[geeks] Re: Tektronix scopes

[roosmcd at dds.nl]

>    Keep in mind that, in electronics (not computer) terms, 1981 is 
> pretty new for an oscilloscope.
>    One more thing...I suspected this but I had to dig through my old 
> email archives to be sure...Tektronix was selling brand new 2465s as 
> recently as 1995.
> 
>    Copyright dates are usually associated with design, not production, 
> and test equipment doesn't suffer from the six-month-lifecycle crap 
> that PeeCees and ink-jet printers do.

 "2465 Life Cycle Data: Out of Production: Nov-01-2000", so you're right. 
That's a very respectable lifetime indeed, and it still looks modern compared 
to my Philips scope...

 But I haven't been able to find a manufactured date on my scope other than the 
copyright dates on the PCB, so it's probably only encoded in the serial number 
100982. I certainly don't have a scope from after '90, otherwise it still would 
have been running.

> >  groups.google.com gives a somewhat other view of custom-made 
> > out-of-date ICs
> > blowing up :). But ofcourse al that you hear is the people who are
> > complaining... Bad capacitors are certainly a common problem in older
> > equipment, I've gotten stuff this way before.
> 
>    Well, believe what you want...I have a lot of work experience with 
> this kind of scope, and I bought mine when money was no object to me 
> and I could buy any scope I wanted...and I didn't make an uninformed 
> decision.  As for "out of date" ICs...You can call up Tektronix and get 
> parts for a 30-year-old 485.  I can't believe anything in 2465 would be 
> difficult to get.

 This would be because Tektronix bought all available spare parts. But money is 
an object to me, so buying from Tektronix or even getting the scope 
professionally calibrated, is not an option. Despite this I'm very satisfied 
with it, the value for the money I spent is quite good. The only problem is 
that I really was looking for a digital scope :). Maybe next time.

 Buying a scope for me is not looking over catalogues and picking the best one. 
My first one came from Philips from an employee sale (free?, 2ch 50MHz), the 
second was also a Philips from when the company moved to another location ($10, 
2ch 100MHz). This tektronix is my third scope. I just pick what's cheap and so 
far that's been a good choice :). 

  greetings,
   Michiel