Are low/lower cost USB Oscilloscope's any good?

Hi,

I am just trying to mess around with electronics stuff, and I don't know too
much, but I've put a circuit or two together with help from this forum and
others. I've got a fluke DMM and clampmeter, but I'd really like to be able
to scope some stuff sometimes. I just don't know if I could part with the
money for a portable scope like a fluke 123 however just for playing around.
I have some questions and appreciate any suggestions for what might be good:

1. Do most scopes have decent voltage input on them? For example, can you
hook most of them up to line power (120vac or 240vac)? I am assuming the
fluke can do this no sweat, but I don't know.

2. I also see a bunch of references to X10 probes. Are these used to
reduce the voltage to something a scope can use, for example 240VAC -->
24VAC ?

3. Do you have any recommendations for a scope that works on a notebook
that is relatively low cost that has decent features (keep in mind I have no
idea what features you would want in a scope).

I would even consider some of these scopes that are free based ones that
work with a sound card, but my question is, what type of voltage input can
you get with a microphone jack???

Thanks!

Alan


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Differential probes
    ... the Fluke gives horribly ringing edges. ... the FP120 is about 4x more noisy than the Tek. ... The problem with the Tek is it can only work with the scope. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Differential probes
    ... the Fluke gives horribly ringing edges. ... the FP120 is about 4x more noisy than the Tek. ... The problem with the Tek is it can only work with the scope. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Differential probes
    ... the Fluke gives horribly ringing edges. ... the FP120 is about 4x more noisy than the Tek. ... The problem with the Tek is it can only work with the scope. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Are low/lower cost USB Oscilloscopes any good?
    ... I've got a fluke DMM and clampmeter, ... be able to scope some stuff sometimes. ... Do most scopes have decent voltage input on them? ... that is relatively low cost that has decent features (keep in mind I have ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Are low/lower cost USB Oscilloscopes any good?
    ... money for a portable scope like a fluke 123 however just for playing around. ... Do most scopes have decent voltage input on them? ... they work forever. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)