Limited Run Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Photos!

[renaissance_man]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Thanks! I checked the episode and sure enough it does have the center-outward scan pattern. I know that there was a version that ran the pattern like that but it was rarely seen outside of the early seasons of TNG. If I did not know better I would think there were two hero versions used during filming. But Voyager adopted the Mark IX/X series of tricorders sometime in season 2 or 3.

If there were a way for me to allow the user to select the pattern they wanted i would incorporate it into the electronics. But right now I have to go with one or the other.

Changeable front scanning bar direction, now that would be a fantastic feature!

Thanks

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Received my body kit today so I can now go ahead and finalize the electronics. Some of the changes I have made come from the discussions we have had here. I think everyone will be quite pleased with final results. Watch for further posts.

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

I have been getting a lot of feedback about the front pouch scanning array pattern. A lot of people want the center-out scanning pattern while a few others want the left-right paired pattern from the later seasons. So I have decided to offer both patterns, but you will have to specify which one you want since it will be hard-wired into place. I have attached a diagram of the sequence patterns so you can decide which one you prefer. If I had the time I would have written some code and programmed a micro-controller to allow you to switch between the two patterns. Maybe a later version will have this feature.

 

[E Williams]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Left-Right Paired for me please!

 

[MGC]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

I'm going to be a heathen and go for centre out.

Did the EMRG button ever light up on hero MkVIIs? I see your Rod.com kit has a light for it and the Stapleton kit has a transparent button, but not sure if that was ever done on screen? I love the illuminated look so will do it regardless, just not sure if it was ever done on camera.

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

I'm going to be a heathen and go for centre out.

Did the EMRG button ever light up on hero MkVIIs? I see your Rod.com kit has a light for it and the Stapleton kit has a transparent button, but not sure if that was ever done on screen? I love the illuminated look so will do it regardless, just not sure if it was ever done on camera.

Center-out is fine. I have attached a few photos of my prototype circuits in the extension head. The boards I am using here are from the original Roddenberry version that I designed. They use the center-out pattern. These electronics are a little tricky to install into this extension. The new electronics will be much easier to install and each board is independent from the others (they can run on their own if you add power).

The Mark VII Science had a lit up EMRG button, so I also added this feature to the Medical version. Besides, it looks better lit up.

I have finished up all of the revisions to the new electronics design and will be sending the CAD files to the PCB manufacturer. Having an actual Stapleton tricorder to use as reference was a huge help. Thanks Myron! Now we have to wait at least 2 weeks to get the printed boards. Sorry for the wait everyone. It is one of the necessary evils in this business.

 

[E Williams]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Looking good, Gerry!

I'm going to be a heathen and go for centre out.

Did the EMRG button ever light up on hero MkVIIs? I see your Rod.com kit has a light for it and the Stapleton kit has a transparent button, but not sure if that was ever done on screen? I love the illuminated look so will do it regardless, just not sure if it was ever done on camera.

At the least, I have never seen a screen-used example of a Mk VII with that feature... The EMRG button was not illuminated until the Mark IX/X on DS9/VOY - before that, the only light in the door was the ID LED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7zsN1o8M58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX6fj2KQGs0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX6fj2KQGs0

I do appreciate its inclusion in these electronics, though. When I built my Mk VII science I placed some red vinyl over the lens in the EMRG depression - this achieved the opaque look of the originals while the LED gave the EMRG button vinyl a nice glow.

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Looking good, Gerry!



At the least, I have never seen a screen-used example of a Mk VII with that feature... The EMRG button was not illuminated until the Mark IX/X on DS9/VOY - before that, the only light in the door was the ID LED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7zsN1o8M58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX6fj2KQGs0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX6fj2KQGs0

I do appreciate its inclusion in these electronics, though. When I built my Mk VII science I placed some red vinyl over the lens in the EMRG depression - this achieved the opaque look of the originals while the LED gave the EMRG button vinyl a nice glow.

Thanks for the great reference videos. I have seen those before but it was good too see that I got the LED colors right. I don't remember seeing any of the Mark VII series tricorders with a lit EMRG button. It is one of those features that you would think all tricorders should have. Nobody has ever complained about the EMRG LED in my electronics, so I just kept including it. I like your idea of using the red vinyl to soften the light from the EMRG. I will have to try it.

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

A lot of people have now started to receive there kits from Myron and are getting curious about the electronics. Namely, they want to know where the "faux LEDs" that Myron provided with the kit will be used with the electronics and where "real" LEDs are being used.

I was forced to do a mix of LED types for this tricorder due to the internal configuration of the body. There are two types of configuration: real through-hole LEDs (no faux LED needed) and back lighting surface mounted LEDs (faux LED needed). Any faux LEDs are confined to the medical extension unit and the scanner. Here is what I have included on the new electronics:

• The LED board mounted inside the the back of the scanner pouch uses real green 2x5 rectangular LEDs, no faux LED strip needed here.
• The red and green blinking LEDs on either side of the extension unit need to be faux LEDs since they will be back lit. Tried to use real LEDs here but I found it would be too tricky for most people to install properly.
• The 4 yellow tombstone LEDs and 2 round red LEDs on the top of the extension are faux. There is just not enough room to properly push real LEDs through from inside when they are pre-mounted on a board.
• The single red tombstone LED on the left top (in the indent) is also a faux LED.
• The only other area where the faux LEDs are used are inside the actual scanner, with the exception of the large red LED on the tip (that one is real).

Basically you can use all of the faux LEDs that Myron provides except for the front scanner pouch and the scanner.

 

[ripleys clone]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Looking forward to seeing this & assembling the tricorder as a whole with the boards & kit.

Just a quick question: the green scanning bar inside the pocket - will it be center-outward or pair sequencing?
As a fan of both TNG & VOY, with the voyager scanning sequence, it only appeared in the first season & briefly in the second. I consider the mark X blue scanning medical tricorder fir that particular series since it was used it was used in the last season. I dint have a fast prop collection for TNG series. Just the props Myron has made! It go for the pair sequencing scanner area since you don't see a lot of low budget -affordable TNG props out there anymore. I'm not trying to be picky or start something but, I'll take whatever you decide to make since its your designs & your preference. If there were an option in either or, I'd take the pair sequencing!

My apologizes...I just read through a post you had posted about offering the 2 different patterns...ill take the pair sequencing pattern for my electronics. As I don't have a huge collection of TNG props, I'd like to have a Beverly Crusher tricorder over a light image hologram. Lol. I'm kidding. I loved the EMH character...he grew into such a remember able crew member that was worth watching.

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

While I have been waiting for the new printed circuit boards to arrive I have been spending my spare time tackling a problem with the tricorder viewscreen. Stapleton provides a 35mm slide (just like in the actual heros) for the graphic display in the viewscreen. They are very colorful and look great when lit up properly. And that is my problem. In the past, I have always supplied a 5mm super bright white LED to light up the display. This works fine as a backlight if it is just a graphic on a piece of photo paper, but it is too dim for the 35mm slide. So I experimented a vast array of different LEDs in my collection. I finally found a great light strip called a COB (Chip On Board) that is so bright that you cannot look at it directly without seeing spots for the next half hour. They are super efficient and literally make the viewscreen "pop". I mounted the LED strip (see photos) onto the back of the viewscreen reflector that Myron provides with the body kit and then tested it all by mounting the assembly into the tricorder body. How did it look? You be the judge. I will be adding this LED strip to each set of electronics. You may as well have the best.

 

[Starchwreck]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Looks fantastic!!!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[E Williams]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Gerry, that's a really cool LED strip. I haven't seen one quite like that before and it certainly looks the part!

To resolve the issue you describe on a previous build, I made a small light box for the 5mm LED from acetate, acrylic, and cut down back-light diffusing plastic (left over from the back-light used in Myron's Enterprise Scanner kits). I'm excited about this new LED if it eliminates that fiddly step, especially since I don't have any more of the diffusing plastic

 

[Roland]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

... How did it look? You be the judge. I will be adding this LED strip to each set of electronics. You may as well have the best. ...

It looks great! Will you be adding it to your science tricorder full replica, too. Is there a slide, too, or is it just paper? Looks much better and more realistic with a slide.

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

It looks great! Will you be adding it to your science tricorder full replica, too. Is there a slide, too, or is it just paper? Looks much better and more realistic with a slide.

Yes, I will now be including it in with the Mark VII Science tricorder electronics. Thanks!

 

[MGC]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Hi Gerry,

Payment sent a few days ago - just to confirm I'm after the centre-out sequence.

The new screen light looks fantastic - and great that it's going to be on your Science too, as that might be my next stop...

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

Just an update...

1. The printed circuit boards will be arriving in the next few days, so full assembly of 15 sets of electronics will commence soon. I will ship them out in the order that they were received. First paid, first shipped. I will most likely assemble them in batches of 5, so they will be shipped as soon as they are completed.

2. I have been experimenting with different types of paint for the scanner body. Since it is made of resin rather than aluminum I had to find a paint that would simulate it as close as possible. I tried a Dupont Chrome Paint, which was recommended to me by the tech at the Dupont outlet. It looks fabulous when first applied, but once you start handling it the natural acids of your body tend to tarnish the finish very quickly. I also tried spraying it with clear coat but there is some type of chemical reaction and the aluminum color turns grey. I can't seem to find a good finish. Any suggestions?



The pictures shows the top LED housing for the scanner. The one on the left is machined aluminum, while the one on the right is the Stapleton version painted with Dupont Chrome, before being handled or clear coated.

3. Finally, I was wondering if anyone has a great method for painting the brass hinges. Every time I paint the hinges the paint slowly gets scraped away by the constant opeing and closing of the tricorder.

I guess I should really start a discussion thread about these issues, but I am just too busy to get one going right now. Thanks!

 

[E Williams]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

I have heard nice things about Spaz Stix mirror chrome. It comes in airbrush and aerosol form, and even has a compatible clear coat (though I haven't tried it):

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=246751&highlight=spaz+stix+chrome


For the hinges, I always sand them down thoroughly with a fine grit paper so that there are no completely smooth areas left - the fine scratches from the sandpaper give the primer something to hold on to. Also, I examine where the hinge rotates against itself to make sure that it has sufficient clearance and that there are no burrs that will catch/scratch paint. After the hinges are mounted I do a similar check with the areas near where filler was applied so that paint isn't rubbing on those areas as the hinge moves (and trim out any questionable areas with a sharp Xacto blade)

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

UPDATE

Still waiting for the blank circuit boards to arrive from the manufacturer in China. They were supposed to be here on the 27th. But this is not uncommon with this vendor since most of their shipments to me arrive within 1 week after the expected delivery date. I will give it a few more days.

In the meantime I have been working with a set of my older Mark VII Medical electronics to test out one of the Stapleton body kits. My primary concerns were with the extension piece since a couple of the internal areas are a little tight for installing the electronics. But it turned out to be easier than expected. I finished up one of the extension pieces and posted the photo below.



Tomorrow I am making a trip out to a Hobby store that carries the Spaz-Stix chrome paints and will test it out on the scanner. The chrome paints I have tried from Krylon and Dupont have been somewhat disappointing. The Spaz-Stx paint looks promising. Thanks E Williams!

 

[gmprops]

Re: Star Trek (Stapleton) Mark VII Medical Tricorder Electronics Upgrade - New Run!

I just finished a Mark VII Science build. I have done a few of these before, but this time I used the same back-lighting technique for the viewscreen that I have incorporated into all of the new Mark VII Medicals. What do you think?



Compare it to the previous display back-lighting from a Mark VII Science that I built last year.