Do we need all these silly-scopes?

I don’t really see people using all of these. I want to propose we try to sell them and use the money to either fund a digital oscilloscope or another useful tool for the space.

Btw, what is the black box with lots of knobs and buttons in the second photo? Does it work? How would I know if it works?


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There has been talk from @rsim on how we need a high speed (100MHz) digital scope too. Selling these analog ones seems like a great way to get some money for a new scope. The same way @jon did with the drills https://talk.vanhack.ca/t/consolidate-the-drills/2911?u=funvill

Is anyone willing to take on the effort of attempting to sell these oscilloscope, if we decide to sell them?

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seems reasonable to me as well

I don’t mind taking on this job! I’ll go through them and see which ones work and which don’t.

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So you are volunteering to … … scope them out?

image

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Selling off most of them - good

The T-Berd is a a telecom thing. Figure out what it’s worth, and I might be able to find a local buyer.

Our digital scope situation is pretty good at the moment:

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Sell em, boil em, stick em in a stew… wait, no.

Yeah, figure out which ones work, but sell all of them – there are probably folks out there who’d be willing to buy a non-functioning ( or mostly functioning ) scope.

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I kinda feel the same way about the 1650A logic analyser. I never saw anyone use it at 45W or the bunker, it is an awesome tool but no-one at vhs I know is using micros with external data/address busses.

We’d be much better off with a hacked Rigol that could decode all the modern serial busses on screen (i2c, spi etc).

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Yeah that is a good point. I’ll appraise it as well and see what we can get for it.

Perhaps the same goes for the W&G comms tester in the first photo. Most of this stuff is of no use to us.

It’s taken me a long time to realise this but real estate is expensive in Vancouver, we’re paying to keep all this stuff, it needs to pay its way in terms of keeping/attracting members.

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There are two logic analysers at the space. One of them is owned by @loial
and should probably be taken home, or donate to the space proper

If WE decide to purchase a new scope.

I request that we choose one with logical analyzer probs and a large amount
of memory.

MSO207A-S with a memory upgrade is my dream scope for VHS. But something
less we can agree on is fine.

I brought in the 1650A; I don’t mind donating it fully to the space. That said, it’s not worth all that much and if there’s a desire to get rid of it, I’d rather it be taken by someone who needs it or returned to me rather than have it scrapped.

It does have a number of async channels which allow it to be used effectively for debugging even on systems without a clocked bus. It’s one of those tools that’s hard to figure out when to use it though.

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Don’t get rid of the HP one, the one good digital one, unless we have a new Digital Storage Scope already. I like coming to the space to use the scope when my DSO nano doesn’t do the trick.

Don’t worry - I won’t get rid of that. I was mostly concerned about the analog relics that are collecting dust.

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Please keep at least one analog scope - no matter how crappy it is - they measure and display stuff that others cannot.
I’ll be prepared to run a program for those that want to learn how to use one of an oscilloscope before we turf them all.
Tomorrow eve I shall drop by to help sort out which one(s) to keep/move out

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I think the answer to the oscilloscopes not being used very much is to
train people on how to use them. Personally, I would like to see VHS
retain enough of the old 'scopes to allow holding a radio construction
workshop without the participants having to either share a 'scope or
bring their own.

New!! More details to follow.

Intro to Oscilloscopes
WhenWednesday, Nov 11, 2015
DescriptionLearn the basics of what oscilloscopes do and how to use them.
Before we clear out the abundance of scopes that are at VHS we have the
chance to do a hands on program for several people at the same time.

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Thanks @toptekkie!

Just confirming that people are aware that Nov 11 is Remembrance Day.

Awesome!!! I’ll bring my oscilloscope.

Does anybody have a Oscilloscope Demonstration Board ( signal generator) )? Such as:

http://www.tequipment.net/Rigol/DS6000-DK/Analog-Demo-Board/