Best Lab Oscilloscopes
DS1054Z Features 50 MHz Analog Bandwidth Total of 4 Analog Channels Maximum Waveform Capture Rate of up to 30,000 wfms/s Includes 4 RP2200 150 MHz Passive HighZ Probes Low noise floor USB Host for Thumb Drive Large 7 Display 12 Mpts of Memory - upgradeable to 24 Customer Feedback I have used the scope for basic measurements so far, mostly audio signals and comparisons of such signals. Highly recommended for tight budgets and high expectations Customer Submitted Image UltraVision Rigol's innovative UltraVision technology provides a deeper memory depth of 12Mpts standard and is upgradeable to 24 Mpts (with purchase of MEM-DS1000Z).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Given how incredibly popular this model (and its older siblings) has been with hobbyists, Rigol might do well to write a manual geared towards beginner, a general digital oscilloscope primer in essence. (The manual reminds me of a typical SLR camera manual, which is great if you understand photography well, and useless if you don't!). [Edit 1: I've since heard conflicting reports on this point; the manual says it does have a hardware counter, and indeed it does provide higher resolution frequency measurement. Unlike more expensive models, this oscilloscope does not have a hardware frequency counter, so all frequency measurements are calculated from the waveform captured by the DACs. [/edit]. Rigol offers software for Windows only, but the scope's USB and Ethernet interfaces are totally industry-standard, so there is third-party software for both Mac and Linux to connect to it. The scope includes 4 probes with removable hooks, ground wires, ground springs, yellow tip insulators, and a tool for adjusting probe compensation. The manuals for the probes list the parts, but don't tell you how to use them. (Newbie tip: the ground wires pull off, then you can wiggle the ground spring onto the probe tip, essentially giving the probe a ground tip parallel to the signal tip, for measuring chips and stuff, or for plugging into headers.)."
"Meaurement functions are easier to get to than on any other scope I have used. I've used this in the past to use a scope to do a fairly complex trigger sequence and then trigger a separate frequency counter to measure the frequency of a short burst. But what they apparently mean by "double" is that there are two probes in each package (and 2 packages)...so 4 probes total, as one would expect with a 4 ch scope."
"Wow, scope technology has come a long way since my Silicon Valley days back in the Dark Ages!"
"We run a low-margin repair shop and have been stuck using an antique analog oscilloscope."
"I haven't had to dive into any of the more niche features, so I can't speak about them, but the standard features all work as expected (measurements are accurate, triggering works, user interface is intuitive most of the time)."
"Good product."
"2weeks and working fine, mainly used for auntomotive ignition troubleshooting, analog circuit and low frequency (~4 Mhz clocks) electronics design and works great, very solid feeling btw."
"I have been pleasantly surprised with this Oscilloscope."
It has a minimum vertical input range of 500 UV/Div, an innovative digital trigger system with high sensitivity and low jitter, and a waveform capture rate of 400, 000 frames/sec (sequence mode). Another powerful addition is the new 1M points FFT math function that gives the sds1000x-e very high frequency resolution when observing signal Spectra. Standard serial bus triggering and decode, supports iic, spi, uart, Rs232, can, and lin.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Serial Decoding, FFT, enabling the full bandwidth, and a Calibration certificate (among others) are all included in the $379 price and would cost over $250.00 in “Options” from competitors. My biggest complaints on this oscilloscope: I could not find an obvious way to do boxcar averaging or to set the trigger position on the screen without changing the sweep delay time."
"This is an insanely low price for a 200Mhz oscilloscope packing in sophisticated features which are normally only found in much higher priced models."
"I tested the scope and there is no difference in attenuation while using one or both channels which supports the claim that the two channels are each 200Mhz."
"It’s not right for me to bare the retuerning charges ....because the first unit had a moving object inside...... also I was told that I will not bare the returning charges."
"Almost bought a Rigol but I did my research and went with Siglent."
"Most "bang for your buck" in instrumentation today."
"Scope hardware is top notch, especially for the money."
"Great O'scope for the price.....lots of functions."
This DS1102E DSO provides powerful PC application software: UltraScope, which enables to: Capture and measure wave; Perform local or remote operation; Save waves as .bmp format; Save files as .txt or .xls format; Print waveforms. Other features include: Built-in help menu enables information getting more convenient, Multiple Language User Interface, support Chinese & English input; Support U disk and local files storage; Waveform intensity can be adjusted: To display a signal automatically by AUTO; Pop-up menu makes it easy to read and use.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon".they all measure basically the same things, they all have their menu's and knobs, but what sets them apart is the ease of use, as well as the stability and accuracy. Both are extremely easy to use, but the ease, portability, different features, menu driven usage, and added accuracy of this scope at higher frequencies is extremely nice. .a frequency counter that says 455KC and bounces up and down Plus/Minus 5KC to 8KC is not very good. This makes a difference when you are aligning a radio that is a 3 stage receiver."
"The screen is clear and the construction of the device overall is very sturdy, really much more than I could have hoped for for the price. I haven't figured out how to do a screenshot or save something to the USB interface yet, but even if everything else I try is a flop, this is a great scope."
"While I was searching for a budget scope and read many reviews, I decided to give Rigol a try, I think I made a good choice, this scope is lite, has digital storage vs analog, much higher frequency respond than my old scope, able to capture data with Ultrascope software, so far so good."
"I've spent a lifetime working with professional 'scopes more expensive than I can personally afford."
"Made sure I could get all my wave forms ( square, sine, sawtooth,, triangle ) etc ... Also found a few functions that I didn't know it had, so I would say it's a little better than expected."
"Good buy."
"To use the Ultrascope software you will have to download a National Instruments Vista runtime program."
"Entry level oscilloscope that gets the job done."
Best Oscilloscope Probes
Brand: RioRand;
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The probes work as expected and the items included are as shown."
"The 100MHz Oscilloscope Probes are good quality and work nicely on our Tektronix 60MHz o-scope."
"Work as expected."
"Has not have a chance to use this much yet but so far the quality looks solid and reasonable price."
"Very useful, replaced the collection of half-broken oddball probes that I had for my old 100 MHz scope with something much nicer at a more than reasonable cost."
"Non-conductive screwdriver supplied to adjust the leads."
"I thought there was something wrong with my oscilloscope, until I had tried the other probe."
"These are good probes for the money."
Best Oscilloscope Accessories
Since its founding in 1948, Fluke has helped define and grow a unique technology market, providing testing and troubleshooting capabilities that have grown to mission critical status in manufacturing and service industries. Maximum resistance of 50 MΩ and a maximum capacitance of 9,999 μF.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Fluke's reputation for accuracy and ruggedness is legendary, and this meter is every bit as capable as the model 179 it replaced - with some noteworthy features added. The relative function, expanded display resolution, and temperature probe are all helpful in pinning down intermittents. Tested well within published specs when compared to 2 other DMM's, a function generator, tray of precision resistors, and several different capacitors. Handy for finding leaky PS filters, funky varactors, and borderline chip caps. You can't go wrong with any of their meters, but if you're planning to expand your hobby or upgrade your bench, give this model a look."
"From installing a simple light fixture, to fixing an appliance, to diagnosing a furnace, checking a car sensor, to getting a boiler to run, I don't second guess it."
"Seriously, if you want a cheapo meter, go buy something else."
"If you. don't need the accuracy and durability of this meter, you might be better off to buy a less espensive meter; but for me at age. 62, this should be the last meter I will ever need to buy."
"This is a great meter."
"This is a quality meter made from a great brand."
"i already knew how good they are from using one at work but this latest model adds lots of functions to the point that it is a basic universal electronic/electrical troubleshooting tool."
"One of the best multimeters you can buy."