Oscilloscope Training Class (long)

Thread Starter

w2aew

Joined Jan 3, 2012
219
I helped teach a class on the basics of oscilloscopes to the New Jersey Antique Radio Club. This club is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of antique radios - mainly from the golden age of broadcasting. The class was geared entirely around analog scopes, since that's the type of scope that these guys would most likely come across or have access to for their radio restoration projects. We affectionately called the class "Scopes for Dopes", and it was a great success.


Fortunately, the session was videotaped. We had two projectors going - one with presentation slides, and one with a video camera feed that was focused on a few scopes on a table for demonstration.


NJARC Oscilloscope School a.k.a. "Scopes For Dopes"



To make it easier to navigate this long video - over 2 hours long, here is a list of time-stamps and the topics that begin at those timestamps. Using this "table of contents", you can easily move the youtube player location to the topic of interest.


0:00:00 Opening and Agenda
0:02:50 Brief History of Oscilloscopes – with Al Klase
0:15:00 Start of Basics of Oscilloscopes – with Alan Wolke
0:19:00 Basic Block Diagram of an Oscilloscope
0:19:50 Oscilloscope / Display Overview
0:23:00 Display Section Functions and Controls
0:28:10 Vertical Section Description
0:33:17 Vertical Scale / Coupling Controls, Input Impedance
0:38:04 Vertical Mode Controls
0:48:05 In-circuit Example of using two traces on the oscilloscope
0:52:41 Horizontal Section Description
0:53:48 Horizontal Sweep Types & Controls
1:10:15 Triggering (Synchronization) Section Description
1:13:19 Trigger Source, Mode and Coupling Controls
1:19:56 Trigger Level and Slope Controls
1:23:29 Introduction to Oscilloscope Probes
1:31:45 1X and 10X Passive Probes
1:34:00 10X Probe Compensation and Use Considerations
1:48:48 XY Mode of Operation
2:00:12 Front Panel Control Layout
2:02:20 Pop Quiz!
2:03:00 Wrap Up: Oscilloscope adds Intuitive Feel to circuit operation
2:04:45 Questions and Answers
2:13:35 Brief History of Oscilloscope Tubes

Also, if you are interested, I have a couple of other oscilloscope videos on my YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/w2aew
...including a tutorial on 1X and 10X probes...
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Well I am a little upset because I didn't get any pizza but this is a great video so I am willing to overlook it. :)

I watched the first half and like what I see. I am going to try and watch the remainder this week.

Maybe approach a forum mod and see if it can be added to the list of videos?


How often is this class? Is it open to anyone? I might be willing to drive down to NJ if it is held again and it is open to say forum members.
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
If you are affiliated with Tektronix, a similar class on logic analyzers would be cool too.

I have a cheap PC based version but I suspect it is similar to the stand alone versions. It sure would be nice to learn about all of the functionality. I am barely scratching the surface on how I use it.
 

jakegwood

Joined Apr 13, 2011
29
w2aew, I noticed your video linked to a clip shot in Camp Evans. I live right down the street from Camp Evans, and a couple years ago I went to a building a Xtal radio workshop by NJARC there. I would be interested about talking to you more about the group/becoming involved, would you be able to private message me about that?
 

Thread Starter

w2aew

Joined Jan 3, 2012
219
Maybe approach a forum mod and see if it can be added to the list of videos?


How often is this class? Is it open to anyone? I might be willing to drive down to NJ if it is held again and it is open to say forum members.
Maybe it would just be nice it it was made a "sticky" to make it easy to find. I have another 20+ shorter instructional videos on my youtube channel that might be useful too.

The class was arranged by the NJ Antique Radio Club - it isn't a regular event. I have some friends in the club, and they asked if I would be willing to put some material together and present it to the group - that's how it came about.
 

Thread Starter

w2aew

Joined Jan 3, 2012
219
Nice vid :)
I got a really nice GW Instek for christmas and love it, a video on digital scopes would be awesome :D
There are several videos on my YouTube channel that involve digital scopes as well as analog scopes, but are not full length instructional videos. Some examples are:

These two that talk about how to get a stable display on an analog or digital scope for two signals that are close in frequency, and two signals that are very different in frequency:. Here's one showing how to use an analog scope for the latter example.

Here's one that describes a microphone preamp / EQ, and uses a digital scope to show the performance.

Here's one that shows how to capture an infrequent glitch (or not) with various analog and digital scopes.

There are quite a few others too, so take a look if you'd like.
 

Thread Starter

w2aew

Joined Jan 3, 2012
219
w2aew, I noticed your video linked to a clip shot in Camp Evans. I live right down the street from Camp Evans, and a couple years ago I went to a building a Xtal radio workshop by NJARC there. I would be interested about talking to you more about the group/becoming involved, would you be able to private message me about that?
Sure - but I don't see how to PM in this forum. I am not a member of NJARC, but I know a lot of them. I can put you in touch with them Here's their website. You can send me an email - the address is <my forum handle> "at" arrl <dot> net.

They meet at the old Camp Evans, in the Marconi Hotel. In fact, I used to work at Camp Evans myself in the mid-80's. As you know, Camp Evans is now part of a historical preservation consortium called InfoAge. NJARC is one of the clubs that is affiliated with them.
 
Last edited:

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
You can send a PM to a member by clicking to their Username hyperlink and selecting "send an instant message" in the dropdown list.

I 'll give the video a look when I can and stick it if it's as good as you guys say.
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
Gave the video a quick view. I must admit poor audio and non-textbook accent don't make an easy listening for non-american viewers.

I won't clutter the forum overhead but sticking the thread itself, but I 'll fit its link somewhere.
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
Oh, well, I couldn't find an appropriate category for it, so I sticked it as is.

Maybe we should tidy up our stickies sometime, espeically the external links.
 

Thread Starter

w2aew

Joined Jan 3, 2012
219
Gave the video a quick view. I must admit poor audio and non-textbook accent don't make an easy listening for non-american viewers.
.
Hah - I didn't think I had an accent!! LOL! Thanks for the sticky!

By the way, I posted a new video yesterday, addressing the question that I get very often: "How much bandwidth should I look for when buying an oscilloscope"

Here's the new video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ1Dv2dVGkU
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Try a better microphone, one with more directionality so the background noise doesn't drown out the rest of the noise, and have a second directional mike to give to people asking questions.

I can't hear so good, I'm a native American English speaker (as opposed to UK English, I'm not an injun), and I missed out some stuff that was said by most audience, and half of your content when you turned away from the mic while speaking.

I didn't notice an accent, but I come from the Accent-Free midwest (Dakotas), which is "Movie English" unless they are going for a Jersey/New York/Boston/Southern accent on purpose, or a Western Minnesota one like in the movie "Fargo". UBetcha.
 

Thread Starter

w2aew

Joined Jan 3, 2012
219
Try a better microphone, one with more directionality so the background noise doesn't drown out the rest of the noise, and have a second directional mike to give to people asking questions.

I can't hear so good, I'm a native American English speaker (as opposed to UK English, I'm not an injun), and I missed out some stuff that was said by most audience, and half of your content when you turned away from the mic while speaking.

I didn't notice an accent, but I come from the Accent-Free midwest (Dakotas), which is "Movie English" unless they are going for a Jersey/New York/Boston/Southern accent on purpose, or a Western Minnesota one like in the movie "Fargo". UBetcha.
Unfortunately, the video recording of this class was a last minute decision by one of the club members. Considering the equipment they used (a portable digital camera on a tripod), I thought the video editor did a remarkable job. Admittedly, the sound quality is lousy, but considering that it the decision to tape it happened about 15min before the class started, it's not that bad.

And of course, if you have any questions about what you may have missed, please ask me!
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Hah - I didn't think I had an accent!! LOL! Thanks for the sticky!

By the way, I posted a new video yesterday, addressing the question that I get very often: "How much bandwidth should I look for when buying an oscilloscope"

Here's the new video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ1Dv2dVGkU
Your voice is clear in this one, background is just right for clicking switches.

Can you do one on digital scopes and required sample rate/bandwidth for the exact same circuit?


Final question, I have an old but mostly functional 2445 here, but the delay when I pull out the sweep doesn't work. Pulling out gives no display change or zoom, I don't use that scope much, wondering if I just need to clean contacts if I want to bother with it. I like it over digital for slow signals sometimes.
 

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Unfortunately, the video recording of this class was a last minute decision by one of the club members. Considering the equipment they used (a portable digital camera on a tripod), I thought the video editor did a remarkable job. Admittedly, the sound quality is lousy, but considering that it the decision to tape it happened about 15min before the class started, it's not that bad.

And of course, if you have any questions about what you may have missed, please ask me!

All of the coughing and noise in the classroom was a bit annoying but not sure how you could of handled that without filming it without students. People should at least know to turn cell phones off during a class :(.

A mic that could be passed around for questions would have been good idea. It would be nice to near the questions.

Which speaker were you? I thought the main speaker (I have only watched about half so far) was a Tek engineering (and I think you said you did not work for Tek).

And for the record I did not hear an accent either but I am from Western Pennsylvania. :)
 
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