Oscilloscope?

[Keithmac]

All the ones I've seen use the Pico 4 chanel, can't remember the name but it's the only one that works with their Automotive Software.

The software looks really hand for graphing and displaying cam/ crank sensors etc and comparing to known good.

Not cheap mind!.

South Main Auto is worth a look for scope work, Eric O is excellent.

 

[James1979]

All the ones I've seen use the Pico 4 chanel, can't remember the name but it's the only one that works with their Automotive Software.

The software looks really hand for graphing and displaying cam/ crank sensors etc and comparing to known good.

Not cheap mind!.

South Main Auto is worth a look for scope work, Eric O is excellent.

There’s a guy called ‘mechanic something’ I’ll find it later. He’s a pico trainer and his is a good channel. Informative.

 

[premmington]

Dredging up an old thread rather start anew.

I’m about to go for the pico 2 channel laptop based after watching gaztube reviews and tutorials it should do what I need.

Has anything changed in the last year or so? It’s still a good scope to get?

If you go for it - make sure you budget for low amp clamps - it is the only thing I really use with Pico now

 

[Cato]

There’s a guy called ‘mechanic something’ I’ll find it later. He’s a pico trainer and his is a good channel. Informative.

I had a look at this video on GazTube before committing to the Hantek. It shows the software quite well, but I found it really easy to use, very intuitive.

 

[sako243]

@James1979 don't forget there's still an oscilloscope in Invermorriston with your name on it

 

[Ubique]

Dredging up an old thread rather start anew.

I’m about to go for the pico 2 channel laptop based after watching gaztube reviews and tutorials it should do what I need.

Has anything changed in the last year or so? It’s still a good scope to get?

I use a Pico 2 channel at work, I also have a chineseium handheld similar to the one pictured above your post that is handy for 'indication' rather than measurement, such as checking LIN & CAN waveforms for correct shape etc. The Picoscope still comes out for measurement and recording though.
Be careful with DC clamp ammeters, the cheap ones drift over time, some in as short as 10 minutes and TBH for parasitic drain checks, a datalogger is much better.

 

[James1979]

@James1979 don't forget there's still an oscilloscope in Invermorriston with your name on it

I hadn’t and thanks for getting it that far.

Not been off this island yet!

I want a small one for the truck anyway.

Just checking sensors and faultfinding really.

Scopes are new to me as the last time I used one was college. I’m learning but I need to get practical experience now.

There’s only so much fault finding and diagnosis you can do ‘old school’

 

[James1979]

I had a look at this video on GazTube before committing to the Hantek. It shows the software quite well, but I found it really easy to use, very intuitive.

That’s the guy.

He says he’s a pico scope trainer in the ones I watched.

Might look at the Hantek.

It’ll be a week or so before I buy anyway

 

[6ply]

Have been using these picoscopes for years and never had one fail. Have another one at home too. Good software that's easy to use.

 

[Cato]

That’s the guy.

He says he’s a pico scope trainer in the ones I watched.

Might look at the Hantek.

It’ll be a week or so before I buy anyway

I wanted to buy the Pico, but I couldn't justify the price difference think if the Hantek was junk I could live with being out £180 and learning a lesson. It wasn't though, I was genuinely impressed with it and as it's the "automotive" version the additional leads and clamps along with the dedicated options on the software make it ideal. It's also very easy to use as a stand alone scope just by clicking an option on the screen.

Pricks my conscience a bit but I'll struggle through somehow.

 

[James1979]

The 2 channel pico kits are around £140 ish.

He does say you need to budget for more suitable probes as @premmington points out.

A back probe kit is also on his list but it looks like you get that with some hantek ones? I need one of those anyway as the usual method of nicking cables isn’t the best I’ll be the first to admit.

 

[Cato]

The 2 channel pico kits are around £140 ish.

He does say you need to budget for more suitable probes as @premmington points out.

A back probe kit is also on his list but it looks like you get that with some hantek ones? I need one of those anyway as the usual method of nicking cables isn’t the best I’ll be the first to admit.

This is the kit that I got Hantek 6047BE it comes with loads of bits and bobs, the other thing I got for it was a pressure transducer That lot covers pretty much everything I'm likely to need, and as it's a 4 channel scope I can monitor four cylinders, two cylinders with cam and crank sensors, four injectors, a couple of injectors and crank case pressure etc etc. It makes it much quicker to pin down where a problem is occurring and then isolate which 'thing' is giving trouble.

 

[James1979]

This is the kit that I got Hantek 6047BE it comes with loads of bits and bobs, the other thing I got for it was a pressure transducer That lot covers pretty much everything I'm likely to need, and as it's a 4 channel scope I can monitor four cylinders, two cylinders with cam and crank sensors, four injectors, a couple of injectors and crank case pressure etc etc. It makes it much quicker to pin down where a problem is occurring and then isolate which 'thing' is giving trouble.

That’s a better deal. The one at the start of the thread is a lot more.

I’ll do a bit of digging but that looks good for me

 

[Cato]

That’s a better deal. The one at the start of the thread is a lot more.

I’ll do a bit of digging but that looks good for me

Yeah, there's another kit that they do with a fancy case and a couple of other bits. When I compared the two it didn't make sense to pay that much extra so I went for the one I just linked.

 

[Ubique]

Backpinning probes - these are the best I've come across https://www.picoauto.com/products/clips-and-adaptors/flexible-back-pinning-probe I bought two pairs in expectation of needing spares, the original two are still in daily use four years later. Not expensive either.