Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Modding and Technical Issues

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
ral-clan
plays wooden flutes
Posts: 3702
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:01 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Post by ral-clan »

Okay, another oscilloscope has come up for sale locally.

It's a Tektronix 2215A:

Image

http://www.machine--tools.com/By-Locati ... sv-img.jpg

I cannot find any specs online for it, but the owner says it is a 2-channel, 60MHz scope.
He wants $250 Canadian for it.

This is more than I wanted to pay for a scope based on the level of use I will get, but I do realise it's a much newer scope (maybe 1990s?), and probably in much better condition than those I had been offered before from the 1970s. However, if I'm spending $250 for a used scope, I think I might has well go for one of those cheap digital scopes mentioned earlier in this thread that cost the same NEW. Although I do realise this used one is a true Tektronix.

What do you guys think about that price? It seems to be selling for $150US on ebay.
Image Music I've made with 1980s electronics, synths and other retro-instruments: http://theovoids.bandcamp.com
User avatar
eslapion
ultimate expander
Posts: 5458
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:50 pm
Location: Canada
Occupation: 8bit addict

Re: Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Post by eslapion »

ral-clan wrote:...if I'm spending $250 for a used scope, I think I might has well go for one of those cheap digital scopes mentioned earlier in this thread that cost the same NEW.
There's your answer.

If you want to go for a used Tektronix, go for the small digital ones like the TDS-1002 or the TDS-210. You should be able to get one for a similar price and you'll get so much more.
Be normal.
groepaz
Vic 20 Scientist
Posts: 1180
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 5:30 pm

Re: Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Post by groepaz »

if the price was sth like 25euros and a box of beer i'd say go ahead.... for 250CAN - no way, you can get a lot more for that :)
I'm just a Software Guy who has no Idea how the Hardware works. Don't listen to me.
User avatar
highinfidelity
Vic 20 Nerd
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:34 am
Website: http://www.hirtel.it
Location: Torino, Italy.

Re: Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Post by highinfidelity »

Ral-Clan, I don't understand exactly why you haven't had your previous Tektronix repaired by a professional. Tektronix instruments ALWAYS have a value and are ALWAYS sought after and are ALWAYS worth repairing. Should't you know a professional repair service in your area, you can ask to any electronics professor to the nearest engineering university, who takes care of the university's instruments. That's what I did. (And yes, I do own a Tektronix: the 464 dual trace storage oscilloscope).

In my opinion the 2215A is not a "much newer" oscilloscope, it looks one of their very early '80s productions. Altough other people say "you can get a lot more for that" (what, exactly?) 250 CAN$ is a fair price for that model if the pictured unit comes tested and calibrated. It is, instead, overpriced if it is sold in unknown conditions.

The electronics of the '70s was under many aspects much more reliable than today's electronics. We went to the moon many times with that, and we sent out probes like the Viking which are still working. Most Atari 2600s and VICs, which were low-cost commercial products, are also still in working conditions. Today, we are unable to have anything decently landing on Mars and a car's electronic control unit that won't fry after one year or two. :roll:
GOD is REAL. Unless declared DOUBLE PRECISION.
User avatar
eslapion
ultimate expander
Posts: 5458
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:50 pm
Location: Canada
Occupation: 8bit addict

Re: Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Post by eslapion »

highinfidelity wrote:Altough other people say "you can get a lot more for that" (what, exactly?) 250 CAN$ is a fair price for that model if the pictured unit comes tested and calibrated. It is, instead, overpriced if it is sold in unknown conditions.
If have used and owned a wide variety of analog and digital oscilloscopes through the years and I am presently the proud owner of a TDS-1002. It was purchased new in 2003 - mfg date is 12 Aug. 2002 so it's more than 14 years old.

This scope now sells for less than 300$US on eBay. It has a TON of highly valuable functions not available on any analog scope, such as true RMS value of non-sinusoidal waveforms, FFT spectrum analyser, screen dump to printer (or file), etc, etc...
The electronics of the '70s was under many aspects much more reliable than today's electronics. We went to the moon many times with that, and we sent out probes like the Viking which are still working. Most Atari 2600s and VICs, which were low-cost commercial products, are also still in working conditions. Today, we are unable to have anything decently landing on Mars and a car's electronic control unit that won't fry after one year or two. :roll:
You example with Mars is flawed - it's a lot tougher to land on this planet because it has an atmosphere but it's only a very thin one. You can't land there like you do on the moon because it has an atmosphere you have to deal with and you can't land with a parachute like you do on earth because the atmosphere is too thin to slow you down enough. It's the worst of both worlds.

All the equipment used for the Apollo space program needed to work for only a few weeks. I just got myself a near new car but the Hyundai Accent I owned before was a 2001 model (really sold in late 2000) which I got rid of in December 2016 - 1970's cars were usually ready for the scrap yard after little more than 5 years on the road.

My Tektronix scope is 14 years old, as said above and was calibrated about 9 months before I purchased it. It wasn't calibrated once since the initial purchase. Only 6 months ago, I checked it against a 5V reference source and a professional function generator and it still doesn't require calibration. Analog scopes require calibration almost every year for the first 5 years after manufacture and about every 2 years for the next 20 years.

When they were new and out of the box, Atari 2600, C64 and VIC-20 had an incredibly high failure rate. Those which still work well today simply survived through an empirical utilisation/elimination process.

My scope still works as if it was perfectly new and I never had to open it up for any reason. Every single piece of Commodore equipment I own had to undergo some repair or serious preventive maintenance to avoid damage within 5 years after initial purchase.

BTW, I also own an old PC which runs Windows 98SE which I use only to run old 3dfx Glide compatible games and all the components inside are nearing 20 years of age except for the hard drive. It too works like new. The video card inside is a 3dfx Voodoo 4 4500.

Last but not least, the PC I presently use was built in late 2006 - just celebrated it's 10th year of near continuous usage. In comparison, the C64 I bought new in the summer of 1985 required 3 replacements ICs (DRAM, PLA and color RAM) during the 3 years I used it intensely.
Be normal.
User avatar
highinfidelity
Vic 20 Nerd
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:34 am
Website: http://www.hirtel.it
Location: Torino, Italy.

Re: Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Post by highinfidelity »

That's 400 Can$, almost twice than his budget, for an item that is however 14 years old. What can he actually purchase "much better than that" with 250 Can$?

I don't get exactly the reason why my 2600, VIC and 64 are negligible why your undefeatable laptop should make literature, but I'll skip as we were digressing. My PC at work fails and is being replaced every two years in average, however.
GOD is REAL. Unless declared DOUBLE PRECISION.
User avatar
eslapion
ultimate expander
Posts: 5458
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:50 pm
Location: Canada
Occupation: 8bit addict

Re: Need advice on Oscilloscope probes

Post by eslapion »

highinfidelity wrote:What can he actually purchase "much better than that" with 250 Can$?
I clearly remember mr19121970 mentionning the Hantek 6022 in particular but this company also sells other products with slightly better performances for 250$CAD or less.

This Rigol scope is rated for 100MHz and is 200$US (eBay.ca says 262.41$CAD - close enough to 250...) - this is INCREDIBLY better than the aformentioned analog Tektronix scope. It even supports a USB key to save information.
See: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/RIGOL-DS1102E-Di ... Sw5cNYXAoP
I don't get exactly the reason why my 2600, VIC and 64 are negligible why your undefeatable laptop should make literature, but I'll skip as we were digressing. My PC at work fails and is being replaced every two years in average, however.
I am quite sure I never mentioned any laptops.

I am still amazed that people still get stuck on the capacitor plague incident that lasted between 1999 and 2002. PCs made within these 3 years had lots of problems with capacitors but the ones made before or after are incredibly durable. Far more reliable than anything Commodore ever made.

As I mentioned in the past, Commodore, Atari, TI and other computers/game consoles of the early 80s had an incredibly high failure rate. No computer or electronics company could stay in business today with the same rate yet you boast them as incredibly reliable/durable. A small percentage of them were and they are the ones we are left with today because all the other ones ended up in a landfill.

Of course, one could argue a lot of them were trashed because their owner got tired of them and didn't want to go through the trouble of reselling them.
Be normal.
Post Reply