Donny's Refit Enterprise Interiors (Version 2.0)

[Norsehound]

My head-canon is stating that, in this time period, the more rugged, heavy-duty grade equipment can be elected to be used when immediate threat is presumed, such as beaming over to a scientific research laboratory that's developing what could be used as a doomsday weapon being sought after by a genetically engineered superhuman tyrant bent on revenge that just attacked your ship....

I just assumed that after the austere, hi-tech TMP technology turned out to be impractical for field applications (RIP Perscan modules). Along with increased tensions with the Klingons, Starfleet reverted to rugged military equipment that culminated in the WoK Communicators and 2285 Phasers (which were just being issued). SFS equipment was, by the mid 80s, newer issue which is why the Grissom was so-equipped and a few were on the Enterprise when it shipped out for a training mission.

The assault phasers of TFF were for marines, but they were popular for the "Cowboy" starfleet captains out there and a lot of them were manufactured for ship use. With the tensions of the 90s, Starfleet accommodated, but dialed them down after tensions broke and the fleet started to slide back towards the TMP mindset of things. We even see a re-release of the 2271 phasers after some retooling because of their flexibility compared to the 85 and 87 Type 2s.

 

[Tallguy]

Is this the only "iconic" piece of Star Trek that the TWOK team got to design? No, wait, they did the tricorder too, didn't they. Both of them were done better by other productions.

I think this just proves how lucky we are that a) TWOK had to inherit as much as they did and b) that TMP did such a great job with what they left behind.

I guess uniforms would be the third thing that TWOK got to re-do. Phaser beams? Damn this is a slippery slope. Um, nice job, Donny!

 

[cardinal biggles]

I was never able to find it in Modern Props' online catalog, but I suspect that the TWOK tricorder was a Modern Props rental. It turns up a year later in the Knight Rider episode "Goliath" during at least one of two montages they do of the construction of that episode's eponymous truck.

 

[Donny]

I was never able to find it in Modern Props' online catalog, but I suspect that the TWOK tricorder was a Modern Props rental. It turns up a year later in the Knight Rider episode "Goliath" during at least one of two montages they do of the construction of that episode's eponymous truck.

I’ve suspected that as well, but failed to find it in their catalog (sad that the catalog is now defunct) It has a very “Modern Props” vibe to it.

 

[cardinal biggles]

It was used as part of Barclay's computer chair in "The Nth Degree," so it at least survived to early 1991 when the episode was filmed.

 

[BK613]

It's origins (or at least parts) may have been Army surplus:
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/vietnam-war/prt-4-transmitter-prr-9-receiver-726731/

 

[cardinal biggles]

Oh, wow, that is an awesome find!

 

[Donny]

It's origins (or at least parts) may have been Army surplus:
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/vietnam-war/prt-4-transmitter-prr-9-receiver-726731/

WHAAAAAATTTT!!???? That's amazing! I was just wondering what the source for the "speaker" was when I was modeling it. Obviously the "switch" hardware is a bit different, so I think it's safe to say that this radio at the very least was the inspiration!

 

[Workbee]

Yes, exactly. Thanks.

Maybe that was a bit of a stretch. I figure getting shot with shields down was a wake up call for Kirk. Up till the he was just going through the motions. After the surprise attack he would be trying to think a few steps ahead. Even not knowing the situation at space station Regula 1, he could have anticipate that the they might end up at underground facility - even if there were people present. Or Khan was still there. The fact that Kirk only brought McCoy and Saavik means he probably felt it was unlikely they would encounter

And even if they never left the station, there’s still the wacko on a CB going all pirate radio over their channels.

Either way, this is an attempt to put an in universe explanation for decisions made for budget and expediency. None of this will “fit” perfectly. I think one can make good cases for why one of the props were different. But changing all three at once - the communicator, phaser and tricorder - is a little harder to rationalize. Unless one goes the route of having “missing missions” that occurred between TWOK and TSFS, it’s a little hard to justify why all the hand equipment changed, Saavik looks like Robin Curtis with Vulcan eyebrows, and there’s an officer asking for a reception that never appeared in TWOK.

TWOK is in kind of a weird place visually - its kind of halfway between TMP and TSFS in terms of props. In my head, TSFS was the way the phasers, tricorders and transporters REALLY looked, and TWOK was the low budget approximation of them.

 

[Donny]

Here's the quickest prop to remaster so far, the TSFS Communicator. A return to a more familiar design.

I've dubbed this a "Type 1". My thinking is the classification is the following:

Type 1 - Standard Issue (Cage-Era, TOS, and TSFS Communicators fall into this category)
Type 2 - Wrist-Worn Version (TMP Communicator.. The communicators Terrell and Chekov use to communicate with Khan would suggest there are other wrist-worn versions issued by Starfleet)
Type 3 - Heavy Duty Grade (TWOK Communicator)

 

[Norsehound]

Huhr, so would wearable communicators (TNG, Yesterday's Enterprise badges) be Type 4s?

 

[Donny]

Huhr, so would wearable communicators (TNG, Yesterday's Enterprise badges) be Type 4s?

I suppose? But it seems at that point, the only communicators Starfleet seem to use are wearable versions, so maybe they're the new Type 1 at that point.

 

[Rekkert]

I love the overall shape and "return to basics" approach of this one, but that blue interior always screamed 'cheap plastic toy' to me. I much prefer the modified TFF version.

 

[Donny]

I love the overall shape and "return to basics" approach of this one, but that blue interior always screamed 'cheap plastic toy' to me. I much prefer the modified TFF version.

I agree. I was going to model TFF/TUC versions of the props, but I may wait until I return to my TUC project to do so. I’ve got a few more early movie-era props to model then I’m ready to get back to work on sickbay.

 

[publiusr]

Now, wasn’t the TMP phaser Spock used in the Memory Wall sequence a bit different than the wider, flatter TWOK phaser?

 

[BK613]

WHAAAAAATTTT!!???? That's amazing! I was just wondering what the source for the "speaker" was when I was modeling it. Obviously the "switch" hardware is a bit different, so I think it's safe to say that this radio at the very least was the inspiration!

I wonder if it may have begun life as a prop for one of the 70s 'nam movies like Apocalypse Now or The Deer Hunter. Regardless, an image of a AN/PRT-4 popped up under a search for "sci-fi walkie-talkie"

 

[Donny]

Now, wasn’t the TMP phaser Spock used in the Memory Wall sequence a bit different than the wider, flatter TWOK phaser?

Nothing I can find would suggest that. Any image showing Spock using a phaser during the unsued Memory Wall sequences is the TMP phaser I've modeled above, which is the same base model used for the TWOK phasers:
http://www.marcellorossi.info/Memory/colors/StarTrek365.jpg

 

[cardinal biggles]

^Another interesting detail from that photo is the tricorder strapped to his leg — by the time they got to filming the Memory Wall sequence, they'd clearly given up on the folding head.

 

[Mytran]

It's origins (or at least parts) may have been Army surplus:
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/vietnam-war/prt-4-transmitter-prr-9-receiver-726731/

The resemblance between these and the TWOK communicators is too close to be a coincidence!
I remember reading somewhere that originally Nicholas Meyer was just going to give the landing party army surplus WW2 radios, since there was no budget for something new. The props department took it upon themselves to provide something that fit in with the Star Trek universe, at no extra cost.
If all that is true then it seems they may have taken the radios supplied (Vietnam not WW2), added a light and a flip-top grill and BINGO!

Here's the quickest prop to remaster so far, the TSFS Communicator. A return to a more familiar design.

Gorgeous renders, but design wise...Well, while I appreciate the nod to the TOS communicators, these versions feel somewhat lacking compared to the originals. The large areas of blank blue plastic probably don't help, it just looks like the designer ran out gubbins to fill the space. Would a small display screen have been too much?
Still, at least the rounded edges won't make such a mess of my landing party coat

 

[Lt. Washburn]

Here's my summation from looking around for info:

When Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was being developed Nicholas Meyer was interested in changing some of the aesthetic to be more austere and military-influenced. Along with set and costume changes, props were also given a new look. Propmaster Joe Longo contracted Modern Props to produce a communicator based off a Vietnam-era walkie talkie, the PRT-4A. The original plan was to strip the paint and polish the metal housing, adding a flip-cover grill to it as well. Though Longo liked this rather clunky concept, Steve Ladish, the main builder at Modern Props, built an alternative on spec. This communicator used a LMB #KAB-3421 (possibly a Hammond 1590B) project box for the main housing, a custom faceplate engraved using Hershey fonts, with the switches and mic housing from the walkies. Longo was shown this version and chose to use it. The text on the device inluded “SFAF” for either “San Francisco Air Force” or “Star Fleet Assembly Fleet” and “MP-1130-X” for Modern Props 1130-X, their real address on Florence Ave. in Hawthorne CA. Richard Coyle suggested “Translock” for the LED’s label which meant “Transporter Lock.” The lights were controlled with small pushbuttons on the bottom. There’s at least one surviving prop in the Paul Allen collection and is occasionally exhibited.