About Technology

By Richard Volpi

Often purchasing an oscilloscope, power supply, signal source, spectrum analyzer or some other piece of test equipment can be daunting. In 50 years of experience in the industry we’ve identified a few common pitfalls, and we have a few tips to help you avoid them.

1) Buying test equipment can be compared purchasing a car (something that nearly everyone can identify with). Equipment can depreciate quickly; consequently, one can usually find used equipment for a fraction of the price of new. Many companies also offer rental, lease, and trade-in programs. Used equipment can be tested and calibrated to the Manufacturers’ standards, just like it was when it left the factory. Often this equipment is not cosmetically perfect, but you will pay significantly less for pre-owned equipment.

2) Requesting quotes from multiple dealers may drive up your price rather than saving you money. Everyone is buying from the same pool of equipment. So when several brokers are looking for the same unit, demand artificially increases and the price skyrockets. One should definitely still do his research to ensure that he is paying a fair price, but be aware that requesting a quote from several competing dealers can increase your cost.

3) Make certain that you aren’t buying more than you need. Would you buy a Ferrari to drive around your neighborhood at 25 MPH? Do you need a huge industrial sized server to access the web, and store personal documents? Of course not, but people make a similar mistake all the time when purchasing test equipment. A 500 MHz scope may be more than enough for you, but if you aren’t careful you may become a victim of up-selling.

In short, if you want to save money when buying Test Equipment:

#1 Buy used if you can
#2 Don’t request quotes from too many broker/dealers
#3 Don’t buy more than you need