The Next Gen was filmed in the 80s, only I was offering Phaser threes that were that accurate, the others were way off.
The one used in the show HAD to be either real ST3 Movie props OR made from mine. (I mean either my models or copies (recast) from mine...)
Interesting how those have holes in the muzzles (like mine did at that time) and how a later shot has a firing unit with what looks like a real light in it.
I was told but did not believe that a couple of my Phaser Threes were used but they were not bought from me, but from someone else, so that person may have either painted the slot between the upper and lower Phaser One body, or added chrome tape, or even added a center plate..as I can see that there is something shinny there...
It also looks like the right one in the hand with another one has a tip sticking out, I was adding a acrylic rod tip a 1/8 inch out of some of the models as well. Could be one of those models there.
Your part about them working 2 at a time and bouncing back and forth on a flip flop driver is correct and these four LEDs were used as firing indicators...and ONLY worked when the weapon was firing..
The red/yellow LED WAS the power indicator and turned on with the switch.
AT one time when I was doing my sound and light model I could not get a "chip on board" filp flop driver and for a short time had to use a "chip on board chase" driver that did that very action start at the rear and blink one at a time forward to the front...I even hooked up three LEDs as front emitter on the Phaser one and tied the out two LEDs to number 3 in the row so they would light and then the center one with the firth LED...made a nice display but it was not movie accurate... My bad...
Sadly many have been sold "Real Screen Props" that were never even in CA let alone on a studio lot...and sadly a number of them have been my models..
I am sure that is what happen here.
Rich
PS a "chip on board" is where you find a electronic board with just what looks like a blob of black plastic in the center...the main driver chip is glued to the board and then covered with the epoxy...it is what is really inside the little bars of plastic with the pins coming out...that is just a handy package for builders...
The next closer thing is what is now called "surface mounted" chips and components..smaller handy packages...but these are a little larger than a full chip on a board.
