Voltcraft (EMG 1536) oscilloscope

The oscilloscope type 1536 is used in servicing, by amateurs, and in education. Its small dimensions and low weight allow it to be carried in hand luggage. The cathode-ray tube has a useful screen area of 4.8 × 6 cm. The instrument has one vertical channel and a time-base generator. The separate X-input also makes X-Y deflection possible (Lissajous figures). The special trigger circuit ensures easy operation.

I found this little oscilloscope in a shop – its price was €40. The original owner had received it as a gift and never used it, so it’s a well-preserved and interesting collector’s item. According to the labels, the device belongs to the German Conrad Electronic / Voltcraft brand group, but if you take it apart, you can see Hungarian (and some Soviet) components inside. It was not made in Germany; it was manufactured by the Hungarian Elektronikus Mérőkészülékek Gyára (EMG, “Factory of Electronic Measuring Instruments”) as subcontract work for a German order.

This is a modest-capability oscilloscope intended for amateur use. According to the EMG catalogue, it is rated at 5 MHz, but on the German datasheets it is listed only as 1 MHz. It was one of the attempts by the factory management to save the company from bankruptcy. The effort failed, and in 1991 the company was liquidated at the initiative of the tax authority due to its heavy debts.

This may have been one of the last instruments manufactured by the famous factory in Sashalom.

Technical data

Cathode-ray tube:DG 7-132
Screen area:8×10 div (1 div = 6 mm)
Vertical deflection
Input coupling:AC, DC
Input impedance:1 MΩ || 40 pF
Bandwidth:DC … 1 MHz (-3 dB)
Rise time:350 ns
Sensitivity:100 mV…10 V/div
Range of continuous adjustment:1:10
Accuracy:5%
Triggering:intern, 1 div
Horizontal deflection
Input impedance:1 MΩ || 40 pF
Bandwidth:10 Hz…1 MHz (-3 dB)
Sensitivity:100 mV/div
Time-base generator:1 μs/div…100 ms/div
Range of continuous adjustment:1:10
Power supply:220 V, 50 Hz, 28 VA
Dimensions:183×85×200 mm
Weight:1,8kg

The Hungarian version

Ezek a képek egy cseh internetes hirdetésből vannak, 2023-ban 509 cseh koronáért (≈ €21) kelt el. Mint látható a műszert vajszínű előlappal és saját logójával is gyártotta az EMG, “Made in Hungary” felirattal a hátulján.

Shematic diagram

Leave a comment