joe smith ok thanks Joe, I have some ordered so will see how they go. Most of the applications I use them for are extremely mundane so a piece of fencing wire would probably almost be good enough:) however they still need to be able to do their job and not fail or be intermittent as one of mine currently manages both
What software are you using for your HP 8754A? Looks like some sort of virtual 8501A normalizer. I recently acquired an 8505 VNA and 8501. Would love to be able to transfer the data to a desktop for additional processing. I’ve got an NI GPIB-USB adapter I use regularly with my lab’s 8510B
@@joesmith-je3tq Thanks! I originally saw your reply two days ago and it sent me down one hell of a research rabbit-hole 😅. Would you be willing to upload a copy of it to your Dropbox? (Would the file size permit this?) I have zero experience with LabView, but I think I might be able to navigate a program that’s very-much in the ballpark of what I need in order to learn the ‘language’ and hopefully adapt it for the 8505. From my rabbit hole findings: Apparently towards the end of the 8505’s run (following the debut of the 9000/200 workstations), HP released the 85011A “Accuracy Enhancement” software package that enabled full 12-term error correction and SOLT calibration. My goal is to recreate this capability (I’d also love to find an original copy of the 85011A software to use with my 9000/235C, but I’m doubtful I’d ever be that fortunate). I’d definitely keep you updated on my progress, and if I get anywhere with the 12-term error correction stuff I’ll also try and patch it into your original program for the 8754.
Joe. Came here from your comment on Amazon. Is there a stated capacitance compensation range in the literature that came with the PP150 probes? Bought an analog GW Instek 30Mhz on Ebay that's coming without probes. Scope is marked 1Meg ohm/ 25pf next to the BNC inputs. Would these probes cover/compensate that range okay?
The manual claims to be able to compensate instruments with an input of 15 to 40pF. The scope I use them with is 16pF and there is no problem with compensation even though I'm close to the limit. More interesting is I made this video 7 years ago and all four of these probes are still fine.
Hello! I am currently looking for a probe set for my newly purchased LeCroy 454.. Any info on were to purchase these Hantek probes? I don’t want to receive the ones from your other video, hehe! Thanks!
I just ordered them off Amazon. Looks like it's been a few years so I wonder if they have changed their design. I am still using these probes and have not had any problems with them.
Yeah, its been a while! There is however on ebay ones that at least on the pictures looks like the ones you have. And some that looks like the strange ones you recieved. Guess i have to go on the ones that are closest in the pictures? hehe. Who knows what you will receive!
Hi Joe… I found you via EEVBlog. I am brand new to this whole field. I picked up an older Tektronix TDS 460A but it didn’t come with any probes. It has 100 MS/s sampling rate and 400 MHz bandwidth and 4 channels. I got it for $50. Would the Hantek probes work? What would your recommendation be for a good probe? Thank you!
The manual claims to be able to compensate instruments with an input of 15 to 40pF. Looks like the manual is on-line for your scope. I would just double check to make sure they will work before you buy them.
@@joesmith-je3tq - thanks for your quick reply, Joe. The manual is online and I downloaded it yesterday. It’s about 250 pages and, although it will mostly be Greek to me, I’ll have to read through it. Being so new, I will probably be reaching out again for advice, suggestions and pointers as long as you do not mind. Thanks!
@@crusso1043 You could buy direct from Tektronix. I think the last ones I bought from them were about $100/ea. You would need to check current pricing. These Hantek probes are the only low cost 10X probes I have looked at in the last 10 years. For higher bandwidth, I typically use home made resistive probes. 400MHz would be no problem. I bought a low cost 100X probe. Bad idea. I ended up making a couple of them with much higher quality parts that I felt I could trust below 2kV. Really depends what you are after. One thing to mention is the leads on these probes are fairly short. I made a few videos showing different home made scope probes. Here's a differential probe I cobbled up. ua-cam.com/video/0thOfk4I3qs/v-deo.html
So basically whats going on is that 100Mhz probe, chinese one , aint that bad , since it can go to 500Mhz , just got some ordered 60Mhz ones for my 20Mhz Analog scope , and i got 100Mhz one like these , so they are better then my scope, wonder if i can get my scope to go to 100Mhz or at least 50Mhz , anyone know how ? i guess i can make some frequency divider , so that input 40Mhz ends up as 20Mhz , that is what they do in modern scopes dont they, they multiply the frequency like crazy , like they make 5Ghz scope out of , trully 1GHz module . Or am i mistaken ?
First, on the probes. I am still using the same four that I originally bought when I made this video. I have not had any problems with them. As far as the 500MHz, I don't think they were that good. 500MHz on any 10x probe would be pushing it. Normally I will switch to resistive probes. I recommend you look that type of probe up. As for the scopes bandwidth, you need to have an analog front end that can handle what ever you are wanting to run. Sampling can be much slower depending what signals you are looking it. For example my old LeCroy's have an analog bandwidth of 4GHz but sample using RIS at a very low frequency (
@@joesmith-je3tq Im no good For 4 Ghz , even this analog one struck this morning , i was getting her some new probes like i said , she didnt like that , took it as an insult on her age i guess , so what happened ,is that i took a screwdriver , that was not isolated , the one that lights up if there is high voltage ,looks like a pen , has metal connection on the handle , i had my other hand not in pocket , but on the chassis setting up saturation level , and as i push my hand in to 1000V fly back , bam . Screwdriver lit up good is last i remember ,What saved me i dont know , remember checking my hart rate , so put the cover back on , and isolated everything i had handy , throw the knoob driver out the lab , so me and my scope had a bit of a fight , now we are good , its all good . This is a proper scope , demands respect , wont die on you like digital one will , and it does all i need it to do . Im not exactly int to UHF, but if you need 4Ghz , you got it .
I work a bit with low current, low energy, high voltage. Low enough not to be a major concern. If I am working with anything with a bit of a risk, I normally do it remotely. Most of the multi-meter testing I show is sub 20J for that reason. That one scope is pretty old. It's an 68K in a VME chassis. That was my first real DSO for home. I still use it for high voltage work. My first scope was an old Dumont. Maybe 100KHz bandwidth. The next scope I bought brand new was a 100MHz 4 channel Hitachi. I did not use it very often after moving to the DSOs and eventually gave it away a few years back. Managed to do a lot of home projects with those old scopes. Then again, I was using an analog meter for many years as well. A bit of risk, demonstrating a 1KV spark gap: ua-cam.com/video/bgz-pqg0rKo/v-deo.html
Thanks for the comments. I have been very pleased with the probes I received.
After this review some "online shops" doubled the price of pp-150.
Thanks for info.
Excellent video and testing, thanks. I've been looking for new probes and will try the pp150s now. Well done for sharing
Just an FYI, I still use the four probes. They are holding up just fine but I wonder if their quality has changed from when I bought these.
joe smith ok thanks Joe, I have some ordered so will see how they go. Most of the applications I use them for are extremely mundane so a piece of fencing wire would probably almost be good enough:) however they still need to be able to do their job and not fail or be intermittent as one of mine currently manages both
If you don't mind, let me know how they work out for you.
Tkanks for this review
Great review! Arrived to this video via Amazon. Thanks!
What software are you using for your HP 8754A? Looks like some sort of virtual 8501A normalizer.
I recently acquired an 8505 VNA and 8501. Would love to be able to transfer the data to a desktop for additional processing. I’ve got an NI GPIB-USB adapter I use regularly with my lab’s 8510B
Its custom. Link showing it in use: www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/20db-rf-attenuator-seeking-feedback-to-improve/msg2903552/#msg2903552
@@joesmith-je3tq Thanks! I originally saw your reply two days ago and it sent me down one hell of a research rabbit-hole 😅. Would you be willing to upload a copy of it to your Dropbox? (Would the file size permit this?) I have zero experience with LabView, but I think I might be able to navigate a program that’s very-much in the ballpark of what I need in order to learn the ‘language’ and hopefully adapt it for the 8505.
From my rabbit hole findings:
Apparently towards the end of the 8505’s run (following the debut of the 9000/200 workstations), HP released the 85011A “Accuracy Enhancement” software package that enabled full 12-term error correction and SOLT calibration. My goal is to recreate this capability (I’d also love to find an original copy of the 85011A software to use with my 9000/235C, but I’m doubtful I’d ever be that fortunate). I’d definitely keep you updated on my progress, and if I get anywhere with the 12-term error correction stuff I’ll also try and patch it into your original program for the 8754.
Thanks.
👍😁 Thank you for the insightful insights. It was probtastic.
Joe. Came here from your comment on Amazon. Is there a stated capacitance compensation range in the literature that came with the PP150 probes? Bought an analog GW Instek 30Mhz on Ebay that's coming without probes. Scope is marked 1Meg ohm/ 25pf next to the BNC inputs. Would these probes cover/compensate that range okay?
The manual claims to be able to compensate instruments with an input of 15 to 40pF. The scope I use them with is 16pF and there is no problem with compensation even though I'm close to the limit. More interesting is I made this video 7 years ago and all four of these probes are still fine.
@@joesmith-je3tq Thank you!
Hello! I am currently looking for a probe set for my newly purchased LeCroy 454.. Any info on were to purchase these Hantek probes? I don’t want to receive the ones from your other video, hehe!
Thanks!
I just ordered them off Amazon. Looks like it's been a few years so I wonder if they have changed their design. I am still using these probes and have not had any problems with them.
Yeah, its been a while! There is however on ebay ones that at least on the pictures looks like the ones you have. And some that looks like the strange ones you recieved. Guess i have to go on the ones that are closest in the pictures? hehe. Who knows what you will receive!
Hi Joe… I found you via EEVBlog. I am brand new to this whole field. I picked up an older Tektronix TDS 460A but it didn’t come with any probes. It has 100 MS/s sampling rate and 400 MHz bandwidth and 4 channels. I got it for $50. Would the Hantek probes work? What would your recommendation be for a good probe? Thank you!
The manual claims to be able to compensate instruments with an input of 15 to 40pF. Looks like the manual is on-line for your scope. I would just double check to make sure they will work before you buy them.
@@joesmith-je3tq - thanks for your quick reply, Joe. The manual is online and I downloaded it yesterday. It’s about 250 pages and, although it will mostly be Greek to me, I’ll have to read through it. Being so new, I will probably be reaching out again for advice, suggestions and pointers as long as you do not mind. Thanks!
@@joesmith-je3tq - just in case there is some issue, are there other probes you would recommend?
@@crusso1043 You could buy direct from Tektronix. I think the last ones I bought from them were about $100/ea. You would need to check current pricing. These Hantek probes are the only low cost 10X probes I have looked at in the last 10 years. For higher bandwidth, I typically use home made resistive probes. 400MHz would be no problem. I bought a low cost 100X probe. Bad idea. I ended up making a couple of them with much higher quality parts that I felt I could trust below 2kV. Really depends what you are after. One thing to mention is the leads on these probes are fairly short. I made a few videos showing different home made scope probes. Here's a differential probe I cobbled up. ua-cam.com/video/0thOfk4I3qs/v-deo.html
I think the tektronix have a sensing ring for the selector switch on the probes
Nice review, thanks
So basically whats going on is that 100Mhz probe, chinese one , aint that bad , since it can go to 500Mhz , just got some ordered 60Mhz ones for my 20Mhz Analog scope , and i got 100Mhz one like these , so they are better then my scope, wonder if i can get my scope to go to 100Mhz or at least 50Mhz , anyone know how ? i guess i can make some frequency divider , so that input 40Mhz ends up as 20Mhz , that is what they do in modern scopes dont they, they multiply the frequency like crazy , like they make 5Ghz scope out of , trully 1GHz module . Or am i mistaken ?
First, on the probes. I am still using the same four that I originally bought when I made this video. I have not had any problems with them. As far as the 500MHz, I don't think they were that good. 500MHz on any 10x probe would be pushing it. Normally I will switch to resistive probes. I recommend you look that type of probe up. As for the scopes bandwidth, you need to have an analog front end that can handle what ever you are wanting to run. Sampling can be much slower depending what signals you are looking it. For example my old LeCroy's have an analog bandwidth of 4GHz but sample using RIS at a very low frequency (
@@joesmith-je3tq Im no good For 4 Ghz , even this analog one struck this morning , i was getting her some new probes like i said , she didnt like that , took it as an insult on her age i guess , so what happened ,is that i took a screwdriver , that was not isolated , the one that lights up if there is high voltage ,looks like a pen , has metal connection on the handle , i had my other hand not in pocket , but on the chassis setting up saturation level , and as i push my hand in to 1000V fly back , bam . Screwdriver lit up good is last i remember ,What saved me i dont know , remember checking my hart rate , so put the cover back on , and isolated everything i had handy , throw the knoob driver out the lab , so me and my scope had a bit of a fight , now we are good , its all good . This is a proper scope , demands respect , wont die on you like digital one will , and it does all i need it to do . Im not exactly int to UHF, but if you need 4Ghz , you got it .
I work a bit with low current, low energy, high voltage. Low enough not to be a major concern. If I am working with anything with a bit of a risk, I normally do it remotely. Most of the multi-meter testing I show is sub 20J for that reason.
That one scope is pretty old. It's an 68K in a VME chassis. That was my first real DSO for home. I still use it for high voltage work. My first scope was an old Dumont. Maybe 100KHz bandwidth. The next scope I bought brand new was a 100MHz 4 channel Hitachi. I did not use it very often after moving to the DSOs and eventually gave it away a few years back. Managed to do a lot of home projects with those old scopes. Then again, I was using an analog meter for many years as well.
A bit of risk, demonstrating a 1KV spark gap: ua-cam.com/video/bgz-pqg0rKo/v-deo.html
@@joesmith-je3tq Do you have any projects besides buying voltmeters and DSOs , i would expect a lot from that much gear
@@dedskin1 Yes.
Nice job.