old 'scope for home tube amp work

[bob p]

Any Tek scope has proprietary parts. The CRT, the PT, the switches etc. There are usually Tek made ICs in the signal path. If your scope wasn't made in this century, your chances of finding parts anywhere is slim. Many scopes have dual JFETs that weren't Tek made but next to impossible to find. An old scope to cannibalize for parts or ebay are about the only options.

Well, if you wanted a Tek scope with non-proprietary active components there are always the tube models. My recollection is that most of the Tek solid state scopes used proprietary silicon.

If I remember correctly, there were two great/classic Tek solid state scopes that were made in the era before Tek started designing their own proprietary ICs: the 453 and 454. I could be wrong on this, but my understanding is that both of these scopes use 100% generic SS components, so if you had to repair them, chances are you wouldn't have too much trouble finding parts. If you bought one of these, you could probably maintain it yourself. It might last for your entire lifetime and you might never need to buy another scope. These scopes are pretty easy to find in need of repair, at a reasonable cost, but they're very heavy and expensive to ship.

Because of the collectability/desirability, a 100% working/restored model 453 is likely to cost just as much as a brand-new scope from someone like BK or Newark/Tenma. If the OP is interested in something that "just works" then the new low end scopes might be the better deals. They're in the $300-$400 range.

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/72-2580

[bob p]

The "how to buy an oscilloscope" topic comes up every now and then. Here are some vintage threads. Some of the advice might seem dated, but there is still lots of good information in them:

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t3186/

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t2031/

Time to get an O-scope...tips?

[nsubulysses]

Bill's Tektronix 454 Info Page

Bob is right no Tek parts in 453 and 454. I never knew those were so desirable. I got a 453 on craiglist for $30 and I guess I got lucky. I like the scope nice enough. Screen is a little small but it looks great. Definitely beats the displays on the 465s I've owned and also 2215 model in sharpness.

this got me thinking of sharp screens and I thought of a Tektronix 503 I got. Great display! Another CL buy. So looking it up that thing was $625 when it came out in 1960. Inflation calculator says thats $5,251 in todays money
I got it for $30 "working" but it didn't actually work good. I "fixed" it. I guess along the line a tube failed and someone replaced it, but they put in the wrong one. Put in the right tube and it worked nice. Not in cal but there's some trim pots easy to get to

It's amazing being able to get these old 60s, 70s, 80s top of the line tek scopes for $30-100. And they're still great.

[J M Fahey]

The wayback machine can find the original articles but they are all in Italian.

And on Nuova Elettronica magazine?
Mamma mía, che problema !!!!!!!
Voglio me ammazzare !!!!

[nosaj]

Thanks Mick. This one is for sale on Craigslist (the guy seems to have more than a few for sale) so I can go see it in person, its only about 40 minutes from us, just over the MA/NH border. I will check around for a radio club in Eastern MA, thanks for the tip.

Check your local hams. I got a Tenma from a local ham 20mhz bandwidth dual channel with a function generator built in. I paid $80. It's probably a 90s model.

nosaj

[bob p]

The wayback machine can find the original articles but they are all in Italian.

If you need a laugh, try running them through Google Translate.

[bob p]

Bob is right no Tek parts in 453 and 454. I never knew those were so desirable. I got a 453 on craiglist for $30 and I guess I got lucky. I like the scope nice enough. Screen is a little small but it looks great. Definitely beats the displays on the 465s I've owned and also 2215 model in sharpness.

Display size was why I bought my Hitachi. Best $55 I've spent.

[oc disorder]

Juan-

And on Nuova Elettronica magazine?
Mamma mía, che problema !!!!!!!
Voglio me ammazzare !!!!

Oh Juan - Sei un tale stuzzicare !!!

[oc disorder]

If you need a laugh, try running them through Google Translate.

Thanks .. I do use Google translate and found a free OCR program which enabled me to create text from pages and pdf's.
This one is a bit old and haven't bothered with it... and I realize now that VA had already been referred to in the links.
I got one of these back in the 80's and only recently died. Got another from the recycle center for $25.
'
See here
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginn...bration-issue/
"a Korean OEM (Hung Chang Products Co. Ltd., C.P.O. Box 3125, Seoul (South-) Korea. Measurement equipment.)

Tenma 72-720
Elenco MO-1251
Hung Chang OS-620
Neotronics OS-620
JDR Model 2000
A-1 Electronics
AW Sperry 620C
Tenma 72-320
Dick Smith Q-1240
Aron BS-601
Degem System 112
Ramsey Model 2200
KB Electronics Model 33330
OMRON PAN-8022

and now, Ramsey BS-601 (miss labeling with the Aron or they put different model number for the same thing).''

[mikepukmel]

Display size was why I bought my Hitachi. Best $55 I've spent.

Looks very lightly used, great 55.00 find!

[Enzo]

We used to have a couple of those Hitachi scopes, they were pretty nice scopes.

[Randall]

I guess I am lucky, I've used the same little dual trace 20MHz Leader scope for 30 years with no issues whatsoever. I think I paid $200 or 300 in the 80's.

[mikepukmel]

Someone above mentioned TENMA's. I found a Tektronix 317 TENMA 72-320 on craigslist asking 75 with probes. This one looks very clean, ad says "working condition". Is this worth 50-75 with probes if it works?

[Enzo]

Go see it. Does it make a traces on the screen? Touch the end of the probe, does it make an ugly squiggle trace? Then it is working, and worth that money. I expect to pay $30 for a basic probe anyway, if yours are working that is a bonus.


The Tek 317 is nothing like the Tenma. Is he selling two scopes?

[bob p]

Tenma was the house brand for MCM Electronics, which is now owned by Newark.

I own two signal generators, one by HP one by Tenma. The HP is built like a brick house, and the Tenma is just OK. It has a "foreign" feel to it in that it's not ergonomically designed for the American mind. It feels like a piece of equipment that was designed in Japan, and using it is sort of like reading VCR manual translated from Japanese. It's sweep range is limited to decade bands and it's plastic casing isn't all that rugged. My case split open and now it is held shut by big rubber bands. I preferentially use the HP and I only use the Tenma as a backup.

IME Tenma won't be built as solid as something from Tek, HP, BK or Hitachi. If I were shopping for something new then I'd consider a Tenma product as there will be a significant price difference relative to one of the premium brands. If I were shopping for something used then I'd chose those other brands instead.