building a hobby-lab

W

will

Guest
Gents:

First post.

I'm populating a home hobby-lab to support some amusing experiments in 2-
photon light-scattering vis Levinthals Paradox. Previous attempts proved
unsuccessful. I'm improving test equip all-around. First item is a
digital Oscilloscope ( replacing a data-logger ) : I'm looking at the
Siglent SDS100-series: 4-channel 200-Mhz bandwidth. Will be used to
trouble-shoot photo-transistor based detection circuits. Price ~ $700.
I've always used HP/Tektronics or Fluke, but now retired I'm priced out
of the grant-money market. Of-course the Goldilocks freq is 10^15 Hz, but
you have to pray for sub-harmonics vis protein folding. Anyrate what do
you think about the OScope choice ?
 
On 04/11/18 01:33, will wrote:
Gents:

First post.

I'm populating a home hobby-lab to support some amusing experiments in 2-
photon light-scattering vis Levinthals Paradox. Previous attempts proved
unsuccessful. I'm improving test equip all-around. First item is a
digital Oscilloscope ( replacing a data-logger ) : I'm looking at the
Siglent SDS100-series: 4-channel 200-Mhz bandwidth. Will be used to
trouble-shoot photo-transistor based detection circuits. Price ~ $700.
I've always used HP/Tektronics or Fluke, but now retired I'm priced out
of the grant-money market. Of-course the Goldilocks freq is 10^15 Hz, but
you have to pray for sub-harmonics vis protein folding. Anyrate what do
you think about the OScope choice ?
Click to expand...

I'm a boat anchor fan myself. Check out eBay for scopes. I've bought
eleven of them there, and have had zero duds. Something in a nice Tek
TDS 544A (500 MHz, 1Gs/s) can be had for under 5 bills.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com
 
On Thu, 12 Apr 2018 10:55:56 -0400, Phil Hobbs wrote:

On 04/11/18 01:33, will wrote:
Gents:

First post.

I'm populating a home hobby-lab to support some amusing experiments in
2-
photon light-scattering vis Levinthals Paradox. Previous attempts
proved unsuccessful. I'm improving test equip all-around. First item is
a digital Oscilloscope ( replacing a data-logger ) : I'm looking at the
Siglent SDS100-series: 4-channel 200-Mhz bandwidth. Will be used to
trouble-shoot photo-transistor based detection circuits. Price ~ $700.
I've always used HP/Tektronics or Fluke, but now retired I'm priced out
of the grant-money market. Of-course the Goldilocks freq is 10^15 Hz,
but you have to pray for sub-harmonics vis protein folding. Anyrate
what do you think about the OScope choice ?


I'm a boat anchor fan myself. Check out eBay for scopes. I've bought
eleven of them there, and have had zero duds. Something in a nice Tek
TDS 544A (500 MHz, 1Gs/s) can be had for under 5 bills.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs
Click to expand...

PH:

Appreciate your comments. Having used HP/Tektronics/Fluke for 50-years
I'd love a classic-form OScope. However ... I profoundly distrust eBAY
merchants ( very sharpsters ) and eBAY payment methods. You are prolly a
much quicker business-man than I am. I prefer to deal direct with
manufactures ( my coffee mugs come right from the Vermont potters-wheel
and my light-scattering-cuvettes direct from a small Chinese silicon
foundry).

The $200 difference between shyster-Bosco on eBAY and warranted grant-
polished paid-delivery + support Siglent is small beans. Too bad Siglent
does not sell a well-priced sine/squ/ramp 25 MHtz function generator and
indeed eBAY products never include the cables. Kinda like selling a
kitchen table with no legs, but that's eBAY style.
 
In article <panvii$18d$1@dont-email.me>,
willscranton@butchersboulevard.commypanprofile says...
Appreciate your comments. Having used HP/Tektronics/Fluke for 50-years
I'd love a classic-form OScope. However ... I profoundly distrust eBAY
merchants ( very sharpsters ) and eBAY payment methods. You are prolly a
much quicker business-man than I am. I prefer to deal direct with
manufactures ( my coffee mugs come right from the Vermont potters-wheel
and my light-scattering-cuvettes direct from a small Chinese silicon
foundry).

The $200 difference between shyster-Bosco on eBAY and warranted grant-
polished paid-delivery + support Siglent is small beans. Too bad Siglent
does not sell a well-priced sine/squ/ramp 25 MHtz function generator and
indeed eBAY products never include the cables. Kinda like selling a
kitchen table with no legs, but that's eBAY style.
Click to expand...

If you pick the sellers that have 50 or more transactions and near 100%
feedback you are probably ok. I understand ebay stands behind them also
so you canget a refund.

I have bought sevreal used things off ebay for close to $ 1000 and a
service monitor for $ 1700. All wree as advertised or better.

China has some new function generators on ebay for less than $ 100 that
do well up to about 5 MHz with square waves and 25 with sine waves. I
bought one and there is a modification that costs about $ 20 or less in
parts from Mouser or Digikey that makes it work even better.
 
On 04/12/18 11:56, will wrote:
On Thu, 12 Apr 2018 10:55:56 -0400, Phil Hobbs wrote:

On 04/11/18 01:33, will wrote:
Gents:

First post.

I'm populating a home hobby-lab to support some amusing experiments in
2-
photon light-scattering vis Levinthals Paradox. Previous attempts
proved unsuccessful. I'm improving test equip all-around. First item is
a digital Oscilloscope ( replacing a data-logger ) : I'm looking at the
Siglent SDS100-series: 4-channel 200-Mhz bandwidth. Will be used to
trouble-shoot photo-transistor based detection circuits. Price ~ $700.
I've always used HP/Tektronics or Fluke, but now retired I'm priced out
of the grant-money market. Of-course the Goldilocks freq is 10^15 Hz,
but you have to pray for sub-harmonics vis protein folding. Anyrate
what do you think about the OScope choice ?


I'm a boat anchor fan myself. Check out eBay for scopes. I've bought
eleven of them there, and have had zero duds. Something in a nice Tek
TDS 544A (500 MHz, 1Gs/s) can be had for under 5 bills.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

PH:

Appreciate your comments. Having used HP/Tektronics/Fluke for 50-years
I'd love a classic-form OScope. However ... I profoundly distrust eBAY
merchants ( very sharpsters ) and eBAY payment methods. You are prolly a
much quicker business-man than I am. I prefer to deal direct with
manufactures ( my coffee mugs come right from the Vermont potters-wheel
and my light-scattering-cuvettes direct from a small Chinese silicon
foundry).

The $200 difference between shyster-Bosco on eBAY and warranted grant-
polished paid-delivery + support Siglent is small beans. Too bad Siglent
does not sell a well-priced sine/squ/ramp 25 MHtz function generator and
indeed eBAY products never include the cables. Kinda like selling a
kitchen table with no legs, but that's eBAY style.
Click to expand...

That's not my experience at all, but it's your money.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com
 
On Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:56:02 -0000 (UTC), will
<willscranton@butchersboulevard.commypanprofile> wrote:

The $200 difference between shyster-Bosco on eBAY and warranted grant-
polished paid-delivery + support Siglent is small beans. Too bad Siglent
does not sell a well-priced sine/squ/ramp 25 MHtz function generator and
indeed eBAY products never include the cables. Kinda like selling a
kitchen table with no legs, but that's eBAY style.
Click to expand...

Most of my now antique lab equipment was purchased on eBay:
<http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/home/slides/lab.html>
There's plenty more stored in various corners. I tend to buy low cost
"for parts" equipment, and fix them myself. If I really want to buy
something to repair, I buy three of them:
<http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/home/slides/BL-shop5.html>
That's one of the benefits of buying HP, TEK, and other name brand
equipment. If you need schematics, manuals, and parts 40 years later,
you can find them. For example, the HP 8640B signal generator is
known for having the output RF power amp get blown up. 40 years
later, you can get replacement pullout:
<https://www.ebay.com/itm/362098534959>
<https://www.ebay.com/itm/232157976158>
I could probably build a complete generator from scrap parts found on
eBay. I doubt if you could find repair parts for a Siglent scope even
today. I just downloaded the "service manual" on the Siglent SDS2000X
scope.
<https://www.siglentamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2017/10/SDS2000X_ServiceManual_SM0102X-E02A-1.pdf>
No schematics, no parts list, some adjustments, and an assembly
drawing showing only the test points.



--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
 
On Sat, 14 Apr 2018 16:45:02 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:56:02 -0000 (UTC), will
willscranton@butchersboulevard.commypanprofile> wrote:

The $200 difference between shyster-Bosco on eBAY and warranted grant-
polished paid-delivery + support Siglent is small beans. Too bad Siglent
does not sell a well-priced sine/squ/ramp 25 MHtz function generator and
indeed eBAY products never include the cables. Kinda like selling a
kitchen table with no legs, but that's eBAY style.

Most of my now antique lab equipment was purchased on eBay:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/home/slides/lab.html
There's plenty more stored in various corners. I tend to buy low cost
"for parts" equipment, and fix them myself. If I really want to buy
something to repair, I buy three of them:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/home/slides/BL-shop5.html
That's one of the benefits of buying HP, TEK, and other name brand
equipment. If you need schematics, manuals, and parts 40 years later,
you can find them. For example, the HP 8640B signal generator is known
for having the output RF power amp get blown up. 40 years later, you
can get replacement pullout:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362098534959
https://www.ebay.com/itm/232157976158
I could probably build a complete generator from scrap parts found on
eBay. I doubt if you could find repair parts for a Siglent scope even
today. I just downloaded the "service manual" on the Siglent SDS2000X
scope.
https://www.siglentamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2017/10/
SDS2000X_ServiceManual_SM0102X-E02A-1.pdf
No schematics, no parts list, some adjustments, and an assembly drawing
showing only the test points.
Click to expand...

JL:

You make solid points about the importance of quality test equipment.
I've prolly argued the same way to my EE lab students. Yet now, retired,
totally unsupported with time and opportunity to attack a single amusing
experimental task I find efficiency-of-tools the prime virtue.

A ( plug-N-play ) $700 Siglent Oscope that helps me build photon
detectors, and then serves as part of the detecting system provides
enormous value. I can focus on component design & experimental issues
knowing I'll drop dead before my Oscope needs repair.

I would not have thought that way 20 years ago, but I think that way
now.
 
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