new full-sized tricorder

[omnirad]

Saw the new full-sized tricorder collectable at the store yesterday. Looks great, but not crazy about the view screen graphics.
Question-does it make the whistling sound, or just the list of vocal sound clips listed on the package?
Is the medical tricorder better?
Where can I get one for the best price? I wasn't too hep on the $40-$50 price range.

[Gep Malakai]

1. Yes, it has the regular tricorder sound effects in addition to the voice clips. They're on different buttons, too, so you don't have to play the voices if you don't want to.

2. Depends on your definition of "better." The medical has the fun little medical scanner, but the sound effects are from the sickbay biobeds rather than the tricroders. (It sounds okay to me, though.) On the other hand, the science tricorder comes with a (scaled-down) science scanner based on one from "The Ultimate Computer," and purportedly the quality of the voices is beter on the science.

3. You're pretty much stuck paying at least $40.

Bonus: the sound board in all models of tricorder is exactly the same, and the addition of a jumper between a set of marked contacts will change the sound effects from medical to science or geological. Somebody wired in a three-position switch to access all the sounds at will.

[Gary7]

Very cool, Gep. Thanks for letting us know.

[davejames]

Yeah I think I would have preferred just the blank screen like on the actual prop.

The graphic makes it look too much like a cheap toy for my taste.

[Gep Malakai]

^It's pretty easy to repaint, as several people have done. The front panel of the head is held on by three pegs; get a thin screwdriver under the edge (like, jeweler thin) and pry it up. Then hit the back of the screen with some gray primer, pop it all back together, and voila.

[Kirk's_Tights]

Yeah, the $40-$50 range is a bit much, imo, but it looks pretty awesome, besides the graphic.

[omnirad]

Glad I'm not alone on the graphic screen. Nice fix for it though, I can do that. Or put in a B&W picture of Edith Keeler at the White House!

E-botany-bay has a nice bundle deal w/ the phaser-communucator combo. All three for 88 quatloos. I'm getting greedy now!

[Kirk1980]

I got it for 30 since I preordered about....a year ago.

Goddamn, this took forever!

[Gary7]

How is the overall quality? Ounce for ounce, is it a better value than the MR?

[Kail]

The amazon reviews are pretty bad for this. The impression I get is it is pretty cheap, quality wise.

[Sovay]

It certainly doesn't LOOK cheap. Some of these things are just cast painted plastic, but this actually looks like it's made of several materials (I'm just going by photos though) and the textures are lovely on it. Seems a pretty reasonable price.

[Chaos Descending]

Shouldn't that be "nu" full sized tricorder?

[Gary7]

Oh... LOL. I didn't realize "new" meant from the new movie. It looks like a miniature multi-function printer.

[AstroSmurf]

^ I actually like the new movie but... that thing is awful. I did buy all the 6" action figures though so Playmates did so something right.

As for DS's Tricorder, I love mine. I think they did a very nice job with it. The silver paint is a bit off in places and the moire motor and sounds are a bit loud but I can live with that. My biggest issue is the screen also but has nothing to do with the graphic. (Actually I like the graphic.) I hate the fact that it is poorly lit. If they can install LEDs in the front that are so bright they hurt your eyes why couldn't they use them for the screen.

But the pluses for the toy is the beautiful textures, adjustable strap and accurate dimensions. To this TOS fan, if it looks like the prop, sounds right and thrills me when I play... I mean, demostrate it for the cat, I am willing to ignore the rest.

[WendellM]

Gary7 wrote:

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Oh... LOL. I didn't realize "new" meant from the new movie. It looks like a miniature multi-function printer.

Heh, looks like you're right.

So there are multiple new trics out... Good all around in an IDIC sort of way. My interest happened to lie with the TOS one - something I've been wanting since the mid 70s when I first got into Trek. A friend and I talked my dad into taking us to some obscure store back in the day that was rumored to have a Mego tricorder. It did, and that was interesting enough, but it didn't look or act like a tricorder, so we weren't that impressed and passed.

This resolves that, finally . While it's not perfect, it's decent enough. The Master Replica one is amazingly nice from what I've seen, but it costs like 8 to 10 times as much or more. That's cool if you want the very best (nothing wrong with that at all), but I'm happy with this level for what I paid. It (plus the AA phaser and AA/DST communicator) makes me one happy Trekker.



For anyone interested, more images/video/sounds are here.