Tired of wasting money on oscilloscopes that take up space and collect dust in your room? Fortunately, we have the solution for that. There are many high-quality cheap oscilloscopes on the market, you just need to know where to look.
A good oscilloscope provides fast and accurate readings, a long battery life, and has multiple channel modules.
A bad oscilloscope on the other hand will be difficult to use and is a complete waste of time and money (this is the kind of ‘cheap’ you want to avoid).
To help you separate the good from the bad – we’ve reviewed the Top 5 Cheap Oscilloscopes of 2024.
Buy with the confidence that you’re buying one of the best oscilloscopes available. Let’s jump straight into the reviews.
Contents
Top 5 Best Cheap Oscilloscope
Rigol Digital Oscilloscope
- Analog channel bandwidth:50 MHz
- 4 analog channels
- Real-time sample rate up to 1 GSa/s
The Rigol Digital Oscilloscope stands out with its sleek, compact design, tipping the scales at just 6.6 pounds. What sets it apart is not just its portability, but also its superior performance paired with an interface that’s intuitive enough for beginners to master quickly.
A standout feature is its four-channel capability, exceeding what most oscilloscopes offer. The crisp, clear values are displayed on a generous 7-inch screen, enhanced with Ultra Vision technology, ensuring superb visibility under any condition.
This device does not have any distortion. Users call this a powerful machine because it’s strong enough to resist scratching. Due to this, it’s known for its high-level durability, which helps when you’re on the job.
The waveform capture is another impressive feature. It produces at 30.0 wfms/sec, which is the highest in its class in speed and efficiency. This powerful machine also has a USB Port, that you can insert through any flash drive.
When looking for your first oscilloscope, a high MHz rating is necessary. It will help you get the most data from the signals you’re analyzing, and more channels give you more room to investigate and explore.
Hobbyists will like the Rigol Digital Oscilloscope due to its built-in calibration function. So you won’t have any issues with the controls after turning it on. So think about getting this oscilloscope if you’re looking for high-end performance mixed with that user-friendly system that’s needed in today’s industry.
Check Price- Easy Controls
- 50 MhZ Digital Oscilloscope
- 30.000 wmfs/sec
- Memory max at 24 mpts
- The fan can be noisy
Tektronix Digital Oscilloscope
- TBS1000 series digital storage oscilloscope for electronics applications such as product design and debugging, repair and servicing, and electrical engineering education
- Maximum real-time sample rate of 2GS/s and record length of 2.5kpts per channel for acquiring detailed waveforms
- Vertical sensitivity to 2mV per division for capturing low-level signals
The Tektronix TBS1102B Digital Storage Oscilloscope, our next pick, elevates the game with its array of advanced features. Its ability to isolate signals of interest quickly makes it a premium selection for professionals seeking precision.
Once the device captures a signal, the advanced math that will speed up analysis. 16 Automated measurements help you calculate important characteristics such as the rise-time or frequency. And its Time Limit function helps you to identify odd issues within the signal. Because of this self-debugging process, its no wonder why it ranks ahead of its competition in performance.
Since it’s 4.9in, you can take it anywhere. It has an intuitive interface that includes an auto-ranging, auto-setup, and dedicated per-channel controls; as a result, its easy for apprentice electricians who are trying to get more diagnostics for their electrical usage.
The Tektronix TBS1102B Digital Storage Oscilloscope is known for its PC connectivity. You can easily save, analyze, capture, measurements by connecting the rear-panel USB port with a PC.
This connectivity allows you to pull waveform data and screen images on your computer’s desktop or via Microsoft Excel and Word. Alternatively, you can print out images to a PictBridge compatible printer giving you more options.
For its premium value, you’re also backed by a 5-year warranty. There have been issues with trying to input to change settings. Still, this is a high-end oscilloscope that can even view measurements 10x more with the Zoom option.
Check Price- 2 Channels Modules
- Multi-Language User Interface
- Zoom function
- Integrated Courseware Feature
- Difficulty with Auto-detecting
Hantek Digital Oscilloscope
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The Hantek Digital Oscilloscope earns its spot as third on our list by doubling as a multimeter and oscilloscope. Its balanced parameters in dual-channel mode boast speeds up to 35 MHz, placing it among the fastest in its class.
The Hantek Digital Oscilloscope is perfect if you’re on a budget. For instance, it is comfortable, but it doesn’t have a rotating knob to help select menu parameters and control the signal trigger. However, users start to get used to its device’s push-button control, which ensures better mobility once its in use.
Software is needed if you want your oscilloscope to work well, and the DSO Analyzer helps you register measurement parameters with the assistance with a computer. Thus, giving you more accurate readings that you can share, save, and utilize when using this device.
Its memory depth is one thing that makes it superior to competing brands. The single band channel holds 32k memory, and 16k memory is for the dual-band channel. So you’ll have enough memory to keep multiple data sources within reach.
The Hantek Digital Oscilloscope has over 6 hours of battery power, making it great for daily use. Think that’s enough? It comes equipped with two channels with a 2GS sample rate through each of them. Thus, improving the accuracy of your readings, with the help of this oscilloscope.
Check Price- Affordable
- Zoom Function
- 2.5k record length for all channels
- 6 hour battery power
- No support response
Siglent Digital Oscilloscope
- Package Weight :4.0 Kg
- Standard Decoder: Iic, Spi, Uart/Rs232, Can, Lin
- 16 Digital Channels (Mso) (Four Channel Series Only, Option)
The Siglent Digital Oscilloscope comes with two channels and 200 MHz of bandwidth. It features multiple trigger mode options for signals such as SPI, CAN, and UART. So you have a lot of utility from this product.
It uses Phosphor Technology, which facilitates signal accuracy that’s displayed through its 7′ widescreen LCD Screen and low system noise. And it features an assortment of good trigger modes: edge, pulse, video, and there is more to choose from.
A power efficiency oscilloscope is a long-lasting one. And the Siglent Digital Oscilloscope uses 25W, which is lower than the average 50W scopes. This ensures that you’ll have it operating effectively while keeping your energy bills low.
For the advanced users who want something that’s mathematics-based, the Siglent Digital Oscilloscope is the right choice for you. It comes with mathematical operations such as signal multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. This also has an FFT function due to its hardware compressor.
Its intricate interface, requiring several button presses to access specific measurements, represents a slight learning curve, particularly for beginners. However, most users will find they can quickly become adept with a bit of practice.
However, there is one thing you might want to look out for. This device tends to have issues capturing frequencies under 199 kHz. Fortunately, it will continue to have a capture rate of 40,000 waveforms a second with its Zoom Measurement/Gate features.
Check Price- Reduced Power Consumption
- Serial decoding
- Silent Oscilloscope Menus
- Limited to 2 Channels
Agilent Digital Oscilloscope
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Last on our list is the Agilent Digital Oscilloscope. It has digital and analog use on display and helps isolate the cause and effect in longer, more complex circuits. It has 16 logic channels with 200 M/s on the 16 channels and the 400 M/s on the eight channels.
When in use, we would notice its accuracy. And it has 1 MB of memory scope per channel. This gives you enough data to create an image for the electric waves in the area.
It’s 5 auto-ranging functions can give flexibility in automated testing. Another interesting feature lies in its measurement capabilities. It can measure true RMS, AC/DC Current, 4-wire ohms, and DCV, making it a versatile oscilloscope for its price.
Due to the help of Mega Zoom Technology, users can capture long spans while keeping the high sample rate. This gives you enough power to see the measurements in fine detail, which helps with solving problems However, there are some issues with its accuracy at times. So think about getting this simple oscilloscope if you’re in need of a reliable oscilloscope with moderate features.
Check Price- Keysight Mega Zoom Technology
- 16 Logic Timing Channels
- 200 MSa/s 1 MB of memory per scope channel
- Moderate accuracy
