[Amps] Advice on instruments for ham use

[G3rzp at aol.com]

In our Swedish lab, we have one of these super duper digital scopes  from le 
Croix (sp?) that can look at 2.5GHz sine waves. It still can get  confused by 
90% modulated RF signals.
 
Mind you, if you're just looking at digital happenings, it really is  superb. 
Even for analogue, it's OK most of the time, but there are occasions  where 
you need some knowledge of what you're looking at to sort out what it  tells 
you.
 
For home use at HF RF, therfore, I'm inclined to stick to an analogue  scope. 
As that's almost certainly an older model, I'd also suggest investment in  
the service manual now, not when you need it, and an examination for parts made  
of unobtainium - older or special ICs, maybe a tube. It's quite frightening 
that  a new piece of equipment bought today can be unrepairable in 5 years 
time,  because of a lack of spares. At the same time, it's not that difficult to 
keep a  1936 HRO going, despite the fact that tubes for it haven't been made 
for  40years! There must be moral there somewhere.
 
73
 
Peter G3RZP