HAND-HELD OSCILLOSCOPE DSO-150
I recently bought a QRP-LABS QCX kit and while I was watching a Trouble-Shooting Video by Hans G0UPL, I noticed that he was using a hand-held oscilloscope. It looked like a very useful little tool and would be an ideal addition to the shack - especially considering my enjoyment of (simple) kit-building.
I thought they might be too expensive but they are, in fact, quite cheap. You can buy them as a kit or fully assembled - I chose the latter and it cost me £40 on eBay. If you go down the route of buying it in kit-form, you can expect to pay around £20 but you will have to do some SMD component soldering 😲 I also got a DC 5V to DC 9V USB power lead - another handy shack accessory.
The oscilloscope arrived the very next day in a useful box for storage. I'll probably find an alternative storage solution, but for now it's fine. The unit seems pretty well constructed and the controls work smoothly.
The 2.4" screen is full colour and while not the highest resolution, it's good enough for light use. The instructions are sparse, so I'm guessing the manufacturer is assuming the operator will have a basic knowledge of oscilloscopes. No matter anyway, since there are numerous videos on YouTube to help you out. One such video can be found >>>here<<< An excellent manual can be found >>>here<<<
In the case of building or trouble-shooting the QCX, Hans' video makes light work of testing with the DSO-150. I'm one of those "in at the deep end" kind of guys, so I'm expecting to learn as I go along. I'll probably blow something up within seconds of using it 😂
Anyway, the main point of posting this is to make more people aware of the DSO-150's existence! I personally had no idea that you could buy such a compact oscilloscope and certainly not for as little as £20. I'm sure it's very basic in its functionality compared to a 'proper' scope and not even 100% accurate in its measurements, but for such a low asking price, it's gotta be worth having around the shack.
I've been building up my test gear and I've got a DVM, a VNA, a Signal Generator and now an Oscilloscope in my toolbox.
I'll update this page as I learn more about the usefulness (or otherwise) of this device.
Please leave a comment below.
73, Tom, M7MCQ
2 comments:
Looks like a very handy device Tom. If you have something to test of course. Personally it is a long time ago that I had one and measured things with it. I viewed some video's about this device, it seems to be useful. I'll keep this one in mind. 73, Bas
Thanks for the visit Bas. I'm guessing it will come in VERY handy for building any of QRP-Labs kits, since Hans uses one to trouble-shoot. Plus (for me) it's a teaching tool. I'll soon be able to build my own warp drive :-)))))
73, Tom.
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