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Author Topic: oscilliscope Bas Haldermans Film Handler Posts: 11 From: GA Echt, The Netherlands Registered: Dec 2002 posted 12-21-2002 11:14 AM                        Hi, I'm looking for a new oscilliscope, wat kind do you use? Greetings bas  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2002 11:34 AM                     There is only one Oscilloscope to own! Tektronix. New is VERY expensive but you can get slightly used late model or clean older CRT type on E-Bay for little money. Go for at least 100 mhz frequency response. I use a circa 1984 model 465B Tek scope that also has the DMM on top of it. The DMM also has a temperature meter in it which comes in handy too. The trace is bright and sharp as a tack....it always works, but the one down side is that it is quite heavy. The inside is almost a work of art in itself. I also own a 7704A 250 mhz quad trace unit, and a 7623A 100mhz storage scope but both of these are shop units. Also check out the TM-500 units such as DMM, Scope, generators, etc. as they are very handy, well made and super accurate too. There is also the Tek Scopes Group at the Yahoo groups site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TekScopes/ Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Jon Bartow Master Film Handler Posts: 287 From: Massachusetts Registered: Nov 1999 posted 12-21-2002 12:06 PM                     I second the motion, get a tektronix scope. I use a 4ch 100mHz model myself that was formerly owned by the US Air Force. Yes a bit heavy, but worth it. For Dolby digital alignment 20mHz is a minimum, but the 100 or higher is better. E-bay is where I bought mine. Jonathan  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2002 05:52 PM                     Leader made a excellent battery operated mini scope 60Mhz as well they are usally on Ebay a lot Also BK had a small 20 mHz battery operated one the 1422 This shows the leader scope and R2 in a Rackmount SKB case and this is it on a Cart with the R2 and laptop You don't want a big heavy brute to lug around my test kit box already weighs in at 85lbs and as such I get lots of grief at the airport  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2002 07:37 PM                     I have the same Leader scope that Gord has and have had alot of trouble with it....granted it has taken quite a beating and seen alot of use too. A few years back mine had a power supply problem that cost almost 400.00 to have repaired at the factory. Second time it died the intensity pot opened up and I had no trace. Replaced the pot and its working again, but I have given up on it and stuck with the ole reliable 465B again. The Leader has been relegated to the backup equipment pile now as I can no longer trust it for day in and day out use..... Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-21-2002 09:19 PM                     Hello, Bas, I have had wonderful results with the Tektronix scopes. Perhaps you could find one on eBay with the required power supply for your area. Dual trace, 100 M Hz bandwidth and the ability to plot the two inputs in X/Y mode are essential. Most stereo decoding requires correct phase relationships and these are found only through X/Y plots. Having the scope serve as a Digital Meter is a fine perk but not required if you have a good portable digital multimeter. The ability to measure frequency and elaborate triggering capability are not essential either as the waveforms in Cinema Audio are not very complex. The 450 series of Tektronix scopes work well for these measurements. KEN  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2002 09:27 PM                     My leader only has had one service call and that was for a very expensive Varactor diode that failed other than that it is very reliable If you are doing field service size and weight are a very criticle point  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2002 10:27 PM                     Gord, I think reliability comes first when you are in the field hundreds of miles away from the shop and another replacement piece of test equipment. Weight can be a factor when flying to some extent though. There are Tek scopes smaller than the Leader which will work well and are far more reliable and better built. My Leader has seen better days and hundreds of road and air trips over the last ten years. For those that fly alot an all solid state scope with LCD screen might be the better route to go. They weigh even less than the Leader does. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Jon Bartow Master Film Handler Posts: 287 From: Massachusetts Registered: Nov 1999 posted 12-22-2002 07:47 AM                     Is money no object? then check out one of these: Fluke Scopemeter 190C  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-22-2002 10:24 AM                     We have a Fluke Scope/Meter...it is just for the shop though or for non-A-chain field use. It is a fine meter and Scope but only a fool would try to perform an A-chain with one...particularly the X-Y plot. I don't even like the Tek LCD X-Y plots...something CRT based systems still rank supreme. Steve  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-22-2002 10:59 AM                     To date there are no digital lcd type scopes that are worth using for a chains and even worse try to line up a reader with one none update the screen fast enough As for airmiles on a scope my leader probably has far far more considering the width of this country alone it travels across as well as off shore. Had one problem with it since I bought it used almost 10 years ago The only tek mini scope I have seen was the Sony Tec serries and they had a phase problem and if you did a X/Y for an azimuth a straight line was 90 degree off a circle was in phase due to the phase error of there input  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-22-2002 12:39 PM                        I got the cheapest 20mhz dual trace scope I could find which was a Tenma. It cost about $300. So far so good  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-22-2002 01:00 PM                     Same scope I have, Greg. Bulky as all hell, but it does get the job done, and takes quite a beating. As much as I would like one of the little Leader LBO-315's, I will have to stick it out with this baby. I also agree with Steve about the LCD scope/meters, I watched as Helmut from THX was A-chaining one of our theatres during a certification (with a Tektronix LCD scope) and for the life of me I couldn't see how he could get a good X/Y picture on the thing -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 12-23-2002 11:25 AM                     I'm glad this came up. I was thinking about making a post asking about the Fluke scope meter. Why is it not good for doing A chains? Sure would be handy, wouldn't it? Oh well.  |  IP: Logged Bas Haldermans Film Handler Posts: 11 From: GA Echt, The Netherlands Registered: Dec 2002 posted 12-23-2002 11:33 AM                        Thanks for the information. I'm going to look at ebay. I agree on the digital scopes, i saw the xy picture but it was't good. Bas  |  IP: Logged

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