Measuring stuff like that unless you need real amplitude parameters is best done by picking up the radiation. That affects the circuit the least. Reme mber the law in science, you cannot measure anything without affecting it. If you think that through very carefully you will find it to be absolutely true but I know the usual question like telescopes, and I have the answer t o that. But for now as my friend Raphael would say - f*ck all that.
Depending on the gain your oscillator had, the probe capacitance could have killed it. If you use the loop method, you are going to need a very sensit ive scope, I doubt 5mV/div would show you much. Capacitively might be bette r, just don't ground anything and get the probe near the collector. If you used the design on that page and there is not inductor the loop trick will not work well. When you use a coil then it is better.
The capacitance of the probe on the collector, remember even though it is l oaded by the capacitive divider and no doubt that got it a lower collector resistor, you are still feeding the emitter. That makes the collector outpu t "soft" in a manner of speaking. Like the focus voltage to a CRT, it usual ly has such low current behind it you just don't have to worry about it. Ju st your body will short it out and you might not even feel it.
That type of oscillator usually needs a buffer. If youo have use for two po larities of it then use an FET and take off the source and drain with equal load resistors on it, of whatever value you need. (then you pick the FET w hen you know all the parameters you require)
Or you can use an emitter follower. that is actually a misnomer because the y call THAT stage an emitter follower but in it nothing follows the emitter . It is actually a common collector configuration. The emitter follows the base and it presents much less of a load to the previous stage.
On common this and that, like your common base. Learning ? Learn this. ALL TRANSISTORS ARE COMMON EMITTER. The emitter is the terminal of the device t hat is common to the input and output. the difference in what they call com mon emitter, collector or base stages only means which way you pointed it i n the circuits. The transistor hasn't changed. Which terminal is at signal ground ?
Common collector you get current gain but no voltage gain. Common base you get voltage gain but no current gain. Common emitter you can actually have both but that does not make it right f or every circuit.
If you are interested enough to get through this shit then you might just l ike this field. And understand I look at things in a very unconventional ma nner. However I submit this - I am successful at it.
Oscillators are not my strong point but I can see the circuit. the output i mpedance is higher than you would think at quick glance. Usually it is like the collector load resistor, and I guess it is. But that doesn't mean capa citance can't stop it. up in the MHz range it doesn't take much.
One thing you might like, I don't feel like finding the link right now so j ust go search for impedance nomograph. There will be a hit at some universi ty. It is in HTML sorta, but I think Java or whatever. You can save it if y ou know how, then you don't have to get online to use it. But just bookmark ing might be alright, it seems to be staying put.
If you have interest and drive you might like this field. But I have this t o say, get your running shoes on because once you catch up you don't get a rest. Technology moves fast these days. You want to catch it you have to be fast.