Just ordered one of these up from Aliexpress https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=dso-shell+dso150 With two additional probe types total £23.50 inc p&p for an oscilloscope !!!!! Specifications Now this is not going threaten mainstream handheld & desktop Oscilloscopes - but then again I couldn't afford one of them, it works well within the DCC voltage and frequency ranges. For the brave (or foolhardy - me) Building Instructions (pdf) Paul
Now that's a 'Proper' kit!!! As a "Yoof", many years ago, I built a fully working 6'' tube oscilloscope from an Ex-WD surplus radar unit, power unit had a capacitor on the chassis almost the size of a block of flats! It worked well, but after I left home, later discovered that Dad had thrown it out, assuming that I didn't want it......never did get around to building another, although I looked long and hard at the "Heathkit" ones. (For those not in the know, Just Google "Heathkit", a huge range of quality American kits, of which I built a number, including FM stereo tuner amps/quadraphonic decoder etc.) Unfortunately, the company is now no more. Which one of all the versions of this 'scope have you ordered, Paul, I may be similarly tempted? Keith.
Hi Keith Link to the one I've ordered It will pop up with please choose the colour you want - its a test I failed a few times, there are three options hence the £3.50 to £15.18 price tag. Option 1 - std Oscilloscope clip probe with gnd clip £3.50 Option 2 - DIY Oscilloscope kit £15.18 Option 3 - Oscilloscope lead with Red & Black clip connectors £3.50 You need to add the selected item then add it to the shopping cart, rather than buy it now. I ordered all three Paul
Had my "Order Shipped" email this morning (Is it already Monday in China or do their post work 7 days???). Guess it'll be the usual 3 to 5 week wait, so don't expect to get it this side of Christmas, but I'm not short of kits to build! Keith.
Mine too, I also bought a component tester https://www.aliexpress.com/item/BSIDE-ESR02-Pro-Digital-Transistor-Tester-Diode-Capacitance-Resistance-Chip-Component-Inductance-Meter/32838308700.html confirmation for this arrived as well, but this appears to becoming via air mail, so no slow boat from China Paul
It's arrived - very well packaged - it took some time to remove the expanded polystyrene box without damaging the foam packaging - always knew those modelling scalpel skills would be good for something I ordered the two additional probes, as well as the standard probe included. Phew - the SMD parts are already assembled on the board, so I only need to solder on the switches, resistors, capacitors and assemble the boards. The two main boards - showing the components and display screen and the other side All the bits now in a storage box (container rescued from the last order from the local Chinese takeaway - quite appropriate I thought). Ready for assembly. Full colour instructions included in the kit as well as the pdf version available for download. Paul
Had an email from Aliexpress this morning to say that mine is "at your local post office" ( I assume they mean sorting office by this) so mine's not far away. Only just got back from collecting items they didn't deliver yesterday, a long queue waiting. Seems they're delivering more "Sorry you were out" cards than parcels these days, which doesn't usually happen as our local 'postie' is a pal, but it's his week off this week, so there's a 'strag' on! Drat! Keith.
It looks fairly straight forward - time will tell Possibly the only downside is it looks like it uses an external (9V) power supply only. Certainly not a deal breaker Paul
Built mine up this morning, but to be on the safe side, I did a voltage test on the only 9 volt 'wall wart' I had, and found it's output was 13.6 volts DC. I know that with a load connected, that voltage will drop somewhat, but still not willing to risk that, so did the initial testing with the nearest I had, a 5 volt DC one, and obviously the test voltages on completion were a bit low. Just ordered a 9 volt switched mode power supply now so I'll have to await delivery before I can do the final setup testing. Other than that, it was a pretty easy build, although since the resistors are not carded and identified (unlike the MERG kits), I got the multimeter out and tested the resistance of each one before soldering into place, especially since these days, I'm a bit 'rusty' on my resistor colour codes, but still vaguely remember my college lecturers suggested method of remembering the colour order with this little 'ditty',-Bad(brown) Boys(black) Rape(red) Our(orange) Young(yellow) Girls(green) But(blue) Virgins(violet) Get(grey) Wise(white). Keith.
Not done the build yet, but did do the suggested power on test, but used a 9V PP3 battery (OK showing my age here - cos its an Alkaline its a 6LR61, but PP3 sounds better). According to the instructions, you need to boot the device before starting to assemble the parts or your warranty is void - then let Toto loose with a No.3 hammer (just for fine work). I was impressed with the boot process, screen looks very sharp. Hopefully I will catch up with Keith over the next couple of days. Paul
That looks very cheap! I bought a DSO203 Digital full colour 4CH Oscilloscope years back when they were £100. It's awesome! (people mistake it for an Iphone!, lol) You can't beat a fluke (indestructible in the field), but at £1000, not really any good for home. The pico box with a USB are super (£60ish), have 2 channels and are great (but need a PC) and mean you have a huge display to read and unlimited memory for storage.
We had to return a Fluke, out of the wrapper less than 15 min, with the Fluke technician on site demonstrating the device, a screwdriver fell out of one of our guys breast pocket, and landed handle end on to the screen, confidently the Fluke technician said it can cope with things like that, as the unit was held up with a shattered screen, we went back to our barrow mounted scope and line printer. Not used it much yet, but maybe over the next wee while as the Traverser projects raise their heads again. Also worth looking at are the data analysers handy for reading / decoding messages. Paul
