Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cubdriver]

A little order of 14 scopes arrive tomorrow. 

Yeah, but that doesn't really count because you're just fostering them.

It's how many you adopt yourself that matters!   

-Pat

[tautech]

A little order of 14 scopes arrive tomorrow. 

Yeah, but that doesn't really count because you're just fostering them.

It's how many you adopt yourself that matters!   

-Pat

Or their value may I suggest.
Latest toys invested in:
SDS6204A 2GHz 4ch DSO
SNA5004A 4.5GHz 4 port VNA.

Pretty pleased the business can finance my TE addiction. 

[tggzzz]

Fluke 27, with His and Hers HV probes.

Oh, don't get us started on scope/DMM probes. They cost more than the instrument

[Cubdriver]

A little order of 14 scopes arrive tomorrow. 

Yeah, but that doesn't really count because you're just fostering them.

It's how many you adopt yourself that matters!   

-Pat

Or their value may I suggest.
Latest toys invested in:
SDS6204A 2GHz 4ch DSO
SNA5004A 4.5GHz 4 port VNA.

Pretty pleased the business can finance my TE addiction. 

Wow - sweet!!!  Nice pieces of kit!   

-Pat

[tggzzz]

A little order of 14 scopes arrive tomorrow. 

Yeah, but that doesn't really count because you're just fostering them.

Neat phrase. I'll use it on sproglet as another incentive not to give them away when I shuffle off the mortal coil.

[YurkshireLad]

Does anyone have an oscilloscope with a low/high pass filter feature that they actually use?

[Wolfgang]

Yes. Especially high-bandwidth scopes have switchable lowpass filters to cut back trace noise.

[YurkshireLad]

Yes. Especially high-bandwidth scopes have switchable lowpass filters to cut back trace noise.

I was wondering what it was used for. I saw it in a user guide/manual.

[Kosmic]

I'm the epitome of an absolute beginner so I don't need more than a Siglent SDS104X-U, GW Instek 1054B or Rigol DS1054Z. I'm close to pulling the trigger but it's hard to justify for various reasons of inflation and other expenses. I also don't have any room for it, otherwise I'd be cracking open my wallet faster than you can say fast fourier transform.

OK so that answers most of my previous questions !

So it's digital only, modern, Chinese, LCD, colour, and less than 500 Euros with tax.

From your list, the Siglent is by far my favorite. 100MHz instead of 50 for the Rigol. Siglent also looks like a proper tool/scope, the Rigol looks like a Playschool toy for a 5 year old that watches too many Japanese manga on TV.

Out of your list, to me the Siglent is a no brainer.

Actually that Siglent kinda meets my requirements too....might be tempted, in a few years once they sell the 200MHz version of this, for the same price.
I see they have improved the industrial design, out with the ugly chromed knobs. It now looks like... pretty much a Tek.
Still need some minor work on that column of oval push buttons on the right side of the screen, looks off.. too Agilent/Keysight like, in a bad way I mean...

With the correct "riglol" code entered into the Rigol, that 50 goes to 100, although some have tested the actual bandwidth closer to 130 MHz...

Yeah, Vince can be a bit dismissive of the budget Asian gear; I think that's because he never bothered to do the deep dive and learn which ones are good bang/buck. I caught my 1054Zed for $300 NIB w/warranty from tequipment.net; they happily  price-matched a sale price from Arrow for me. I've had it for over 5 years now, and it doesn't owe me a cent, as the project I bought it for helped me get my family out of Tejas.

Nowadays the UI is def a bit long in the tooth, and slow almost to being unusable... but I'd still say if a noob could pick one up for 100-150 bux it would def be good enuf for self-education, particularly if you unlock the 100MHz and decoder options. After that, onto the back bench as a "minion" scope to use when you wanna do sumtin' stoopit and don't wanna risk a good scope.

mnem
 

That's a fair comment. It's impossible to buy a used, cheap DS1054Z here in Canada. The Siglent SD104X-U is probably top of my list, as people tend to say the Rigol has had its day and its UI is too slow. Both are about the same price, but if I could get the Rigol at a good discount it would definitely suffice.

Fair enough.  Cheap anything, even if used, is hard to find in the GWN (Great White North=Canada). 
Electro-meters out of Montreal has Rigol in stock (they are the official distributor), but ooofff, the prices have gone up 

Keep searching kijiji or the federal government surplus (www.gcsurplus.ca) and you might luck out with something better.

I'm watching prices at http://transcat.ca; you're presented with lower prices when you create an account. Though I think they don't have any Rigols in stock. They have the Siglents but I can't remember if they have GW Instek 1054B.

Stratatek in Ontario has some GW Instek scope https://www.ebay.ca/itm/303786389380

I bought a Fluke Calibrator from them and can recommend.

[Specmaster]

The replacement speaker arrived today, hoping to fit it in the car tomorrow. Had a rummage around in the garage for my riveting kits, disappointed as the rivets that pass through the speaker fixing holes are only 5 mm long and will not be long enough to attach the speaker to the door. So I had to pop onto Amazon and look for some that more suitable, found some that are 12 mm long, those will do the job OK. Then I tried to do one of the 5 mm rivets as a trail and was amazed at just hard they were to do and thinking about doing 12 mm and 6 of them made me think about it and I just pulled the trigger on a neat attachment for cordless drill for riveting, both the gun and rivets should here today (Wednesday). Just hope that both come at the same time and from 2 deliveries.

[srb1954]

Does anyone have an oscilloscope with a low/high pass filter feature that they actually use?

Yes, a Tek 7603 with a pair of 7A22 differential amplifier plug-ins.

The selectable high and low-pass filters on the 7A22 are very useful for finding a signal of interest buried deeply in noise.

[cyclin_al]

I'm the epitome of an absolute beginner so I don't need more than a Siglent SDS104X-U, GW Instek 1054B or Rigol DS1054Z. I'm close to pulling the trigger but it's hard to justify for various reasons of inflation and other expenses. I also don't have any room for it, otherwise I'd be cracking open my wallet faster than you can say fast fourier transform.

OK so that answers most of my previous questions !

So it's digital only, modern, Chinese, LCD, colour, and less than 500 Euros with tax.

From your list, the Siglent is by far my favorite. 100MHz instead of 50 for the Rigol. Siglent also looks like a proper tool/scope, the Rigol looks like a Playschool toy for a 5 year old that watches too many Japanese manga on TV.

Out of your list, to me the Siglent is a no brainer.

Actually that Siglent kinda meets my requirements too....might be tempted, in a few years once they sell the 200MHz version of this, for the same price.
I see they have improved the industrial design, out with the ugly chromed knobs. It now looks like... pretty much a Tek.
Still need some minor work on that column of oval push buttons on the right side of the screen, looks off.. too Agilent/Keysight like, in a bad way I mean...

With the correct "riglol" code entered into the Rigol, that 50 goes to 100, although some have tested the actual bandwidth closer to 130 MHz...

Yeah, Vince can be a bit dismissive of the budget Asian gear; I think that's because he never bothered to do the deep dive and learn which ones are good bang/buck. I caught my 1054Zed for $300 NIB w/warranty from tequipment.net; they happily  price-matched a sale price from Arrow for me. I've had it for over 5 years now, and it doesn't owe me a cent, as the project I bought it for helped me get my family out of Tejas.

Nowadays the UI is def a bit long in the tooth, and slow almost to being unusable... but I'd still say if a noob could pick one up for 100-150 bux it would def be good enuf for self-education, particularly if you unlock the 100MHz and decoder options. After that, onto the back bench as a "minion" scope to use when you wanna do sumtin' stoopit and don't wanna risk a good scope.

mnem
 

That's a fair comment. It's impossible to buy a used, cheap DS1054Z here in Canada. The Siglent SD104X-U is probably top of my list, as people tend to say the Rigol has had its day and its UI is too slow. Both are about the same price, but if I could get the Rigol at a good discount it would definitely suffice.

Fair enough.  Cheap anything, even if used, is hard to find in the GWN (Great White North=Canada). 
Electro-meters out of Montreal has Rigol in stock (they are the official distributor), but ooofff, the prices have gone up 

Keep searching kijiji or the federal government surplus (www.gcsurplus.ca) and you might luck out with something better.

I'm watching prices at http://transcat.ca; you're presented with lower prices when you create an account. Though I think they don't have any Rigols in stock. They have the Siglents but I can't remember if they have GW Instek 1054B.

You may want to watch "EDI" with 2 locations in Ontario.  They sometimes have interesting items, but I have not tried to deal with them ... yet.
https://www.ebay.ca/usr/electronic_dist_intl

[Zucca]

what you guys do when the battery metal contact snaps?

I am tired to funky around with some compressed copper things



Tempted to convert to LiPo... with some USB charger

[Muttley Snickers]

what you guys do when the battery metal contact snaps?
I am tired to funky around with some compressed copper things

The aluminium nose strip on some face masks can be a life saver in these situations.   

[Saskia]

Zucca, did you get that spot welder gizmo ? If so ? bend a strip and spot weld it onto the broken one.

[Saskia]

scopes?


so i only have eight.   that makes me a lightweight.

Since it seems to be confession season...

confession season or who has the ...

yer all playing in a different league ...
I can only brag with some small MSOs  and a fistful of dollars DMMs (3 Keithley (one of which awaiting repair, the other 2 calibration), 1 GW Instek, 2 Flukes, 2 Agilents, 1 Metrahit, 2 Uni-T, 1 Voltcraft) .. Favorite is still the Fluke 179 because it just works, is easy to use and I just like it.

[Ice-Tea]

what you guys do when the battery metal contact snaps?

[Ice-Tea]

The 34401A I was planning to send a certain German tinkerer. Decided to... well, just work. Can't just sell it or Murphy would have my ass. So I'm gonna use it as a daily driver for a bit. If she remains true, I can find her a new home...

Never mind, no matter how long she'll stay true to you, she'll fail DOA again if you sell her ...

Murphy rulez!

[Vince]

Does anyone have an oscilloscope with a low/high pass filter feature that they actually use?

Any scope has a high-pass filter, it's called the AC coupling switch ! 

[Peter_O]

...
Actually that Siglent kinda meets my requirements too....might be tempted, in a few years once they sell the 200MHz version of this, for the same price.
I see they have improved the industrial design, out with the ugly chromed knobs. It now looks like... pretty much a Tek.
Still need some minor work on that column of oval push buttons on the right side of the screen, looks off.. too Agilent/Keysight like, in a bad way I mean...

I always read the 'ugly chromed knobs' as reminiscence to the HP equipment knobs of the 80s.
To my eye much better than the new swollen muffin forms. Those are chinese fisher price toy style.

[Vince]

Ah yes why not ! 

Thinking of these knobs this way, makes them look even more out of place then ! 

I have indeed never liked this particular style of HP knobs, might be why I don't like them on the Siglent either ?! 

At any rate, looks aside, one can't judge a knob until you have actually seen in the flesh and operated it.

Like.. say take a picture of my TDS310A push button, and one from my 544A. From a distance, they are the same shape. But up close, and using it, the TDS buttons look and feel crap, hard plastic, but the same button on the 544A is a rubber, mat finish, white not horrible grey, excellent tactile feel, quiet operation, sex on a stick, I love them. The 310 looks and feel cheap compared to the 544A. But you only know that once you have both side by side and actually see them up close and use them.

So before I buy a Siglent Tautech would need to send me a one for a trial so I can validate the human machine interface before I can commit to a purchase !

[Peter_O]

https://www.loriot.de/images/video/familienbenutzer.mp4

Sorry, no english available.

[Vince]

My German is too rusty 

[david77]

what you guys do when the battery metal contact snaps?

I am tired to funky around with some compressed copper things



Tempted to convert to LiPo... with some USB charger

I've cut out a piece of a battery tab from another cheap/broken/scrap gizmo and soldered that onto the original broken tab. Have done that multiple times, works a treat.

[Robert763]

TEA Time.
In the middle of a joiner fixing the kitchen floorboard they didn't do right the first time, the flooring contractor laying screed on the livingroom floor UPS rang the bell   
A box marked test equipment!
Yes it's the R&S FSH-Z2 VSWR bridge for my FSH3.13 
Note that it came with an open / short and a precision load. These are not part of the FSH-Z2 kit and some sellers want more for those than I paid for the kit.
It's marked 10MHz to 3GHz but as my FSH3 has the VNA option with normalisation it will work to spec down to 3MHz and is reasonable even lower.
No pictures of it in use becuase the FSH3 is on the other side of a freshly screeded floor.