Oscilloscope

[vlad01]

I don't know any different. All the CROs I used through high school and then my electronics engineering diploma (2002ish to 2008) all had units like this, including the 3 way knob as you point out.

I never seen a digital one until some of the members posted them on this forum over the last several years during incidental posts on various projects. Then I played with one in Jaycar (equiv to an Aus radio shack) just before xmas, and I had no idea haha. 90% of it was completely unfamiliar to me.

In high school, we had to do practical exams if that that the right term on how to configure, use and read CROs, so I still know roughly how to use these old units.

[AngelMarc]

I added a potentiometer to my PC for volume control. DIY MIDI controller. Loved that thing.

[Fixed until broken]

If you really want to learn to use your oscilloscope, Rohde and Schwarz has some great tutorials on YouTube. Same with Tektronix, but the Tek ones are a little more sales-pitchy than R&S. I like to point my new technicians in that direction.

One basic thing to understand is that it's in the time domain. X is time, Y is amplitude(normally voltage, but can be current). Don't confuse this with XY plot/mode. Spec-ans are in the frequency domain. You can get frequency domain stuff out of scope using an FFT. I strongly recommend getting a used Tektronix or HP scope off eBay instead of a new hobby scope. If you are dead set on new and not used, you can't go wrong with Siglent. My favorite scope under a $1000 is a TEK TDS3000 series used. If you get one of the e*scope ones(-b or -C), it has a web server on it that makes pulling scope shots off it really easy.

Scopes have a ton of traps for new players, so it's great to take the time to really understand what they're doing.

[AngelMarc]

it has a web server on it that makes pulling scope shots off it really easy.

USB scopes are good for that. Print screen, snipping tool, or just record with OBS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhllu_2PBBY

[Fixed until broken]

USB scopes are good for that. Print screen, snipping tool, or just record with OBS.

Almost all modern scopes support some level of connectivity, be it USB, GPIB, RS232, or Ethernet. I prefer Ethernet because it is always galvanically isolated. Most reputable scope manufacturers isolate the USB, but HANTEK didn't when I had one, and I haven't used an Owon Scope, so I don't know if they do. I am biased to TEK because I have 3 TEK scopes and most of the accessories like the Diff probe and such.
I have TDS2014C, TDS3012B, and TDS5054B-NV. At work, I use an MDO34.

I am very much not a fan of headless scopes, like my Hantek. I hated having to use a computer.

That said, I am not dumping on Owon, Siglent, Rigol. Get what you can afford and learn to use it. Just for the price of a new Siglent, you can get a used Tek, so I would recommend looking at it. Scopes are one of the few things you are not just paying for the name on it... unless you get R&S or Lecroy

[AngelMarc]

For the price and bandwidth, and I "just had to have" USB to PC. For $95, way better than cheapest PicoScope.
I bought the non isolated VDS1022, because I think I'll be fine. They make a version that's the same, but supposedly isolated for 10 or 15 more, VDS1022i.
And yeah, needing to pull out laptop to read a signal, not great. Maybe I'll get a cheap little used Windows tablet to velcro to it at some point.
Only scope I've owned or even used.