Handheld O-scope

Anyone have one of those small handheld digital O-Scopes? I was wondering if they were any good for radio repair. Som of them are not too pricey and take up a lot less bench space.

Hmmm. Never heard of them. I'm happy with meters, tube testers, and, signal generators.
Bill Cahill

On your posting at ARF the specs say the power supply is set for 100 VAC/240VAC, Make sure it isn't a typo cause we run on 120VAC. Looks like a pig in a poke.

Well, I've looked at the Velleman and the DSO Nano and have tried to determine if they are suitable as well.

My first guess is they may not be able to handle the input ranges from a signal though a tube radio. I need to do some digging though.

There is one other option I am about to explore and that is the DIY oscope from Sparkfun (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9484)

It looks as if there were a myriad of problems with this unit when it first came out, but I emailed Sparkfun and they pretty much guaranteed it - having made several changes over the past couple of years, as well as improving the instruction and documentation (it is manufactured by a foreign company and sold through Sparkfun).

Just FYI ... I've been looking for an oscope and signal generator to replace the ones I lost (in a fire) ... and any time I'm about to come close to being successful on eBay and winning a piece of good usable equipment, some 'picker' will come in at the last minute and high-ball it.

It's too bad really ... you could pick up some really good equipment inexspensively - and actually put the equipment to a good and productive use - what it was made for - but you can take a quick gander at the purchaser profile and surmise it will wind up hoarded on their shelf for another 5 years or more.

Oh well ... I made my point I think.

Tektronix has a good little handheld O'scope that was made in conjunction with Sony. I wish I had one,as I drool every time I see one. Most people don't sell good stuff, just the bad.

Resistance is Futile wrote:Tektronix has a good little handheld O'scope that was made in conjunction with Sony. I wish I had one,as I drool every time I see one. Most people don't sell good stuff, just the bad.

I'm finding this out the hard way![u]

The Sony/TEK 300-series range in bandwidth of around 1MHz (323?) to 35MHz (335). The 335 is a handful of a handheld, but is a dual-trace, delayed-sweep model WITHOUT internal batteries but capable of external battery operation.

Tektronix also has the 200-series: 211, 212, 213, 214 and 221 and the newer versions that were digital. the 211, 212 and 214 are 500KHz bandwidth, the 213 with a very sophisticated built-in DMM that uses the CRT display for readout is 1MHz and the 221 is 5MHz. The 212 and 214 are dual-trace, the others single trace.

Those may not work well with the older tv's. Modern scopes tend to not have some of the frequencies that the older sets run on.
Bill Cahill

Dean Huster wrote:The Sony/TEK 300-series range in bandwidth of around 1MHz (323?)

hello Dean,
the little 323 goes streight up to 5MHz. I have one restorred,
see http://www.wellenkino.de/323
But the probe must compensate 47pF

greetings
Martin

I use similar to Bill on Radios. I have a few scopes, I picked up a watterman scope recently to restore. But as far as radios I mainly use a meter, tube tester, a homemade signal tracer and a signal generator to inject a signal to trace. You can use them but I got out of the habit on scopes on radios for the most part.

The Tek 224 is a 10 Mhz storage and a one shot storage, but most EBay prices on that 20-25 year200 series are ridiculous. You can get a New small portable scope with a lot more features for less bucks. Even the Chinese brand scopes are low cost, and remember most are made in China nowadays, anyways.

hello Cliff,

224A is the fast little DSO with 60 MHz,
the 10 MHz is a 222A

the payment is horrible, inside all SMD, no easy repair.
I have a 222A, no fun !

greetings
Martin

I would love to Have it on my workbench just because of the small footprint. But horrors on the price.

I have a Tip for you

Buy a scope from the american company "Non linear systems"

Its analog, smaller then a 222 and works up to 15 MHz,
the price is almost OK.
They have a one channel and a two channel version.

I like more to use a great old Tek like a triple nickel.

greetings
Martin

Alas NLS no longer makes the scope, but there are some to be had on EBay occasionally

this is the cute little NLS scope



greetings
Martin