• Agilent DSO1014A - Agilent page
  • I have one. http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/05/my-new-oscilloscope-the-agilent-dso1014a/
  • It appears to be a re-badged Rigol scope. http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/11/agilent-dso1000-firmware-update-confirms-rigol-connection/
• Rigol DS1052E - http://www.rigolna.com/products_ds1000d.aspx
  • Dave Jones of EEVblog likes this one: http://www.alternatezone.com/eevblog/?p=6
• Open Source Oscilloscopes and low-cost oscilloscopes

• Saleae Logic - http://www.saleae.com/logic/
  • Price: $149
  • Channels: 8
  • Sample rate: 24MHz max
  • Samples: 10B
• Intronix LogicPort - http://www.pctestinstruments.com/
  • Price: $389
  • Channels: 34
  • Sample rate: 500MHz/200MHz max
  • Samples: 2048 (supports compression)

• Fluke 87V, I love mine: http://us.fluke.com/usen/Products/Fluke+80+Series+V.htm

• Cheap-o hotplate for surface mount soldering

It can be really frustrating to try to fix a piece of expensive test equipment without a manual. There are lots of sources for service manuals, both free and not-free. Here are some of the ones I have found. Please only contribute sites to the not-free section that you have actually done business with (and think deserve a link.)

• Agilent Manual Search - http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent/facet.jspx?lc=eng&cc=US&t=80039.k.1&pageMode=TM
  • Mostly newer equipment.
  • They also have an FTP site at ftp://ftp.agilent.com/pub/manuals/
• HP Archive manuals page - http://www.hparchive.com/hp_equipment.htm
• BAMA (BoatAnchor Manual Archive) - http://www2.faculty.sbc.edu/kgrimm/boatanchor/
• Various Scans of HP Manuals, etc. - http://www.kennethkuhn.com/hpmuseum/scans/
  • Lots of military manuals for HP test equipment, I found an elusive manual here. — jeff 12/24/2010 20:56

• ArtekMedia - http://www.artekmedia.com/
  • HP, Agilent, Tek, others. I purchased a manual for an old, obscure HP power supply, and when I had problems opening the pdf they were extremely helpful (and created a new scan for me). Reasonable prices, very high quality scans. — jeff 12/24/2010 20:31