Oscilloscope for travel

[Tonysch81]

Hey everyone, new to the forum but have been an ltt followed since it was ncix and Linus tech tips. I’m a service engineer for an induction company and am new to the electronics repair industry. I travel a lot so good tools are important. I currently run a rigol dho914 and was going to get the s so I can have a function generator. Unfortunately my rigols have not been super reliable. What is the best scope in the price range of rigol with the same functions? What would be the equivalent to the 914 even if it were more expensive, it’s a work purchase so cheap tools are easier to get through. Any recommendations for someone new to the idea of traveling and working with high voltage dc? Any suggestions on tools from people who are in the industry? I do electronic repair also and my company even makes custom boards so any good testing tools that you guys can recommend or even just a good resistor/diode kit. Any help is greatly appreciated and if there is anyone else who works in induction that would like to help give me some tips, I’m open to any suggestions and help, even just people reaching out to be friends. This is my first post so thank you for taking the time to read and respond and I hope to be able to come here for more help or to help others in the future. 
 

included are some pics of what I do. Feel free to reach out with questions/comments. 
cap bank, igbts on a halfbridge 25kw unit used for seating bushings on sway bars

outside of the cabinet with remote heat station

half bridge bus with chopper

similar unit with internal heat station. Pretty much an oversized computer power supply. 

parts made by one of the induction forge machines. 

scope shot measuring output(purple) and phase(yellow) 

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

Siglent SHS1102X (handheld device)

Micsig STO1004 (like a tablet with knobs)

PicoScope (if you also crazy a windows tablet or laptop)

dirt cheap option the existing rigol with a USB-PD powerbank

 

 

Regardless of the decision a baseball bat to ensure new machines have a din-rail AC socket installed for maintenance crews.

As business it is often possible to get a 30 day loaner to test the device before purchase. Some seller offer a 30 to 60 day return option.

[manikyath]

i'm gonna be *that guy* again.. and i'm gonna suggest that aside from answers you may or may not get here, this is really a question for eevblog forums. you might even meet some industry colleague/competitors there. but either way, welcome to the forum.

 

aside from the question of the scope though, some suggestions about working with high voltage DC, from someone who works on (occasionally quite high voltage) batteries:

- dont skimp on tools in general, use propper insulated tools, and replace them when the insulation is wearing down.

- dont wear a watch, or jewelry in general really. anything metal that could touch things. half of the shorts we have at work is someone's watch or ring.

- have a very organized toolbox, especially if you're traveling you really dotn want to accidentially forget a tool. if everything has it's place, it's immediately obvious when something is missing, so you can hopefully retrieve it before you leave.

- brymen BM235 is my go-to multimeter. by EEVBlog reccomendation, for good reason. if you can, go for the EEVBlog branded one, he puts better probes in the box.

- dont buy screwdriver sets, buy something you can get individuals of, because you will either break or lose one of them eventually, and you want to be able to replace it. buying complete toolboxes is also a surefire way to guarantee that half the stuff you carry are things you'll never use.

- if you have a tendency to get sweaty or greasy hands, carry some paper towels and a mild alcohol-based non-gel disinfectant. i mix up my own 70% IPA to make sure i have dry, clean hands before working on the big 80 volt packs. i presume in your field stuff should be turned off when you're touching it, but capacitors exist, and dry skin doesnt conduct nearly as good as damp skin.

- very stupid suggestion.. but from experience, it actually works... any tools you cant get insulated varians of.. (socket wrenches for example) buy some heat shrink tubing and cover up the metal at least a bit.

- label your things, not just with your name, but with their purpose. write a big huge "PH1" on your philips size 1 screwdriver, because for some back-asswards reason the factory print is always small, and always wears off. searching for the right tool is my least favourite thing to do.

 

[Kilrah]

At home for occasional use? Rigol, Owon, Hantek, the likes...

At work? Fluke, Tek, Keysight...

 

Sure it's gonna be 3-4x more expensive, but a reliable and safe everyday tool and work pays for it. Especially when working on high power stuff the last thing you want is something unreliable or that blows up on you, whatever costs or loss of revenue would happen in case something like that happens will male the cost of the right tool insignificant.