Only 13 ? Hell that ain't enough to scare a half a coulomb.

Only thing more than dual trace we got around here is the Tek 7000 series. Even on the 7603, the screen is barely big enough to actually measure anything with more than two traces. The 7834, it is even harder. But you don't use four traces to measure amplitude, it is for other things. Right now I got one of those other things but all that is on premises is dual trace.


We are in the prcess of scrutinizng a newly acquired HP 339A distortion analyser. At the moment there is a dual trace on the generator output and the secndary generator output. And then we wanted to see the "monitor" output of the HP just for kicks. So I had to break out another scope for that. Three traces required.

But this is THE FIRST TIME in my life I have ever had to do it.

When you go beyond two traces, you usually are looking at logic levels. Many scopes only have two full blown channels but add another couple that do not have the gain or the full blown attenuator and all that. They are more for looking at logic levels and so forth, not complex signal analysis. Well it is, but not analog signal analysis.

In such scopes it is important to be able to force the chopped mode at higher sweep speeds. Soetimes timing is everything and why else would you wwant to quad trace anything but to see the timing between pulses or whatever ? These scopes that autoatically make the choice for you, like it is chopped up to a certain sec/div and then switches to alternate **** me off. I would rather have a little bit of anomoly on the screen than to not be able to see the absolute timing between two pulses or signals or whatever.

But they do that because of a not so swell design. The chopper oscillator, though the speed neeeds to be controlled, but NOT be phase locked to anytihng, especially the incooing signal. But it does happen because it feeds through the power supply, ground or even the air. Bett design can prevent this, but that takes effort, and MONEY. More capcitors and decoupling resistors.. More careful attention to the ground paths. It gets difficult and that is why cheaper scopes just don't let you chop at the higher sweep rates.

In other words, Elenco, Hotachi, whoever, they are saying "If you want a ****ing Tektronix, buy a Tektronix". However, some Tektronix models might do it as well, I can't say because to do so I would have to be familiar with EVERY model they ever made, and the only guy who ever came close was Jim Yanik (NRA member). He used to post here and worked for Tektronix for about 350 years. This guy, you post like "I have a 7613 and it is... ... ..." describe the problem and he would come back with something like "Likely R456, but it could be a shorted C421 and that is a bitch to get to".

So, what is the model number, how much do you want for it and where the hell are you geographically ? I know someone who might be interested if it is a good deal.

That is if you can get by with only 12 scopes.