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(Jerry Greenberg) wrote in
om:

I bought the manual for a TDS 420 since I own one that I bought new.
The manual cost me $160 at the time. The main details only cover the
calibration, using some dedicated calibration equipment, calibration
interface, and the software. Even the software is optional along with
all the specialized test gear.

The manual was a complete waste of money for anyone who is not a
Tektronix authorised service center with the proper Tektronix
instrumentation setup for doing the maintenance on that model series.

The complete scope is serviced at the modular level only. When a
module is replaced, it must be calibrated to match, or the specs will
be out.

The bottom line is that if this scope goes defective on you, if you
are not equiped to deal with it, Tektronix is the only one that can
service it for you. The only thing an indepedent technician can do is
to change an obvious non critical component, if it is determined to be
defective.

As for the performance of this scope, it is very good. I have done a
lot of work with it, and it has helped me resolve a lot of problems. I
compared it to the older 465 series, and it is much ahead in its
performance for many aspects. Being digital, it has its advantages.

Jerry Greenberg
===============

This is why I'm reluctant to recommend a used TDS scope to hobbyists or
small businesses,because it probably is past the LTPS period and no longer
supported by TEK,that being WHY the scope is on the used market.
TEK wanted to "wash it's hands" of it's older products quicker than the
venerable 400 series(extended from 9 years LTPS to 12!).

(LTPS= long term product support)

The sad thing is that TEK was sending the "obsolete" exchange assemblies to
RAMS(Recycling and Material Salvage,or *scrap*) instead of selling them to
a 3rd party service like Verizon,to continue support for their older
products.
That could have changed since I left TEK,though I doubt it.
--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net