[VoltLog] never has enough space on his bench. We know the feeling and liked his idea of mounting his oscilloscope on an articulated arm. This is easy now because many new scopes have VESA mounts like monitors or TVs. However, watching the video below, we discovered there was a bit more to it than you might imagine.
First, there are many choices of arms. [VoltLog] went for a cheap one with springs that didn’t have a lot of motion range. You may want something different. But we didn’t realize that many of these arms have a minimum weight requirement, and modern scopes may be too light for some of these arms. Most arms require at least 2 kg of weight to balance the tensions in their springs or hydraulics. Of course, you could add a little weight to the mounting plate of the arm if you needed it. The only downside we see is that it makes it hard to remove the scope if you want to use it somewhere else.
Assuming you have a mount you like, the rest is easy. Of course, your scope might not have VESA mounting holes. No problem. You can probably find a 3D printed design for an adapter or make (or adapt) your own. You might want to print a cable holder at the same time.
Honestly, we’ve thought of mounting a scope to the wall, but this seems nicer. We might still think about 3D printing some kind of adapter that would let you easily remove the scope without tools.
Of course, there is another obvious place to mount your scope. Monitor arms can also mount microscopes.
I can’t put my old D43 on an arm – I count myself lucky to have a workbench that can support it.
https://hackaday.io/project/171961-a-digital-camera-for-analog-oscilloscopes
Steel frame, sheet steel housing, humongous power transformer, and more tubes than you can shake a stick at.
The nearest I can get to a support arm for it is the one I use to hold the monitor displaying the digital image from the scope in the D43 camera software.
I have C1-79 scope made by soviets. It can be used as warship anchor…
I remember my first scope, lol well over 100 pounds, around 28″ high, 20″ wide and 30″ deep. So full of transformers, vacuum tubes and thick aluminum plate and steel angle. They don’t make em like they used to, thank God!
Hmm, you could bolt a standing desk upside-down to the ceiling, and have it lower (technically raise) the scope down towards your workspace.
Great, now I gotta buy a monitor arm.
Buy two!
I have that setup for DSO + PC monitor for years. It is really great.
Back in the proverbial day, scopes at work had a dedicated cart.
That arm is cool. But it seems that my scopes are in use on the bench only a third of the time. More often, I’m using them on some installed gear.
I’m already peeved that my ‘little’ scope (Rigol 1040Z) is so light that I have to hold it with my other hand while connecting a probe. The monitor arm mount would drive me bananas. Older scopes have a useful gravitas to them, though my LeCroy 9400 does take an unconscionable amount of bench space.
Glue a lump of steel to the back?
I have a cheap stereo that’s the same, it’s so light that pushing buttons moves it backwards across the table. Needs half a brick in the bottom of the case.
I made this reusing a shelf bracket. No pan/tilt, but cheap and scope can be pulled out with no tools at all. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:998287
I think its a VESA 100mmx100mm mount so I do have one of those but the mounting to the side support of the Bench is unique and I want to try that. I think the TILT the arm brings was/is understated, and I will use that to reduce overhead fixture screen glare.
This is more commonly done than you think.
Id do this if I had a scope.
I do however now want to do something similar with my WD-1 Weller Soldering Station.
I use it a ton, and its always on my bench, but I have a combined use bench which is constantly being used for Electronics, 3D Printing, Wood Working, Metal working. This means that My soldering station finds itself in the way as often as it is right where it needs to be.
I think putting it on an arm that I can lift up and swing away would be super helpful.
great… now I need to go buy another monitor arm.