Simonized
Well-Known Member
Doooooooon't!
The Wand Company TOS Tricorder is coming!
- Thread starter Jediwannabe
- Start date
Same for the one I have. I let my buddy buy my 2nd one since he couldn't get hold of anything. I have another coming at some point, I suspect most will be like that.
2vix
New Member
Alright so that tear-down video that FANATICO posted had enough information to not only confirm a way to give my tricorder video playback, but also showed me how to control the video with my phaser and hear the playback on my communicator. All accomplished with a raspberry pi and some accessories. I don't know if anyone cares to hear my plan, but too bad here it comes:
The video clearly shows the LCD screen connects to the main circuit board via a 24 pin ribbon cable:
If there is enough room for it, I can connect that cable to a 24 pin extender:
And then run a second ribbon cable down to the lower compartment of the tricorder and connect it to a display adapter board:
Which will connect to the pi:
If I'm right this is all I need to make the tricorder screen a display for the raspberry pi, and adding a small flash drive to the pi will give me the ability to load up some episodes and watch them on my tricorder screen.
Now for the phaser remote. Also visible in the tear-down video is the back of the "sensor array", and like he says in the video, "In case you're wondering, behind this mesh screen... there is nothing."
And a closer look at mine shows the screen is perforated, and should therefore allow the signal from an IR sensor to get through:
So now I can add an IR sensor behind it:
And then a bluetooth module for the sound output to the communicator:
And finally a power supply for the raspberry pi:
Obviously, if I do this, I will lose access to the original tricorder operating system and all its functionality, possibly including the lights from the 3 buttons and the moire lights and movement. This is the trade-off.
Also will it all fit? probably not.
This is just an unhinged, late-night idea I've concocted after finally seeing the inside of the "Activities Unit"
Will I do it? Probably yes. And right after I'm done someone will release a jailbreak for the tricorder OS and mine will officially be the dumbest way to get video playback on the trike screen.
The video clearly shows the LCD screen connects to the main circuit board via a 24 pin ribbon cable:
If there is enough room for it, I can connect that cable to a 24 pin extender:
And then run a second ribbon cable down to the lower compartment of the tricorder and connect it to a display adapter board:
Which will connect to the pi:
If I'm right this is all I need to make the tricorder screen a display for the raspberry pi, and adding a small flash drive to the pi will give me the ability to load up some episodes and watch them on my tricorder screen.
Now for the phaser remote. Also visible in the tear-down video is the back of the "sensor array", and like he says in the video, "In case you're wondering, behind this mesh screen... there is nothing."
And a closer look at mine shows the screen is perforated, and should therefore allow the signal from an IR sensor to get through:
So now I can add an IR sensor behind it:
And then a bluetooth module for the sound output to the communicator:
And finally a power supply for the raspberry pi:
Obviously, if I do this, I will lose access to the original tricorder operating system and all its functionality, possibly including the lights from the 3 buttons and the moire lights and movement. This is the trade-off.
Also will it all fit? probably not.
This is just an unhinged, late-night idea I've concocted after finally seeing the inside of the "Activities Unit"
Will I do it? Probably yes. And right after I'm done someone will release a jailbreak for the tricorder OS and mine will officially be the dumbest way to get video playback on the trike screen.
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Simonized
Well-Known Member
A cunning plan, let us know how you get on. I hope this works for you.... I ain't going anywhere near the guts of this lol!
I find your dedication to being insane, somehow admirable.
asalaw
Master Member
JiminSTLouis
Master Member
UM… I just checked and the Tricorder is available again on Amazon
asalaw
Master Member
Yup! Sold by TWC and fulfilled by Amazon, it's legit. Still $415.
FANATICO
Sr Member
If I may go by your Avatar…….. You GO Girl !!!
Sounds and looks like a plan IF your willing to give up a $400+ Tricorder for such a bold endeavor.
I’d be curious to see a full preliminary draft schematic and a BOM at some point
Do you have simulation software like Labview etc…to test your plan before your possible expenditures?
Good Luck to boldly go where no Girl has gone before….
Btw…..perhaps you can extend the video playback as an OUT to be watched through a big screen TV via USB-C to USB-A
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Watching that part of the video, it looks like if you pop the bezel off and remove the top moire disc, the rotating one beneath it is mounted to the spinning translucent piece, which looks like it's just press fit to the keyed shaft of the stepper motor. If that can be pulled through and out, you wouldn't have to disassemble the whole thing to get it out. And if to, then I would assume there would be a way to get the bottom moire disc off of it and back that with white paper or a precut white vinyl decal or something to make it more opaque but still let light through.
I'll have to watch the video again.
I'm not willing to risk it just yet, but it's worth thinking about.
JiminSTLouis
Master Member
This sale has now ended.
I hope everyone on the RPF that wanted a Tricorder got one, either through the initial U.K. Sale, or the subsequent U.S. sales.
Simonized
Well-Known Member
With the communicators I used "Pritt Stick" which is a type of glue designed for crafts and isn't permanent, I mounted a sticker/paper moire onto a piece of cardstock, rubbed the rear of the cardstock down so it wouldn't be too thick and impare the moire spinning and literally dabbed the cardstock on it just enough to hold it, when you take it off it just wipes clean from wands moire sticker as they tend to use the glossy variety.
I haven't seen that video properly, I only skimmed through. Will have to take a look at the moire part of the vid.
Another way is to put a translucent moire pattern on top of bright white cardstock then another translucent pattern on top of that.
Putting clear Dura-lar between the two patterns isn't a bad idea either.
Going back through this part of the video. He removes the motor from the keyed disc instead of pulling the disc off of the motor through the front because there's not much to grab onto. But oddly when he does this, the disc doesn't just fall out of the housing. That makes me wonder if there's something else holding it in there that would keep it from being removed out of the front hole.Someone already mentioned something about prying off the ring.
Below shows how to do that….of course you can do that ….. without tearing down the tricorder
View attachment 1954540
View attachment 1954552
View attachment 1954561
It looks like the moire is very attached to the spinning disc, possibly by glue. Which means a risk of damage to pull this off and sandwich a more opaque white material between it and the disc.
The disc also looks fairly opaque on its own in this light. Much more than I thought it would considering how hard it is to see while installed.
Lastly, I can't help but wonder if the issue is with the thickness of the lines on the moire discs themselves and the space between the static disc and rotating disc that is causing this, rather than the color of the backing disc. Has anyone compared these to the original sheets? Are the lines thicker? When looking at it while the light is off, I think the reason it looks so dark is that there's really not much empty space showing between the lines as they overlap, possibly creating a darker effect. Maybe they did this on purpose so that when backlighting it, it would appear to show more accurately?
I turned off the light and then manually clocked it in all directions and the white space at any given position is very minimal, making me think the lines are just too thick. Especially when looking at how opaque that backing disc is.
Just a thought.
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smithjohnj
Sr Member
On the moire disc modification, what if instead of white card stock under the motor disk, we added a more reflective base such as a piece of Mylar or aluminum tape?
FANATICO
Sr Member
I’m not to sure there’s any gluing from the white spinner connected to the motor shaft because it’s already keyed in position. Also It would make for a hassle for Wand if it’s glued and repairs are needed. The only thing that might be glued is the moire disc to the white spinner.
I also see space between the white spinner and the spinner mounting bracket….that tells me, at some risk, you might be able to pry the white spinner off from the front….gingerly working your way prying a little at a time around and from under the coning of the white spinner (moire disc mount)..
Btw….my uncalibrated eyeballs see that perhaps the moire disc white spinner mount is concave?……is the moire disc that’s affixed to it concave as well???
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Yeah that's what I thought I said. I meant gluing of the moire disc to the spinner disc. not to the motor.
"is the moire disc that’s affixed to it concave as well?"
No, that's a flat surface and you're seeing the points where the moire lines converge. It does make it look concave, but it's just an illusion.
SIDE NOTE: in playing around with the moire, i noticed the upper static moire dis that is held in place by the bezel has a fair bit of play in it. I can slide it up and down a few mm by just lightly pressing with my thumb and moving it around. It's enough to change the moire pattern quite a bit.
Simonized
Well-Known Member
I'm sure demand is still high.
Simonized
Well-Known Member
Okay ... I was brutally reminded why I didn't utilise the Tricorder moire's I had
The moire set with the bezel sat on is the spare set I had, it's too large and the pattern isn't really that clear.
The moire set with the bezel sat on is the spare set I had, it's too large and the pattern isn't really that clear.
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