Hey guys, this is for the golds or anyone who does alot of testing.
I was looking on partsexpress and came across this oscilloscope and was wondering if it was a pretty good deal and if it would work good for tuning perposes etc for amplifiers, etc...what do ya think? Yeah, or Neigh
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=320-290
-Jason
Replies (5)
swez on 12/26/2004 07:51:07
Hummm, it has some nice features like RMS and Peak to Peak AC reader and 10x probe for higher voltage reading ability. However, it would really be of limited use... test tones, amplitude of signal and wave form shapes, it will do that well enough. We can usually get much of that with our ears, a dummy load (non-inductive load) and a voltmeter.
If you have other uses besides car audio, it might be worth the investment. Otherwise, pretty elaborate (expensive) clipping detector here. What do you want to do with this tool?
Swez
P0werLifter on 12/26/2004 13:48:12
I dont really have any other uses for it other than car audio to test for clipping etc but i thought it might be a good tool because in the future i want to try to build my own crossovers and maybe if i learn enough try my own amplifier (im ordering some books to further my knowledge that also contain plans for small amplifiers to start with).
I was also debating purchasing a tone generator or a pink noise one alse.
swez on 12/26/2004 15:02:08
Can do most of those things with a good multi-meter too. True, won't see the wave form, but can get voltage readings at various frequency and amplitude test points too.
See, if we know the resistance (or impedance) of the load, we can calculate wattage, voltage and current from the source. (amp, pre-amp etc.) With any of the 2 variables listed, we can mathmatically derive the rest with Ohm's Law. This is very important when designing amplifiers and crossovers.
Can also get Pink noise and tone generator signals from test CD's out there already. The key is to have the audio source output at Zero dB Vu reference voltage for all tests.
I can see your point, but am not sure this O-scope has enough features to really do the job well. The ideal setup is a 2 channel O-scope that we can measure input signal amplitude and distortion values, and compare the output from amp signals to the inputs. The output signal will have a larger amplitude, but same shape when no distortion is present. By adjusting the input scales,(calibrate each channel) we can pretty much get ditto, ditto readings in real time.
Jason, am not trying to tell you what to do with your interests. Rather, you may want to consider a more complex O-scope that has more features and capabilities. Just like in car audio... do we buy inadequate gear now and find out later we need to go a few notches better? Only you can determine that.
FYI: If you took a few classes with labs that have those tools, then they teach how to use them and how they work. Not sure if that appeals to you now... but that's how I got my hands on stuff... years ago.
Swez
PS My brother has all these tools and only uses them for repairs and testing the repaired gear and custom speaker systems. He used them a lot several years ago, when he did more repairs. Now, he realized that there is not much profit in repairs and often farms it out. He sells, installs and trobleshoots most of the time now. Usually, his clients just say... give me the next level upgrade. No need for the test equipment most of the time now. Just does not turn much profit.
P0werLifter on 12/27/2004 03:10:28
Thanks for the input Swez. I had just been looking around for some stuff that might be good to have and to mess around with. I just wanted some input as far as quality and if it would be of any use. Thanks for the reply GRIN. Your right i dont need that because i can do the math , calculations, etc without having it even though the visual effect would be nice GRIN.
For now ill just concentrate on doing the little stuff and working my way up =) i think im gonna go try to get a job doing installs. Maybe start out at circut city, goodguys etc and then get in a custom shop since thats what i love doing. Custom installs = FUN
swez on 12/27/2004 11:47:17
Solid plan... hope it works out for you.
Swez
I was looking on partsexpress and came across this oscilloscope and was wondering if it was a pretty good deal and if it would work good for tuning perposes etc for amplifiers, etc...what do ya think? Yeah, or Neigh
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=320-290
-Jason
Replies (5)
swez on 12/26/2004 07:51:07
Hummm, it has some nice features like RMS and Peak to Peak AC reader and 10x probe for higher voltage reading ability. However, it would really be of limited use... test tones, amplitude of signal and wave form shapes, it will do that well enough. We can usually get much of that with our ears, a dummy load (non-inductive load) and a voltmeter.
If you have other uses besides car audio, it might be worth the investment. Otherwise, pretty elaborate (expensive) clipping detector here. What do you want to do with this tool?
Swez
P0werLifter on 12/26/2004 13:48:12
I dont really have any other uses for it other than car audio to test for clipping etc but i thought it might be a good tool because in the future i want to try to build my own crossovers and maybe if i learn enough try my own amplifier (im ordering some books to further my knowledge that also contain plans for small amplifiers to start with).
I was also debating purchasing a tone generator or a pink noise one alse.
swez on 12/26/2004 15:02:08
Can do most of those things with a good multi-meter too. True, won't see the wave form, but can get voltage readings at various frequency and amplitude test points too.
See, if we know the resistance (or impedance) of the load, we can calculate wattage, voltage and current from the source. (amp, pre-amp etc.) With any of the 2 variables listed, we can mathmatically derive the rest with Ohm's Law. This is very important when designing amplifiers and crossovers.
Can also get Pink noise and tone generator signals from test CD's out there already. The key is to have the audio source output at Zero dB Vu reference voltage for all tests.
I can see your point, but am not sure this O-scope has enough features to really do the job well. The ideal setup is a 2 channel O-scope that we can measure input signal amplitude and distortion values, and compare the output from amp signals to the inputs. The output signal will have a larger amplitude, but same shape when no distortion is present. By adjusting the input scales,(calibrate each channel) we can pretty much get ditto, ditto readings in real time.
Jason, am not trying to tell you what to do with your interests. Rather, you may want to consider a more complex O-scope that has more features and capabilities. Just like in car audio... do we buy inadequate gear now and find out later we need to go a few notches better? Only you can determine that.
FYI: If you took a few classes with labs that have those tools, then they teach how to use them and how they work. Not sure if that appeals to you now... but that's how I got my hands on stuff... years ago.
Swez
PS My brother has all these tools and only uses them for repairs and testing the repaired gear and custom speaker systems. He used them a lot several years ago, when he did more repairs. Now, he realized that there is not much profit in repairs and often farms it out. He sells, installs and trobleshoots most of the time now. Usually, his clients just say... give me the next level upgrade. No need for the test equipment most of the time now. Just does not turn much profit.
P0werLifter on 12/27/2004 03:10:28
Thanks for the input Swez. I had just been looking around for some stuff that might be good to have and to mess around with. I just wanted some input as far as quality and if it would be of any use. Thanks for the reply GRIN. Your right i dont need that because i can do the math , calculations, etc without having it even though the visual effect would be nice GRIN.
For now ill just concentrate on doing the little stuff and working my way up =) i think im gonna go try to get a job doing installs. Maybe start out at circut city, goodguys etc and then get in a custom shop since thats what i love doing. Custom installs = FUN
swez on 12/27/2004 11:47:17
Solid plan... hope it works out for you.
Swez
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