It does most things and well. I have always preferred the rare bench scopes with battery for avoiding ground loops and occasional field work. This being much more portable at this feature level is a favourite. Long battery time, compared to my previous scope, and you can add a powerbank, but I have not needed it.
The button UI for adjusting time base and vertical scale feels unintuitive at first, but makes sense when you think about it. For a button-scope I now find it easy to use.
Minimal vertical scale of 100mV is a limitation worth noticing, but good enough for most things. Had seen continuity testing criticized for being really slow, so great to find that is not the case. Channel updates on the display is super fast, even at double this price point. I needed to buy a second probe for it separately.
Great to always have a capable scope, multimeter and signal generator in one unit in the bag, also working from home. Instantly on, it has replaced my bench scope for most tasks. Hope it lasts a long time - it feels sturdy for what it is.
Owon HDS272S handheld oscilloscope
Details
Note: the HDS272S looks externally identical to the product shown in the images.
The HDS272S is a portable dual-channel oscilloscope that can also be used as a multimeter and a function generator. The meter sports a 3.5" high-contrast colour display suitable for outdoor use and it runs on a pair of 18650 batteries, good for up to 6 hours of continuous use. You can hook up the meter to a PC host with USB-C to use it with Owon's desktop software, control it via SCPI or to use it with a power bank. Compared to the Hantek 2000 series oscilloscopes, the Owon HDS200 series are equipped with a slightly larger screen and larger internal memory. Furthermore, this series has 20000 counts as opposed to Hantek's 4000 counts resolution.
Signals can be recorded and stored internally, good for up to 8k data points. Waveforms can also be stored as image or CSV, to be exported via USB to a PC host.
Besides being an oscilloscope, it independently acts as a fully featured 20 000 count True-RMS multimeter. It has the capability to measure voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, continuity and diodes. The readings will be displayed comfortably large on the display as can be seen in the demonstration video below. Similar to conventional multimeters, it does auto ranging.
Model overview
The models of the HDS200 differ in their bandwidth and whether they have a function generator, as outlined in the table below.
| Model | HDS242 | HDS242S | HDS272 | HDS272S | HDS2102 | HDS2102S | HDS2202 | HDS2202S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | 40 MHz | 40 MHz | 70 MHz | 70 MHz | 100 MHz | 100 MHz | 200 MHz | 200 MHz |
| Function generator | No
| Yes
| No
| Yes
| No
| Yes
| No
| Yes
|
| Price |
Specifications
| Oscilloscope specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Multimeter mode specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Function generator mode specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Other modes | Continuity, diode test | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Display | 20,000 counts (multimeter mode) 3.5" colour LCD (320 x 240) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Power supply | 2x 18650 battery (approx. 6 hours) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Connectivity | USB-C | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Dimensions | 198 x 38 x 96 mm LxWxH | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 600 g (without batteries) | |||||||||||||||||||||
For more information, please refer to the user guide which you can download below.
Accessories
The HDS242 comes by default with:
- 2x 18650 batteries
- USB cable
- Set of test leads
- Probe
- 2x BNC - alligator clips cable
- Power adapter
- Carrying pouch
Pros and cons
- Very affordable
- Doubles as a True-RMS multimeter and function generator
- USB features
- Minimal sensitivity of 10 mV/div
- Triggers on edges only
- Limited memory
- Drains battery when the meter is off
- Limited math functions
Video's
Downloads
| Owon HDS200 series user manual |
 (1 MB) |
Download |
| HDS200 Handbuch Deutsch |
(1.44 MB) |
Download |
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Latest customer reviews
Read all reviews (3)
Review by J
Posted on 14/01/2022
Review by Tihomir
Posted on 20/12/2021
Compared to my ol' (and still used) UT81B, it's an improvement in almost every category.
Things I would like to see:
- smoother autoranging
- minor UI improvements: V/H settings, occasional key lags etc
- basic Math trace options, like CH1-CH2 (for diff measurements).
Note: scope inputs, AWG, test signal and USB port all share the same GND.
Things I would like to see:
- smoother autoranging
- minor UI improvements: V/H settings, occasional key lags etc
- basic Math trace options, like CH1-CH2 (for diff measurements).
Note: scope inputs, AWG, test signal and USB port all share the same GND.
Review by Teodor
Posted on 02/12/2021
All in all, satisfied and meets my expectations (after watching several video reviews beforehand).
Stable waveform compared to other cheaper units, acceptable low and high limits for horizontal and vertical resolutions. The multimeter function is very good and the measurements are very precise.
The good points are good on this one, the bad things are few. Among them: No Vrms measurement, Auto mode can be a bit slow to perform. Arrow keys started to misbehave at times - one press is registered as many and the resolution (for example) skips several steps, then I have to go back with the other arrow. The unit is rarely used, once in a while, so this is embarrassing. Operating the most common functions (vertical/horiz. resolution and position) is not very intuitive but Ok.
Still, the unit works and for the current price it's worth it.
Stable waveform compared to other cheaper units, acceptable low and high limits for horizontal and vertical resolutions. The multimeter function is very good and the measurements are very precise.
The good points are good on this one, the bad things are few. Among them: No Vrms measurement, Auto mode can be a bit slow to perform. Arrow keys started to misbehave at times - one press is registered as many and the resolution (for example) skips several steps, then I have to go back with the other arrow. The unit is rarely used, once in a while, so this is embarrassing. Operating the most common functions (vertical/horiz. resolution and position) is not very intuitive but Ok.
Still, the unit works and for the current price it's worth it.
