Newbie oscilloscope question

Ivan Vegvary

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Jun 30, 2015, 5:07:00 PM6/30/15

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Want to learn. Playing with Arduino and old Heathkit 1Mz scope. Have 1x10x probe with BNC connector. Heath scope has binding posts.
Do I butcher the probe? Find adaptors?

Want to build simple 555 breadboard circuits so I can look at different wave forms. If I get good, will buy a faster scope.
Thanks
Ivan Vegvary

M Philbrook

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Jun 30, 2015, 5:25:50 PM6/30/15

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In article <2a82171b-c3d7-466b...@googlegroups.com>,
ivanv...@gmail.com says...

Just use a set of test leads, don't hack up a
perfectly good scope probe.

Standard banna jack leads will fit the center of the
binding post.

Jamie

Ralph Mowery

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Jun 30, 2015, 5:30:58 PM6/30/15

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"Ivan Vegvary" <ivanv...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:2a82171b-c3d7-466b...@googlegroups.com...

As you can get some scope probes with the BNC connectors around 2 for $ 10
to $ 15 off ebay I would just cut off the connector of the probe you have.
That is unless it is a high dollar one such as a Techtronix.

YOu can probably find a female BNC connector for almost nothing. Then just
solder some wires to the female connector. At 1 MHZ and a few inches of
wire, it probably won't be noticable on the scope you have.

Dave Platt

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Jun 30, 2015, 6:14:42 PM6/30/15

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In article <2a82171b-c3d7-466b...@googlegroups.com>,

Ivan Vegvary <ivanv...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Want to learn. Playing with Arduino and old Heathkit 1Mz scope. Have 1x10x probe with BNC connector. Heath scope has binding posts.
> Do I butcher the probe? Find adaptors?

If it's a dual binding-post/banana-jack on 3/4" centers, adapters are
easy to find. Try a search for "bnc banana adapter" on eBay.

Even if these adapters don't happen to have the right spacing for your
'scope, you can always buy one, and a couple of short jumper cables,
to make the connection.

Or, wire up a female BNC jack to a couple of wire pigtails.

Ivan Vegvary

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Jul 1, 2015, 8:56:20 AM7/1/15

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Thanks everyone!
Ivan Vegvary

amdx

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Jul 1, 2015, 1:32:34 PM7/1/15

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yup,
> http://www.pasternack.com/bnc-to-banana-adapters-category.aspx

Mikek

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Dave Platt

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Jul 1, 2015, 2:32:11 PM7/1/15

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In article <mn184r$ujr$1...@dont-email.me>, amdx <noj...@knology.net> wrote:

>> If it's a dual binding-post/banana-jack on 3/4" centers, adapters are
>> easy to find. Try a search for "bnc banana adapter" on eBay.

> yup,
> http://www.pasternack.com/bnc-to-banana-adapters-category.aspx

If you want to pay Pasternack's prices, and get Pasternack catalogs in
the mail every month or so for the next umpteen years (>>grin<<)

amdx

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Jul 1, 2015, 2:38:38 PM7/1/15

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OK, he's good with google, first hit.
Just wanted the guy to see a picture.

Ralph Mowery

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Jul 1, 2015, 2:51:01 PM7/1/15

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"amdx" <noj...@knology.net> wrote in message
news:mn184r$ujr$1...@dont-email.me...

> On 6/30/2015 5:13 PM, Dave Platt wrote:
>> If it's a dual binding-post/banana-jack on 3/4" centers, adapters are
>> easy to find. Try a search for "bnc banana adapter" on eBay.
>>
>> Even if these adapters don't happen to have the right spacing for your
>> 'scope, you can always buy one, and a couple of short jumper cables,
>> to make the connection.
>>
>> Or, wire up a female BNC jack to a couple of wire pigtails.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> yup,
>> http://www.pasternack.com/bnc-to-banana-adapters-category.aspx
>

At the price of the adapters unless the probe is high dollar, you can get a
whole new probe rated over 50 MHz for the same price. I bought a coupld to
use with a 100 MHz scope and can not tell much differance in them an a
Tectronix probe rated for the same frequency range. That is why I said just
cut off the end unless he has a bnc connector laying around he can just
pigtail a couple of wires to.

whit3rd

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Jul 1, 2015, 3:44:31 PM7/1/15

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On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 11:51:01 AM UTC-7, Ralph Mowery wrote:
> "amdx" <noj...@knology.net> wrote in message
> news:mn184r$ujr$1...@dont-email.me...
> > On 6/30/2015 5:13 PM, Dave Platt wrote:
> >> If it's a dual binding-post/banana-jack on 3/4" centers, adapters are
> >> easy to find. Try a search for "bnc banana adapter" on eBay.
> >>
> >> Even if these adapters don't happen to have the right spacing for your
> >> 'scope, you can always buy one

>... That is why I said just

> cut off the end unless he has a bnc connector laying around he can just
> pigtail a couple of wires to.

Pigtails aren't as good. The benefit of a probe and coax cable/BNC connector is
that one often works on hazardous voltages, and the probe is a safe handle to grab
onto, even if the probe tip is on the 360V node...
The best BNC-to-banana adapters for an oscilloscope, are the ones with a grounded
shroud so the live wire isn't touchable. These used to be common, but now, not so much.

Some oscilloscopes had a UHF connector and ground binding post, that are compatible
with banana plugs; for those, a UHF-to-BNC adapter is the best way to proceed

<http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-BNC-Female-to-UHF-Male-PL-259-Coax-RF-Adapter-Connector-p-9234.html>

<

Mark Zacharias

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Jul 2, 2015, 8:01:37 AM7/2/15

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"Ralph Mowery" <rmower...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:NZidnWObraQPqwnI...@earthlink.com...

Maybe overkill to buy a modern probe and try to "hack" it to use on this old
'scope.

Just use a set of conventional 4mm multimeter style test probes. The high
frequency limitations of such a probe arrangement aren't a concern with this
'scope, which probably has a bandwidth of perhaps 500 kHz.

I suppose the 1 meg input impedance might load down certain nodes in the
Arduino, though...

Here's another thought. One can often find a funtional dual-trace 50 meg or
so 'scope with probes in the 50-75.00 range on eBay.

Just a thought...

Mark Z.

Michael Black

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Jul 2, 2015, 9:30:25 AM7/2/15

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I've been wondering about the scope. If the bandwidth is so low, then it
may be an AC coupled scope, and lacking triggered sweep. Lots of fun as a
beginner, I got one of those when I was about 13 at a ham club auction for
five dollars, since it got me a chance to play wkth a scope. But for
practical purposes in 1972, the best it could do was display some audio
frequency waveforms. Not useful for that logic stuff coming in, not
useful for RF.

The conundrum is that the scope he has is available, and can he get
something out of it? Fifty to seventy-five dollars is not bad for a scope
you describe, but for a beginner, it may not yet be something he's wanting
to spend money on.

Michael