Re: Tektronics 545B

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>

At 11:37 PM 11/2/2002 -0500, you wrote:



>Awww.  Whats the fun it that, especially for a scope that sells used for
>under $500.00.  Your scope is a lot more robust than you
>might think.  I recently purchased a Tektronix 3054B portable 4-channel
>scope for $10,000 and I run this all the time with my high voltage
>probes right next to my tesla coil!!!
>
>Dan

I also use the more modest TEK3012 scope ("only" $4000 with cards) near 
high voltage and such all the time.  No problem with noise or anything like 
that.  Of course, a lot of common sense and really good HV probes do most 
of the protecting, but the Tek 3000 series is pretty robust from letting 
the smoke out (they are very hard to kill at work).  Of course, 99% of us 
will use the more modest $50 E-bay versions for coiling, but the fancy high 
dollar scopes are pretty tough ;-))  Of course, if history holds true, in 
about 5 years we will be able to get Tek 3000, 5000, 7000 series scopes on 
E-bay for $50 too :o)))  For those that need a nice "new" digital and a 
nicer price, the new Tek 1000, 2000 series scopes look very nice and are 
pretty well priced.  Basically the updated and color versions of the very 
popular TDS200 series in the $1000 to $2000 range.  Maybe the TDS-210's 
will start showing on E-bay for reasonable prices now.  You do see them 
there now days, but they still go for about 70% of the new price :-(

One note, data loggers, like the multi-channel ones HP/Agilent and Fluke 
make, seem to take over voltage (even even modest events) quite "badly"!! 
The boards inside them burn up like charcoal!  We've lost a lot of loggers 
but practically no scopes.  I think Tektronix is much better at designing 
things for accidental over voltage than the others.  Same goes for their 
probes.  We burnt up a 5100 probe the other day but the probe still 
protected the attached scope just fine.

Cheers,

         Terry