How to use a Hantek oscilloscope
Updated: 22 October 2026
The carton is open, a Hantek with its own screen is on the bench, and the trace is a slanted mess. How to use a Hantek oscilloscope, the first time, means proving the probe on the scope's own square wave, and treating the ground clip as protective earth. The [Hantek oscilloscope comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/hantek-oscilloscope) holds the listings. UK mains here means about 230 V RMS, about 325 V peak. Peter F. did not film a lab session. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The carton is open, a Hantek with its own screen is on the bench, and the trace is a slanted mess.
The carton is open, a Hantek with its own screen is on the bench, and the trace is a slanted mess. How to use a Hantek oscilloscope, the first time, means proving the probe on the scope's own square wave, and treating the ground clip as protective earth. The Hantek oscilloscope comparison holds the listings. UK mains here means about 230 V RMS, about 325 V peak. Peter F. did not film a lab session. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Screen | Bandwidth | Power | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Hantek Hantek DSO5102P 100 MHz | 7-inch TFT | 100 MHz | Mains | 9.0 | about £262.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Hantek Hantek DSO2D10 100 MHz | Own screen | 100 MHz | Mains bench | 9.0 | about £219.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Hantek Hantek DSO2C10 100 MHz | Own screen | 100 MHz | Mains bench | 8.8 | about £174.63 | View offer |
On this page
A trace before you measure anything
Leave the circuit alone until the scope has shown you a waveform it generated itself. UK reviews of the DSO5102P describe a square-wave terminal on the front panel, and one reviewer puts built-in self-calibration at about 10 minutes.
Connect the probe tip and the ground clip as a pair. On a mains bench scope the clip is tied to protective earth through the mains lead. Set the probe to 10× if that is how you intend to measure, and set the channel menu to the same 10×. A 1× menu with a 10× probe makes a 5 V rail look like half a volt.
Compensate the 10× probe
Compensation makes the probe and the scope agree at the edges. Hook the tip to the front-panel square-wave terminal and the ground clip to the ground terminal beside it. A compensated 10× probe shows a square top. A spike at each corner means the adjustment is high. A rounded shoulder means it is low.
Use a non-metallic tool. UK reviews of the DSO5102P mention a plastic trimmer, because a metal screwdriver changes the reading while it touches the adjustment. If the corners will not square, try the other probe before you blame the scope. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the route when the listing promised a set the box did not include.
Where the ground clip goes
On a mains-powered bench scope the ground clip is protective earth. Clip it to a circuit ground you have already decided is safe to call 0 V. UK mains are about 230 V RMS, about 325 V peak. Clipping the earth lead to live is a short through the scope. Neutral is not a second probe tip.
Lifting the earth so the scope can float is outside this procedure. Tektronix's note on floating measurements treats defeating the protective earth of a mains scope as unsafe. This page will not give steps for that. If the measurement only works with the earth lifted, stop. The 6022 ground is the computer's ground, which the Hantek USB or bench oscilloscope page covers.
The UK plug and the voltage on the probe
UK reviews of the DSO5102P do not agree about the mains lead. One reviewer reported a UK plug. Another rejected a European plug with an unfused adaptor. A BS 1363 plug is fused. If your carton has the European lead, use a proper fused BS 1363 arrangement, and ask someone confident if you will not terminate a 13 A plug yourself.
Hantek's DSO5102P page states 300 V RMS on a 10× probe for CAT I and CAT II, and CAT III 150 V RMS on 1×. Those words are blank in the amazon CAT field. GS38 expects probes to meet BS EN 61010-031 and to show a CAT rating. We do not claim these probes are safe on a 13 A socket.
Common questions
How do I know the 10× probe is compensated?
The square wave's top is flat. A spike at the corner means the compensation is high. A rounded leading edge means it is low. Adjust with a non-metallic tool, because a metal screwdriver changes the reading while it is in contact. Hook the tip and the ground clip only to the scope's own terminals for this step. A flat top does not mean the circuit is healthy.
Can I clip the ground lead to live or neutral?
Leave live and neutral alone. On a mains bench Hantek the ground clip is protective earth, and a clip on live is a short to earth through the instrument. Neutral carries current as well. Put the clip on the circuit ground you have already decided is safe. If the only way to see the signal is to lift the scope's earth, stop. Defeating protective earth sits outside this procedure, which is the point of Tektronix's floating-measurement note.
Is a European plug with an unfused adaptor acceptable on a UK socket?
Treat an unfused adaptor as a gap. UK plugs are BS 1363 and fused. DSO5102P reviews disagree: one buyer had a UK lead, another fitted a 13 A plug after rejecting an unfused adaptor. If your box has a European plug, use a proper fused BS 1363 arrangement. If the page promised a UK lead and the carton did not include one, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the reason to query the seller.
What voltage does the DSO5102P page allow on a 10× probe?
Hantek's page states 300 V RMS for CAT I and CAT II on a 10× probe, and CAT III 150 V RMS on 1×. The amazon saved listing left the CAT field empty, so quote the manufacturer page. UK mains at about 230 V RMS sit near that 300 V line, and the peak is about 325 V. The 300 V sentence is not permission for a consumer unit.
When should I stop and call a professional?
Stop for a consumer unit or distribution board, for any plan to disconnect the scope earth, and for secondary ignition unless vehicle electrics are your trade. CAT III in GS38 covers socket outlets and those boards. A bench scope with a ground clip is the wrong tool there, and it is the wrong clip to put on a running engine.
Related pages
Sources
Public sources from the research digest. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured with these eight listings. The price bands are this set, not a market average. The card score is the star rating times 20, not a laboratory result.
- HSE GS38: electrical test equipment for use on low voltage electrical systems (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Hantek DSO5102P (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Hantek 6022BE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Hantek 1008C manual (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Hantek 2000 series / 2D42 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Institution of Electronics: measurement bandwidth (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk DSO2D15 listing (two-channel rate note) (retrieved 22 October 2026)