Velleman HPS10 Oscilloscope - Really that bad?

[demonstar]

I've wanted an oscilloscope for a long time now and I was given one the other week but it doesn't work (My repairs don't seem to be working  ) so I've decided I'm going to buy one. I don't want to spend all that much and Idon't want an old scope that is probably due to fail because repairs and parts are really expensive. For this reason I'm buying new. The candidates are the velleman hps10 and a traditional cro style scope. Both single channel and 10Mhz (adequate for my needs). I shouldn't ever need to go above 1Mhz so I can get away with 10Mhz. I've seen a lot of complaints about the Velleman HPS10 oscilloscope but not many justifications. If anybody here has got one what do you think of it? Glad you bought it? Prefer it over a bigger CRO?

So heres the deal the HPS10 is £80 and the CRO is £40. So is it worth paying the extra is the bottom line or am I just paying extra for a useless piece of equipment?

[alteredsounds]

I've still got one here and tbh its only because i've been to lazy to put it on ebay, i just cant get on with the bloody thing at all 

[R.G.]

The Velleman is cute. Not too useful, but cute.

I've owned a whole succession of 'scopes. What I like right now is the PicoScope devices. I have their low end two-channel. This works a lot like the sound-card oscilloscope things, but it's high speed, accurate, and also enjoys the direct-to-computer stuff that is the true joy of in-depth scope work. Look here:
http://www.picotech.com/oscilloscope-specifications.html

The single-channel, hand-held thing will do the vast majority of effects work, and is cheap for what it does.

The lowest-end dual channel has been updated since I bought mine, and now includes an arbitrary waveform generator output, so it's a single-box pedal tester you can hold in your hand and get scope displays on your computer with for around £125.00 / $250.00 / €162.50.  The software that comes with it lets you plug into a USB port and view, capture, log data, automate measurements, perform on-line computations and store images as well as the de rigueur  FFT frequency spectrum display.

It's a bit more expensive, but it's the first step into pro-grade stuff.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Unless that is a misprint, I would definitely take an analog old style CRO over the velleman, in fact I would happily pay more for an analog scope.

[demonstar]

Thank you very much for the advice folks! I have used various picoscopes in physics classes and I agree they're not bad. I admit it wouldn't be a bad idea to be able to have the versatility of putting it through my laptop to be able to record but I think it could be a fuss on at the same time. I think the Velleman scope is ruled out so in that case I'm going to go for the traditional CRO. Here's the link to it...

"http://www.jaycarelectronics.co.uk/productView.asp?ID=QC1920&CATID=&keywords=oscilloscope&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID="

I will order it later tonight but if anyone has any comments on if they they think it looks good or bad in the meantime I'd be very grateful.

Thank you!

[alteredsounds]

VERY tempted by the cheap Picoscope but the dual-channel version for not much more money is also super tempting!

[R O Tiree]

I also have a dual-channel Pico-Scope 2202 - awesome value for money, given the functionality and also the software package as already described by R.G. Be advised that the max input voltage (on my 2-year old one, anyway) is only 20V. They do versions that go higher, but they're pricey. No use, then, for amp work, as even SS amps typically have voltages in the order of 35V-50V or so, and tube amps get into silly regions by comparison.

[alteredsounds]

I also have a dual-channel Pico-Scope 2202 - awesome value for money, given the functionality and also the software package as already described by R.G. Be advised that the max input voltage (on my 2-year old one, anyway) is only 20V. They do versions that go higher, but they're pricey. No use, then, for amp work, as even SS amps typically have voltages in the order of 35V-50V or so, and tube amps get into silly regions by comparison.

I didnt notice that actually, just read on the specs 'Input ranges (full scale)    ±50 mV to ±20 V in 9 ranges'.  That also potentially rules out some pedals, not many, but you're even getting close to that with a charge pump on a circuit.

[demonstar]

I will order it later tonight but if anyone has any comments on if they they think it looks good or bad in the meantime I'd be very grateful.

I been thinking and I'm going to leave it and look into the HPS10 and the picoscope more. I know the velleman scope ain't perfect but it might be all I can afford right now. Well or there's the usb scope.

The reason I'm leaving the jaycar scope is the fact I don't know whether I can be chewed with all the hassle of customs and postage from Aus. CROs are fragile after all. I'm just getting bad feeling about it. I think I'll keep my business within the EU or even better, the U.K.. Maplin actually have a good deal on the HPS10. I do like to stick to the suppliers I know have a good record such as Farnell.

It's a shame I'm not going to be able to get this scope working but I can't see it happening...

"http://forum.eserviceinfo.com/viewtopic.php?p=114531#114531"
"http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=71005.0"