Oscilloscope

I would also lean towards the $30 oscilloscope as a starter.  This leaves some budget for a function generator.  If you plan on looking at anything with mains voltage, you'll need to double your budget.  I agree with scottiebabe (Scott Stobbe) that the Multicomp Pro MP720016 is a great choice.  It comes with a 1x/10x probe that allows you to work on higher voltage circuits.

My Gould dual channel 20MHz scope came from a skip !

I confess to looking in skips when I walk past but have never seen anything very useful let alone an oscilloscope...usually just rubble, old doors, empty paint cans and broken toilet seats. I must look harder

electronicslearner101 Sorry but 20Mhz is more or less a joke. Go find yourself a good used Tektronix 465 from eBay, etc. there about $200+. But they are 200Mhz.

~~Cris

BTW I have a 465B and use it all the time.

We're advising instruments that are 40 years or older. If they have issues (and they will) you have to work inside a box with very high voltage, and you need an oscilloscope to troubleshoot defects.

electronicslearner101   Jeffrey, Congratulations on the new oscilloscope.  New.  New to you.  They're cool instruments.  I look forward to your posts.

Jan Cumps Hey Jan when do you think the 645 was in production. I used one at Interdata in 1976, lets see that is 45 years ago! never skipped a beat.  I personally own the 4465B (198) still on my desk!!. I also have had 7844 dual beam beast with 3x 7A24 vertical dual plug-ins. I lost that when I lost my house!! I wish I still had it. You could do timing on a bus all day long!

~~Cris

The production stopped in the early 80s.

Here is background on what to expect if you buy one from ebay now: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-465b-oscilloscope-workable/

Maybe baldengineer has fixed his 465B Tek 465B Additional Teardown Pictures  ? Last time I saw an update from him, 2 channels had problems.

I think you make a very reasonable point about old scopes - which can be extended to second hand scopes in general.

I have two LeCroy scopes - both bought new, both non- working and reapir too expensive to be worth while. It's a shame,

because when working they were very nice to use.

So I think I should refine my advice on old scopes, only buy very cheap and seen to be working.

BTW if anyone fancies their chances at fixing a LeCroy 44Mxi or 610Zi or wants to take a punt at getting LeCroy to fix them,

free to a good home - but you have to collect from South West Scotland. The last quote from LeCroy at fixing the 7 year old 610Zi was

between £3500 and £5000. They won't provide any service info at all. It seems to have an intermittent power

supply fault, probably a leaky cap or duff surge supressor - but without info I can't even work out how to get at the PSU.

MK

Here's an opportunity. Its a RedPitaya STEMLab 125-10 Kit tryout for making student projects https://www.redpitaya.com/p1/stemlab-125-10-starter-kit

https://go.redpitaya.com/get-a-free-red-pitaya-for-a-student-project (the form looks still open. Give a try)

Sadly, my 465B was further damaged during my move last year. On the upside, it was the only one of my instruments to not survive. On the downside, it has enough damage now I don't think it is worth repairing anymore.