Seeking Recommendations for Affordable Digital Oscilloscope - No Analog or Computer Adapter

Question

Hello, classic problem. I would like to get a digital oscilloscope, preferably as cheap as possible but so that it can be used to measure. In the laboratory I use both high-end and low-end equipment. For home, I'd aim for the latter. I'd like to buy a used one, but I don't really...

^ToM^ · Accepted Answer

The classic question: how much are you willing to spend on it?
This is a necessary question in order to be able to advise you.

If you have about PLN 1,800, a good choice may be the recommended Rigol DS-1054Z or the SDS 1102 from the competition for about PLN 800 on Allegro.
If you have about PLN 300, it can be in the form of a USB interface known HANTEK 6022BE. All these solutions are known and tested, and they work.

prosiak_wej · Accepted Answer

A year ago I bought a Rigol DS1054, I found "bljek frajdiej" in NDN and gave about PLN 1500 for it, where the regular price was PLN 1720. After a year of use, I have no objections, in the meantime I only added a power supply separated from the mains. It currently costs PLN 1876, so if this price is within your budget, it would be a good buy.

Oh, I had a UNI-T UTD2052 "oscilloscope" at work - the price is slightly lower than Rigol's, but compared to him it's more of a toy

spy · Accepted Answer

The Rigol DS-1054Z is already a grandfather and it makes no sense to buy it at the price that is still being asked for it. SDS-11xx or 12xx are a much better choice, we wrote a bit about it here: https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic3669081.html#18710457 Actually every parameter is better with Siglent.: https:/ /www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic3724514.html#18895348 --> https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/5374748000_1598720804.png

Added after 20 [minutes]:

All in all, the DS1202Z-E also looks interesting, but if you look at the data sheet, we still have 1mV/div and 2ns/div. Budget-wise, Hantek, Owony and Voltcraft are lower, but here you have to be aware that you pay less, but you make compromises.

mikospl · Answer

Thanks for the factual answers.
As for the question:

^ToM^ wrote:
The classic question: how much are you willing to spend on it?

I don't have a set amount. My question would be to find out how much you need to spend to make it work as it should and collect opinions that will help me.

^ToM^ · Answer

If you do not have specific requirements, buy either Rigol DS-1054Z or Siglent SDS1104X-U or SDS1202X-E, or SDS1202X-E, or SDS1202CNL - they are all at a similar price, they differ only in certain functionalities.

CosteC · Answer

The budget is, I think, the key question. Two are the requirements: channels and bandwidth. @spy he's right: the mentioned Rigols and Siglents are interesting options, if you can afford it I'd skip Owon, Hantek and Voltcraft (it will still be a re-brand + surcharge) But what to choose depends on your budget and requirements.

e.g. OWON SDS1102 is supposedly cheap and fast, but 10 kPts of memory is a pity and sadness compared to Rigol DS1054Z or Silglent SDS1102X-E / SDS1104X-E
Besides idiotic limitations like probe attenuation factor only 1x, 10x, 100x, 1000x. Well, it's cheap.

mikospl · Answer

Thanks for the replies. Let me say this, I have an analog oscilloscope that I measure every day, but it's a very old model and I would like to get something digital. As for the budget, if you really want to know, I wouldn't want to spend as much as for a small car, but I can spend a thousand or two.

CosteC · Answer

1000 and 2000 PLN is the difference between 2 classes of instruments. If not three. New. Dozens of models are on the market.

mikospl · Answer

You're probably right, but that's basically what I got out of your very helpful discussion. There are models and opinions about them in the price ranges that suit me. If I decide to buy it, I will probably choose it from what has been proposed, taking into account all the reservations.

tomaszwis1 · Answer

Hello. I have a request for advice. I need an oscilloscope for measurements in audio equipment - mainly turntables, amplifiers. Will a Siglent 1052 with a minimum sensitivity of 2mV be a sufficient tool? From what voltages will this oscilloscope be useful in practice? Thanks in advance.

Added after 9 [minutes]:

Hello. What parameters to pay attention to when choosing an oscilloscope for measurements in audio equipment - mainly turntables, amplifiers. Thanks for the advice.

zdzisiek1979 · Answer

You have a screen shot of siglent 1102x at 2mV if you are interested in this voltage per plot.
so take a quick look at the settings and evaluate.

Note that one measurement is with the x1 probe setting, the other x10 I did not connect the probes to the oscilloscope.

Any oscilloscope will do, only the lowest mV ranges per plot, then noise creeps in.

rach_UMK · Answer

@tomaszwis1 you raise a completely different problem, so a new topic should probably be created.
Do you want to directly examine the signal from the needle with an oscilloscope? forget it.
@zdzisiek1979 with photos showed why. The oscilloscope is so sensitive that it collects a lot of garbage from the "air". LED lamp, inverter can already have an effect. Even though the oscilloscope is isolated, it also has its own noise.
Of course you can do myk if you find it necessary to buy a fixed gain amplifier. And the other way around, i.e. when testing a phono preamp, make a silencer (like the Noise Reducer).

CosteC · Answer

@zdzisiek1979's screenshots from post #12 show two things: the self-noise of the oscilloscope and a large offset of 0.5 mV/Div - a classic for cheap oscilloscopes. Partially removable by switching to AC coupling and calibration after burn-in, but only partially. The hacked Rigol DS1054Z has very similar symptoms. Unfortunately, for PLN 2000-2500 it will not be better. On a different note, analog oscilloscopes usually hummed more, but it was less noticeable.

zdzisiek1979 · Answer

I'm afraid that calibration won't help much and it takes a long time. These types do. Taking into account the zero line and its thickness, these ranges are probably not a happy choice for measurements or rather observations. I did the calibration after it warmed up, you can feel it on the BNC sockets because they are warmer but ... I think it's more of a marketing ploy, these uV
Here the signal and voltage per division 2mV

and already confused. and an oscilloscope for 8k PLN

spy · Answer

Something will definitely help. 1104X-E:

rach_UMK · Answer

@spy I have the same model. Turn on other channels and e.g. mix (1 and add 3 or 4). You may see strange phenomena....

I don't know why, but for me channel 2 deviated the most (offset), but by combining channels (on, off) the offsets of individual channels changed slightly.
The hotter it is, the closer it is to "0", except for channel "2".
I don't remember, but let's assume channel 1 is like you in the picture, but by turning on, for example, channel 3, the signal on the screen with channel 1, for example, will lower it a bit.

Just out of curiosity, @zdzisiek1979, what about the offset in Rohde (cold, warm) in relation to post #12?

^ToM^ · Answer

Because it is a condition of today's constructions and it does not depend on the amount you spend. Even the more expensive ones have this problem.

CosteC · Answer

And what oscilloscope with similar sampling (1 GSps, 8 bit) and bandwidth (50-100 MHz) has significantly less noise?

tzok · Answer

This is what the offset and self-noise of the budget SDS1104X-U looks like:

spy · Answer

And you don't even need to switch between channels, just change the sensitivity and base. After a while, returning to the initial settings will show a larger offset Well, but it's such a problem with such sensitivities - probably a matter of compensation of the VGA amplifier. I read something about it once and the topic is not trivial.

CosteC · Answer

I don't know about SIGLENT, but the Rigol DS1054Z has an input stage on discrete transistors. At 0.5 mV/div, which is the 4 mV range, it floats thermally first of all. VGA is then, and rather, as an integrated circuit will float less. Such an input stage is cheap and with readily available components - which is important nowadays. Someone dismantled the siglent input stage maybe?

Seeking Recommendations for Affordable Digital Oscilloscope - No Analog or Computer Adapter

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