My First Meter and Oscilloscope Recommendation Purchase

mtonge

Joined Apr 19, 2016
93
I am looking at an oscilloscope kit from Sparkfun for about $60. I love kits, and I want a scope too. Apparently, the kit does not include the power supply or probes (pretty basic) but they are also available. With your budget, you are probably looking for something on the higher end.
 

OBW0549

Joined Mar 2, 2015
3,566
I have about $800 I can spend, What is the groups suggestions on Meter's and Oscilloscope's
That depends entirely on what you need these instruments to do and what you're going to be using them for. For some uses, any given choice of meter or oscilloscope might be gross overkill and unnecessarily expensive; for others, those same instruments might be woefully inadequate.

What are you going to be doing with them?
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
What are you going to be doing with them?
That really is the bottom line.
I use a $4 meter from Harbor Freight and a 15 MHz, dual trace scope, but I don't do RF and very little digital switching, so these are good enough for me. (I'm mostly in audio, precision analog, and controller boards.)
Other people would laugh at me because these instruments are pretty low-end compared to their work.
So...whatcha in to?

(I also have a $300 Fluke meter which they don't make any more. That is what I use for the serious measurements.)
 

Thread Starter

DrPepper

Joined Feb 13, 2017
10
That depends entirely on what you need these instruments to do and what you're going to be using them for. For some uses, any given choice of meter or oscilloscope might be gross overkill and unnecessarily expensive; for others, those same instruments might be woefully inadequate.

What are you going to be doing with them?
I Am working on a lot of IoT. I am in the process of doing a full house automation. Still trying to figure out how to automate taking the trash can to the driveway. lol

Here is a project I am working on now. And the kind of issues I am dealing with. I don't mind a little overkill if it saves me re-buying later.
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/guaranteeing-smooth-power-to-the-esp8266.132243/
 

Thread Starter

DrPepper

Joined Feb 13, 2017
10
So, what frequencies do these things use?

And, yes, good quality in the first place might make this the only scope you ever buy.
I am not sure what frequencies. I know I will be working with USA Power so 60mhz.
I know I see a lot of PNP and NPN transistors in my future. lol
but will be also working with adrinieo type sensors, A few that come to mind are:
Passive Infrared (PIR) Sensors
Mirco Wave (MW) Sensors
Ultrasonic Sensors
Vibration Sensors
Temp Sensors

I don't see me doing a lot of Music or Audio other than some voice control
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
Once you figure out what you need, consider used equipment and save some money.
There may still be some CROs being got rid of cheap as people go digital.

A top of the range second hand DMM could be more accurate than a cheap new one.

Probably worth paying a bit more for instruments with recent calibration labels.
 

shteii01

Joined Feb 19, 2010
4,644
Regarding DMM.

You are in luck. Right now there is a seller on ebay who is selling Keysight U1252B DMM. This is high end dmm, usually sold for 350-400 USD. Comparable to Fluke 87 Series 5. You can get it for the princely sum of 200 USD plus shipping. The seller list price is 225, don't pay that, make an offer of 200 and it will go through.

For the record. I have two of these in the mail. Should be here end of the week or next week.
 

Thread Starter

DrPepper

Joined Feb 13, 2017
10
Yep. And not a real good start.
I agree. Just staring out, so not sure
Good choice. You can hack it and increase bandwidth from 50 MHz to 100 MHz.
I picked it up, 399$. I I guess I need to start watching more YouTube (Oscilloscope For Dummies)
Hopefully this will help me better understand what I am doing.
I been looking for Classes in my area, but nothing yet LOL
 

Thread Starter

DrPepper

Joined Feb 13, 2017
10
That's not an answer. Do you want us to look up all those devices for you and find the right frequency range?

U.S. power lines are not 60 millihertz or 60 megahertz. They are just 60 Hz.
Sorry, I did not want you to look them up, Just a Perfect example of not understand the question :)
 

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
I agree. Just staring out, so not sure

I picked it up, 399$. I I guess I need to start watching more YouTube (Oscilloscope For Dummies)
Hopefully this will help me better understand what I am doing.
I been looking for Classes in my area, but nothing yet LOL
What did you buy ?
 
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