Anybody use a Siglent Technologies SDS1202X-E 200 mhz

[merlynski]

Does anybody here have one of these (or used one):
Siglent Technologies SDS1202X-E 200 mhz
How happy are you with it?
Any major problems?
I am looking at acquiring a 200MHz scope and I am torn between a new one with modern bells and whistles, and an old Tek 475 analog I would be completely comfortable using. They are about the same money, for a good calibrated 475. But the Siglent has more capabilities, and learning curve . . .
FWIW, I can't see buying a lower bandwidth scope and being happy with it, long term.
I currently have a 60MHz Tek that was given to me, that just does not fill my (OCD) needs.

 

[rcs16]

Oh boy, wants vs needs issues
It really depends on what do you need the scope to do? what the existing one does not do.
What model 60MHz Tek scope? DSO do not do x-y modulation.
I myself am a Tek scope fan, I have two of them, they are not cheap and you have to wonder if they pay for themselves.
I wish I had a MSO that did I2C decoding, but I write code very seldom, never needed that capability so far but maybe one day it would help me solve a coding problem
Good luck

 

[merlynski]

I want the higher bandwidth to do some RF work, like AM & FM tuners.
Current Tek is a TDS-210, I don't like the way it triggers, and it smooths off the little 'fuzzies' I am used to seeing on an analog scope.
The voltage measurement display, frequency counter, time period measurement and FFT are things I like about a digital scope. I did not realize a (or some) digital scope did not do XY display. I looked at the User Manual and the TDS-210 does do XY display. I spent many thousands of hours in front of a Tek 465b, and used its 475 200MHz brother some also. There were different models of HP scopes around as well, but I did not like them much, though I could get them to do the job.

 

[xlbee]

Picked up a Tektronix TDS3032 recently for a good price because it is the version with a FDD as opposed to USB. Has FFT and Advance Trigger application modules installed. Does XY. The "average" feature is great for noisy signals. Firmware is up to date. User and service manuals readily available. Can print to a network printer. You can have on screen cursors and measurements like frequency and voltage. You also don't need to spend $ on an expensive cart just to move it around. It's not like an analog phosphor scope but I really like it.

 

[Watthour]

Like this?

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/so-you-want-to-repair-audio-gear-eh-heres-the-tools-you-need.333423/page-20#post-14215255

The 1202X-E can do X/Y plotting, but the setup is through soft keys and not a switch/range input which is what you might be accustomed to with the Tek.

 

[kevzep]

You dont need a 200mhz scope for RF work generally, what is it that you will be looking at that you think you need a 200mhz scope for? Remember that one time out of 100 you might for some reason want to look at a 100mhz carrier wave, which you wont need to have a 200mhz scope, you can use a 50mhz scope and use the X10 MAG feature......
Most of the time I use my 2465 in bandwidth limited mode, 20mhz....you get a very very sharp trace that way, and 20mhz is enough for doing pretty much all things audio.....
I have three scopes, love Tektronics!!
TEK 465 100mhz 2ch analogue (Still use this regularly)
TEK 2465B 300mhz 4channel analogue (This is my all time favourite scope)
TEK TDS350, quite an early digital scope, I use it when I need the maths and so forth, its a very capable 200mhz scope that has a little bit of an analogue work flow about it, which I like.

Doing audio work and RF work, you really want to have an analogue scope, especially in RF world when you're using X/Y mode and looking at lissajous patterns and so forth, a digital scope is next to useless for that sort of thing.
Using an analogue scope in audio world is so much better and immediate, you feel more connected to whats going on, there are certain things like looking at square waves for overshoot and oscillations etc etc where analogue is so much better.

For some of my other work I do with switch mode supplies, and measuring certain other things, I use the digital, but when there is a Pioneer, Sansui, Yamaha, McIntosh, Crown, any old school type audio gear on the bench, the first thing to get switched on is an analogue scope.

Spend the money on probes!! You can never spend too much money on a decent probe.....In fact I need to buy a couple, thanks for reminding me....

Anyway thats my 2 cents

 

[Big Ben]

I’ve been using a SDS-1202X-E for audio work for some time. It’s been working as expected. The X-Y function also works fine.

 

[merlynski]

Spend the money on probes!! You can never spend too much money on a decent probe.....In fact I need to buy a couple, thanks for reminding me....

I absolutely agree about the probes!

You dont need a 200mhz scope for RF work generally, what is it that you will be looking at that you think you need a 200mhz scope for?

Part of the reason to go with a 200MHz scope is cost. I have been looking at used vintage scopes and new digital scopes, and the price range seems to fall into the $350 to $450 range, and includes 200MHz scopes. It is more of a 'want' than a 'need' but I have found that a "better" tool used below its peak capabilities satisfies me more than a 'lesser' tool used at the hairy edge of its capabilities. A Tek 465b seems to have a premium on its price that a Tek 475 does not, especially for good condition 'calibrated' units.

I spent many years using a 465b as a primary bench scope, so that would be a fine choice. Where I worked almost all of their 465b scopes had the video line/field trigger option because it was needed. But I don't need that option, so a 200MHz 475 is 'better'.

 

[hennessy]

I used SDS1104X-E. It's OK for audio. Currently using SDS2204X Plus. 10bit resolution makes quite a difference. I also own Tek 2247A and the venerable 2465B 400Mhz. Most of my audio work I did was on 2247A due to convenient and fast "smart" cursor auto-tracking. 100Mhz was more than enough.
Siglents have X-Y, it's in Acquire menu. I did Lissajous on both siglents, and 2204 draws a line sharp as a pencil, while 1104 struggles.
And again - the importance of the probes. Forget siglent. I use Tek or probemaster instead.

 

[rcs16]

For RF work you usually need a very low capacitance fet probe. Probes can be expensive, they need power so watch out for compatibilities.
Some of the earlier DSO were not very good.
I have to look again, I do not think my DSO's do X-Y, I have a TDS3054 & a DSO4034, I could be wrong. Good to hear other brands retain this function.
I manage to not need, use or have a analog scope. I remember in one lab, we had a Tek 2467B, we called it the glitch catcher with a MCP crt. The last of the Tek line of analog scopes iirc.

 

[merlynski]

For RF work you usually need a very low capacitance fet probe. Probes can be expensive, they need power so watch out for compatibilities.
Some of the earlier DSO were not very good.
I have to look again, I do not think my DSO's do X-Y, I have a TDS3054 & a DSO4034, I could be wrong. Good to hear other brands retain this function.
I manage to not need, use or have a analog scope. I remember in one lab, we had a Tek 2467B, we called it the glitch catcher with a MCP crt. The last of the Tek line of analog scopes iirc.

By DSO do you mean Digital Storage Oscilloscope?

 

[Watthour]

That's the general definition of DSO, but many people have generically translated that into "Digital display" or "digital phosphor display" instead. One of my older Tek 'scopes is the TDS-380 and it is also digital, but uses a CRT for its display. It has twice the speed and twice the sampling/memory of the Siglent, but not all the pretty colors. Nonetheless, it is a DSO. Coincidentally, despite its age, it also performs X-Y plots via menu selection, and perfoms an FFT function just like the 20-year newer Siglent.

I have a TDS-320 as well, but while it lacks some of the speed and storage memory, it still has the X-Y and FFT functionality.

 

[rcs16]

yes for DSO, MSO would be for multi-function or purpose, basically adding in a logic analyzer and serial bus decoding of sorts.

 

[hennessy]

MSO stands for Mixed Signal Oscilloscope. They can do digital (usually through proprietary interface - $option$), and analog concurrently, or simultaneously.

 

[rcs16]

Yeah mixed signal is the name to use

 

[merlynski]

Now I am leaning back toward the Siglent's greater functionality. Of course I would love to have both ||.
I just got an HP 334a distortion analyzer for $49.99 from the evilbay. I will probably want a good scope to get that cleaned up and up to speed. I picked that one because it was listed in Bob Cordell's book. I hope it will be good enough. I used one, or its brothers, in my Bench Tech years, so I am familiar with how it is used.