Instek Oscilloscopes

Don't know but I currently have the "pleasure" to use a newer low end Tek scope (TDS220 or something like that) at a client. To say it mildly, I am not enthused. The probes that came with it are a joke compared to the Tek probes in my lab and the knobs and buttons feel loose and cheap.

Ok, I am a bit biased here because I don't like digital scopes much but on this thing I am always afraid something will break off if I touch it.

(My thoughts as well. The TDS I recently tried to use had the look, feel and build quality of a kid's toy. Must have cost 'em tuppence to manufacture).

It also has a really sluggish frame rate. Can drive you nuts when chasing noise. Bottomline I suggested to buy a "real" scope, maybe a nicely refurbed Tektronix 2465. Something that works.

My favorite scope. :)

In article , snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (known to some as snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com) scribed...

The current run of Tektronix products feel to me like kids' toys (and badly made ones at that) compared to their older stuff.

If I were shopping for a new 'scope, and had the bucks to burn, I'd check in with LeCroy (the WaveRunner series) before I'd even glance at current Tek stuff.

Keep the peace(es).

At this end of the market they are all pretty much the same in terms of performance and build quality, be it Tek, Agilent (actually a rebadged Rigol), Instek et.al Buy based on a) price, and b) what spec/feature is most important to you.

The Instek/Goodwill GDS-2064 has 25K sample memory, that's pretty good, the Tek only has a pathetic 2.5KB.

Dave :)

In my opinion, they are not that bad. The Instek scope that I have is the same price as a laptop, and it can also do image and video capture like this:

"The video shows the voltage spikes at the NO terminal of a CMOS SPDT during switching transitions."

However, in terms of the waveform displays, I seem to prefer the TDS3000B scopes that we have at school. The bad thing is that those do not have USB connections and still rely on floppy discs.

The Instek scope that I have feels like a toy also, but I don't mind its performance since it is just a starter scope. I am thinking of getting an analog scope as soon as I can save up some money.... or request more student aid. Hahaha.

Mine too, accept no sustitute.

The day I get rid of that scope is the day there are no more to cannibalise for spares, but so far, no need.

"Something that works" - can only be an engineer :-)...

Chris

I've been leaning towards the Instek. I don't like that it's twice as thick as the Tek, but I also don't like the Tek's smaller memory. Which model do you have? Is the frame rate very sluggish? How is the responsiveness and feel of the knobs and switches?

I had to leave it behind when Microdyne shut the plant down. :(

You can still find them on EBay. Of course one has to trust the seller that things like the CRT are still good. One issue we found was that there are rarely any probes coming with the offered scopes. A good set of Tek probes can set you back as much as the scope itself, or more.

I know that. :( I lucked out when I got the 2465B at Microdyne. The vertical amp chip is a higher failure item than the CRT, so good tubes are floating around.

Someone in engineering swiped the 100 Hz 2 Ch scope I had just received from the cal lab on the weekend, and took it out into the field. The lab manager got quite upset, so when HIS 2465B that had just come in from the dealer arrived, it was assigned to my bench, and he got to keep the 100 MHz dual Ch scope for his bench. :) When he found out, he stormed back to my work area and told me he was going to take it. I laughed and reminded him that I was at the plant two hours earlier than him, every day and that he DIDN'T want to make me mad. ;-)

It looks like I won't be doing much more bench work, anyway. I have started to clean out the shop, and that will probably take me a couple years. I haven't even turned on my old Tek 453B in over five years. :(