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Replacements for T922R Oscilloscopes

When the Tektronix T922R was discontinued in the middle 1980's, coinciding with the oil price crash, the Tek 2200 Series scopes were offered as a replacement.  Comprobe's catalog listed the 2225, a 50 MHz dual trace scope, as their suggested replacement at the time.  The Tek 2205, a 20 Mhz dual trace scope, was also used (it listed for $695.00 in the 1993 Tektronix product catalog).  However, the 2200 Series has now also been discontinued.  In fact, Tektronix no longer makes any conventional analog cathode ray tube (CRT) based oscilloscopes, and has ceased to even manufacture replacement CRTs for older models.

Comprobe later listed the Tektronix TDS210 and TDS220 digital storage oscilloscopes in their catalog at page 11 as their choice for a Tek T922R replacement.  The backlit LCD display TDS200 Series was the best selling Tektronix oscilloscope line for a time.  Most service technicians we know using these scopes like them, but a couple have expressed reservations about their use in logging trucks.  One drawback is the lack of Z-axis modulation, but there is a workaround for that shortcoming.  The TDS200 Series oscilloscopes can be rack mounted, but require more than the traditional 5-1/2 inches of vertical rack space.  Amazingly, the TDS200 Series scopes measure a mere 4-3/4 inches from front to back.

The Tektronix TDS1000 Series (monochrome display) and the TDS2000 Series (color display) have replaced the Tek TDS200 Series in the "affordable" low end digital scope market.  Unfortunately, these scopes do not have Z-axis modulation capabilities; one must go to the TDS3000 Series for that at considerably higher cost.  All of these scopes can be rack mounted, but the rack mount kit costs about what the scopes ought to.

For current day logging, nearly any decent oscilloscope is adequate.  An oscilloscope is now needed only to verify tool operation, and to perhaps set up a few types of logs.  Only a handful of holdouts are still using scope based 70 mm camera generated VDL films, and those few are still using a Tek T922R.  Even the imported CRT scopes, typically of Pacific Rim origin, can make a serviceable logging truck oscilloscope.  Most scopes can be rack mounted, though the rack mount kits can be a bit pricey.

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03-01-01
Last 10-20-10