French TV Emo CTVS

[glen springer]

Does anyone remember the Emo CTVS, a French TV imported in the 80s? I worked on them, but I have never talked to anyone else that has heard of them.

[ALANS ANITAS]

I remember adverts for them in Practical Television in th 1970's, when they were being sold off. The unusual feature was "E" series valves were used, I assume supplied from a transformer and connected in parallel. I think the tube was a 110 degree type. How common were EL519's. I think they were made in France.


ALAN

[Tazman1966]

Hi Glen, Danny and Alan.

Here's an advert from the December 1977 issue of "Television" advertising 26" EMO Eurosonics from sixty quid.

Bt the way...welcome to the forum Glen

[flyingtech55]

Originally Posted by glen springer

Does anyone remember the Emo CTVS, a french TV imported in the 80s? I worked on them, but I have never talked to anyone else that has heard of them.

Yes, very much so. You are correct, they were French. We did stacks of them when I worked for Loyds up here in Scotland. My understanding of the story is as follows:

It was the height of the colour boom. The company just couldn't get enough colour sets; they were on allocation. So the people who had put their names down for sets were supplied with EMO colour sets as a interim measure until their 'proper' sets arrived. Bear in mind thart these were rental sets. However, as the 'proper' sets were available in such short supply they were often never actually supplied and the EMOs were with their new 'owners' for the whole life of the set.

They were actually not bad sets until they got old. Like a lot of continental sets they were designed to work from 220V mains so the tube heaters were a bit over-run and the tubes suffered accordingly. They were fully transistorised (ISTR) apart from the line output stage. This used an EY500 and an EL509 and a tripler. One of the faults was that the line oscillator got lazy to start which of course destroyed the line output valves. In retrospect, it was probably electrolytic capacitor trouble but as we had very few components to work with it was probably academic anyway. I never remember triplers or line output transformers failing.

The main electrolytics were secured to the chassis, which hinged down, by large but shallow nuts. Unfortunately however, the polarity was not obvious and there were one or two 'interesting' moments involving projectile smoothing cans when the techs. renewed them.

I haven't seen an EMO for many years. In fact I haven't seem one since my Loyds days.

TimR

[Welsh Anorak]

Hi
Yes - EMO and Eurosonic - odd LOPT and EL/EY output stage.
Tim mentions they were made for 220v which is true. What he doesn't mention, probably because his firm got some of the first ones without one, is the thumping great autotransformer in the bottom so they would work more reliably on 240v.
Great idea, except for one small thing - the transformer used to catch fire! Quite seriously too. In fact that was the main fault with these sets - if the transformer didn't do that it would have been a good set, although it did mean carrying EL and EYs with you (as well as a fire extinguisher).
The shop then started selling Telefunken 711s. People have been shot for less!

Glyn