Updated 5\/3\/2015<\/p>\n
Hello, my name is Paul and I have a problem.
\n(hi Paul)<\/p>\n
I have a genetic predisposition to collect things that interest me. The collectables that are the subject of this post (and much of this blog) are vintage oscilloscopes. More specifically, scopes manufactured anywhere from the 50’s through the early 90’s by Tektronix.<\/p>\n
This collection unwittingly started some 25 years ago, when I bought my first scope. The problem with collecting vintage \/ antique \/ old-ass oscilloscopes is, they’re large. It’s like collecting dog houses. And I live in Manhattan. Fortunately, my Mother (bless her) lets me house the bulk of my stash in her basement (insert nerd in Mom’s basement joke here).<\/p>\n
Back to the point.<\/p>\n
In no particular order, here’s my wish-list. The title links are to the unofficial, yet amazingly comprehensive Tek Wiki page, w140.com<\/a>, or to my pages if they exist. Go there if you have any interest in this stuff.<\/p>\n Tektronix 310<\/strong><\/a> Tektronix 511<\/a> Tektronix 519<\/strong><\/a> Tektronix 551 dual beam oscilloscope<\/a> Tektronix 555 dual beam oscilloscope<\/strong><\/a> Tektronix 556 dual beam oscilloscope<\/strong><\/a> Tektronix 564 storage oscilloscope<\/strong><\/a> Update 9\/14: One en route, details to follow Tektronix 565 dual beam oscilloscope <\/a> Tektronix 567<\/b><\/a> Tektronix 661 sampling oscilloscope <\/a><\/b> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Updated 5\/3\/2015 Hello, my name is Paul and I have a problem. (hi Paul) I have a genetic predisposition to collect things that interest me. The collectables that are the subject of this post (and much of this blog) are … Continue reading
\nbecause it’s tiny and adorable.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The first Tek scope. no brainer.<\/p>\n
\n1Ghz in the early 60’s, the holy grail of early oscilloscopes. Gigantic and power hungry. Limited controls, and a frighteningly high CRT voltage at the time (24KV). This was a 100lb instrument built primarily to capture fast rise-time and\/or transient events. I suspect it was rare to see one in use without a camera back hanging off it. These are rare birds. I have yet to find one for sale in all my years, and I fear there are very few in circulation. I’d throw down some serious coin for one.
\nUpdate 5\/3\/2015: Got one!<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Two side by side vertical plugins. One shared horizontal time-base. One of a few (4?) tek scopes with an external power supply. There’s one en route, details to follow.
\nUpdate 9\/14: 551 + (2) 1A1s secured. It works(ish)<\/p>\n
\nThis is cool because:
\n– It’s the first scope to express the horizontal section as a plugin, albeit with an extremely limited selection of plugins available. They really only did it to ease service.
\n– It’s fucking huge. It has two adjacent vertical plugins like the 551, but with two shorter horizontal plugins above then.
\nUpdate 9\/14: One en route, details to follow
\nUpdate 9\/23: It giant, it’s heavy, and it’s upstate in the ‘Westchester home for wayward oscilloscopes’<\/p>\n
\nI have one, it’s huge and awesome. Wider then tall with the CRT centered between the two time base; a departure from their designs to date. Has a type M and.. some other plugin. Very flexible scope, Jim Williams<\/a> did some pretty cool things with them.<\/p>\n
\nI don’t own any of the 560 series scopes. These were smaller then the 55x series, and had a wider variety of horizontal plugins available, including some of the first sampling units (aside from the few S plugins for the 5xx scopes).<\/p>\n
\nUpdate 9\/27: currently on the bench – repair log here<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>55x series meets 56x series. I think the only 56x series that had a fixed horizontal section.<\/p>\n
\nSampling scope with a cursor readout. Super rare. Plus I think I have 3 plugins for it.<\/p>\n
\nPossibly rarer then the 519. One of the first (THE first?) sampling scopes.
\nUPDATE 11\/23: I just scored one. It’s really cool. Also, I may have a problem.<\/p>\n