BEST 50MHz HOBBYIST OSCILLOSCOPES
INTRODUCTION:
If you are a hobbyist or working at a Unversity educational lab and are looking to put together a general purpose electronics test bench, a 50 MHz ~ 70 MHz oscilloscope is a good choice. This bandwidth range is good for a lot of different R&D and trouble-shooting applications, and 50 MHz scopes are a good value for the purchase price. Many models are available for less than $250 USD. Most oscilloscopes with a bandwidth in the 50 MHz to 70 MHz range are targeted for a hobbyist or for budget conscious engineers. The focus of this article is not solely price. We tried to balance the price with of budget friendly oscilloscopes with their available features. We considered features such as the number of measurements functions, USB interface and friendly front panel layout (full list of selection criteria). We also recommend checking our article on Selecting an Oscilloscope if you are still learning the different specifications and functions which need to be evaluated in an oscilloscope.
Our top two recommendations for 50 MHz Oscilloscopes are shown below. Also, you can view a list of all 50MHz scopes from all manufacturers here: Compare all 50 MHz Oscilloscopes.
The Hantek DSO5072P is a Benchtop 70 MHz Oscilloscope with 1 GSa/s sample rate at a very affordble price. These scopes can often be purchased for less thatn $300.00. Engineers using this oscilloscope will appreciate the 7 inch 64K color TFT display and the USB host/device connection which are both included in the base model. One downside of this budget friendly oscilloscope is the limited memory depth. This can make it difficult to capture highly infrequent transient events. This Hantek oscilloscope is a good choice for the home electronics hobbyist looking to add an oscilloscope to his or her home test bench. For the cost and performance, its difficult to find a better performing oscilloscope.
The DSO100Z series provides 4 analog channel measurements. The specific 50 MHz DS1054Z RIGOL oscilloscope we reviewed provides 4 analog measurement channels at an economical price. But be aware that the MSO upgrade is not an option for this bandwidth class oscilloscope. This is probably not a problem for most educational labs or engineers looking for a budget friendly oscilloscope. The sampling rate goes to up to 1 GSa/s when using a single channel. When all channels are employed, the sample rate is reduced to 250 MSa/s. The maximum memory depth also scales depending on the number of channels being used. It scales from 24 Mpts to 6 Mpts. Educational labs will appreciate the robust measurement functions, including FFT analysis. The feature set included with this 4 channel oscilloscope makes it solid choice for educators or engineers on budget.
FACTORS WE USED FOR OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:
Before we list the technical criteria used in determining the recommended 50 MHz Oscilloscopes, we should mention that everyone on our staff is either an electrical engineer or a physicist with over 10 years of experience. Our recommendation process includes an in-depth review of 8 different key attributes for each product:
- 1. The bandwidth of the oscilloscope must be at least 50 MHz
- 2. Intuitive front panel layout and USB interface
- 3. Display size and resolution
- 4. Sample rate and available memory to capture and measure the signal
- 5. Number and type of available measurement functions
- 6. Quality of the operating manual and the quality of the support documentation
- 7. Reputation and core focus of the manufacturer as well as the number of years the manufacturer has been in business
- 8. Price and availability