Are these things I should consider bad

[andy]

...

[TinCanAlley]

Originally Posted by andy

You're still better off sticking to X10 unless you're at the lowest v/div setting and still can't see the signal because it's too weak. An X1 probe will tend to load down any signals you're looking at.

I'll do that. Guess I misunderstood the need for the 10x. Most of what I read and watch talked about sensitive modern circuits needing the probe. For some reason I don't think of an older television as being that sensitive with all the high voltage and other things going.

[TinCanAlley]

Okay, here are recent waveforms.

First pic is the ABL base. It measure roughly .75 volts DC and this waveform is the AC with settings of 1 volt/div and 20us time/div. Odd thing is, the AC and DC waveforms are identical.

Second pic is the ABL collector's DC waveform. It measured roughly .5 volts DC. The AC looked the same but with settings of 20m volt/div and 20us time/div.

The third pic is the B+ 125V with a setting of .5 volt/div, but with the 10x probe the display is 5 volt/div and 5ms time/div. See how fat it is? Every other wave form is a single line except for the B+ 125.

Last pic is the B+ 125V again with different settings of 1 volt/div but with the 10x probe the display is 10 volt/div and 10us time/div. The DC showed a flat line at 50 volt/div for roughly 2.5 divisions.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by TinCanAlley

Okay, here are recent waveforms. The B+ measurements were done with a 10x probe, so the volt/div are actually 10x lower.

I'm not sure that I understand your use of the term "lower" in this case... For example, if the scope knob is set for 10V/div and you use the 10x probe, is the waveform measurement on the scope now? :

a) 1V/div
b) 100V/div

jr

[TinCanAlley]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

I'm not sure that I understand your use of the term "lower" in this case... For example, if the scope knob is set for 10V/div and you use the 10x probe, is the waveform measurement on the scope now? :

a) 1V/div
b) 100V/div

jr

With the probe in the 10x mode it would be 10 volt / div. Isn't that how it works? If I set the scope to 1 volts/div and put the probe in 10x mode, it would reduce/lower/attenuate it by a factor of 10 and the display should be read as 10 volt/div?

[TinCanAlley]

Okay, just grounded the ABL's base leg and the jail bars remained. The only affect it had was to brighten the screen when grounded and go back to original brightness when ungrounded. So it seems the ABL circuit isn't to blame.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by TinCanAlley

If I set the scope to 1 volts/div and put the probe in 10x mode, it would reduce/lower/attenuate it by a factor of 10 and the display should be read as 10 volt/div?

That is correct, the "10x" is the *attenuation* factor, not a multiplier. It was not clear that you were reporting the actual voltages of the circuit or the amplitude seen on the scope, with or without taking into account the 10x *attenuation* of the probe, or worse still using the "10x" as a multiplier.
So "b" is the correct answer to my question... agree?

Now, where do you set the baseline "0 volts" before probing a DC voltage? If probing a positive voltage, I set the baseline to the lowest line on the 'scope face and count divisions up from there after the DC is applied to the probe. If unsure of polarity, I set the baseline (with no voltage applied) to the center graticule line and see which way the trace goes when probing the voltage.

jr

[TinCanAlley]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

That is correct, the "10x" is the *attenuation* factor, not a multiplier. It was not clear that you were reporting the actual voltages of the circuit or the amplitude seen on the scope, with or without taking into account the 10x *attenuation* of the probe, or worse still using the "10x" as a multiplier.
So "b" is the correct answer to my question... agree?

Now, where do you set the baseline "0 volts" before probing a DC voltage? If probing a positive voltage, I set the baseline to the lowest line on the 'scope face and count divisions up from there after the DC is applied to the probe. If unsure of polarity, I set the baseline (with no voltage applied) to the center graticule line and see which way the trace goes when probing the voltage.

jr

Yes, if the dial is set to 10 and the probe is on 10, then the display is 100 per division. I edited my original post to reflect the probe and dial setting.

For the DC I put set it to GND and moved the trace to the bottom of the screen and then switched to DC. It moved up as it was positive. Since the DC was showing a waveform, I moved the baseline to the top of the first division so it would show the entire waveform.