The Wand Company TOS Tricorder is coming!

[2vix]

I was going to take the day off from the microcontroller and LCD display research I've been doing and work on something more fun like the stuff I need to incorporate into the control panel on the video drive section. I think ts going to need at least 2 buttons and 4-6 battery indicator lights. I want the panel that you see when you open the lower compartment to look like it suits the tricorder or at least suits the technology that was available when they were building these props back in the late 60s.
so I went looking in the basement and found this:

It was my grandpa's. I plugged it in to see if it still works, but I don't own an 8-track cassette. I like these orange bulb lenses and silver buttons, so I think I'm going to dismantle this puppy and see what I can salvage

 

[Flash one]

Very cool

 

[2vix]

LOOK

I found a chiclet inside. Haven't thought about chiclets for like 10 years. Made me want a chiclet. I googled if they still make chiclets. Found this on amazon

Made me like, um yea i dont need a chiclet im good.

Anyway, I got the front plate off and found the back of the lights:

These plastic lenses were just melted so they would stay in place. Quality old-world craftsmanship.
After I broke away the melted bits with a flat-head the lenses popped right out.
Then i disconnected a couple of the buttons. Might need to add some resistors for them to work, but i like them

Close-up of the button. The side makes noise when i run my fingernail down it

So, I got some parts. Next is figuring out the layout

 

[FANATICO]

I was going to take the day off from the microcontroller and LCD display research I've been doing and work on something more fun like the stuff I need to incorporate into the control panel on the video drive section. I think ts going to need at least 2 buttons and 4-6 battery indicator lights. I want the panel that you see when you open the lower compartment to look like it suits the tricorder or at least suits the technology that was available when they were building these props back in the late 60s.
so I went looking in the basement and found this:
View attachment 1958682
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View attachment 1958685

It was my grandpa's. I plugged it in to see if it still works, but I don't own an 8-track cassette. I like these orange bulb lenses and silver buttons, so I think I'm going to dismantle this puppy and see what I can salvage

It’s an antique probably worth more than the Tricorder.

 

[2vix]

I like this

I think im going to go the extra mile and actually "install" these in the little box that came with our tricorders, mostly because seeing it in the tricorder will give me joy

 

[FANATICO]

I like this
View attachment 1958767

View attachment 1958768

I think im going to go the extra mile and actually "install" these in the little box that came with our tricorders, mostly because seeing it in the tricorder will give me joy

Curiosity…at your own risk….while you have the Tricorder filleted …... have you tried re-attaching the display to the motherboard alone and re- attached power to see if the lcd boots up to the opening screens?

 

[2vix]

Curiosity…at your own risk….while you have the Tricorder filleted …... have you tried re-attaching the display to the motherboard alone and re- attached power to see if the lcd boots up to the opening screens?

Nope. After I took it all apart I put the main body back together without the hood, strap-cover sides or electronics (except for the moire motor/speaker area) and I put all that stuff away in a safe spot.

It’s an antique probably worth more than the Tricorder.

LOL I checked before I started. Similar ones on ebay for $40

 

[FANATICO]

Excuse me mam..mam….Columbo here again….

When you took the measurement of the screen diagonal did you measure across the M1 length or the M2 length?

Hopefully you didn’t use a tape measure to do the dimensions of your accessories compartment template….hopefully you used a proper scale (ruler)…..so can you measure precisely the length of M1? …. Measuring M2 would take into account the bezel width …left of the cyan line…which shouldn’t be part of measuring the correct diagonal length of the viewing area.

Thx

 

[2vix]

Mock-up complete

I threw my keychain light in the box to make the lights light

For the people who are like "whats all that stuff do?"... here's what it does:

-video out to new screen
-power is power/reset for the pi and has a light
-batt fully charged self explanitory
-screen flip to flip the screen for when the tricorder is laying next to you in bed like this:

-IR sensor is so phaser can control playback/volume
-battery remaining shows how much battery life left using 4 LIGHTS

Still needs a USBC port for power/charging the module
and probably one port for powering the new display.

FUN DAY

 

[2vix]

…..so can you measure precisely the length of M1? …. Measuring M2 would take into account the bezel width …left of the cyan line…which shouldn’t be part of measuring the correct diagonal length of the viewing area.

HEY! I purposely drew that side bezel space AND drew my diagonal line the way i did in the beautiful drawing i made you 9 pages ago so you wouldn't have to ask this question

You also could have answered your own question by using the rise and run measurements i gave you to calculate the hypotenuse using the pythagorean theorem then after seeing it equaled 72mm and comparing that with my 67mm knew that I did it right!

FULL DISCLOSURE i did use a tape measure and some very minor rounding up/down

 

[Simonized]

Mock-up complete

View attachment 1958792
View attachment 1958793
View attachment 1958794
View attachment 1958795
I threw my keychain light in the box to make the lights light

For the people who are like "whats all that stuff do?"... here's what it does:

View attachment 1958796
-video out to new screen
-power is power/reset for the pi and has a light
-batt fully charged self explanitory
-screen flip to flip the screen for when the tricorder is laying next to you in bed like this:
View attachment 1958797
-IR sensor is so phaser can control playback/volume
-battery remaining shows how much battery life left using 4 LIGHTS
View attachment 1958808


Still needs a USBC port for power/charging the module
and probably one port for powering the new display.

FUN DAY

I might try something similar with some resin TOS buttons

 

[FANATICO]

HEY! I purposely drew that side bezel space AND drew my diagonal line the way i did in the beautiful drawing i made you 9 pages ago so you wouldn't have to ask this question
View attachment 1958823

View attachment 1958825


You also could have answered your own question by using the rise and run measurements i gave you to calculate the hypotenuse using the pythagorean theorem then after seeing it equaled 72mm and comparing that with my 67mm knew that I did it right!

FULL DISCLOSURE i did use a tape measure and some very minor rounding up/down

HEY …. Your right!

Poor vision, partial senility, and missing just 1 itsy bitsy negative sign … accounted for my question.

What day is it?

 

[FANATICO]

Interesting Tid Bit….

The Glob Top IC….aka COB …”This is known as Chip-On-Board (COB) technology, the black material is epoxy resin, it is the same as the black material on ICs. Note that the bonding wires encased in the resin are very thin and fragile. COB technology is sometimes used to prevent reverse engineering.”


Not exact “before and after” examples…but you get the idea..

There are methods used to “attempt” to remove the Glob Top. I say “attempt” because more often than not … the IC and or it’s wire bonds ..usually gets destroyed in the process.