Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

Gough Lui — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 06:21:09 GMT

A nicely comprehensive preview [mention:5113eb164b024bb2b527087f480871a9:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] - unfortunate to hear of the quality issues and intermittency you discovered early into your testing.

I'm not entirely sure, but at times, some RoadTest items have been ex-demo units used by local distributors that have travelled a fair distance, others are from early initial-run output as they are getting their production lines up to speed. Sometimes the packaging and serial numbers can be a clue for this, but regardless, I would still not expect to see scratches, loose screws etc. I suspect your intermittency may stem from a board-to-board connection internally potentially being jolted out of place over time due to vibrations/shipping. Clicking during start-up is perhaps normal as many units would try to do a self-test of all their modules as they start-up - the hang may be indicative of a unit failing the inbuilt self-test but without telling you (visually on screen) as to which, instead opting perhaps to retry over and over. I wonder if there's any potential chassis flexing that the loose screw could have led to ...

Regardless, I look forward to seeing the final review after Tek have given it a once-over.

- Gough

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

geralds — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 23:32:20 GMT

Hi - nice part one of your review.

Hm,,, the open screws seems to me that the housing was open once, was it?

So it seems not! just cosmetic. Just for me because I just have seen your uploaded photographs.

May be someone took a little bit looking into the inside, "anybody here?" [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-79669044-3944-4876-bb6c-50c54aa2f26e/contentimage_5F00_930.png:16:16] Mr. Incognito.

May be the housing was opened because any upgrades was be migrated.

But yes, this oszilloscope is amazing thing.

This thing would be fine important in my lab in developing the circuits.

I'm curious to your review in the details.

Best Regards

Gerald

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RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

Andrew J — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 22:56:13 GMT

NIce review so far. It’s a shame the unit wasn’t in the best of shape when you got it. I’m not sure about the looks of the machine, perhaps it’s a design that will grow on me. I think it looks like a Roberts radio!

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

Instructorman — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 17:35:33 GMT

I enjoyed reading your first impression blog on the Tektronix 3-series Donald.

In terms of start up time, my Tektronix MDO4104-3 takes about 70 seconds to boot up as well. I have gotten used to it, but I do tend to turn it on early in the day and keep it on all day long.

Though this may not be related to the build quality issues you and Gerrit have noticed, I have had some quality assurance issues with Tektronix on the service side. I sent a Tek scope for service to the Oregon depot and it came back with the window missing on the option module slots. The missing window prevented the option licenses from seating securely, so I had to send the scope to Oregon again to have the window installed. This sort of sloppiness should be caught in a final QA prior to shipping. Makes me wonder if Tektronix has some systemic QA issues.

Then again, I had a brand new Keysight instrument arrive through standard vendor channels that was DOA and had to be returned.

Every company struggles to sustain a high quality standard. Occasionally mistakes slip through the cracks. Especially bad when they slip through on Road Test products.

Mark A.

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

gpolder — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 15:44:33 GMT

After reading your blog and carefully checking my own unit, guess what?

[View:/resized-image/__size/620x465/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-79669044-3944-4876-bb6c-50c54aa2f26e/8267.contentimage_5F00_205463.jpg:620:465]

[View:/resized-image/__size/620x408/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-79669044-3944-4876-bb6c-50c54aa2f26e/7510.contentimage_5F00_205464.png:620:408]

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

jc2048 — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 13:57:31 GMT

Good start to your reviewing. That made for an interesting read.

"..., American style mains lead IEC connector..."

My Tek 'scope came with a whole load of different European leads, so I would think you getting an American one was probably a function of it being a review machine and not coming through the usual supply channels.

"The interconnecting lead between the digital probe headers and the oscilloscope has not been supplied within the package."

The digital probe set I got was complete and included the lead to the 'scope - all the separate item bags were then packed in a larger plastic bag carrying the whole set.

"...it did start-up taking around 70 seconds to do so..."

I've got a five-year-old MSO2022B (not a patch on what you're testing here, of course) and that takes 52 seconds to get going. I find even that frustrating. [I've just tried my old Tek 2215 CRT-display 'scope and that takes under 15 seconds to warm up and be usable.]

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

genebren — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 22:15:38 GMT

Donald,

What a great start to your roadtest review. While the unit looks absolutely stunning, with some high quality probes, it is a shame that there were quality issues and missing parts. Hopefully they get everything corrected and you are left with everything you need, looking the way it should.

I look forward to more of your results on this roadtest!

Good luck,

Gene

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

shabaz — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 21:59:59 GMT

Hi Donald.

Thanks for satisfying our curiosity and posting information about the MDO so soon : )

Regarding quality, it's not normal, I've seen plenty of Tek 'scopes at work, and have owned one, and they seem well made. Working for an equipment manufacturer, I'd get equipment to learn on, and sometimes it would come via a different path compared to the path for real purchasing customers, so that's a possibility too. Although, we'd sometimes just deliberately order using the same process as customers (just with a massive discount), to test out the ordering/product builder tools on the website, etc. Having said that, I've got a piece of Keysight equipment that came new with a loud fan, it scrapes against the enclosure : ( I didn't return it because I can live with it, it sorts itself out after a few minutes of operation each time it is powered on. Regarding teardown, at least the spectrum analyzer portion is a precision instrument, I wouldn't personally tear it down either. I just don't get that curious to want to ruin such pieces of equipment, since it's more interesting using it and reporting on that.. everyone's different of course.

Anyway, I hope it gets sorted out soon, so that you've got the instrument in its correct state.

Incidentally, the BNC cable with the alligator clips could cause anomalies in measurements (i.e. the view on the 'scope may be incorrect) unless it is a slow-changing signal, but it would be hard to know for sure, without knowing the source signal. So, normally a real 'scope probe would need to be used. The exception is coax with 50 ohm mode set on the 'scope, but that's only for certain situations (it would damage the scope if set to that mode and connected to a high power source).

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

Jan Cumps — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 20:57:38 GMT

You’d expect they check the item 5 times before sending it for out for an online review.

RE: Tektronix 3 Series MDO - Part 1: First Impressions

gpolder — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 20:35:33 GMT

Great work Donald, also a lot of comparable findings compared to my experience, although I am not as far as you, but I have two weeks vacation ahead.