TNG Tricorder Evolution Thread

[stapleton13]

OK. It has been suggested that we start a thread on the evolution of the Tricorder in The Next Gen era. I think this should include DS9, Voyager, and Movies. I know there are several other Tricorder geeks here that can help this geek build a good Tricorder thread for the training of new geeks.

I have several pictures I can share, but I don't have pictures of them all. I hope we can find other members here that can share their images.

First We have The Mark VI TR-560 from the first season of TNG. It was capable of being both the medical and science version with a removable medical attachment. It can be identified by the door catch that the later VI does not have.

The Next one is also called the Mark VI TR-560. This one also has a small hand scanner in the back, but does not have the door catch, and the inside looks more like the popular VII.

Next We have the Mark VII TR-580 science Tricorder. This is one of my personal favorites. This Tricorder dropped the scanner pocket for a larger scanner array.

The next on the list is the Mark x TR-590 Science Tricorder. It was smaller, and had more lights.

Its Medical counterpart was also Mark X TR-590, but it had a different display screen, and a pocket in the rear panel to hold a small scanner.

I also have photo's of a few Tricorders that were used in single episodes.

The first was a Voyager episode called endgame. It was called a Mark XSL TR-990.

Science

Medical with scanner arm.

Another Voyager episode called relativity used a Tricorder called a TR-880 Mark XV. It was made by the prop guys using a Found travel alarm clock.

Last on my geek list was a Tricorder used in DS9, but I'm not sure how many times it was used. I have heard that it had a cable that ran to the tricorder to operate a working screen. I am also not sure what model # it was.

Ok now its your turn. Add what you can.

 

[thegreatgalling]

You are officially my hero Myron. Awesome! I have been wishing to see this info consolidated in one place, with good pics for a long time. This is def. a great start.

One thing to possibly mention is that their were two versions of the Mark IX 590, those that had a yellow scanning bar on the front emitter (Voyager) and those that had a red scanning bar (DS9 and the TNG movies).

 

[phase pistol]

Sweet! Well researched. :thumbsup

I have this one in my files (photo not taken by me)... supposedly a "prototype" tricorder. It seems to have been built from the body of a tricorder used in Trek III or V (note pop-up head).

This was in my files as a prototype TNG tricorder designed by Richard Coyle.

Concept tricorder designed by Sternbach for Voyager

I am confused by the Mk VII Science which seems to have two versions...one with a hand scanner and one without. Here's Wesley in Season 4 with what appears to be a Mk VII which has the scanner

7th season Mk VII Science with no separate scanner.

In the TNG movies, Mk VII was used first...

... and then replaced with Mk X (or IX, not sure about the diffrences with those two either!). "Nemesis" tho does feature a new tricorder design not seen anywhere else.

Despite the new tricorder Geordi still uses the Mk X in Nemesis (probably so he can dramatically flip it closed)

Another tricorder anomaly: in Voyager "Eye of the Needle", we see what appear to be dummy Mk VII props painted a maroon color and attached to wall panels in sickbay.

 

[thegreatgalling]

Also, I noticed that up until season 7 in Voyager the Doctor's medical tricorder (along with hand scanner and a slot in the back of the tricorder to store it) actually used the regular Mark IX tricorder graphics. I was previously aware the tricorder utilized the standard Voyager light scheme (the Yellow scanning bar on the front emitter), but I didn't notice the graphics. This is largely because we almost always see the top of the tricorder. Its not until the season 5 episode, Latent Image, that we catch a glimpse of the business end of the Voyager medical tric (or perhaps the lack therof!):

Season 7 is when we see the familiar Mark X medical that we come to know on DS9:

 

[phase pistol]

In the 4th season of TNG, this bizarre prop shows up attached to a medical bed in sickbay... it looks like a Mk VI with medical head, but the fit is poor and it seems to be painted two different colors. :lol

This odd prop was sold at auction as a "prototype" TNG tricorder.

 

[stapleton13]

Also, I noticed that up until season 7 in Voyager the Doctor's medical tricorder (along with hand scanner and a slot in the back of the tricorder to store it) actually used the regular Mark IX tricorder graphics. I was previously aware the tricorder utilized the standard Voyager light scheme (the Yellow scanning bar on the front emitter), but I didn't notice the graphics. This is largely because we almost always see the top of the tricorder. Its not until the season 5 episode, Latent Image, that we catch a glimpse of the business end of the Voyager medical tric (or perhaps the lack therof!):

They also used one like this in a great closeup in Insurrection.

 

[thegreatgalling]

Rock on, awesome thread!

 

[phase pistol]

They also used one like this in a great closeup in Insurrection.

Yes, this was the one interesting scene in "Insurrection". Euchene Chefor, my ass. :lol

And I have this in my files as "HMS Mark IX Prototype"

 

[thegreatgalling]

Yes, this was the one interesting scene in "Insurrection". Euchene Chefor, my ass. :lol

Hahahaha!

 

[jhusel]

One of the best/most informative threads I've seen in a long time!

jhusel

 

[stapleton13]

One of the best/most informative threads I've seen in a long time!

jhusel

You need to start posting pictures. You probably have them all in your collection. It would also help me when I have an ebay auction.

 

[Tenno]

This thread is great, I've never seen the graphics of the endgame med. tricorder. Did anyone re-build one? Stapleton13?

Medical with scanner arm.

 

[MattMunson]

Sweet! Well researched. :thumbsup



Despite the new tricorder Geordi still uses the Mk X in Nemesis (probably so he can dramatically flip it closed)

This tricorder was a variant. It had a different lighting scheme, and different graphics. The main difference was the display screen. I think there are some pics of the graphics on roddenberry.com.


The Mark X's in general saw a lot of variation. There were yellow, red, and blue LED's along the top scanning bar, depending on the show and the season. I beleive they had the same variants for medical and science.


DId anyone post he Mark IX? as far as I can tell, it's just a mark X with a different graphic on the bottom.

 

[comm510]

I believe that the Mark IX was the Science version with the Red scanning bar, yellow scanning bar was Mark X and full blown Medical was Mark XI. The Nemesis Variant was also a Mark XI - go figure.

DId anyone post he Mark IX? as far as I can tell, it's just a mark X with a different graphic on the bottom.

 

[thegreatgalling]

Hmm. I always thought the red AND yellow scanning bars were Mark IX's, the Medical was Mark X, and that Nemesis variant with I believe a white scanning bar was a Mark XI.

 

[Tripper]

From all the screenused trics I've seen, it would seem that anytime the bar graph graphic is seen, it's a Mark IX. There was a version with a scanner in the back.

The full blown medical is a MKX or MKXI.

The nemesis version has a different screen and only 4 white LEDs on the center scanning array on top. There are a few differences on the front as well. It was a MKXI.

There is another nemesis MKXI variant which had a schematic of the ENT-E on the screen. This model was only a static.


Phase Pistol, I don't see the confusion over the MKVII with the scanner. That is actually the Season 2-4 style MKVI. Exactly like the MKVII save for the scanner slot. The MKVII was actually introduced somewhere in the later seasons.

There are 2 different styles of removable medical scanner heads. One for the Season one resin MKVI and one for the Season 2 and on vacuformed MKVI. Myron's season one style MKVI tric posted above features the later style scanner head. Minor differences between the two.

 

[stapleton13]

This thread is great, I've never seen the graphics of the endgame med. tricorder. Did anyone re-build one? Stapleton13?

This is one I did a few years ago.

 

[Tripper]

Here are the different MKX graphics minus the ENT-E schematic variant:

 

[thegreatgalling]

Hey Trip, can you confirm my post #15?

 

[Tenno]

This is one I did a few years ago.

I am loving it