ANNOUNCEMENT
Just a heads-up for you Folks out there who are interested in upgrading your 90’s Playmates STNG Tricorder. The Upgrade kits are now available on eBay for C$155. At the time of writing, two out of five units have been sold. Right now, I am posting this ahead as I am still updating this post with my *ahem* texts.
A Brief History and Thanks to Gerhard Mros
During the heydays of when the Internet was growing, there were a few Forums which I stumbled into, such as TheRPF. This was the time where I realised, the Playmates Toy I had, could easily be lighted up. For years, and being a noob fresh out of the Uni, I hit into a wall where despite my efforts, my electronic circuit was just too big and ‘clumsy’ to fit into to toy. Not having any exposure to the International Market, I was searching (in vain) all the local electronic shops for the solution.
Suddenly, when Gerhard Mros (aka gmprops) Tricorder electronics was first released, it caused quite a sensation in the Props Community. I bought one of the earlier versions and learned a lot from it. Let’s call that version 1. This version was my first foray into serious TNG Tricorders and through his circuit boards, I learnt about SMDs (Surface Mount Devices), how to use Inkscape to create my own sticker designs and how not to rely on epoxy as clear resin substitute. Because of SMD technology, I realised I could save a lot of real estate on the PCB compared to using conventional components. This literally blew my mind and thus began my quest to used SMDs all the time, despite their rarity in my Country at that time. Sadly, that Tricorder grew legs and walked off during one of the local Sci-Fi Displays. I would recognize it if it shows up again due to a lot of mistakes (I made). And I have never completed a fully ‘working’ Tricorder even until now.
Construction
If you have followed the instructions carefully, there won’t be any problems. The good thing about the Playmates Toy is that the plastic used has a natural light-blocking feature so you do not need to spay the internals with a coat of black. Just make sure that the glue or epoxy you’re using does not have any metallic particles. This is very important for when you mount the main board’s reed switch and the magnet. The metallic particles will render both components ineffective. Oh, and do a lot of test placement before you commit the magnet for best results.
Are you a Malaysian?
Lastly, if you have bought his upgrade and have problems installing them to your Playmates STNG MkVII Tricorder, do give me a shout and I’ll see how I can help you out on the electronics. But for completing the whole thing, that’s a different story. You can reach out to me at pisceanworks@gmail.com or through the Piscean Works FB Page Messenger.
