[time-nuts] Chinese Scopes (was: Re: LORAN-C at MIT)

Tom Knox actast at hotmail.com
Mon Apr 16 15:41:17 UTC 2012


I was speaking several years ago to someone at Tektronix and asked why they did not still make an analog scope.
He told me cost was the reason, simply price; to make a modern version of the 7104 or 2467B would cost nearly as much as an Italian sports car.
I have the Latest 40Gs/s scope and it is fantastic but still have a LeCroy LA354 analog (of sorts) scope as a second opinion. 
All that said, as someone who brokers equipment, it is difficult to justify as a reseller older scopes less the 500MHz in light of the great products coming out of China.

Thomas Knox



> Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:19:58 -0700
> From: garnere at gmail.com
> To: time-nuts at febo.com
> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Chinese Scopes (was: Re: LORAN-C at MIT)
> 
> I have the latest and greatest from both Tek and Agilent at work,
> designed and made right here in the states. They suffer from menu-itis
> just like the chinese stuff does. My Tek DSA 72004 at work is a
> complete PITA to use unless I have the mouse and keyboard attached. In
> my opinion, it's just how things are in the modern age.
> 
> 
> -Eric
> 
> On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 8:03 AM, J. Forster <jfor at quikus.com> wrote:
> > I often smile secretly at those who tout the latest asian stuff. It may be
> > small, light, and look like a 'puter, but it doesn't compare for bench use
> > to a Tek 7000 series similar vintage portables.
> >
> > Going through layer after layer of ever more obtuse menus is just not
> > 'user friendly' to me. Maybe it is to the designers, because they are used
> > to a 10,000+ character alphabet?
> >
> > -John
> >
> > ========
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 09:46:27AM +0200, Attila Kinali wrote:
> >>
> >>> > Sadly, the last scope I bought was a Chinese Rigol. (I do have "real"
> >>> > scopes too.) It is getting to the point where Rigol and Instek will
> >>> make
> >>> > buying boat anchors a thing of the past.
> >>>
> >>> What's the quality of those chinese scopes?
> >>
> >> I never had the opportunity to use good old Tek, HP or Fluke instruments,
> >> because I never had access to them, so when I begun to buy instruments for
> >> myself, I was completely unbiased and I looked to the price and spec
> >> sheets
> >> more than the maker.
> >>
> >> To start, I wanted to replace my very very old (but very good) analog
> >> multimeter, so I bought an handheld Metex digital multimer. I choose what
> >> was
> >> then their top item with thermocouple and PC connectivity.
> >> I had soon to give it away for free to a friend (who needed a wire
> >> continuity
> >> beeper) and I bought a Fluke 177. It costed me even more, it has not PC
> >> connectivity and thermocouple, but the Metex was completely unuseable
> >> while the
> >> Fluke is very good.
> >>
> >> Then it was the time for a scope, a function generator and a lab power
> >> supply.
> >> I bought all the three from Instek. The scope was the GDS-820S and as soon
> >> as I
> >> had the opportunity, I sold it and bought an Agilent DSO3062A. This
> >> Agilent too
> >> is very entry-level, the plastic case cracks easily, in general the
> >> quality is
> >> not near the level the other Agilent instruments I late bought (like the
> >> 34401A) but the Instek was unuseable while the Agilent is ok.
> >> (I still own the function generator and the power supply: being not
> >> precision
> >> items they are useable... but for precision I bought an used Wavetek
> >> generator)
> >>
> >> To sum it up, my experience is that good instruments are unvaluable, for
> >> work
> >> as well for hobby.... (for hobby it's even more important, because it's
> >> supposed
> >> you should enjoy doing it!)
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >> Andrea Baldoni
> >>
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> >>
> >
> >
> >
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> 
> 
> -- 
> --Eric
> _________________________________________
> Eric Garner
> 
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