Is a used DSX-5000 worth it?
The numbers: used Versiv-1 DSX-5000 kits were listed at $3,000–$8,497. Used/refurbished Versiv-2 DSX2-5000s were $7,900–$10,495, and one sold on eBay for $7,995 via Best Offer. New DSX2-5000s were $13,442.94–$14,651.87.
Renting: Telecom Rentals lists DSX-5000 rental at $475/week, $615 for 2 weeks or $739/month. PhoneTX lists $1,200 for 2 weeks or $1,200 per month.
Worked example: a $7,497 refurbished DSX-5000 plus a $660 third-party calibration is about $8,157. That's roughly 17 weekly rentals at $475, or about 11 months at Telecom Rentals' $739 monthly rate. A new DSX2-5000 at ~$13,443 is about 28 weekly rentals.
Verdict:
- Certify a few jobs a year: rent. No calibration, no capital tied up.
- Certify most months: a used DSX-5000 is worth it if it comes with a recent calibration certificate, both PLA and CHA adapters for main and remote, and a firmware version LinkWare supports.
- Need Wi-Fi / LinkWare Live, or want the longest support runway: pay up for a used DSX2-5000 (about $8–10.5k), or buy new.
- Avoid: bare mainframes without the remote, and "as-is" units with no calibration date.
Side by side
| Fluke Networks DSX-5000 (Versiv 1) | Fluke Networks DSX2-5000 CableAnalyzer | Fluke Networks DSX-602 CableAnalyzer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Copper certifier | Copper certifier | Copper certifier |
| New | €11,490 | $13,442.94 – $14,651.87 | $9,999.95 |
| Used | $3,000 – $8,497 · £5,586.70 · €7,950 | $7,900 – $10,495 · £8,134.07 | $7,799 |
| Rental / week | £249 · €390 · CA$800 | $475 | – |
| Calibration | $660 | – | $385 |
| Bandwidth | 1 GHz | 1 GHz | Cat 6A / Class EA |
| Standards | Cat 5e–Cat 6A / Class EA, Level V | Cat 5e–Cat 6A / Class EA, Level V | – |
| Platform | Versiv (original) | Versiv 2 (integrated Wi‑Fi) | – |
| Notes | – | – | Cat 6A certifier, upgradeable to DSX-5000 functionality |
Prices as listed on the dates shown on each model page, which lists every source.
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