I was just at Goodwill...

...at 67th Avenue and Peoria in the Phoenix, Arizona area. I don't know if it is still there, but I noticed an oscilloscope being sold marked at $79.99; today is half-off day, so it would be $40.00 today only.

I don't have any more details on the scope; I didn't note any information or anything. I can say that the scope was fairly old, probably from the 1960s or so (and likely tube based). I think it was dual-channel, though (and probably 5 MHz or less). Round screen. No probes that I could see. No idea if it worked or not, but it looked like whoever owned it originally took very, very good care of it (the case was in great condition, and I am pretty sure it had all of its knobs and such, and none even looked cracked, worn, or aged). I wouldn't be surprised at all if it worked perfectly.

Just thought I might pass this along...

:slight_smile:

Hi , I think you should Buy it because you can keep it as a show piece , its a rare collectible.

NI$HANT:
Hi , I think you should Buy it because you can keep it as a show piece , its a rare collectible.

Not likely, but then again, I don't know (though Goodwill tends to prices things properly to value on things like this - sometimes; most of the time, if it is really collectible, it will go on their auction site).

Also - I already own two oscilloscopes; a 60 MHz Tek 2213 and a 100 MHz Fluke Combiscope (dual analog and digital storage scope) - I need another scope like a hole in my head...

:smiley:

if it is really collectible, it will go on their auction site

But don't you think that from auction site the prices can differ and i think if you already are able to deduce that the oscilloscope is can be a rare collectible , then simply have it ,may be someday one can use it to show their children the Evolution of these machines. :stuck_out_tongue: :grin:

rare collectable is totally dependent on the collectors market. for instance "rare" computers fetching hundreds if not thousands of dollars for that one person who just "has to have it", whereas a week or two just talking to people in those collectors circles will net you a better machine for tens of dollars.

So is there a collectors market for vintage electronics lab tools, yep, are they just loaded to the gills to pay outragous ebay prices, nope. Obviously it was not a brand that jumps out and kicks you in the butt, its old as sin, and I would be scared to plug it in with those old paper electrolytic caps (leaked out everywhere) , it would need tubes as goodwill has a policy to roll every electronic device in a concrete mixer filled with dirt for atleast 20 min.

As a piece to set on your shelf, its probably worth about 40 bucks, goodwill tends to double the worth of everything so they can afford those snazzy national TV and radio commercials. As a functional unit IF it works, and thats a big IF, its not going to be very useful ... though better than nothing, and if not your going to spend more time and money combined than just buying a el-cheapo modern digital. (not to mention probally hosing any collectors value)

beleive me, I have already been down this road, I rebuilt a 1960's heathkit as a kid, a few hours a day for over a year I finally gave up and sold it for parts on fidonet (and years later I pulled a perfectly working 1988 20Mhz digital kenwood, though it still uses a CRT out of the dumpster pile at work for free)

Old analog scopes are hard to 'price'. It it's a tec or HP then there are good sources to evaluate their worth. Any other would be a real crap shot and even $40 could be too much even if functional. Did it come with probes? If not good quality scope probes are pricey. Did it have a triggered time base? If not I wouldn't want it at any price.

Lefty

I never got pictures of this thing, so you just have to believe me when I say what I say (well, you don't have to - but you know what I mean, I hope).

:slight_smile:

No - it was definitely not an HP or a Tek, and as far as I could tell, there were no probes. I don't recall if it had a triggered time base, either. I only glanced at, long enough to marvel at how old it seemed, yet I could tell that this was a scope that was cared for by its original owner. It looked like something that had been pulled from some old man's ham room. I could tell it wasn't new, but I could also tell it wasn't abused, either. The panel was not worn, everything was legible (no signs of major wear), all the knobs were intact, no discoloration, no cracks or chips, etc. I would be willing to bet real money that the inside was as well kept as the outside. It really looked that good. Whether it was worth the asking price or not, I really don't know. I just thought that maybe someone out there might want to take a chance on it. Hopefully it went to a good home.

Hopefully it went to a good home.

Good Luck! Oldie

I took a couple of pictures of this scope - it is still there as of today (3/31):

http://www.phoenixgarage.org/show_article/154

In short, it is a Lectrotech TO-50 vectorscope (otherwise it appears to be single channel?)...

Still going for $79.99...