I looked at those. Problem is you have to use a pc and I have a mac, so i'd have to buy a dedicated computer for it. Plus its only 1 channel and this one i'm looking at is 2 channel.
How much better is pico than a hand held 2 channel?
The one you linked is a single channel as well
This is what I have, great value for money ($400), works great. Plenty of reviews on Youtube.
http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDS1102E.html
You can go a bit cheaper with the Rigol if you dont need 100Mhz, but for the money I'd go for the extra bandwidth.
I'm looking for something more portable.
They are pretty portable...extremely light and they have a colour LCD screen so they don't have much depth. I use mine to trouble shoot issues on bikes & cars.
OK, so you want battery and/or 12V operation with flash data storage capable - that's what you call "portable"?
Have a look for fluke 123 on eBay I got one for £75. It needed a battery which cost £25. I've also got SO vantage it's good as its got a guided function to learn how to use but is not as fast as the fluke so won't see can bus very well.
That's a pretty tall order there for something that isn't ****... If you could live with three of those four, which ones are the priorities?I'm looking for something thats 2 channel, can record data, i can take with on a test drive, and is around 500 bucks.
What's the reason you're dismissing the Vantage? I've got two of them, along with a Vantage Pro, and honestly they see more daily use than the Pro does (or other scopes I've had access to). For what they are, they're still an awesome piece of equipment once you learn how to use them effectively.I'm not interested in the vantage. I've looked at them, but its not for me. I'll check into the fluke.
I'm looking for something thats 2 channel, can record data, i can take with on a test drive, and is around 500 bucks.
I'm not interested in the vantage. I've looked at them, but its not for me. I'll check into the fluke.
This is what I have, great value for money ($400), works great. Plenty of reviews on Youtube.
http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDS1102E.html
You can go a bit cheaper with the Rigol if you dont need 100Mhz, but for the money I'd go for the extra bandwidth.
Ive got a Rigol as well, except I have the DS1052E . There is actually a Hack out there to convert from 50mhz to 100mhz just by changing the serial number. The firmware is already in place.
Ive still havent needed to do it though
http://www.eevblog.com/2010/03/31/e...l-ds1052e-oscilloscope-into-a-100mhz-ds1102e/
So what makes the pico's automotive scope different from this one here?
http://www.picotech.com/entry-level-oscilloscopes.html
You know, it is quite possible that certain blocks of serial numbers get higher bandwidth components (premium ADCs, say). It would be very hard to know if you are hitting the advertised specs at the top end, though it may seem to work fine.
When he hacked the rigol from 50 to 100 mhz the rise time dropped in half from 6ns to 2.9ns and you could see more detail in the trace he was displaying.
Depending on which model of 2000 range or 4000 range (automotive versions are all 4000) scope you get, there are different bandwidths and resolutions.
Everyone I know who has a PICO has opted for an automotive kit as the software is so well thought out and the accessories are innovative and decent quality.
The starter kit deletes quite a lot of the accessories but if your on a tight budget or have accessories from older scopes its a cheap way in.
You can rest assured the automotive version is plenty fast enough for any type of vehicle signal/network and you get free software updates.
So could a guy get the 2000 series with some basic probes and then upgrade as necessary? are the 2000 series adequate?
All you have to do is download the user manuals to the various models and you can see what they're capable of.
LINK
problem is when it comes to what specs I need i'm lost. lol
Ive got a Rigol as well, except I have the DS1052E . There is actually a Hack out there to convert from 50mhz to 100mhz just by changing the serial number. The firmware is already in place.
Ive still havent needed to do it though
http://www.eevblog.com/2010/03/31/e...l-ds1052e-oscilloscope-into-a-100mhz-ds1102e/
So I think I have my search nailed down to these 2 scopes. Will they work for automotive diagnostics and would one be better then the other?
http://www.picotech.com/mixed-signal-oscilloscope.html
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/o...m?ganclickid=0004c8c226f318a80a2a6587dc00079a
I like the portability of the owen, but I think the picotech is more powerful and I could update it with amp probes and such.....Still a little blurry on the subject.
Can you not use amp probes with the owon?
So I think I have my search nailed down to these 2 scopes. Will they work for automotive diagnostics and would one be better then the other?
http://www.picotech.com/mixed-signal-oscilloscope.html
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/o...m?ganclickid=0004c8c226f318a80a2a6587dc00079a
I like the portability of the owen, but I think the picotech is more powerful and I could update it with amp probes and such.....Still a little blurry on the subject.
As I said I my first post, apples and oranges...
You're comparing a handheld scope to a powerful PC based scope. Both are viable for automotive diagnostics, but which one is better depends on what type of diagnostics you're doing. Something like a waveform for an ABS sensor is completely different than looking at primary/secondary ignition patterns.
Quit looking purely at price and specs, and make an honest assessment of what you're going to be using the scope for, and go from there. If you're just getting into scope use you'll have different needs than someone who uses one daily (and knows what they need). As I said earlier, I still use my original Vantage for 90%+ of the scope use I do, and I do some fairly advanced stuff the other 10% of the time.
Somewhere in free parking is a how to on scope use I put together, and there are plenty other posts of mine about scope use there as well. You might want to check them out if this is something you're just getting into, there's lots of good info there.