pfm wrote:
Many advocate the use of an isolating transformer. The oscilloscope
probe and ground are then used like multimeter leads. Tektronix and
others maintain this is a dangerous practice and may result in
cumulative damage to the oscilloscope. Differential probes are one
answer, though quite expensive.

Comments please. Thanks

BobH

you can do it, but there is a potential shock hazard if your scope chassis
is at some strange voltage- but all depends on what you're measuring.

Floating your scope and probing around in a microwave oven so you don't
don't smoke your ground leads is probably a bad idea for example.

It's pretty hard to completely float stuff anyways. I once got a memorable
shock from touching one terminal of 16 kV capacitor that was just sitting
on a bench. I'm still not sure why it was able to conduct to the ground I
was standing on as effectively as it did, but it sure did.