Drive time rant.
Dave is sick of getting emails asking if the cheap toy DSO nano and FPGA/PIC/AVR oscilloscope kits are worth buying.
Guess his response... answers by telepathy please.

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By YTB

20 thoughts on “Eevblog #86 – buy a real analog oscilloscope please!”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Based Frequency says:

    Ok dad i will ❤

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Richard McMahon says:

    I have a Tektronix 475 and it works great. Very cheap on Ebay and it's not a toy. My scope has been serving me well for years.

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars durexyl says:

    Haha, watching this in 2022, so cool 😀

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Edw590 says:

    Well, there it is, Tek 2201, love it! Now gotta make some mods on it ahah. Thank for the advice! (I was really between USB cheap ones or an analogue, so analogue it is!)

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Tinkering Tim says:

    Still sounds like good advice. 11 years on do you think technology has changed enough to change this advice?

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars BitAurora says:

    is the recommendation from this video still valid in the year 2021?

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Peter O says:

    I did it. 😀 A Hameg 204-2 in wonderful condition from 1986. Fully functioning. Thx Dave for triggering this!

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars pepe6666 says:

    man no way. would rather have a toy digital scope than an analogue thing that cant measure dick. they just arent precise and just clunky & bulky and loud

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Raven star2018 says:

    Im totally new to electronics with very little money took notice of Your advice and just bought my first oscilloscope made by Gould for £60 and its a duel channel 20mhz works perfect cheers EEVblog

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ang Davies says:

    The DSO nano is far worse than a toy. Form over safety and function

    Aluminium is nicer looking than plastic, but is a terrible choice here

    It's a floating scope, you're going to have to ground it to take a measurement, at which point, presumably the entire body of the scope is at the same potential as your ground point (and if it's not directly connected, is at real risk of becoming so on accident when some component touches the inside of the case).

    You're probing something mains level, and are now holding a piece of metal at mains voltage.

    You're probing a car and ground onto something that isn't chassis, and put the oscilloscope down… boom, melted scope.

    Even if you use it on low voltage stuff, it takes away most of the point of a battery powered meter, if you can just as easily melt your scope and your circuit by where you ground as a stationary one, at least if you ground a big oscilloscope onto the mains you'll probably kill the power before yourself

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars ebonerobinson says:

    Great info, You are a super funny individual!

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Damian Zaręba says:

    USB Oscilloscopes are great when you don't have much space for analog or digital or whatever bench oscilloscope.

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Haze Anderson says:

    My 1st oscilloscope is a POS Kumar that you solder together (SMD pre soldered). All I need it for is #1 more soldering experience #2 what the heck is coming out of my op amps …. man I would LOVE to have a nice analog oscilloscope but maybe 1st I should learn Ohm's Law! 🤔 Dat ending tho! 😂

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Pavle Pavlovic says:

    Go buy please , that is all he does , go buy this , dont buy this , RIGOL , buy a rigol DSO, buy an analog DSO, garbage garbage that , i never saw him once using a scope , and i saw him test 100 of them

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Eng. Simoes says:

    This may be a great advice if you're in Germany, Japan or English speaking countries. Back in Brazil is way cheaper and easier to get cheapos like the Hanteks, the Owons and whatnots. 50 bucks can get you a probe. Believe me, I tried.

    P.S. God bless the Chinese.

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars neail says:

    Thanks ,i have been looking for an assuring answer

  17. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars moaaz mahmoud says:

    i just cant get one im my country and 400$ is about 7500LE and it's extremely high price that i can't afford what to do ??

  18. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars luigi mario says:

    Hey, what gives? They aren't giving the analog scopes away on ebay Aus anymore: certainly nothing for $50) … I blame your video, Dave:

  19. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Olivier Groovy says:

    i never bought USB low cost or DSO nano because of video like that one and….. so, i been able to get a analog oscilloscope.
    it was my first one and i live in France. the choice was limited and my knowledge too so, i've spend 130EUR on a beckman industrial circuitmate 9020 it's a 2CH 20MHZ oscilloscope with component test (lissajou pattern… that's excellent) and x,y mode.
    this is not the best oscilloscope because it can only show in live what's happening on what i test.. but, at least it do go up to 20mhz without problem
    so, all i can say is Thanks a lot…. that video have make me save money for more useful projects and no garbage tiny DSO.
    now, because that video is really old and DSO are way better (and for the price of that old Rigol thing), i want a real DSO a benchtop a real thing and of course i i'll keep my old analog oscilloscope because it have some functions that not exist anymore!

  20. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Daniel H says:

    I agree on the CRT based scopes, I was given a BK 2120 by a friend and I like using it. It developed a trace issue where the trace will fall off the bottom of the screen as it warms up. I ended up picking up a new Rigol scope but I still plan on fixing the BK, sometimes an old analogue scope is just nicer to use.

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