Oscilloscope Basics, Part 1: Discussion, Y-Axis (Voltage) Controls, Probe Calibration 

I needed a refresh; this is a lot more fun than reading the manufacturer instructions. Thanks Uncle Doug.

You can tell you have extensive experience in teaching, you remind me of the best teachers I have had. Kudos.

I've been extremely busy with my business for over 4 years now . Finally getting to a point where I can take up my hobbies again. It's also been that long since Ive visited this channel ! It has grown quite a bit and rightfully so . Uncle Doug is a fantastic teacher and I'm sure I'm not alone on this , I have learned a great deal more watching this channel than any other source . So thank you uncle Doug .

This has to be one of the best introduction & explanations of basic oscilloscope operation - Thank You Doug!

This was the relaxing intro to oscilloscopes that I needed.

surely this is the best intro to the oscilloscope on youtube. I have watched loads of videos on 'scopes and this one excels.

I learned more about my oscilloscope in 28 minuets than I have since I bought it a few months ago. Thank you!!! I am pretty partial to the 55 chevy, minus the skirts.

This has changed a foggy day to beautiful blue sky. Perfect teaching style. Many thanks!

Uncle Doug!! Thank you! Finally a slow speaking, consideration of those with difficulty understanding, and thorough explanation! Heading to video 2 now.

You're one heck of a teacher Uncle Doug. Thank you for taking the time to put this up-I imagine it would be of particular benefit to young people starting out in the hobby.

Very clear and easy to understand tutorial for this neophyte, wish I had you as an instructor in high school when attempting to learn electronics. Thank you Uncle Doug!

You are an incredible teacher. I have the exact same scope sitting on my shelf collecting dust, because I didn't understand it. Now i can put it to use. This has been the only video I've seen that makes sense of an oscilloscope. Thanks!

Thank you for this wonderful trip down memory lane. Back in 1985, my favorite college professor taught all of us mechanical engineering students how to use oscilloscopes and he took the same approach: explain every slider and knob while also encouraging us to experiment with function generators and thermocouples.

Thanks a million, Uncle Doug. In my prior incarnation, operating an oscilloscope was second nature to me but didn't remember anything when I got hold of one now. Your video helped immensely. The pace at which you went was extremely helpful.

As usual a fantastic detailed explanation. All facets of how a scope needs to be setup have now become super clear. Thank you for a magnificent explanation. I have a scope I purchased 6 years ago. Today I was finally able to use.

What a great contribution to those of us late to the game ! I have it in my head to build a clone of an original AC 30 Vox running on exactly 234 Volts at 50 cycles. Along with a power supply that conditions and controls the AC source an Oscilloscope is a good companion piece. Knowing how to use it will make it an even better addition to my Diagnostic equipment. Uncle D. you rock ! I also share your love of cars, although I got hooked on the E-types of the 60's when new and have never lost interest...… Thanks jagjet aka Robert Phelps

I just got a refurbished Tektronix 2235. Honestly, I did not know anything about operating a scope. I know what the instrument is used for but I've never had the need to learn how to use one. This video lesson was key to get me started and becoming familiar with my latest piece of test gear. Thank you Uncle Doug! BTW, your videos and my progressive work beginning with a Tube Depot Champ build to their Marshall 18 Watt combo build and then just completed their JTM 45 build that I mounted into a custom 2X12 Bluesbreaker cabinet by Peter Mather, I was able to bench my Super Reverb Amp and confidently visually inspect it, read its schematic, determine it's true vintage, it's a '65 Blackface! My primary objective was to remove a master volume that never sounded right to me, and restore the amp back to its original configuration. I got a new, properly badged faceplate from Sheehan Enterprises and I slowed down the tremolo. I found a few improperly valued resistors for an AB763 circuit and changed them out. I was able to solve a spitting noise problem, remembering your teaching about "tubes act like capacitors"...and one by one I tracked down a noisy phase inverter tube. This amp sounds so good now I cannot believe it! And I've accomplished all this in four months...I digested a lot of information. Doug, you've been instrumental as a teacher aiding me in my journey to becoming a competent tube amp builder and troubleshooter/technician. Many thanks.

Excellent start up. Thanks for the instructions and thorough explanations.

I want to thank you for taking the time for this video . I am just learning how to use my CRT oscillograph and am looking for the basic functions to use my scope correctly.

I love technology, and even more so the people who demystify it in such a clear and friendly manner. Nothing intimidating about all those dials and switches anymore. Many thanks and great job!

hi Uncle Doug, Firstly, thank you for all the wonderful videos you have posted of your journey thru the world of valve amps and the like. I have always had a passion for electronics since i was about 4yr old. My mum worked in a place where audio equipment was built and I used to go up and down the production lines making sure the ladies at their stations had enough supplies to keep them going. I knew resistor colour codes and values before I even went to school. My career took a different path and I am a mechanical engineer and have worked on everything from a weedwacker to merlin aero engines in the spitfires and mustangs. Over the past year I have drifted back to my electronics and have been a subscriber to your channel for that time. My goal is to gain enough experience to build a valve amp of my own and to that end I have been researching circuits and equipment. I have built my own tone generator and purchased an oscilloscope. I have a kt88 amp unit which I have repaired and is working very well. The project on the bench is a combo unit. It will have a phono section feeding the pre-amp and finally into a pair of 6sn7gt and kt170 output tubes. I used the knowledge gained from you as a teacher to pre build the project on an experimental board. The oscilloscope was invaluable in this to see if there were any problems with oscillations and noise. It all worked very well considering the rats nest of wires . The probes on my scope are 10x by default. No 1x option. This thew me for a bit as I could not get the correct screen readings for what was being input. I then found a section in my scope menu where I could change the value of the probes. Set it to 10x and viola......all is well. I have since purchased a 20x attenuator. If I use this with my current leads, does that mean I will need to change this setting to 200x????? Here is my take on the maths and where I need your skills to help me. If I have a 200v source on the probe tip - the 20x will drop it to 10v into the meter....now with a 10x probe it should drop it to 20v and then to 1v. I have tested this theory with a lower voltage and it seems to work. The kt170 tubes will be at about 600v and I want to be sure that i don't fry my scope. Your help with this question would be greatly appreciated. I appoligise for the long winded blurb here so will wind it up. I wish you had been my maths teacher. You make learning a joy and with the added insentive of doing it all by choice you really do pay attention and listen. I look forward to many more of your musical adventures. Best regards from the KiwiBandit in New Zealand.

Uncle Doug could be Dr. Doug as he has a wonderful bedside manner. So polite and gentle. Thank you for this. I have both analog and digital scopes and yet we all need to take a step back and relearn the basics. I am doing a review of common ocilliscope features and this video is perfect! Well done!

Excellent video and very educational. I bought a scope about 5 years ago and never got around to figuring it out. Now I am using it right along with your video and it's working perfectly. Thanks for your sharing of knowledge.

Thanks Uncle Doug. I have experimented and studied electronics for the last 40 years, and have to say, that you alone, make it all easy to understand. Keep up the good electronics instructions, sir!

Pls keep up the good work, even if i might not watch every video now. i know this will be an amazing source to go back to, to learn

Uncle Doug you are very clear, you don't jump around. I like you. Experience ,Seniority and maturity and understanding viewers is what you have.

Finally! a real teacher. I have looked all over youtube for just this video. You have a new subscriber. Can't wait to watch your other videos.

Hey Uncle Doug, Greetings from RU-vid land in the UK. I bought myself an oscilloscope about 6 months ago and have been waiting to learn how to use it. Thanks for making that path a whole lot easier. You have a knack of explaining things in a way people can understand. Bless you my friend for opening up the world of electronics to so many of us out here!

This by far is the very best video I have seen on this. Thank you very much for sharing this.

Uncle Doug - thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!! That is such a clear explanation of the calibration process! I am so pleased that I stumbled upon your channel. You have saved me so much time!!!

This is super helpful, Doug. I was given a dual channel Tektronix T912 several years ago, because someone thought I might need it for amp work. I bought some leads, but I've never known how to work it. I learned more in the first 8 minutes of this video than in the last ten year I've owned this.

Thank you, Uncle Doug! I just acquired a similar model oscilloscope (the Tektronics 2215A) from my father in law, a retired electrical engineer who is encouraging my budding interest in electronics. Hence, this tutorial is very timely for me. Your channel has been invaluable.

Dear UD, one of the great things about your tutorials is that you have checked out other 'instructional' stuff on youtube and usually find them confusing, too theoretical, etc. You have done a killer job presenting all your topics in a very understandable and practical manner. Thanks!

Thank you Prof. Uncle Dough you are the best teacher I ever heard off.

Thank you Uncle Doug. You actually made this very easy to understand. I look forward to continuing.

Thank you Uncle Doug for taking your time explaining how to get the best from your Cro.

Finally, the first video that actually teaches me to operate my oscilloscope. Had one gave to me a few years ago and only now I can start to use it. Thank you so much, Uncle Doug.

Uncle Doug - Obviously you were a good teacher, as you present things in a nice, orderly, step-by-step manner, and try to anticipate any questions that might arise. This really should be used as a teaching aid! "Oscilloscope 101".

I bought a couple of Arduino kits and am learning electronics. I knew a fellow that does electronics repairs and he had an old oscilloscope he sold to me for 20 bucks, cool stuff! your videos were much needed, as I knew absolutely nothing about them, now I do, thank you so much Uncle Doug!

Thank you Uncle Doug! Such an amazing source of knowledge your channel provides. You remind me of my old electronics teacher Mr. Crawford. Keep up the good work!

Doug has the ability to explain an intricate subject to where an extreme novice can understand , Thank you for all your great video

I'm a chemistry student, but I have some physics labs and have come in touch with an oscilloscope for the first time in my life. Was very overwhelmed by it, so thank you for making this, definitely helped!

You are really very good to teaching our gaps. Many thanks for your time and your help.

Excellent video. Very easy to follow and extremely informative. Keep up the good work.

Execellent video, it was so much better than the instruction I received 40 years ago at a certain two syllable technical “institute” which shall remain nameless. They just had handouts that said “set your knobs to these settings and this is what you should see” I remember having to explain to most of the people at my lab table what the settings meant. Then there were the second “trimester” jerks who had lab before us who took great joy in cranking the timebase all the way one direction or the other so the 1K square wave was either a solid bar or a slow dot moving across the screen. 409 wow what a radical cam in that beast. My dad’s favorite engine was the 409’s little brother the 348. He put one (actually 4 different ones) into a 65 Chevy pickup. Bad about popping the tops off of pistons, usually when pulling a heavy trailer in the mountains. Talk about power and torque when you needed it. Great job on the intro video.

Once again wonderful in depth video. I had the same problem with watching the other videos, they’ll through the knobs and switches without really giving much explanation as to what they’re adjusting. Thanks again!

Thank you U.D. for recognizing that most people who watch "how to" videos also need to see the steps and equipment settings used for the project. I once clicked on a video on how to convert a solid state amp to a tube amp. Intriguing, right? It was essentially a video showing the cabinet being gutted and stuffed with a DIY tube chassis and faceplate. There was nothing to learn and the "conversion" looked almost as subtle as a VW Beetle on a 26" wheels. As always, your step-by-step instruction and explanation, combined with Jack's talent for acting, make this channel outstanding. - -Randy

You are such a good teacher I felt delighted to become student once again at this matured age! Thank you very much!😊

First time here. I must say, you're a wonderful teacher, your pace n experience builds up confidence, that yes, I can learn the concept very well- For everyone here to learn!! Take care. Best Wishes!

Thank you for taking the time to create your videos. They are excellent.

Uncle Doug thanks so much for being such an awesome dude. I have enjoyed your videos for years. I am so happy you are back from your break. Just loving the new videos!

Hi ya Doug, I hope this message gets to you, I've been holding it in my "watch later" list for some time now and only just round to watching it tonight, 12th July 19. I want to thank you for such an informative video which is delivered with great patience and consideration for the student learner, you must have been a very popular teacher in your time. Like you I found that other youtube videos on this subject of basic oscilloscope operation have left me far from informed with only part of the video watched. This one of yours has been great and I'm sorry it has taken so long to view it. I'm looking forward to watching part 2 tomorrow night and then I think again when I have my scope next to me. Thank you.

Excellent. Can't wait to see the rest in the series. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

What a fantastic teacher so easy too follow with great explanations too the beginner.

Uncle Doug, thank you so much for this tutorial. Thanks to you, I’ve just regained all my knowledge about oscilloscopes after 10years :))

Another great video Uncle Doug. I was busy this weekend so just catching back up with this series. I got my O-scope set up and was able to follow along and get my probes calibrated. x10 setting was way out of wack so they definitively needed it! Looking forward to the next video!

Thanks, I am so glad you are back doing what you do so well....thank you again!

the utter basics..... that sure does work for me. You sir , are at the pinnacle of this genre and ` hands down the best teacher i have ever had the pleasure to learn from. (Guitologist not withstanding.....)

I didnt realise how i mportant oscilloscopes were in troubleshooting components in circuits such as amplifiers. Thanks for a great video. I look forward to these so much Uncle Doug! God bless! Love and best wishes from Peter from UK.

These videos are phenomenal. Thank you for all of your knowledge and help.

Thanks Uncle Doug for making this tutorial video. This is very helpful video.

Excellent tutorial Uncle Doug. Thumbs up.

Fantastic, I can not believe how much you have learned me in this video, did not know a thing about a Oscilloscope's before watching this . thank you very much 5* for you.

Learning how to use my oscilloscope Thanks. And hot rods to boot. This is my 1942 Chevy pickup in Australia. Great channel.

I have been watching videos for about 2 days on this subject and finally a teacher that can teach, it would seem all the other educators assume we all know what we are doing which renders a beginner video pointless, Thankyou so much.

Great video! I just finished my BSEE and they don't even teach this in school! Great job!

Such a great video, nice teaching. It helped me out greatly. I was as lost as a mouse in a cornfield when I acquired this nice oscilloscope from an estate sale and your video was a great help.

Thanks, Uncle Doug - for another great, timely and informative video! Cheers from Mike in Fernwood, BC

Extremely detailed video with all the basics and evaluation presented logically and clearly.

Thank you I needed a refresher course that was very comprehensive step by step to recalibrate my 40-year-old scope. 👍

Excellent presentation....Very good explanation, which makes it easy for everyone to understand. Thanks!

Doug, I waited to purchase an oscilloscope before watching this video. I purchased a nice old JDR Instruments Model 3500 Oscilloscope for $50 bucks on Craigslist. This intro was very helpful in getting mine set up. Signal generator is next. Thank you for all you do Doug!

This video is very useful. It enables me thinking on making samples with my scope in percieved way. You fucused me on right direction. Thank you sincire, sir!

What a great instructor you are....I got an old oscilloscope at a garage sale and this (You) are helping me to learn it....without pulling the rest of my 60 year hair out..... thanks uncle doug

I have exactly this model, i bougth it here in Brazil, i need to repair it just once, it helped me to "earn money" till 2005. Now i use it less frequently. Thanks for the video. I´m happy to see that there is another one running yet.

Excellent video. I searched and found a good book "Understanding Oscilloscopes and display Wave forms". It's on Amazon for $12. I was looking everywhere for a book to help me with my scope and this is the only one that was useful.

I have found all your videos to be very informative, and thank you for sharing you great experience, knowledge.

As I was watching, I was thinking that you may have been a teacher in a former life even before you told us, you have a way with words that makes understanding easier. I imagine you were a great teacher.

I just picked up a free Tektronix 2235 and have no idea how to use it. Imagine my excited surprise when I found that you have videos on exactly what I need to get started in exactly the area I want to learn to use in in. Thank you so much Uncle Doug, everything I know is directly related to you and I am forever indebted to you. I also made a new RU-vid ID so in the future when I comment it will be from Vintage Tube Amps, it has a nice ring to it.

Thank you for a very formative video. I wish I had teachers like you in school when I was growing up.

Excellent tutorial!!! Thank you. I appreciate your teaching style.

leave it to a man named Uncle Doug to give you a proper equipment tutorial. In a storm of pretentious and unhelpful scientists and engineers, there's always Uncle Doug. thanks, Uncle Doug, I love you.

Yes on everything you said in the first few minutes !! Thanks

Great video Doug and I really love the videos of the cars. You're a classic amp and classic car guy.

I watched this a few months ago, and was on the lookout for an oscilloscope for troubleshooting some of my music equipment. Today my wife spotted a Tektronix 475 being given away for free. Not only does it work, it comes with its own stand! Just need to buy the accessory cables. Thanks Uncle Doug for an excellent tutorial!

More great info, thanks again! Been trying to wrap my head around oscilloscopes recently, I know they can be an useful tool once I get operation and application down. This helps!

Uncle Doug, your voice would be so awesome for a documentary. Ty for sharing your knowledge with us.

Thank you for this. I spent my career in the semiconductor industry and we had those Tektronix scopes all over the place and I never learned how they work. I liked 'em because our parts were in the scopes and it was kinda neat to see how these lil' components we made were used by the equipment manufacturers.

top class info Uncle Doug/maybe Dad... i just got my first scope, now im on my way. Thank You sir

Thank you Uncle Doug, this is very good.

Thanks UD! You read my mind. I've been flirting with buying an oscilloscope forever. This might push me over the edge!

Uncle doug coming through in the clutch again with a great how to video!!!

Wonderful. You're a very good teacher.

Many thanks for the video.This is the best one on the subject Icould find in the Internet.Best wishes from Russia

Good intro Doug. I laughed at your 'screw up the knobs' comment, years ago I did the same thing to my NMSU analog lab students. The first 10 minutes of lab was kind of loud from all the knob clicking. They hated it and me, but they sure knew how to find that beam. Thanks Doug.

Fantastic tutorial, very easy to follow! Great sounds at the end.

Marty Robbins territory I see, and the Franklins. 30 years removed since. So, I just got a Tektronics 2 years ago and I took it out a few times and coudnt grasp it. I thought I never had a GREEN thumb with plants or electronics, But at electronics maybe I feel I have a chance. I got the quiz correct. Super motivated by your narrating and teaching. Love your cat, I have a Orange Tabby. I also have a Model ( 465B ) and service manual from 1979. I have a bad circuit board in a Pellet Stove and need to find the problem, so my ohm meter can only do so much for I am told. So thats why I am here. THANK YOU SO MUCH !

Very good tutorial and explanation! I'm just now finishing my undergraduate education in electrical engineering, and although we have used o-scopes a lot, this was a very nice tutorial for me to refresh and remember how to use these intelligently rather than just following a lab procedure. Thanks!

man, you are a great teacher, wish i had you teaching me 40 years ago! ...through trial and lots of errors i did eventually master the scope, one of the first i learned is dont put you ground clip on a transformerless tube amp! LOL ...great job your doing, and although i use a scope now, will continue watching, as never to old to learn something new...

Excellent, thanks for the nice video. I never watched like this explanation about the Oscilloscope.