Used oscilloscopes are an alternative to new devices. Even an old Tektronix, Hameg or other branded device is still good to use. Although the rotary and pushbuttons in the beige housing look somewhat stale today, they are still significantly better than lazily reacting touch devices or cheap China oscilloscopes.

Anyone who once worked with an old oscilloscope knows how to appreciate such devices. The basic functionality for recording signal transients, trigger capability, and multi-channel operation is provided on almost all devices. Thus, many old oscilloscopes have at least two channels, analog bandwidths from 20 MHz and a wide range of trigger capabilities. Depending on the year of manufacture, there are devices with classic electron tubes, newer models have installed a 'TV' with digital control. From the 1990s onwards, LCD and TFT displays can also be found.

What can you do with older devices and what can not?

Used oscilloscopes are generally suitable for developing electronic circuits and tracking waveforms. You have all the usual trigger options such as rising, falling, etc. Mathematical functions are rarely found.

With old analog oscilloscopes, you usually cannot save the waveform. Also, there are no screenshots or similar functionality. So if you absolutely want to save transients for later analysis, you need a storage oscilloscope. Old devices here still work with floppy disks, which is no longer recommended nowadays. Floppy disks are hard to get and drives have become rare. So at this point you have to be ready to do some work to use a floppy storage oscilloscope.

Alternatively, there are devices with RS232 interface, through which the data can also be transferred. With the USB-RS232 adapter you can still use such oscillographs. More modern, of course, are storage oscilloscopes with USB interface. There you can copy your data and screenshots via a USB stick and use it again.

Despite some limitations, used equipment is very often a good choice and reasonable alternative to poorly made new devices.