# (semi OT) Something newish for Star Trek TOS fans



## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

OK, I know there are plenty of Trek fans who collect 'role play' items as well as get heavy into prop construction. Here's something that may have slipped past the radar.

https://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9b8/

It's a TOS style wall mount comm panel.

It's designed to be a 'door announcer' gimmick, something you can hook onto a cubical wall at work, or a door at home. 

It's REALLY COOL guys! Really! It's just about the perfect Trek thing that also has a most practical use! It's surely more handy than that Enterprise shaped pizza cutter! 

Accuracy is pretty good. It's a mass-produced plastic item so super obsessive types may decry that the speaker panel isn't the proper '60s pocket radio fabric or the 'push to talk' button isn't sticking out far enough, but to my eyes it sure looks like a proper and real comm panel. 

It makes noises. It can make REALLY LOUD noises.  The door 'swoosh' sound is exactly right, the VERY LOUD Red Alert klaxon is perfect and the 'all stations' comm whistle sound is exactly right. Volume is a two-position switch on the back, the 'loud' setting is really very very loud and I don't recommend it unless you're in a loud work environment.

Best use I can think of (in an office) is to switch it to Red Alert when you leave your space, so you can know instantly if someone darts inside to screw around, or steal your stapler. The pushbutton 'all stations' sound makes a good 'doorbell'. 

Sure, it's not as sexy or portable as a Phaser or Communicator, but it can really spiff up a wall, even if you choose to leave the batteries out. And given some of the clever folk here I don't doubt some might do something like turn it into an actual intercom of some kind, or mod it to be a microphone/speaker for teleconferencing, or something. 

OK, it's just a goofy toy. In the end, that's all it really is. But I have to tell you, when I walk into my room and I hear 'Shwoosh' it makes me smile. I wanted to share that.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Got one on my office wall just inside the door


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Been thinking of getting one of those, actually...


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

I got one for Christmas as well. Here's an unconventional use for it that I found for it last night...put it on the night stand of your sick wife and let her press the call signal whenever she needs you.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Fozzie said:


> I got one for Christmas as well. Here's an unconventional use for it that I found for it last night...put it on the night stand of your sick wife and let her press the call signal whenever she needs you.


Excellent!

I was thinking the same. My mom is getting a little hard of hearing and if something happens to her, or me, shouting isn't an assured way of alerting the other. Turning the volume to high and using either the all stations hail or the Red Alert sound may do a very good job!

Hmmm. I may need to order another. 

And Capt. April? Do it. Pull the trigger. I don't know how long Thinkgeek keeps stuff like this active, prices on Amazon are already getting crazy.

Like I said, you don't HAVE to put batteries in it. Just having it on the wall next to your Phaser collection would look neat. Of course you're one of the skilled guys who could well knock one together out of plastic sheet, but hey, $30? It's $30 worth of cool in my book.


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## Carl_G (Jun 30, 2012)

Oh man, think geek is such a dangerous website, it keeps trying to eat my wallet with awesome stuff like this


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## BolianAdmiral (Feb 24, 2009)

I almost thought this was a thread about something Jewish for TOS fans...


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

They could have made them useful with a simple walkie-talkie function. The tech is certainly cheap enough at that level of production. Having one in every room or hall would be worth it, especially for parents and those with large households.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Model Man said:


> They could have made them useful with a simple walkie-talkie function. The tech is certainly cheap enough at that level of production. Having one in every room or hall would be worth it, especially for parents and those with large households.


Yeah, but walkie-talkie tech at that cheap a cost usually sucks. I know, I've been let down over DECADES by the limitations. 

(Lazer Tag walkies made by Worlds of Wonder? Fantastic styling. just about zero useful range.)

I know there's some 'family comm' walkies on a special band that have better, useful range but they tend to be pricy and I don't think TOS Wall mounted com panel units that would cost something like $125 a station would get much traction.

Still, the thing is cheap enough that if you wish to buy a couple, gut them and put some decent comm tech into it, go to it!


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I've had one for months! I love it.

It's not really accurate but it sure is fun.



I use mine to protect the arsenal.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Exactly! Like I said, maybe it isn't 100% screen accurate (one obvious thing to me is they use the 'active mike' light for the selector switch) but it LOOKS like what we remember.


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## cheekyzombie (Jan 15, 2010)

Thanks for the up! I'm getting one! x


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

This thing amuses my wife to no end. I currently have it sitting on a flat surface in my man-cave with the sensor pointing at the door. Any time someone passes by in the hall it will detect it and "swoosh!". My wife just kept going back-and-forth in front of my doorway laughing hysterically.


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## bccanfield (Nov 17, 2002)

*"Office Space" meets Star Trek (TOS)*

"Office Space" meets Star Trek (TOS). The Peter Gibbons character (played by Ron Livingston) could have used that to tell him when VP Bill Lumbergh, was in the vicinity of his cubicle. I'll bet the guy with the red stapler asked to have one installed when they moved his cubicle down to the basement.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Fozzie said:


> ...My wife just kept going back-and-forth in front of my doorway laughing hysterically.


Sounds like my (late) cats and the IR sensor on the automatic litter box - they just loved to watch the scooper arm go back and forth.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Paulbo said:


> Sounds like my (late) cats and the IR sensor on the automatic litter box - they just loved to watch the scooper arm go back and forth.


Hey, answer a question on that?

Did your cats actually USE that litter box? Seems to me the first time the arm kicked on and started scooping the cat would run far away and say "Oh HECK NO I'm not sticking my furry butt in that thing again!!"


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Nope - they used it (thank goodness!) then liked to play with it and force the arm to be a plaything. Of course, where it was located I couldn't run a power cord so I was running through 4 D batteries a week on the thing. 

(Still better than scooping litter at least once a day.)


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## MGagen (Dec 18, 2001)

Got one of these for a friend's Christmas gift. He loved it. It will go great with the Kirk's Quarters-style desk he made for his home office.

I put batteries in it before I wrapped it so it would be ready to go, and it works like a charm.

Should have bought one for myself...

M.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Think Geek is a great place. I don't know who thinks this stuff up but I hope they continue.

Other Trek stuff from them I have bought:

Inflatable Capt's chair
Enterprise Pizza cutter
Communicator 
tribble slippers (don't work)
a science dress for my wife

Non Trek stuff:

2001 monolith action figure, with 0 points of articulation!


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

MGagen said:


> Got one of these for a friend's Christmas gift. He loved it. It will go great with the Kirk's Quarters-style desk he made for his home office.
> 
> I put batteries in it before I wrapped it so it would be ready to go, and it works like a charm.
> 
> ...


It's not too late. Thinkgeek still has them in stock. 

(psst, and the Blade Runner style lighted umbrella, with the white LEDs, is on sale super cheap)

(no, I'm not getting a cut. I'm just so happy with this stupid toy.  )


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

mach7 said:


> Think Geek is a great place. I don't know who thinks this stuff up but I hope they continue.
> 
> Other Trek stuff from them I have bought:
> 
> ...


In some cases it's people like you and me. As soon as I saw the inflatable chair was originally only fit for kids I instantly fired off a note that they're losing out on big sales by not having a suitable for adults, and needing to support at least 300 pounds, version. I actually called for like 500 pounds as a safety factor but I guess that wasn't heard. 

I wasn't commenting that we all are a big bunch of fat a**s or anything, just practical reality. People will likely throw themselves into that thing. Stronger is better. 

I've been trying to think of how to get a similar product to the TOS Wall Comm made for TNG and the best, most logical version I can come up with is the Holodeck control interface. The sticking point in my mind is any kind of functional touch screen would make it too expensive. Even a mock touchscreen with 'bubble' switches would be costly.

And would a TOS desk mounted comm unit, to be used as a teleconference mic/speaker, be too silly? There's no way to get the switches mounted unless the whole thing is its own block. Maybe combine that with a USB hub? 

arrggh I think way too much. 

Gaaa, this makes it sound like...I don't work for Thinkgeek (altho I wouldn't mind), I'm just blathering!


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## jaws62666 (Mar 25, 2009)

I got the pizza cutter for Christmas. it is really solid and heavy. My con will be here in a few days.


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## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

My wife got me one for Christmas this year - I LOVE it! I'm with ModelMan, though. A functional walkie-talkie circuit in it would make for more sales, as you'd have to have at least two! Anybody up for retro fitting a walkie-talkie into a pair? (I can't, I've got to start working on the big Enterprise ASAP!!)

My only real gripe with the product is the call button - it doesn't snap like the ones in the show. It's kind of soft, actually, and could really use that SNAP the show ones made when someone punched it.

Larry


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

So I've had this up for a couple of days now, mounted to the wall next to my door, and I'm...I dunno, surprised? on how NORMAL it seems to have it go 'ssssHOOP' every time I go in or out. Perfectly natural. 

Not sure what that says about me. Either I'm a die-hard dyed-in-the-wool old school Trekfan, or I'm just insane. 

Both may, indeed, be the case.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Thought I'd put this here and keep the Trek 'not exactly models' blather in one place. 

So look at what I stumbled across at Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Lig...=UTF8&colid=G2XACBTUPVLV&coliid=IVD49JJUU8U8U

I have NO idea what it is. It would be nice if it were a nice light-up Phaser 1, or *gasp* a 'crickit' Phaser from TNG, but given the timing of release it's most likely a small scale JJPrise Phaser. 

There's not a thing about it at the Running Press site. Like so many others they seem stuck in the old ways and not 'hep' to the importance of detailed information as soon as you solicit something. Of course Paramount/CBS could kill it before April...

But the book seems like a fun idea, and it doesn't cost a ton. I know there are Phaser collectors here, so I figured it was worth sharing.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Thanks Steve,

I've heard of this before. It seems like it has been pushed back a bit. I thought it would be out about now. 

Some talk at other forums seem to think the phaser will be a TOS P1 or a TNG cricket. Either would be cool.

I put it on preorder.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

mach7 said:


> Thanks Steve,
> 
> I've heard of this before. It seems like it has been pushed back a bit. I thought it would be out about now.
> 
> ...


You're welcome! Maybe something like this lets me give back a little. 

I'd love for it to be a full size Phaser 1. My gut is telling me it'll be either a JJPrize or TOS Phaser in 1/4 scale. Of course we don't know they're keeping the same prop designs for the new movie...

A TNG cricket would be pretty cool. I thought it was quite elegant and the idea that officers would ALWAYS be armed was a good idea but of course then the writers had to find ways that having a Phaser wouldn't help the characters any, not to mention the problem of the tiny thing not having decent screen presence. Roddenberry must have HATED to lose it for the show, it was in keeping with some of his group of fetishes-hidden weapons, skintight uniforms. 

Yeah, when it gets closer I'm gonna spring for it. Like I said, even if the Phaser is a complete waste, the book could be fun.


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

The book sounds fun, but I wanna see a pic of the phaser in question first.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Captain April said:


> The book sounds fun, but I wanna see a pic of the phaser in question first.


I do too, I suspect we all do!

That's why I'm mentally focusing on the book. If I get my heart set on potentials it would easily end up a total letdown. 

Like I said, due to my thought that this is being solicited as part of the JJTrek Movie 2 blitz, the greatest likelihood is the included Phaser 'kit' is a sub-scale JJTrek Movie Phaser, and even THAT assumes they're not completely changing prop designs (because they hate us).

(and welcome back  )


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Judging from the stills, they've switched the design to something that more closely resembles a .45 caliber pistol. Because they hate us.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Captain April said:


> Judging from the stills, they've switched the design to something that more closely resembles a .45 caliber pistol. Because they hate us.


WHAT?! Seriously?

Yeah, good luck getting THAT in toy stores, what with current feelings rolling around (trying real hard to not say anything, ANYTHING that's gonna get all political).

*sigh*

yeah, of course. change the prop design. who cares about continuity or marketing or anything like that. I wasn't happy with the JJTrek Phaser but I could accept it in the context of the entire package. I just really was irked by the CHROME, ya know?

(I thought the Tricorder was actually not too bad. I could live with that)

So I'm guessing the change reflects an art department that wants to cut all ties to what was done before (again), and something to reflect the more 'dark, gritty' nature of the film. *super heavy sigh*

ah well.


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Well, the swiveling barrel on the previous design told me that the designers and producers know nothing about weapons in the first place, so I'm not the least bit surprised.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Captain April said:


> Well, the swiveling barrel on the previous design told me that the designers and producers know nothing about weapons in the first place, so I'm not the least bit surprised.


Oh, I agree. It's a very 'toy-etic' feature with zero practical need. Why flip barrels when a simple switch can do the job, right? bah.


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## GT350R_Modeler (Sep 6, 2005)

My sister got me one of these from the same site...


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Have to give them credit, within the limitations of functionality, that's a not too bad Starship design.


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## kekker (Mar 20, 2011)

It's funny - we had a pizza cutter when I was a kid, and I would imagine it to be a different starship design with the engineering hull directly behind the primary. Since we used it a lot, I never got around to converting it by adding warp nacelles!


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## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

Steve H said:


> OK, I know there are plenty of Trek fans who collect 'role play' items as well as get heavy into prop construction. Here's something that may have slipped past the radar.
> 
> https://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9b8/
> 
> It's a TOS style wall mount comm panel.


This may have already been mentioned, but wasn't there a more expensive, more authentic version of this sold by the Roddenberry online store a while back. I can't seem to find it now, though.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

There was a more 'screen accurate prop replica' wall panel at Roddenberry.com. It seemed way expensive for what it was, but that's just my perception. 

I suspect this 'toy' wall comm panel may be more sturdy and adaptable for people who wish to tinker around, not to mention way way cheaper.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Not Trek,

But kind of cool.
Way to much $$ thou

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f29d/?pfm=rightcolumn_NewStuffFTW_1


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## Proper2 (Dec 8, 2010)

Steve H said:


> There was a more 'screen accurate prop replica' wall panel at Roddenberry.com. It seemed way expensive for what it was, but that's just my perception.


Yes, that's the one. I remember it as being very expensive, too. But then, most items on that store are 'spensive. Funny that I can't find that item online anywhere anymore... not even Ebay. I wouldn't mind revisiting that. Anybody have any leads?


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

mach7 said:


> Not Trek,
> 
> But kind of cool.
> Way to much $$ thou
> ...


That is nifty, but yes, wrong direction pricewise. 

Altho I do have to call into question the whole 'from studio blueprints' thing, given it's my understanding that there ARE no existing studio blueprints, due to Kubrick's oddly irrational demands for nothing to survive post-filming lest it somehow destroy the magic or some nonsense.

I mean, OK, I can understand his fear of props/sets/costumes ending up in various low budget sci-fi films or TV shows (see Forbidden Planet) but all that lovely pre-production work... ah well.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Found this:

http://www.thetrekcollective.com/2012/12/first-look-at-mini-phaser-book.html?m=1


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

mach7 said:


> Found this:
> 
> http://www.thetrekcollective.com/2012/12/first-look-at-mini-phaser-book.html?m=1


Consider yourself promoted! 

Sub-scale Pistol Phaser. I would guess (given the book size) around 1/4 scale?

Altho that kinda looks like a 'looks like' photoshopped together from various elements including the Art Asylum Phaser.

Still, that looks like $10 worth of fun to me. And an 'Enterprise' version that may follow. Good, good. 

And then there was this coming out:

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Generati...UTF8&colid=G2XACBTUPVLV&coliid=I2BXF420E94RAW

Mainly a CD-Rom (really? is that still a format?  ) with a book around it. Is this the 'Enterprise' book Okuda was working on a few years back that got cancelled?


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