Although the scope has a set of counters/timers that can be reached
through the calibration mode, it is not intended to be a reliable
indication of the age or use of your scope over its lifetime... just
a gauge of how it was used since the last service, or calibration.
The calibration technician will reset these numbers to zero, when he
reaches that point in the calibration routine.
Charltons will always set them to zero to make the unwary buyer think
he is getting something he isn't.
Don't fixate on these numbers!
The best gauge of your scope's age is how the CRT looks when it is
displaying a 6 division P-P 10 MHz sinewave at 100ns/div. Apply the
sinewave, and turn your intensity to full, and look at what the beam
looks like. If it is dim with a distinct halo, your CRT is old.
If it is so bright it looks dangerous, it is fine.
If your CRT can't display a 100KHz rep rate step function at 500ps/div
that is readable in normal light, it is old.
If your scope has a serial number greater than B050000, its A5 board
must be checked for electrolyte leakage now.
As an aside, the BDM is the hardest of the family to work on by a
long shot. It is not a good scope on which to learn scope repair.
-Chuck Harris
Lawrance A. Schneider wrote:
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Hello all,
My new (to me) 2465BDM just arrived. Turning it on, all passed and gave me four lines - one for each channel.
I tried each channel in turn with my function generator and each worked fine. I will be testing the calibration over time.
What I wanted to know is how to tell the age and turn on times. I thought there was a way of doing so. I can¡¯t find it in the manual. Perchance I¡¯m wrong and there is no way of knowing. Further, I remember reading that those scopes with serial number above B05xxx needed their Caps replaced. My number is B014xxx. Thus, I think I¡¯m OK until I have more time to tear the thing apart.
I¡¯ll be selling my 2465 (300 Meg) as soon as I begin to feel comfortable with the new addition.
Thanks for any answers, larry
