 |
Let's start with two important facts: 1: Tektronix - world renowned maker of oscilloscopes for decades. They still make really great digital scopes too but these old analog scopes were built to last! The 465 model has been around since the 1970's and you still see plenty of them in use today. Which brings us to fact #2 - Model 465! This was the first truly portable scope and it was built to take the rigors of traveling techs. And Tektronix made a boat load of them so you can still find plenty of them in working order and some that aren't that are useful for parts. Which brings us to another important point. The new digital scopes are great and they do a ton of stuff the old analog models can't do BUT.... because everything today is manufactured using proprietary semi-conductors and surface mount technology, when a digital scope goes south you are left with a very expensive boat anchor because they can't be repaired. The 465 is put together using common components that can still be found today with little trouble (the exception being the tunnel diodes). There are no proprietary chips or surface mounted components. Translation: a guy with a soldering iron and small tools can still repair them! In fact, there are a number of shops around the country that specialize in repair and calibration of old Tektronix scopes. And all of the tech manual to maintain them can be found online for free. Having said all of that, if you're looking for a used analog scope it's always a good idea to only buy one that's showing wave forms from a function generator. Never assume it's working unless you can see it working. At very least probes for both channels should be connected to the probe compensation node on the front of the scope. That should at least show you a couple of square waves. I was really pleased when I connected my scope to my function generator and was not only looking at valid wave forms but they were actually reasonably calibrated as well! That's a bonus because you'll probably have to perform some calibration otherwise. But once calibrated, the 465 is an amazing tool. Now if your dealing with really high speed digital circuits, you'll need a digital scope. I'm working on audio stuff. Specifically guitar amplifiers, effect pedals and processors and analog synthesizers. This is a 2 channel 100 Mhz scope so it's well within the parameters of the audible frequency range. Expect to pay at least $300 for a used one shown in working condition but considering they used to cost around $1800 in 1975 money, it's a bargain! And when dealing with audio, sometimes a digital scope can be a little to accurate if you don't compensate it correctly. You can find yourself chasing ghost that won't even show up on an old analog scope. And it's good that they don't because you can't hear them anyway. Overall, I consider the Tektronix 465 to still be one of the most reliable and useful tools you can own for your lab especially if you're a hobbiest or DIYer. You can still get parts, they can still be repaired on the bench and there is a ton of documentation available on the internet for the asking. And on a personal note, I'm not wild about all the menus and soft keys on digital scopes. Call me old school but I still like a bunch of knobs, switches and buttons! The Tektronix 465 feels like an old friend. I wouldn't trade it for anything.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
It did power on and display traces, but it had a very hard time triggering and the waveform was not accurate. It had trouble even when connected to a signal generator with 'perfect' wave forms of different types (square, triangle, sine) and frequencies. In the 80's - 90's as an electrical engineer I used one of these almost daily. Electronics is now a hobby and I was looking forward to adding a scope to my bench. I guess I was expecting too much from a 35 year old piece of equipment.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The TAS465 is something of an under-valued oscilloscope - they are relatively inexpensive today. Still, this is a feature-packed analog oscilloscope. It's microprocessor controlled, menu driven, with relatively intuitive controls. The measurement system measures volts, time and 1/time. The auto-setup feature is quick and makes measurements a snap. If you need an inexpensive scope for your bench, you really can't go wrong - just look for a scope without burned phosphor. Also, these scopes use a hybrid IC that can be difficult to find / replace, making them a bit un-economical to repair; but for the cost of these scopes on the used market, it's tough to find a better 100 MHz analog scope for the price.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Very well packed and arrived in excellent condition. Works very well just as described. Minor paint scuffs but these were mentioned in the ad. I did rough checks of the calibration right after it arrived and it appears to be spot on.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Oscilloscopes & Vectorscopes
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
