Rigol DS1054Z

[Trevor Wilson]

I just watched David Jones' review of the new Rigol DS1054Z.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2qdtQkBKhc&src_vid=ETCOhzU1O5A&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_3804254259

And:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb9P1Am9aFU&feature=youtu.be

I must confess that he presents an irresistable case for upgrading
from my venerable DS1052E. Any thoughts on the best place to buy one?

Emona (the official Australian importer) has pretty competitive pricing,
but a few Bucks ($50.00) can be saved by purchasing from the US. Worth
it? I'm thinking that if Emona are making such an effort to provide
competitive pricing, they should be supported. I also bought my first
scientific calculator from them (it cost me $104.00 in 1973-ish and fell
apart soon after (yeah, I shoulda spent the extra for an HP).

FWIW: I've been quite happy with the DS1052E, though I did have to strip
it down and clean the rotary encoders late last year. Other than that, I
find it a very convenient adjunct to my Tektronix 2232.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

 

[Phil Allison]

Trevor Wilson wrote:

I also bought my first
scientific calculator from them (it cost me $104.00 in 1973-ish and fell
apart soon after (yeah, I shoulda spent the extra for an HP).

** I bought a Emona brand 10digit scientific calc from a house on the eastern suburbs about that time - cost around $80, IIRC.

The LED display was super sharp and cute but high power consumption required AA NiCd cells ( fitted internally from new) to operate for even a few hours.

Mine lasted for many years, until the NICd cells corroded out.

Is there anywhere you can get an LED display calc toady ?


> FWIW: I've been quite happy with the DS1052E,

** Used mine to check the speed of a belt drive TT the other day.

Having no strobe disk, I rigged up an optical pulse generator consisting of a pocket LED torch on the platter and a CdS cell (aka LDR) biased with 6 volts DC via a 22kohm resistor and mounted so the torch just missed it as it passed by.

Dim the room, switch on the torch, fed the resulting 1V pulses to the Rigol and selected set period mode. Got very steady readings of 1.410 and 1.900 seconds per rev. Just a tad slow.


..... Phil

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 16/01/2015 3:53 PM, Phil Allison wrote:

Trevor Wilson wrote:

I also bought my first scientific calculator from them (it cost me
$104.00 in 1973-ish and fell apart soon after (yeah, I shoulda
spent the extra for an HP).

** I bought a Emona brand 10digit scientific calc from a house on the
eastern suburbs about that time - cost around $80, IIRC.

**That sounds like the one. I was certain the cost was a smidge over
$100.00. I remember that is was close to a week's wages from OTC at the
time. Some of the more well heeled guys bought the HP. I'll bet the HPs
are still going.

The LED display was super sharp and cute but high power consumption
required AA NiCd cells ( fitted internally from new) to operate for
even a few hours.

**Yep. Defintely the one. The charger was branded Emona.

Mine lasted for many years, until the NICd cells corroded out.

**The plastic case on mine pretty much fell apart.

Is there anywhere you can get an LED display calc toady ?

**Dunno. Probably. You can buy Nixie tubes, so anything is possible.

FWIW: I've been quite happy with the DS1052E,

** Used mine to check the speed of a belt drive TT the other day.

Having no strobe disk, I rigged up an optical pulse generator
consisting of a pocket LED torch on the platter and a CdS cell (aka
LDR) biased with 6 volts DC via a 22kohm resistor and mounted so the
torch just missed it as it passed by.

Dim the room, switch on the torch, fed the resulting 1V pulses to the
Rigol and selected set period mode. Got very steady readings of 1.410
and 1.900 seconds per rev. Just a tad slow.

**Geeze, that's keen. When I was out on a job awhile back, I found the
need for one. Got onto the web, downloaded one and printed it off. Funny
you mention the accuracy of the measurements. I can't recall when I last
used a frequency counter. The Rigol does it for me. Same deal with my
audio millivoltmeter. Mind you, my trusty Tek does it all as well. Did
you see Dave's review on the DS1054Z? He's get pretty excited about it.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

 

[Phil Allison]

Trevor Wilson wrote:

** I bought a Emona brand 10digit scientific calc from a house on the
eastern suburbs about that time - cost around $80, IIRC.

**That sounds like the one. I was certain the cost was a smidge over
$100.00. I remember that is was close to a week's wages from OTC at the
time. Some of the more well heeled guys bought the HP. I'll bet the HPs
are still going.



The LED display was super sharp and cute but high power consumption
required AA NiCd cells ( fitted internally from new) to operate for
even a few hours.

**Yep. Defintely the one. The charger was branded Emona.


Mine lasted for many years, until the NICd cells corroded out.

**The plastic case on mine pretty much fell apart.


Is there anywhere you can get an LED display calc toady ?

**Dunno. Probably. You can buy Nixie tubes, so anything is possible.



FWIW: I've been quite happy with the DS1052E,

** Used mine to check the speed of a belt drive TT the other day.

Having no strobe disk, I rigged up an optical pulse generator
consisting of a pocket LED torch on the platter and a CdS cell (aka
LDR) biased with 6 volts DC via a 22kohm resistor and mounted so the
torch just missed it as it passed by.

Dim the room, switch on the torch, fed the resulting 1V pulses to the
Rigol and selected set period mode. Got very steady readings of 1.410
and 1.900 seconds per rev. Just a tad slow.

**Geeze, that's keen. When I was out on a job awhile back, I found the
need for one. Got onto the web, downloaded one and printed it off.

** Well, I thought of that too, but it wound still not give me an actual speed measurement - the early 1980 Akai TT was alleged to be running a bit slow, so I needed a credible number.

My final conclusion is that is simply how it was made.

Funny
you mention the accuracy of the measurements. I can't recall when I last
used a frequency counter. The Rigol does it for me. Same deal with my
audio millivoltmeter.

** My bench audio generator is permanently linked to a 7 digit LED counter - courtesy of EA mag and DSE from about 1976.

Did you see Dave's review on the DS1054Z?
He's get pretty excited about it.

** No fooling ???

But our Dave is normally such a calm and implacable lad .......



.... Phil ;-)

 

[Phil Allison]

Trevor Wilson wrote:

FWIW: I've been quite happy with the DS1052E,

** Used mine to check the speed of a belt drive TT the other
day.

Having no strobe disk, I rigged up an optical pulse generator
consisting of a pocket LED torch on the platter and a CdS cell
(aka LDR) biased with 6 volts DC via a 22kohm resistor and
mounted so the torch just missed it as it passed by.

Dim the room, switch on the torch, fed the resulting 1V pulses
to the Rigol and selected set period mode. Got very steady
readings of 1.410 and 1.900 seconds per rev. Just a tad slow.

**Geeze, that's keen. When I was out on a job awhile back, I found
the need for one. Got onto the web, downloaded one and printed it
off.


** Well, I thought of that too, but it wound still not give me an
actual speed measurement - the early 1980 Akai TT was alleged to be
running a bit slow, so I needed a credible number.

My final conclusion is that is simply how it was made.

**Belt drive, synchronous motor? Usually, they were arranged to run
fractionally fast, in order to allow the use of a 'Dust Bug' or similar.

** It's an Akai AP0001C fitted with an Ortofon OM10 cartridge.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZQkyFaBLyeE/maxresdefault.jpg

2-speed, no adjustment and no strobe markings on the platter.

Under the platter is a 120/220V rocker switch, which is kinda useless as the motor is locked to the frequency of the supply - so you have to change the pulley too which is not supplied.

On the underside of the base, there is a 20VA size transformer on rubber mountings and a small PCB with fuse, four diodes, 220kohm resistor and a TO3 power transistor with a TO220 bolted to one end. The rocker switch selects the primary winding of this tranny. The secondary output is 100V for the motor and this is controlled by the pair of transistors and diode bridge. No speed control, just on/off.

When the tone arm swings to the end of a disc, a pea size magnet aligns with a small plastic box that must contain a reed relay which controls bias to the the darlington pair - which have to be rated at 150VDC or more.

All this just to get end of disk switch off ?

I guess it is at least silent, mechanically and electrically.


..... Phil

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 16/01/2015 11:50 PM, Phil Allison wrote:

Trevor Wilson wrote:


** I bought a Emona brand 10digit scientific calc from a house
on the eastern suburbs about that time - cost around $80, IIRC.

**That sounds like the one. I was certain the cost was a smidge
over $100.00. I remember that is was close to a week's wages from
OTC at the time. Some of the more well heeled guys bought the HP.
I'll bet the HPs are still going.



The LED display was super sharp and cute but high power
consumption required AA NiCd cells ( fitted internally from new)
to operate for even a few hours.

**Yep. Defintely the one. The charger was branded Emona.


Mine lasted for many years, until the NICd cells corroded out.

**The plastic case on mine pretty much fell apart.


Is there anywhere you can get an LED display calc toady ?

**Dunno. Probably. You can buy Nixie tubes, so anything is
possible.



FWIW: I've been quite happy with the DS1052E,

** Used mine to check the speed of a belt drive TT the other
day.

Having no strobe disk, I rigged up an optical pulse generator
consisting of a pocket LED torch on the platter and a CdS cell
(aka LDR) biased with 6 volts DC via a 22kohm resistor and
mounted so the torch just missed it as it passed by.

Dim the room, switch on the torch, fed the resulting 1V pulses
to the Rigol and selected set period mode. Got very steady
readings of 1.410 and 1.900 seconds per rev. Just a tad slow.

**Geeze, that's keen. When I was out on a job awhile back, I found
the need for one. Got onto the web, downloaded one and printed it
off.


** Well, I thought of that too, but it wound still not give me an
actual speed measurement - the early 1980 Akai TT was alleged to be
running a bit slow, so I needed a credible number.

My final conclusion is that is simply how it was made.

**Belt drive, synchronous motor? Usually, they were arranged to run
fractionally fast, in order to allow the use of a 'Dust Bug' or similar.
I like the old Dual system, which used a expanding (or contracting)
diameter capstan. Allowed for fine speed adjustment on the fly, whilst
retaining the synchronous motor. Clever system. Some of the early
Japanese turntables (the Marantz 6200 is one I know well) used a very
nifty eddy current braking system to allow for speed adjustment.

Funny you mention the accuracy of the measurements. I can't recall
when I last used a frequency counter. The Rigol does it for me.
Same deal with my audio millivoltmeter.

** My bench audio generator is permanently linked to a 7 digit LED
counter - courtesy of EA mag and DSE from about 1976.


Did you see Dave's review on the DS1054Z? He's get pretty excited
about it.


** No fooling ???

But our Dave is normally such a calm and implacable lad .......

**OUCH! Still and all, it looks like a very nice 'scope.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 17/01/2015 10:42 AM, Phil Allison wrote:

Trevor Wilson wrote:




FWIW: I've been quite happy with the DS1052E,

** Used mine to check the speed of a belt drive TT the other
day.

Having no strobe disk, I rigged up an optical pulse
generator consisting of a pocket LED torch on the platter and
a CdS cell (aka LDR) biased with 6 volts DC via a 22kohm
resistor and mounted so the torch just missed it as it passed
by.

Dim the room, switch on the torch, fed the resulting 1V
pulses to the Rigol and selected set period mode. Got very
steady readings of 1.410 and 1.900 seconds per rev. Just a
tad slow.

**Geeze, that's keen. When I was out on a job awhile back, I
found the need for one. Got onto the web, downloaded one and
printed it off.


** Well, I thought of that too, but it wound still not give me
an actual speed measurement - the early 1980 Akai TT was alleged
to be running a bit slow, so I needed a credible number.

My final conclusion is that is simply how it was made.

**Belt drive, synchronous motor? Usually, they were arranged to
run fractionally fast, in order to allow the use of a 'Dust Bug' or
similar.


** It's an Akai AP0001C fitted with an Ortofon OM10 cartridge.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZQkyFaBLyeE/maxresdefault.jpg

2-speed, no adjustment and no strobe markings on the platter.

Under the platter is a 120/220V rocker switch, which is kinda useless
as the motor is locked to the frequency of the supply - so you have
to change the pulley too which is not supplied.

On the underside of the base, there is a 20VA size transformer on
rubber mountings and a small PCB with fuse, four diodes, 220kohm
resistor and a TO3 power transistor with a TO220 bolted to one end.
The rocker switch selects the primary winding of this tranny. The
secondary output is 100V for the motor and this is controlled by the
pair of transistors and diode bridge. No speed control, just on/off.

When the tone arm swings to the end of a disc, a pea size magnet
aligns with a small plastic box that must contain a reed relay which
controls bias to the the darlington pair - which have to be rated at
150VDC or more.

All this just to get end of disk switch off ?

I guess it is at least silent, mechanically and electrically.

**I just checked the schematic. Very unusual. The big advantage of that
system is the lack of mechanical issues associated with mechanical
shut-off systems. ALL of them fail after a few years. The OM10 is a
rip-snorter. WES stock them at very good prices. In fact, WES sell them
for less (by a very considerable margin) than Needledoctor do in the US.
I fit them to pretty much any half decent turntable that crosses my
bench, if a new cart or stylus is required. In fact, I did two Technics
SL1200-IIs last week. Both required new tone arms, because some genius
thought he would 'adjust' the arm bearings. Remarkably, Panasonic still
stock replacement tone arms for reasonable prices.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com