I honestly never planned to buy something like this. When I started working on an 8-bit breadboard computer, the idea that I would spend over $600 on an oscilloscope was laughable. I was only willing to spend $100 per year on components, and the only tool I had was a cheap multi-meter. In the autumn of 2019 I discovered inexpensive PCB manufacturers, such as JLCPCB and PCBWAY, and suddenly I was looking at possible MHz speeds instead of kHz. I was also starting to think about potential peripherals, including sound and possibly video systems. I had always wanted an Oscilloscope, but now it appeared I might actually have a real use for one.

I started looking for inexpensive vintage oscilloscopes, on Ebay and Kijiji, but I had very little luck in the price range I was willing to invest. At the same time, I began investigating options to buy new, and quickly identified the Hantek DSO5102p as a possibility. At the time, they were selling for under $300, and all of the reviews made it seem like a great option. My own needs could be met with a 20MHz analog oscilloscope, so a 100MHz digital one seemed like overkill... but at that price it was only 30% more expensive than thirty-year old used hardware from auction sites. I attempted to purchase vintage scopes several times, but the deals fell through in the end. Finally, I decided to buy new and started to heavily research the Hantek and a few closely priced alternatives.

While the Hantek rated really well, a four-channel version was not readily available (at least, not in Canada). A friend of mine, that is also working on a TTL-based computer, just purchased a two-channel analog oscilloscope, and I wanted whatever scope I bought to be a good compliment to his. My options for "inexpensive" quickly ballooned to $500-650, with Rigol and Siglent oscilloscopes. While $100 more expensive, the Siglent was also much newer and had several improved features, so I eventually settled on it.

I ordered it from Amazon.ca, and received it several days later in good condition. I may do a review at some point, but that is not really the purpose of my website.