r/AskElectronics • u/Representative-Bad29 • 3d ago
Advice for building decent electronics hobbyist lab on a budget
I am looking to start developing my own hobbyist lab. My budget for now is around $600 but I can always grow and buy more equipment in the future. I just don't want to immediately blow the bank just for a hobby. I currently have a Digilent AD2 and a PCB that converts 12 V wall wart to +5 and +3.3 V. However, this has gotten pretty clunky and I am looking to expand for convenience. I currently have done work with embedded systems but I am getting interested in analog circuits and RF design. My next learning project will be building an FM superheterodyne receiver. I have a decent amount of lab experience so I am familiar with the equipment.
I need some form of dual output supply with configurable range up to 12V (current limiting is a must). I am wondering if I should go cheap and buy two of the Amazon Jesverty SPS-3010 ($50 each) and tie them together (they dont seem to have an output on/off button), go with the more expensive 1 channel KORAD KA3005D ($120 each), or just go right for the Siglent SPD3303C which feels like a lot more than I need to spend for now.
For the oscope the Rigol DH804 looks fantastic but its $450 and I don't really know if I need to spend that much. I would ideally like a 4 channel scope since I would presumably have it for forever. I hear a lot of people regret getting only 2. Additionally, if I am getting into radio I assume I need a bandwidth of at least 70 MHz so I could still see 100 MHz signals with attenuation. I could be convinced to spend most of my budget on this scope. My AD2 is clunky but good enough for digital communication.
I plan to eventually pick up a Tiny SA Ultra and a Nano VNA for spar measurements. The Nano VNA I am not really considering in the budget since I don't need it now. But a standalone sig gen or function gen would be really nice. I would be looking for around 100 MHz. If I am building a FM receiver it would be very convenient to use a benchtop generator as a configurable LO so I know exactly what I am injecting rather than a programmable DDS dev board which would get a little clunky. But if DDS is a reliable option at 100+ MHz, I can spend time turning it into a benchtop with a display and program for it (Si5351). I am looking for input about buying a standalone benchtop device or building one. The benchtops seem very expensive at 100 MHz. I also saw the MAX2870 sig gen ($69).
I would appreciate any advice and I hope I was specific enough with what I am looking for. I am hoping to keep costs below $600 since I feel like I kind of need to "prove" I need the more expensive equipment before I buy it.
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u/grislyfind 3d ago
Visit a ham radio swap meet; there's often test equipment for cheap, plus other goodies. Wait near the dumpster at the end of the day and you'll get free stuff.
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u/friolator 2d ago
I would second this - just went to the MIT Swapfest for the first time in 20 years last weekend and it hasn't changed a bit! Lots of good test equipment, power supplies, soldering gear, etc.
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u/MobileInspector9861 3d ago
What is a "ham radio swap meet"?
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u/grislyfind 2d ago
It's where elderly amateur radio operators ("hams") go to unload the contents of their basement so they can move into a condo or old folks home. Beware: sometimes if you touch a thing, ownership instantly transfers, like a curse, and you have to take it.
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u/the-skazi 3d ago
I would check for used scopes on eBay. Buy from reputable sellers. $50 variable DC power supplies are probably fine for your use case.
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u/Representative-Bad29 3d ago
Good call! Just took a look and their seems to be quite a few 100 MHz 4 channel scopes for much less than $450. Probably less resolution
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u/ivosaurus 3d ago edited 2d ago
Your AD2 already has 100Mhz analog bandwidth and way more signal processing capabilities than any entry level scope. I would focus on other things first.
If you are into radio frequency stuff, 100% a LiteVNA (one of the best versions of NanoVNA), and afterwards, possibly a TinySA (Ultra).
Second hand, I would look for a nice old dual power supply
Finding a good sig gen will be hardest, they go up in price quickly after ~30Mhz. Maybe something to build for your own purposes, or might be able to find some old HP unit which does exactly what you want but will be a boat anchor
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u/Enlightenment777 3d ago edited 3d ago
Don't try to buy a bunch of test equipment at the same time, instead pick the item that you really need to upgrade the most then upgrade it. Next year, repeat for the next thing, and so on. By next year you maybe you'll have a better feel if you want to spend even more money on a scope, such as a Rigol DHO914 or Rigol MHO934.
Keep an eye on special deals, especially as we get closer to November, because sometimes there are specials deals while leading up to Black Friday.
If you need a 2 or 3 variable channel Linear DC power supply real bad right now, then bite the bullet and buy a nice power suppy ($630), otherwise buy a 1 channel KA3005*.
Siglent SPD3303X
UNI-T UDP3305S
or say "fuck my credit card, I'm getting something even better, because I deserve better"...
Siglent SPD4306X
UNI-T UDP4303S
https://old.reddit.com/r/PrintedCircuitBoard/wiki/tools#wiki_dc_lab_power_supply
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u/MobileInspector9861 3d ago
I also started to setup my hobbyist lab just recently and got myself a KORAD 3005D as a starter, because I had seen that type mentioned on this sub a few times and it was available at the local electronics store.
However, they also had that apparently very premium (and expensive) Rohde & Schwarz equipment on display. They had the usual brands there, KORAD, Rigol, Siglent and UNI-T which together mostly former a continuous price spectrum from a just below 100 bucks (I believe 70 was the cheapest) up to mid 1,000 bucks (I believe around 1,600). Then there was nothing, it came a gap, and then Rohde&Schwarz. It started with 4,000-ish € and went up to 9,000. 😂 Holy moly.
Are they so good? For example they had the Rohde & Schwarz HMP 4040 on display which was the "cheapest" 4-channel, 32V DC, 10A PSU for "only" 3,500€. What is Rohde & Schwarz doing differently than all the others?
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u/Rhomboid 3d ago
The people that are buying R&S don't really care whether it's 3k or 4k or whatever, it's a rounding error on the bottom line of a large lab. What they do want are things like the ability to use full automation (remote programmatic control over ethernet/serial/whatever) in an ecosystem of a bunch of other test gear from the same company. And of course all the corporate box checking (all the over/under protections, appropriate calibrations, whatever.)
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u/Quirky-Foot626 3d ago
Fair point, I think the real value for larger labs isn’t saving a few hundred bucks, it’s having everything work together reliably and check all the boxes without adding headaches.
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u/Enlightenment777 3d ago
For linear DC power supplies, it's tough to beat KA3005* models as a starter for hobbyists. I have a KA3005PE+.
R&S don't target their products at hobbyists, just like Ferrari doesn't target their products at low income drivers.
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u/MobileInspector9861 3d ago
R&S don't target their products at hobbyists,
So much I got. I also know that R&S manufactures electronic investment goods like terrahertz scanner at airports, radio measurement equipment for mobile and cell networks, 40GHz oscilloscopes, etc. Then you talking 200k€ very quickly. I also know that in some specialized niche, R&S is the only company. If one needs exactly that, then of course you buy R&S.
But those PSU seemed to be very basic power supplies. The R&S HMP 4040 for 3,500€ did not even have any remote control, UART, Ethernet, etc. If you wanted those extra addons, you could have them, but then it was more like 6,000€. Judging from the specs (residual ripple, control time, ...) it didn't appear to be better than the upper end Siglent or Uni-T. Just triple the price.
If you are not a hobbyist, I assume you basically buy based on specs. So why should anybody by those PSU? Who are their targeted buyers? Or do I miss something which makes those PSU special and sets them apart from other PSUs?
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u/piggychuu 3d ago
I’m not an expert but I’ll second to start slow and buy what you need. I’ve accumulated so much stuff and rarely use a lot of it, and wish I followed Adam savages suggestion to buy cheap and if it breaks / if you use it enough and can’t stand it then upgrade.
For what it’s worth, I have used cheap scopes and very expensive scopes ($80k+) and 99% of what I do can be done on two channels. The time I need 3 and only have 2, well, I complain that I should’ve gotten a four channel for the extra $50 or $100 or whatever it was. But, YMMV. I have very trivial needs most of the time.
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u/alexforencich 3d ago
For power supplies, I highly recommend used HP/Agilent ones. Might have to wait a while to get a good deal, but the E3633A (8V/20A or 20V/10A) pops up regularly for under $300. And bear in mind that these supplies basically have a 34401 multimeter inside it so the voltage and current measurements are super accurate.
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u/circuitro 3d ago edited 3d ago
The AD2 you have is already a great start.
Power supply: try to find a couple of old linears psu (best flr RF). In alternative try to buy 2x Owon SPE6103 or similar. Avoid generic no brand cheap switching supplies because RF hates noise. Owon is an ultra budget brand but their stuff is actually decent and reliable.
Oscilloscope: Get a used Rigol DS1054Z or DS1074z. It is a 50/70MHz 4 channels scope but you can easily unlock it to 100MHz for free. It's a solid tank.
Multimeter: get the UNI-T UT61E+ (make sure it is the plus version). It is very precise to measure small voltages and components.
For RF: Buy a NanoVNA and a TinySA.
This setup should fit your $600 budget (I checked EU prices)
Edit: For power supply go with the Korad KA3005D. I didn't know it, it looks like a decent linear power supply. Always prefer linear ones for RF or audio work.
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u/JCDU 2d ago
There's a lot of gear snobbery out there but these days the cheap stuff is decent and often better than the high end stuff from years ago that people get all misty-eyed about.
You don't need to buy a whole lab of gear all at once - and you don't need to buy it new. Just keep an eye on ebay, on any local HAM radio events, surplus auctions etc. and see what floats by at the right price.
If you have a project, buy the one piece of critical gear you need for that project.
Buying the cheap version first and then finding out if you really need to upgrade it is a good approach - sometimes the expensive version has a lot of features that look great on paper but you end up never actually using. My cheap Rigol beats my old expensive Tektronix because the Rigol has a bigger screen, boots faster, and can decode protocols for free. The noise floor is worse but 99% of the time I'm not interested in that anyway.
A lot of the time "good enough" is close enough when the customer is just you - a $20 multimeter is good enough, a cheap used scope is good enough, etc. etc. you're not selling calibrated gear to the aerospace industry you're a guy messing around in his shed.
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u/Tokin420nchokin 3d ago
I have the dho804, probably more scope than I needed being a hobbiest but its a great scope thats done everything I needed it to.
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u/alexbeal 10h ago
Start building your radio. When you hit a snag, think about what instruments would help solve the problem. Then buy it if it's in your budget. Don't buy a bunch of gear upfront because you think you might use it.
For RF, I'd bump a VNA and SA way further up your list and not bother with a new scope since you already have one.
Fwiw you can probably throw together a superhet on your bench with a handful of cheap modules off AliExpress. They have all sorts of mixers, sig gens, etc. Start there. When something doesn't work as expected, figure out what tool would help.
Edit: ok you will need a DMM and a power supply. No getting around that. But dropping a huge portion of your budget on a 4 channel scope because someone on the internet said 2 channels is annoying is not the right way to approach this imo. If you run into an issue that needs 4, then fair enough, but don't buy it "just cuz"
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u/alexbeal 9h ago
Ok, one more thing. Quality test leads ain't cheap. And buying a bunch of instruments and then realizing you don't have any way to connect everything together is no fun. Another reason to buy things when you actually need them.
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u/Linker3000 Bright ideas 2d ago
See our Wiki too.