Is a used DSX-5000 worth it?
Short answer
Rent for a few jobs a year. A used DSX-5000 pays off if you certify most months.
Used DSX-5000s were $3,000–$8,497, used DSX2-5000s $7,900–$10,495 and new DSX2-5000s from $13,442.94. A $7,497 refurbished unit plus $660 calibration equals about 17 weekly rentals at $475.
What it costs
$13,443Typical
$14,066High
$14,652
$3,000Typical
$7,995High
$10,495
US-dollar listings only (other currencies are in the source tables below). Typical = median. Every number links to its source below.
At a glance
DSX-5000 (Versiv 1)- New
- from €11,490
- Used / refurb
- from $3,000
- Rent / week
- from £249/wk
DSX2-5000- New
- from $13,443
- Used / refurb
- from $7,900
- Rent / week
- from $475/wk
DSX-602- New
- from $10,000
- Used / refurb
- from $7,799
- Rent / week
- none seen
The details
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.
Compare these models spec by spec · 3 models
| DSX-5000 (Versiv 1) | DSX2-5000 | DSX-602 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prices | |||
| New | €11,490 | $13,442.94 – $14,651.87 | $9,999.95 |
| Used / refurb | $3,000 – $8,497 · £5,586.70 · €7,950 | $7,900 – $10,495 · £8,134.07 | $7,799 |
| Rent / week | £249 · €390 · CA$800 | $475 | – |
| Calibration | $660 | – | $385 |
| Where they differ | |||
| Max frequency | 1,000 MHz | 1,000 MHz | 500 MHz |
| Accuracy | Exceeds IEC Level V | Exceeds IEC Level V | – |
| Standards | TIA Cat 3–Cat 6A; ISO/IEC Class C–FA | TIA Cat 3–Cat 6A; ISO/IEC Class C–FA | TIA Cat 3–Cat 6A; ISO/IEC Class C–EA (no Class FA) |
| Fiber | Optional OLTS, OTDR and inspection modules (Versiv) | Optional OLTS, OTDR and inspection modules (Versiv) | None (no fiber modules) |
| Weight | 1.28 kg (main unit) | 1.28 kg (main unit) | 1.36 kg |
| Wi‑Fi | – | Integrated, dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n | Integrated (disabled on DSX-602-NW) |
| Spec source | Manufacturer datasheet | Manufacturer datasheet | Manufacturer datasheet |
Highlighted rows differ between models. Green = lowest US-dollar price. Other currencies are shown as listed, not converted. Specs: manufacturer datasheets (linked per model), checked 2026-10-22; – = not published by the manufacturer.
Same on all · 2 specs
- Cat 6A autotest
- 10 s (Cat 5e/6: 9 s)
- Battery
- 8 h typical
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