Oscilloscope

Nowadays engineers are buying surplus oscilloscope rather than buying a new device of oscilloscope. Most of them prefer buying used oscilloscope because it is more economical and practical. For them there is no big difference between the used and brand new oscilloscope in terms of performance and usability. What makes them different is the price. Brand new devices are expensive compare to used oscilloscope devices.

However, buying used oscilloscopes have advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages of used oscilloscope is that you can able to save money with same levels of purpose and performance. On the other hand, the disadvantage of purchasing a surplus oscilloscope is that it provides incorrect output or result because the device is previously overused. So in order to avoid problems in the future, it is best to learn the simple guidelines that you need to consider before buying.

So to begin with, here are the ten (10) tips in buying a surplus oscilloscope:

1. Always ask yourself as to where will you use the device?
2. Be sure that you know the minimum or maximum levels of bandwidth that you need to measure. This is very important because you can never upgrade the bandwidth of your oscilloscope unit. Be sure to choose a bandwidth in accordance to your work necessity. Otherwise, you will end up buying again another unit of oscilloscope.
3. Do not forget to check if the unit reaches the minimum sampling rate of 60 MS/s. This is also important because you can never upgrade this feature as well.
4. Check also the memory depth of your unit.
5. Always check the resolution of your unit.
6. Choose surplus oscilloscope that is in good physical condition. As much as possible avoid buying worn out unit.
7. Make sure that you self-test the unit to see any malfunctioning buttons and plugs. If you happen to receive a malfunctioning unit. Then immediately return the unit and ask for a refund or better yet ask for another unit.
8. Check if manual instruction is included in the package. This is important for troubleshooting your oscilloscope.
9. Carefully read surplus oscilloscope’s specification before purchasing.
10. Be vigilant in purchasing your unit. It may be a used or a second hand unit with a lesser price. But still it involves your money and time. It is best to arm yourself with knowledge about the unit before buying.

Surplus oscilloscope can be bought at cheaper prices. Regardless of brand names like Tektronix, Agilent, Hewlett-Packard, Lecroy, Fluke, Hitachi, Madell and Leader, the prices are definitely lesser or half of the original price. The price of surplus oscilloscope ranges from $100 until $5000.

Utilizing your resources is one way of spending your money wisely. Surplus oscilloscope and brand new oscilloscope becomes a fundamental tool among electrical companies, telecommunication companies, hospital facilities and other electronic industries. Above all, determining what is suitable unit for your work is the secret ingredient of purchasing a good quality of oscilloscope.