COMPARISON · OSCILLOSCOPES
HANMATEK HO52 vs OWON HDS272S
The HANMATEK HO52 vs OWON HDS272S choice is between two pocket-sized scope-meters whose published specs line up almost row for row: two channels, 250 MSa/s on one channel and 125 MSa/s on two, an 8K record, a 3.5-inch 320 × 240 screen and a 20,000-count true-RMS multimeter. The OWON adds two things: 70 MHz of bandwidth instead of 50 MHz, and a single-channel signal generator. Here is when those two extras are worth paying for.
By the OhmSavvy Research Team ·
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HANMATEK HO52
4.1★★★★☆A low-cost two-channel 50 MHz handheld scope with a built-in 20,000-count multimeter.
OWON HDS272S
4.2★★★★☆A two-channel 70 MHz handheld with a 20,000-count meter and a 25 MHz signal generator.
Specs side by side
| HANMATEK HO52 | OWON HDS272S | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1★★★★☆ | 4.2★★★★☆ |
| Bandwidth | 50MHz | 70MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Sample rate | 250 MSa/s (1 ch); 125 MSa/s (2 ch) | 250 MSa/s (1 ch); 125 MSa/s (2 ch) |
| Best for | Field checks that need a scope and a meter on a budget | Portable work that needs a scope, meter and signal source |
| Record length | 8K (1 ch); 4K (2 ch) | 8K (datasheet: 8K or 4K optional) |
| Vertical resolution | Not stated by HANMATEK | 8-bit |
| Rise time | 7 ns or less | 5 ns or less |
| Signal generator | None (the HO52S has one) | 1 channel: sine to 25 MHz, square and pulse to 5 MHz, 14-bit |
| Multimeter | 20,000-count true RMS; 1000 V DC, 750 V AC, 10 A | 20,000-count true RMS; 1000 V DC, 750 V AC, 10 A |
| Display | 3.5-inch, 320 × 240 | 3.5-inch, 320 × 240 |
| Trigger types | Edge (auto, normal, single) | Edge (auto, normal, single) |
| Automatic measurements | 7 | 7 |
| Scope input limit | 400 V (DC + AC peak-to-peak) | 400 V (DC + AC peak-to-peak) |
| Battery | 2 × 2200 mAh; about 4 hours | 2 × 2200 mAh 18650; 3 to 6 hours |
| Charging | 5 V 2 A over USB (Amazon listing: USB-C, power bank) | 5 V 2 A over USB-C; works from a power bank |
| Size; weight without battery | 199 × 100 × 39 mm; about 0.6 kg | 198 × 96 × 38 mm; about 0.6 kg |
Specs checked against manufacturer documentation and official Amazon listings. Desk research, not bench testing. How we research.
Key differences
- →Bandwidth is 70 MHz on the HDS272S and 50 MHz on the HO52, and OWON quotes a faster rise time (5 ns or less against 7 ns or less).
- →Sampling is the same on paper: 250 MSa/s with one channel and 125 MSa/s with both, so the HDS272S's extra bandwidth is most useful in single-channel mode.
- →Only the HDS272S has a signal generator: one channel, sine up to 25 MHz and square or pulse up to 5 MHz, 14-bit, up to 2.5 Vpp into 50 Ω. On HANMATEK's side that output is reserved for the HO52S.
- →The multimeters match on the numbers both makers publish: 20,000 counts, true RMS, 1000 V DC, 750 V AC and 10 A.
- →OWON states 8-bit vertical resolution; HANMATEK doesn't publish the HO52's ADC resolution. The HO52 halves its record to 4K with both channels on; OWON lists 8K, with 4K as an option.
- →Neither carries our Hands-on Tested badge. The HDS272S is rated 4.2 in our roundup and the HO52 4.1.
Spec by spec
Put the two manuals side by side and most rows read the same: 5 ns/div to 1000 s/div timebase, 10 mV/div to 10 V/div, 10,000 waveforms per second, a 20 MHz bandwidth limit, 1 MΩ inputs and an edge trigger. The charts below cover the rows that actually differ, plus the sampling figures that are worth seeing next to the bandwidth numbers.
Two source notes. OWON's web spec table is misaligned and appears to put 500 MSa/s under the HDS272S; OWON's PDF datasheet and the Amazon listing both give 250 MSa/s, which is what we use. And the Amazon listing mentions a 4400 mAh battery good for about 6 hours, while OWON specifies two 2200 mAh 18650 cells and 3 to 6 hours. HANMATEK, for its part, doesn't state the HO52's converter resolution at all.
Which should you buy?
| Buyer or job | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Checking a car sensor or relay coil plus battery voltage | HANMATEK HO52 | Scope and meter cover it; a generator adds nothing |
| Testing a guitar pedal or small amplifier stage | OWON HDS272S | Its generator supplies the input sine for CH1 and CH2 |
| Looking at PWM on a motor driver or LED dimmer | Either | Kilohertz signals sit far inside 50 MHz |
| Single-channel look at a 10 to 15 MHz clock | OWON HDS272S | 70 MHz keeps that clock's shape better than 50 MHz |
| Simulating a sensor pulse to check firmware | OWON HDS272S | Pulse and arbitrary output up to 5 MHz |
| Lowest-cost scope plus meter for a toolbag | HANMATEK HO52 | Same meter numbers, no generator to pay for |
| Measuring a resonant sensor or filter response | OWON HDS272S | Sweep the generator sine and watch the output |
What 50 MHz and 70 MHz handhelds can measure
The usual rule is to buy three to five times more bandwidth than the highest frequency you want to see with its shape intact. That puts the HO52's comfortable range at roughly 10 to 17 MHz and the HDS272S's at roughly 14 to 23 MHz. Either covers audio, servo and PWM signals, switching regulators in the hundreds of kilohertz, UART and I2C, and the clocks on most 8-bit and many 32-bit hobby boards. Our bandwidth explainer shows where the rule comes from.
Sampling is the part buyers skip. With both channels on, each one gets 125 MSa/s, which is 2.5 samples per cycle of a 50 MHz sine and fewer than two for 70 MHz. Nyquist says two samples per cycle is the bare minimum, and a readable waveform needs several more. So on either handheld, two-channel work is limited by sampling long before the front-end bandwidth matters, and the HDS272S's extra 20 MHz pays off mainly when one channel is running at 250 MSa/s. See what GSa/s means for more on the trade-off.
Where the rise-time gap shows
Short records, short windows
Both stop at an edge trigger and seven automatic measurements (period, frequency, mean, peak-to-peak, max, min and amplitude), and neither maker lists serial decoding. If you need to trigger on a pulse width or decode I2C, a bench scope such as the ones in HANMATEK DOS1102 vs Hantek DSO2C10 is the better tool.
Is the HDS272S generator worth having?
A scope only watches. Plenty of field jobs need nothing more: a crank sensor, a fan's tach line, the ripple on a supply. The generator becomes useful the moment the circuit under test has no signal of its own. With the HDS272S you can set a 1 kHz sine at a few hundred millivolts, feed it into a preamp, probe the input on CH1 and the output on CH2, and read the gain straight off the two amplitudes. Raise the level until the output flattens and you have found its clipping point; sweep the frequency and you can see a filter roll off.
OWON's figures set the limits: sine from 0.1 Hz to 25 MHz, square and pulse to 5 MHz, ramp to 1 MHz, arbitrary shapes to 5 MHz, and up to 2.5 Vpp into 50 Ω. That is ample for audio, sensor simulation and logic inputs, but it is not a lab function generator: you get one output, and it can't source more than a few volts. If you would use it only now and then, the HO52 plus a cheap standalone generator is another route; if you want everything in one bag, the HDS272S is the tidier kit.
Voltage limits on a handheld
Related comparisons
Neither handheld has a full review yet; both are ranked in our beginner oscilloscope roundup. For a 200 MHz handheld with the same three-instrument layout, read OWON HDS2202S vs FNIRSI DSO152; for other scope-meter combinations see Hantek 2D72 vs FNIRSI 2C53T and FNIRSI 2C53T vs FNIRSI 1014D. New to the specs? Start with the oscilloscope buying guide.
Choose the HANMATEK HO52 if…
- ✓You want a scope and a 20,000-count meter in one pocket tool and won't need to inject a test signal
- ✓Most of what you probe is audio, PWM, sensor outputs or slow serial lines well under 10 MHz
- ✓Spending less matters more than the last 20 MHz of bandwidth
Choose the OWON HDS272S if…
- ✓You need a known sine or square wave to feed a circuit while you watch its output
- ✓You care about sharper edge readings: OWON quotes a rise time of 5 ns or less versus HANMATEK's 7 ns
- ✓You want 8-bit resolution stated by the maker and a fold-out stand for bench use
Neither if…
You need to put a scope channel on mains voltage: each one's scope input is limited to 400 V DC plus AC peak-to-peak at the connector, well under what 230 V mains swings to, and neither maker lists isolated channels — use the multimeter section for mains voltage on either unit instead.
The bottom line
These two handhelds share a sample rate, screen, record length and multimeter specification, so the decision comes down to two extras. Pick the OWON HDS272S if you will use its 25 MHz generator or want 70 MHz and a quicker rise time for single-channel work on faster logic. Pick the HANMATEK HO52 if you only need to watch signals and take meter readings, since it covers that for less.
Frequently asked questions
Is the OWON HDS272S just the HANMATEK HO52 with a generator?+
Not quite. The published specs match closely: two channels, 250 MSa/s on one channel and 125 MSa/s on two, a 3.5-inch 320 x 240 screen and a 20,000-count meter. But the HDS272S is rated at 70 MHz instead of 50 MHz, quotes a 5 ns rather than 7 ns rise time, and adds a 25 MHz signal generator.
Does the extra 20 MHz of the HDS272S make a real difference?+
Sometimes. With one channel at 250 MSa/s, 70 MHz keeps clocks in the 10 to 20 MHz range looking more square. With both channels on, each samples at 125 MSa/s on both scopes, so sampling rather than bandwidth sets the limit. For audio, PWM and slow serial lines, 50 MHz is already plenty.
Can the HANMATEK HO52 output a test signal?+
No. HANMATEK's manual lists the arbitrary waveform generator as an option fitted only to the HO52S. The plain HO52 is a two-channel scope plus a multimeter. If you want a signal output in a HANMATEK handheld, look for the HO52S variant instead, or choose the OWON HDS272S, which includes one.
Can I measure mains voltage with these handheld scope-meters?+
Use the multimeter section, rated to 750 V AC and 1000 V DC on both. Each scope input is limited to 400 V DC plus AC peak-to-peak at the connector, which 230 V mains exceeds. Neither maker lists isolated channels, so treat the probe grounds as common and use a properly rated probe for any line-voltage waveform.
Which handheld runs longer on a charge?+
HANMATEK quotes about 4 hours for the HO52 from two 2200 mAh cells. OWON quotes 3 to 6 hours for the HDS272S from two 2200 mAh 18650 cells, and says it charges over USB-C and from a power bank. Runtime depends on use, so treat both as rough figures.
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