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

[phase pistol]

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

OK I made a quick video clip to show the functions and sound effects. Sorry for the poor picture quality but the sound is pretty decent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2AlS7-oQm0

 

[Neon Sentry]

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

Sounds great (and the armed party clip they used is awesome in context, so much cooler than I already thought it sounded) and I can't wait for mine to arrive in the mail... yes, I'm still waiting! Phase Pistol, how did we both order from the same site, yet you get yours days ahead of me while living on the east coast??? If there's anything I've learned, it's that east coast toy collectors always get the short end of the stick due to shipments hitting the west coast from China, and then being shipped across the US from there, meaning its usually late and/or beat up.

Please tell me you have some kind of connection, just so I know USPS didn't just leave my box on the porch and some punk kid swiped it.

 

[phase pistol]

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

Actually my comms from Newforce have not arrived yet. I bought this one off the shelf at Forbidden Planet. :lol

I have no idea why they had it first. Perhaps they scored a case at the New York Toy Fair a couple weeks ago.

In any event I still seem to be the only person who admits to having one of these in hand (except for one other poster I think on another board who mentioned being able to buy one at their local comics shop).

- k

 

[phase pistol]

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

Also I probably ought to point out that I shot the video after I had taken the comm apart and installed a bit of tissue paper over the speaker cone to try to muffle the sound. I don't think it makes much of a difference though. It might be just a tad less shrill than before.

- k

 

[Neon Sentry]

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

Cool, just trying to alleviate my fears of these punk kids messing with my mail, which wouldn't be beyond them.

So, you'd have to dremel out the "mesh" grill in order to replace it? Lame... but quite understandable from a manufacturing POV.

 

[phase pistol]

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

So, you'd have to dremel out the "mesh" grill in order to replace it?

It's worse than that... the grill AND controls plate seem to be all molded of a piece with the front comm shell!

Probably the best approach would be to dremel out the speaker grill, lay a THIN aluminum plate over the existing one (after cutting holes for the buttons and grill), and then put your Universal 8 speaker material in from the back.

A subtle but annoying problem is that the two control buttons, attached as they are to the circuit board, just come up vertically from inside the comm. The problem is, the controls plate on the front of the case is angled. So the buttons should be angled up a little. They're not.

This was also a problem on the Vegas STTE, but not on the MR. This could probably be fixed by angling the circuit board inside the case somehow, so that the buttons have the correct angle.

 

[Neon Sentry]

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

This was also a problem on the Vegas STTE, but not on the MR. This could probably be fixed by angling the circuit board inside the case somehow, so that the buttons have the correct angle.

It was probably a problem with the LEDs... if the board was angled then either an additional board containing the lights or larger diodes protruding from the board would have been necessary in order to illuminate the jewels properly, another victim in the quest for a mass-producible $30 Comm.

 

[phase pistol]

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

I'm beginning to think you could make a really nice comm from combining parts of both the AA and Vegas, and add some metal and Swarovski crystals. Near Master Replicas quality for under $100!


From the AA:
- Circuit board
- back shell

From the Vegas:
-flipgrid
-front shell
- midplate (the AA has no separate midplate, the edge is just molded into the front comm shell)
-moire and motor (or else find another quiter motor, and use high quality replicas of the Edmund Scientific moire)

Scavenge:
- metal moire ring
-aluminum controls plate
-T-jet hubs
-Swarovski glass crystals
- universal-8 radio grille or similar for speaker

Buff down the Vegas comm grid to get rid of the gold paint... hit the shells with flat black... The LEDs are pretty bright, you might be able to put short lengths of plexi rod in there to pipe the light from an angled circuit board up to the backs of the Swarovski crystals...

Hm!

- k

 

[Coz]

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

This comm is like a cross between the Playmates and the Vegas comms.

To compensate the straight buttons, they could be cut down nd replaced with the correct T-jet hubs (or replica thereof).
Just be a matter of cutting off the molded buttons at the proper angle?

The 3 painted bezels on the jewels, now - frontplate hole size smaller or larger than the correct hubs?

C.

 

[DrMcoy]

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

Thanks for the wonderful review and pics.

WHERE WERE THESE TOYS WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!

 

[phase pistol]

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

I am puzzled about why one would want to UPGRADE this comm?

Well it's sort of the other way around... I'm seeing the AA comm as a cheap source of sound boards. :lol

Also the back shell is nice because there's no cutout for a callback button. So that fits automatically onto the back of a Vegas comm. You could cover up the "recycling" symbol on the back with some 2" velcro, just like they did on the real props.

Ultimately It's just a thought excercise... it would be some work, but no more work than say building a 23rd Century Pistol or AA Phaser into a great replica with metail parts.

"It can be done". :lol

- k

 

[Neon Sentry]

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

but I am curious what the MOTIVATION to upgrade this particular toy would be.

As mentioned earlier, a damned accurate Comm for under $100 with complete electronics? An MR or HMS Comm has absolutely nothing on that.

 

[phase pistol]

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

To compensate the straight buttons, they could be cut down nd replaced with the correct T-jet hubs (or replica thereof).
Just be a matter of cutting off the molded buttons at the proper angle?

The 3 painted bezels on the jewels, now - frontplate hole size smaller or larger than the correct hubs?

The "jewels" and "hubs" on the AA comm are all one molded piece of clear plastic, stuck in from the back of the comm shell. So you would pull out that one piece, and have to attach the t-jet hubs somehow (the holes in the comm shell are the same diameter as the t-jet hubs, so you'd have to back them from behind or something so they don't fall thru).

 

[phase pistol]

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

Speaking of HMS kits, you might also try using the AA electronics in the HMS.

I think the width of the circuit board could be reduced by trimming off the stubs at the corners that hold hte screws.

You'd have to modify the HMS flipgrid axle to trigger the switch for the opening chirp...

The lights wouldn't line up though... that's always going to be a problem.. maybe some sort of light pipe... :unsure

- k

 

[Coz]

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

Thanks, Phase!

Perhaps a strip of clear styrene (CD case?) behind the holes, and small washers on the back of the T-Jet hubs to both lift the hub to the proper height, and also to allow the light through... Hmmm

C.

 

[Mola Rob]

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

I found some amazing video on YouTube that shows off the fabulous features of the Communicator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlYWBy69gjg

I had these as a kid, I think the range was more like five feet not thirteen hundred. :lol

 

[phase pistol]

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

You've got the DIY mindset Coz!

 

[NakedMoleRat]

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

Edited for posting way too late to get the joke across!

 

[Zombie_61]

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

WHERE WERE THESE TOYS WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!

No kidding! After being disappointed at the size of the items in the old AMT model kit, I built my own Phaser and Communicator out of posterboard using the drawings in Franz Joseph's Starfleet Technical Manual as a guide. Static, no rounded edges, not particularly durable, and I was never able to get the flip-grid/antenna on the Communicator to work properly, but they were fun to play with while they lasted. If I would have had one of these back then, I'd have thought I had died and gone to Heaven. :cool

Thanks to TOSPHASER for posting the link to New Force Comics; it may not be perfect, but it's close enough for me and my meager budget! :thumbsup

 

[TOSPHASER]

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

Thanks to TOSPHASER for posting the link to New Force Comics; it may not be perfect, but it's close enough for me and my meager budget! :thumbsup

Your welcome! I just ordered one, and a phaser too! $19.99 for those as well!!! :love