I'm preparing to outfit myself with a basic bench setup, ie scope, function
generator, power supply, DMM, and transistor tester (lots of in-circuit
go/no go testing). As always when I begin to shop for things I start with
low expectations... basic, inexpensive, etc. But, as I read descriptions
of the functions and specs of various options I become convinced that I
just can't live without the extra features available only on the higher-
priced items, like cursors and auto-setup on the scope, touch-hold and min/max
on the DMM, etc. This is a pattern I've developed over the years when contemplating purchases of techniacl items, and I frequently realize I didn't need the
extra features after all, or they don't work the way i expected. Of course,
by then it's too late...
In an attempt to avoid doing that this time I'd appreciate some feedback
from this group on what's really appropriate for the average home hobbyist.
My primary need is for troubleshooting and tweaking audio equipment, both
tube and transistor. I occasionally need to work with digital circuits but
rarely above 20Mhz.
The scope is the biggest decision and the one that could save me the most
money. My options range from a basic 20Mhz Elenco at $400 to a Tektronics
TAS series 60Mhz with auto-setup, cursors, known quality, etc at $1550.
Both Tek and Fluke claim you should go for a bandwaidth of 5X the fastest
signal you plan to read; just how true is that? I'm sure that if you need
