AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: modified with metal parts

[phase pistol]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Yes, the comm does make the chirp sound when you flip it open.

It's the same sound the MR and STTE make, the long version

"Tk-tk-tk, tk-tk-tik-tik-tik, tik."

Which is actually TOO long IMHO... the comm sound in the show was often only three or four "tks". But if you pus a button when during the opening chirp, you can interrupt it.

The "callback" sound is made when you close the comm while in "hailing mode" as I said in the freview. That's the "boop-boop" sound, which gets repeated several times.

The slot in the side is for the "Try Me" tab as the phaser had. This is unfortunate because the hole is rather big and unsightly, and it's in the TOP shell and not the bottom. Oh well. Usually it's not visible with the comm in hand.

The recycling symbol and the copyright stamp could both be covered with a piece of Velcro.

 

[Illogical]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Awesome! Looks like the used the same MR/STTE molds to me. The LEDs look a little more toy-ish without the bezals. I've got 6 on the way to see about the Bluetooth Conversion potential. So long as they are nearly identical to the STTE, I should be able to continue making them, just gotta get around that not having the hale button on the rear that I use for the multifunction button:^(

 

[phase pistol]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Well one could always drill through the casing and add a button wherever you like.

The case seems about the same thickness and material as the Vegas but not quite as shiny. Hitting the shells with dullcoat or flat black paint would improve the look tremendously.

I don't know what the flipgrid looks like under the paint, but if it's brass it would be best to clean that off. The parts that should be aluminum are actually painted plastic on the comm just as they were on the phaser.

- k

 

[jlong]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Cool deal!

 

[Pauleysolo]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Just ordered 2!

 

[franz bolo]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Phase pistol, thanks for the info!!

FB

 

[darthgordon]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Okay, hold up. Weren't there supposed to be two versions of this? A cheaper plastic with no voice recordings and slightly more expensive one with a metal flip antenna and the voices? Newforcecomics only shows one and doesn't say which one it is.

 

[trekker670]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

both have voices, the more expensive one has an additional one.

NFC has the standard one.

 

[phase pistol]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

The "exclusive" version from Entertainment Earth has one extra voice clip. And the metal flipgrid is gold plated and not just painted.

- k

 

[Smiling Demon]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

I will be getting at least 2 of these!:love

Thanks for posting all this info!!!

 

[darthgordon]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

both have voices, the more expensive one has an additional one.

NFC has the standard one.

The "exclusive" version from Entertainment Earth has one extra voice clip. And the metal flipgrid is gold plated and not just painted.

- k

Oh! Thank you.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Entertainment Earth just sent my shipping notice.

 

[phase pistol]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

OK, autopsy time!

I don't know if it will have the range it had... in fact I do not know if it will work at all.

Oops, wait wrong photo... :$

Well one thing is certain... the moire looks bad because it's just about the worst-printed moire pattern imaginable!

So replacing those parts would improve things right off the bat. Overall , things look pretty much the same in there as they did on the Vegas and the MR. So who's going to step up and lathe a few aluminum replacement parts?

The inner backshell is glued to the front shell, up by the gridwheels. I cut this apart with a knife to get the halves apart. Upon reassmebling the comm it seems to work fine anyway.

 

[TOSPHASER]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, impressions

Fantastic! upgradable and looks like the board can be put in ohter coms real easy!

 

[phase pistol]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, AUTOPSY

Am I correct in assuming that the instruction on the circuit board means, that if you cut connection J2, you'll turn a regular comm into the "exclusive" comm with one extra voice clip...?

- k

 

[phase pistol]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, AUTOPSY

OK I scraped at the paint on the flipgrid, and the metal of the wheels and grid appears to be a dull gray/silver material under the paint.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, AUTOPSY

Am I correct in assuming that the instruction on the circuit board means, that if you cut connection J2, you'll turn a regular comm into the "exclusive" comm with one extra voice clip...?

- k

Open is the way yours is now. No jumper wire there.

Short would mean a wire present.

Assuming there is something on the back for it to go to.

Seems like its marked backwards. What does it say above regular? cant read cuz the wires in the way.

 

[phase pistol]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, AUTOPSY

I'd have to open her up again and move the wire, sorry.

The best I can tell it says

1. OPEN J2: BRONZE
2. SHORT J2: REGUL(AR?)

 

[Howard]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, AUTOPSY

Should have mine next week - as they're coming into Play.com this Friday...

 

[CessnaDriver]

Re: AA/Diamond $20 Star Trek Communicator: photos, review, AUTOPSY

I'd have to open her up again and move the wire, sorry.

The best I can tell it says

1. OPEN J2: BRONZE
2. SHORT J2: REGUL(AR?)

I'll be sure to pop open the exclusive once it arrives and see how it is configured. Maybe all is needed is to add a jumper wire for the extra sound. But looks like you have to take the PC board out to do the solder work on the back.

I wouldn't experiment until we know more though.

You would think it would have been simply a matter of how they burned the chips and not a simple jumper.

Or maybe there is some other edition we haven't heard of yet.

Bronze? I know AA made gold Enterprises and such.