[ChuckMcM]

Having an oscilloscope is great, and it needn't be thousands.

For general tinkering and exploring I picked up the Digilent Analog Explorer 2 with the Ham Radio bundle[1]. They had a coupon deal where 'hamradioworkbench2018' would unlock a $100 discount. Not sure if that still works. While it is a USB scope (so you are dependent on your PC/Laptop for a display) it includes some other useful bench top tools.

Used scopes in the 100 - 200 Mhz range from the 90's are often pretty inexpensive and can usually be calibrated and repaired. This is especially true of the Tektronix 465 and 475 series which were sold in huge numbers. While not as crisp as a digital scope they work well and can be found (at least in the Bay Area) for $50 - $100. About double that on ebay.

The Rigol folks really pushed the price point hard and their DS1054 and DS1102D series are fairly common and inexpensive at $300 - $500.

Scrounge around HAMFests or surplus liquidators and you can often find a deal if you know what you want.

[1] https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/