Bryan began by saying he last did a similar presentation in 2002. This time he had eleven oscilloscopes lined up on tables in front of the members; all units were seen to be working.
The first slide of the presentation asked, What does it do? (it displays voltage waveforms against time), What is it useful for? (useful for observing voltage waveforms) and Do I need one?
The majority of scopes on display were ‘vintage’ and most obtained for little money in spite of their original cost which, in some cases, was considerable. Some were made to function properly with only a dose of switch cleaner!
Bryan went on to explain the types of scopes and what the various controls could achieve. A brief look at wave forms and measurements followed. Bryan explained that the trace can tell many things about a signal, such as, the time and voltage values, the amplitude (voltage) and frequency of a signal, determine if a malfunctioning component is distorting a signal, determine how much of a signal is DC or AC, and observe any noise on the signal.
He then came to the question, Do I need one? Although the question wasn’t answered directly, it was pointed out that the units can be found at rallies and junk sales for £25 and less, and in working condition!
Members were invited to have a look and adjust the various controls of the units on display.
