlove]

Anyone still using this scope? Is this still a good scope?

I am planning to buy my first new DSO, and couldn't make up my mind.
But because this scope has been out for a while, maybe it is still usable and has good reason to have been?

Comparing to other makes such as Hantek, this Rigol seems lack in spec and power.
But is it?

Would you still buy this scope at this point of time? Or is it too out of date?
Does it have any advantage over current scopes such as Hantek 5102?
Or would it be better buying the Hantek with more bandwidth, bells and whistles and processing power?

[Mechatrommer]

its out of date verily. go get the rigol ds1054Z

[vinlove]

its out of date verily. go get the rigol ds1054Z

Yeah, I was looking at that model ds1054z.

But it is still 50Mhz bandwidth, same as the 1052E.
It has 4 ch., but I will never need 4 ch scope. 2ch would be enough for me now, so 4 ch will be just waste.
And I just need basic functionality of checking out simple circuits for amateur radio kits and maybe mobile phone power supply and chargers.
I am also interested in making DIY PSU , so checking outputs and ripples stuff like that.
Also will use with the Arduino stuff.

So paying another 100£ for 4ch scope was not making sense to me.

But then I am not sure as I am a newbie. Maybe there are things I don't know about these scopes.

[tautech]

its out of date verily. go get the rigol ds1054Z

Yeah, I was looking at that model ds1054z.

But it is still 50Mhz bandwidth, same as the 1052E.
It has 4 ch., but I will never need 4 ch scope. 2ch would be enough for me now, so 4 ch will be just waste.
And I just need basic functionality of checking out simple circuits for amateur radio kits and maybe mobile phone power supply and chargers.
I am also interested in making DIY PSU , so checking outputs and ripples stuff like that.
Also will use with the Arduino stuff.

So paying another 100£ for 4ch scope was not making sense to me.

But then I am not sure as I am a newbie. Maybe there are things I don't know about these scopes.

Then you'll most likely want decoding as you advance further into electronics.
SDS1202X-E would be a good fit for your needs and maybe just a bit more than you want/need now but it's something you can grow into.
These are still my best seller as you get all its capability without needing to hack anything.

[2N3055]

its out of date verily. go get the rigol ds1054Z

Yeah, I was looking at that model ds1054z.

But it is still 50Mhz bandwidth, same as the 1052E.
It has 4 ch., but I will never need 4 ch scope. 2ch would be enough for me now, so 4 ch will be just waste.
And I just need basic functionality of checking out simple circuits for amateur radio kits and maybe mobile phone power supply and chargers.
I am also interested in making DIY PSU , so checking outputs and ripples stuff like that.
Also will use with the Arduino stuff.

So paying another 100£ for 4ch scope was not making sense to me.

But then I am not sure as I am a newbie. Maybe there are things I don't know about these scopes.

DS1054Z iz 10 times better scope than the old one. It is worth extra money.
If you're doing Arduino you'll need 4 ch.
DS1054Z can trivially be unlocked to more than 100 MHz and all options including decodes.
DS1054Z has many times more memory..
It has excellent analog like display and decent refresh rate..

If you can scrape enough money for DS1000Z you should go for it.

[vinlove]

its out of date verily. go get the rigol ds1054Z

Yeah, I was looking at that model ds1054z.

But it is still 50Mhz bandwidth, same as the 1052E.
It has 4 ch., but I will never need 4 ch scope. 2ch would be enough for me now, so 4 ch will be just waste.
And I just need basic functionality of checking out simple circuits for amateur radio kits and maybe mobile phone power supply and chargers.
I am also interested in making DIY PSU , so checking outputs and ripples stuff like that.
Also will use with the Arduino stuff.

So paying another 100£ for 4ch scope was not making sense to me.

But then I am not sure as I am a newbie. Maybe there are things I don't know about these scopes.

DS1054Z iz 10 times better scope than the old one. It is worth extra money.
If you're doing Arduino you'll need 4 ch.
DS1054Z can trivially be unlocked to more than 100 MHz and all options including decodes.
DS1054Z has many times more memory..
It has excellent analog like display and decent refresh rate..

If you can scrape enough money for DS1000Z you should go for it.

Just checked the price in Amazon, and the DS1054Z is actually 120££ more than the DS1052E, because they even charge 15£ for shipping extra.
Yes, it would be nice to get that one if money was no object.

[vinlove]

its out of date verily. go get the rigol ds1054Z

Yeah, I was looking at that model ds1054z.

But it is still 50Mhz bandwidth, same as the 1052E.
It has 4 ch., but I will never need 4 ch scope. 2ch would be enough for me now, so 4 ch will be just waste.
And I just need basic functionality of checking out simple circuits for amateur radio kits and maybe mobile phone power supply and chargers.
I am also interested in making DIY PSU , so checking outputs and ripples stuff like that.
Also will use with the Arduino stuff.

So paying another 100£ for 4ch scope was not making sense to me.

But then I am not sure as I am a newbie. Maybe there are things I don't know about these scopes.

Then you'll most likely want decoding as you advance further into electronics.
SDS1202X-E would be a good fit for your needs and maybe just a bit more than you want/need now but it's something you can grow into.
These are still my best seller as you get all its capability without needing to hack anything.

It looks nice too, but again 100£ more than the DS1052E, and only 2 channel, although it is 200Mhz.

This is very tricky for me to decide which one to go, thinking the price, specs and my ability to make full use of them.
I suppose the hardware of these scopes are all similar quality?

For some reason I feel the Rigol have the highest hardware parts quality. I don;t know why, maybe due to their well known brand name or having been on the market for longest? I could be wrong on this too.

[tautech]

Yes vinlove, your current ability to make use of the feature set in the modern DSO.

This will grow believe me !
In the 7 years I've been a distributor I've seen massive advances in the capabilities of entry level DSO's and my skills have grown too in that time. Yours will grow to fit the tools you have to use.
Get good tools and you grow too.

Have no fear of the quality of Siglent HW, it is good.

[vinlove]

Great posts, thank you.

Another point is that I just bought a function generator FY6800. It only does up to 60Mhz, so getting a scope more than 50 Mhz such as 100-200 Mhz wouldn't really make much difference from 50Mhz DSO?

I hear that over 100Mhz, Impedance of cables and terminators and matching them properly all get critical for making best use out of the high band width DSOs.


I was thinking that I would get either DS1052E or Hantek 5102p just now, and while I am learning to use it, the price of the higher end DSOs will come down, and maybe in 1-2 years later, I would add a 200-250 Mhz DSO into my tool collection. Hopefully their price would have halved by that time too

[tautech]

Some prices will ease sure but only a little to stay in the same price range of competitors but drop substantially, NO.
What will happen as further models/series are released is more functionality will be added for much the same price.....this is what's happening in the marketplace now and has in recent times.

Best advice is to get a quite modern DSO, sure you might not see all the benefits that might offer but you'll end up with a scope that will serve you well as your skills develop.
Brand, model.....there are supporters of all here and while many see me as only selling Siglent (I do) I can assure you your questions I deal with each and every day.
I know your budget will decide at the end of the day however I recommend you get the best spec scope you can comfortably afford and then know it will serve you for a good while.
Sometimes it's best to be guided by the old saying; first cost = last cost.

As for BW of your FG, 60 MHz will serve you well for many years for hobbyist requirements and scope BW is an entirely different matter so to be sure not to miss fast or infrequent signals.
Modern DSO's with DPO, color and intensity grading also help you find that stuff that can be hidden from lesser BW DSO's.

[vinlove]

Thank you for great advice and info.

Yes, I will try my best stretching the budget and get the suggested model.
I have been trying to sell some of my stuff on eBay to raise more funds for DSO purchase, but the sale is very quiet this month

[Old Printer]

Great posts, thank you.

Another point is that I just bought a function generator FY6800. It only does up to 60Mhz, so getting a scope more than 50 Mhz such as 100-200 Mhz wouldn't really make much difference from 50Mhz DSO?

I hear that over 100Mhz, Impedance of cables and terminators and matching them properly all get critical for making best use out of the high band width DSOs.


I was thinking that I would get either DS1052E or Hantek 5102p just now, and while I am learning to use it, the price of the higher end DSOs will come down, and maybe in 1-2 years later, I would add a 200-250 Mhz DSO into my tool collection. Hopefully their price would have halved by that time too

Your signal generator will likely not be the only source of signals that you want to observe. Also keep in mind the "five times rule" that to properly view a square wave you need 5x it's base frequency in bandwidth. This is a good guide to choosing a DSO by Tektronix.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=2ahUKEwiinbqitY3jAhXkdc0KHVlBB1cQFjABegQICxAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mouser.com%2Fpdfdocs%2FTektronix12_things_to_consider1.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0DP2X7VXuupG738y05ww7l
It is true that above 100-200 Mhz that probes, cables and technique become limiting faction
become a barrier in what you can see reliably. I have seen it written here by some knowledgeable people that 500 Mhz is the ceiling without going to serious active probes and the skill to use them.

[Mechatrommer]

So paying another 100£ for 4ch scope was not making sense to me.

as 3055  said, you are not paying just extra 2 ch, 200K waveform per second is another feature for glitch detection, more memory, decode function better fft etc etc

But then I am not sure as I am a newbie. Maybe there are things I don't know about these scopes.

there are things we dont know about the future

I have been trying to sell some of my stuff on eBay to raise more funds for DSO purchase, but the sale is very quiet this month

better scope enable us to design better and faster, and usually end up better sale

but since you are almost fixed, good luck with your 1052e purchase, i guess rigol/distributor will be happy for you. one thing 1054Z doesnt have is 1052e gui responsiveness, this can affect productivity as well. ymmv.

another thing, you can watch out for used 1054z at cheaper. if you are in NYC, there is currently a forum member want to sell his almost new 1054Z. maybe you can get at same or cheaper than new 1052e
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/rigol-ds-1074z-all-options-as-new-hardly-used/?topicseen

[vinlove]

The most bandwidth DSO I have seen for sale is 250Mhz one from Hantek, and they were about 460£. It had loads of stuff and DVM, AWG, EXT trigger etc.
I was really wanting it, but over my budget.

Really maximum I could afford for DSO right now was Rigol DS1052E and Hantek 5102P at about 220 - 260£ including delivery.

I was again not sure which one would be better between the 1052E and Hantek 5102P, because they were similar price tack.  The Hantek is less known brand for me, but seems having a lot more spec and bandwidth 100Mhz and facilities than the Rigol

Shipping DSO from USA to UK would be too expensive for delivery and I am not sure if they will even hit with import tax, so wouldn't imagine it would be a good buy.

[Fungus]

Yeah, I was looking at that model ds1054z.

But it is still 50Mhz bandwidth, same as the 1052E.

It's very easy to unlock to 100Mhz.

http://www.gotroot.ca/rigol/riglol/

(and yes, it's true 100Mhz, the 50Mhz version is a 100Mhz 'scope that switches in a low pass filter via software)

[rsjsouza]

The suggestion of getting used is also applicable for the DS1052E - not only it can be hacked to 100MHz but, if the price is right,  it is worth to look at waveforms, especially considering the user's applications. Differently than the Hantek and Owon entry levels, it actually has great quality HW and the firmware is quite solid.

The point is defining what is the right price: I would only pay up to US$120~150 for one in pristine condition.

If you can get a good unit at this price and considering your use case, the DS1052E will not disappoint.

(I had a DS1102E that was excellent and I sold it back in 2015 for $200).

[vinlove]

Yeah I have noticed the Hanteks and Owons going for even cheaper price 140 usd, but shipped from China.
Will take weeks to arrive, and you have no idea who the sellers are, and that's a bit off putting.

But the Rigols started out as 800 usd DSO when it launched, and it still goes for 265 - 365 usd.

When I get the Rigol, I would feel it is a bargain, and glad that I am getting at this time and haven't paid double the price if bought a few year ago.
I think I am going for the Rigol DS1052E.

[Fungus]

It has 4 ch., but I will never need 4 ch scope. 2ch would be enough for me now, so 4 ch will be just waste.
And I just need basic functionality of checking out simple circuits for amateur radio kits and maybe mobile phone power supply and chargers.
I am also interested in making DIY PSU , so checking outputs and ripples stuff like that.

Ok...

Also will use with the Arduino stuff.

Stop!

For "Arduino" you should get four channels. It's just great to be able to look at four I/O pins at once, watch a pin and do a serial decode when it changes, or ... any of a thousand other things that a DS1052E simply can't do.

[NivagSwerdna]

Anyone still using this scope? Is this still a good scope?

Yes

Would you still buy this scope at this point of time? Or is it too out of date?

It's out of date. The 1054Z is a better buy nowadays.

The 1052E was my first scope.... the difference between having a scope and not having one is VERY large.  I would like 4CH and Serial Decode now though.  The 1052E is pretty primitive and slow with a poor screen but you can do amazing things by twiddling the knobs I don't regret buying it.... but that was a long time ago now.  Although 4CH might sound like too much the reality is that if you are trying to measure things relative to a clock then 2CH is a pain because you only get 1CH + reference, if you are trying to measure something like a bus or LCD or whatever it takes much longer with 2CH... but still do-able.

[vinlove]

I have a cunning plan.

I will get the 1052E the now, and use it for 1-2 years while learning about DSO.
And then in that time 1054Z would have come down price by 100£ hopefully more.
I would have some more cash that time than the now too hopefully

And then I will buy an 1054z at the time, and have 2x DSOs, which will give me 6ch in total definitely.

[Fungus]

I hear that over 100Mhz, Impedance of cables and terminators and matching them properly all get critical for making best use out of the high band width DSOs.

More like 300Mhz, I'd say.

(for "impedance" and "termination")

[Fungus]

I have a cunning plan.

I will get the 1052E the now, and use it for 1-2 years while learning about DSO.

I don't think it will take that long to learn to use it, or find its limitations.

How much are you planning to pay for one?

[vinlove]

I have a cunning plan.

I will get the 1052E the now, and use it for 1-2 years while learning about DSO.

I don't think it will take that long to learn to use it, or find its limitations.

How much are you planning to pay for one?

I am not doing a lot of electronics, because it is a hobby for me.
So my progress will be slow.

My first project is to build a 40m CW kit from eBay called PIXIE which was £3 inc delivery.
Then I have a couple of old ATX Pentium PCs whose PSU I would like to convert to 3,5,12V bench power supply.

I have also a few old Samsung phones to repair - not starting and not charging.
Also I have an Arduino bought a few year ago, but forgot about it,  to connect to my Mac desktop to fiddle about with it.

So my projects are no where near complicated demanding high spec test gears as such, but I gather owning a DSO would make huge difference in checking out capacitors, ripples of PSUs, and monitoring Arduinos ... etc.

I had maximum 200£ to spend on a DSO, and a few gift vouchers from relatives and family members, so it will just make up 265£ to order a brand new Rigol DS1052E.

As I said in the OP, I was not sure if Hantek would be a good buy, but no one really seems mention about Hantek although their specs for the money are impressive.  Whether the Hantek are good buy or not still remains mystery to me.

But Rigol 1052E was the next contender, and it seems fit my bill, although it is heavily out dated, it seems still a good classic DSO to learn and use.

[reflowman]

I have a cunning plan.

I will get the 1052E the now, and use it for 1-2 years while learning about DSO.

I don't think it will take that long to learn to use it, or find its limitations.

How much are you planning to pay for one?

I am not doing a lot of electronics, because it is a hobby for me.
So my progress will be slow.

My first project is to build a 40m CW kit from eBay called PIXIE which was £3 inc delivery.
Then I have a couple of old ATX Pentium PCs whose PSU I would like to convert to 3,5,12V bench power supply.

I have also a few old Samsung phones to repair - not starting and not charging.
Also I have an Arduino bought a few year ago, but forgot about it,  to connect to my Mac desktop to fiddle about with it.

So my projects are no where near complicated demanding high spec test gears as such, but I gather owning a DSO would make huge difference in checking out capacitors, ripples of PSUs, and monitoring Arduinos ... etc.

I had maximum 200£ to spend on a DSO, and a few gift vouchers from relatives and family members, so it will just make up 265£ to order a brand new Rigol DS1052E.

As I said in the OP, I was not sure if Hantek would be a good buy, but no one really seems mention about Hantek although their specs for the money are impressive.  Whether the Hantek are good buy or not still remains mystery to me.

But Rigol 1052E was the next contender, and it seems fit my bill, although it is heavily out dated, it seems still a good classic DSO to learn and use.

If you're in the UK look at this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RIGOL-DS1054Z-4-Channel-50MHz-100MHz-Digital-Storage-Oscilloscope-Upgraded/372698080289?epid=9014382414&hash=item56c6896421:g:GAoAAOSwFKBdFSybDS1054Z.
In your position I'd consider a bid.
FYI: I bought a new DS1054Z last month; they're extremely good value for money; I haven't touched half of its capabilities yet. However, my goto scope for everyday troubleshooting undemanding stuff is a 35ish year old 2ch analogue Philips. So easy to set up, no menus to speak of, just twist knobs and go. I learnt tons with it for circa £40.
Good luck in your search!

[rsjsouza]

Many people use old analog scopes as a daily driver, others use cheap clone logic analyzers for protocol decoding, while others simply do not use four channels or workaround it when using two channels.

Sure, all these improvements are nice to have, but to dismiss the DS1052E from the get go without consideration for budget is very premature. It is still a decent (although dated) entry level digital sampling oscilloscope.

The auction pointed above is a good one. Obviously this does not mean you will get it at that price, but it is.certainly worth the shot.

One "famous" user of the DS1052E is Louis Rossmann (equipment repair).