With convention season upon us and Halloween not too far away, Star Trek fans who like to costume could now enjoy the "trifecta" of role playing items. With the release of Diamond Select’s new science tricorder toy, you can complete your Star Trek The Original Series landing party kit. .
The Star Trek Trifecta
Entertainment Earth is now selling both their exclusive Medical Tricorder toy from Diamond Select Toys (see our previous review) and the newly available Science Tricorder. Additionally, Entertainment Earth has an exclusive 2-pack combining a "gold" handled edition of the Phaser with their exclusive TOS Communicator.
DST Science Tricorder with EE Gold handle phaser & communicator kit
Science Tricorder
The latest item in the landing party kit is the newly available TOS science tricorder, which retails for $49.99. Complimenting the already available medical edition of the tricorder, this science version (although oddly named as medicine is a science) is Spock themed in every measure. It features Spock’s voice, a spinning moiré, light effects, and a removable "salt shaker" scanning unit with various lights.
Science Tricorder
While the "TV" panel is a bit disappointing because it is lighted from the side only, this is an excellent toy and perfect for costumers looking for a reasonably priced alternative to a $400 prop replica.
DST Science Tricorder available now from Entertainment Earth.
Phaser/Communicator Role Playing Set
Entertainment Earth now has a special two-pack that combines their exclusive gold handled TOS phaser with their exclusive TOS communicator.
New 2-pack in and out of packaging
The gold handled phaser toy is based on the prop seen as early as the first season of the show. The toy is a Type 2 phaser, which includes a removable Type 1 hand phaser. Fans could move the targeting scanner and there is a setting dial that features four modes (off, stun, kill, disrupt) which changes how the phaser sounds and the lighting effects on the toy, The Type 2 phaser (when the Type 1 phaser is attached) has a switch that toggles the emitter light off and on, and a very cool power setting which allows fans to place the phaser on overload settings (as featured in episodes such as "That Which Survives"). This toy measures 9.5" tall and long.
Phaser from above with Type 1 attached and unattached
This video shows off the features of the phaser:
We have previously reviewed the excellent EE version of the communicator toy (see review). The communicator included in this Gold Handled Phaser/Communicator Role Playing Set is indeed the exclusive EE edition featuring a phrase by Spock not available anywhere else ("Your signal is very weak. Can you turn up your gain?") along with the other 8 phrases included. Here is a video from EE for the communicator.
As a two pack, this is a great deal, and if fans interested in ordering this set hurry, they could save $10 off the regular price now from EE (sale price is $39.99).
now I’m ready to run around the local shopping mall, scanning people like I’m on an away mission. I wonder if I will be able to exmplain the prime directive to the mall cops
Cool stuff! TOS is still the coolest, it always will be. I mean, it’s really cool, cooler, coolest – have I already mentioned that this TOS stuff is really cool – I mean REALLY, really cool, ya know! Jeez, I love it – it’s cool. :)
Does the Moiré dial rotate?
Quick question: How many color variations of ART ASYLUM Phaser handles are there, 3 or 4?
Black
White
Gold
Was there actually also a bronze, or was that a slightly darker picture of a Gold Phaser?
You have no idea how much I’ve wanted a phaser/communicator/tricorder set that was all the right size and color. Man, it’s good to see Trek getting some good love. Decent price, too!
(Now, if they just sell a lifelike Rand…)
The Tricorders are the POORESTquality I have ever seen coming from this toy maker. Every one I have seen has a defect in the “chrome” bar that runs across the front where the viewscreen flips up. Even the one pictured here has a couple of flaws. And most viewscreens I have seen have air bubbles all over them. Just a note of caution when purchasing one.
Gold handle? What episode is that from?
COOLPT @ #6
Wear is due to field use and is the result of being bitten by a Gorn.
I picked up Spock’s science tricorder a few weeks ago and was quite impressed with it. The paint job, molding of the plastic and the electronics were all nicely done and pretty neat considering its a $50 toy. Its also nice to finally have a 1:1 scale version, at least until I can track down a reasonably priced Master Replicas edition.
The communicator was another matter though. I picked up the Toys ‘R Us version a couple of weeks ago and mine would not work properly once I removed the plastic tab to enable the other light and sound effects and the molding and gold flip-up portion seemed average at best. Even for its pricepoint, it was somewhat disappointing and I decided to just keep my old Playmates version for the time being.
My phaser is completely gray….handle and type 1…the only thing that is disappointing about the phaser is that it dies not have the stun sound that phaser 2 makes..that kind of short burst …ex when the Andorian gets stunned in the brig…in Journey to Babel…look it up…
other than that..they are awesome !!
I know this is nitpicking, but I just watched “That Which Survives” and I did not see a phaser on overload. I wonder if it was cut.
Is any one going to put a Blue LED Laser diode in their phasers for a visible beam, red and green are half the price but blue beams are more visable in Earths atmosphere. Unless your in a polluted city and the Smog makes the beams more visible, or you like playing in smoke filled bars. As for power Lithium battery’s can give you more than one shot per battery unlike carbon types (the standarsd issue battery for 50 years now)
I have my science tricorder now. I think it’s great. I’ll be 43 in 4 days. I think it has something to do with the fact that nothing like it existed when I was a kid – so I’m getting all those toys now.
I have been very pleased with this line- a vast improvement over the old Playmates stuff, and still quite affordable. I do wish they were a little weightier, but I guess that’s what the $400 versions get you? I have been considering opening up the handle portion of the phaser and adding fishing weights… anyone try anything like this yet?
These are perfect for convention/costuming use. Ah, classic 23rd-century styling!
Of course they aren’t perfect, but then, neither were 99% of the originals. These are made to be handled and played with, not freeze-framed in a prop beauty shot. I want a phaser that I can bend like Khan did.
Don’t like the gold handle? Paint it.
Here’s your blue laser.
http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/Spyder_II_BX-28-24.html
“You’re going to put your eye out with that thing, kid!”
I’ve heard that the new AA comms now have plastic painted grids instead of the metal ones! Any truth to this rumor?
#15 “Don’t like the gold handle? Paint it.”
Or better still, just buy another variant. They have Gray body, gray handle, gray body, bronze handle, gray body, black handle, blue body, black handle, and my favorite variant, the cool first season all black with white handle…I think that was a newforce comics exclusive. And probably some more that I can’t remember. Anyway, if you don’t like the gold, you have lots of other options.
I have got my shop to hold over a tricorder for me, I am waiting till I get paid.
The tricorder looks awesome, cant wait to get it.
17. Alex Prewitt – July 20, 2009
I’ve heard that the new AA comms now have plastic painted grids instead of the metal ones! Any truth to this rumor?
Yes. It seems that at least the ones Toys ‘R Us carries have plastic lids. I’ve seen a metal lid version still at FYE. (but not online…weird)
re# 17:
The AA Communicators that I’ve seen on sale at local ToysRUs appear to have plastic grids. After noticing that the parts connecting the lid to the wheels looked thicker and had no solder points on them, I popped one of the boxes open in-store ( I know…that’s a no-no ) to check the grid out. It sure felt and flexed like plastic to me! There is also no mention of a ‘metal grid’ on the new packaging.
Perhaps the plastic grids are just for the ‘mass-produced’ retail shelf versions of the toy, and the ones designed for collectors, that can be bought through specialty shops ( like Entertainment earth and New Force Comics ), will continue to be metal.
BTW: I find it odd that people who ordered the Science Tricorder online are just getting them now. I found mine at the local Toys R Us over a month ago…about the same time that I received my medical tricorder from Entertainment Earth. To quote Mr. Spock ( as heard on the Tricorder ),” Most curious”.
More made in China CRAP!
Try and find a phone number for Diamond Select. You can’t.
Re#20 “Yes. It seems that at least the ones Toys ‘R Us carries have plastic lids. I’ve seen a metal lid version still at FYE. (but not online…weird) ”
I would add, for anyone still looking, that some of the larger FYE stores still have the Classic Enterprise ships in stock, although they are out of stock at the warehouse and will not be receiving anymore.
If you want one, I would hurry up and get them. They are currently at $34.99, with a regular price of 39.99. Since these are currently not being produced by Art Asylum, prices online have gone up to ridiculous amounts ( I saw one company trying to sell one for $119.99…before shipping!!! ).
I know because, not only do i work at an FYE, but I was seeking a replacement for one of my Classic Enterprises, whose famously poorly designed stand, mysteriously and for no reason, decided to break plunging my ship from a height of eight feet to a hard tile floor. The ship was surprisingly fairly well intact, but suffered some cracks and paint scrapes.
I do wish that Art Asylum would spend a little more money on a sturdier stand design, instead of recycling this same flimsy one. I’d rather not have the ability to change the ships orientation on the stand if it meant that it would stay in one piece! I’ve been through at least three of these stands ( one for each ship ) and I don’t even move them around that much!
Does the handle come out the way it’s supposed to? It would be fun to see that feature implemented. I think there was at least one episode where they replaced the battery pack handles on camera, but I may be imagining this, having only read about it.
As for the Tricorder, I’m holding out for the “geological” model. Can’t wait to hear some of those classic lines form D’Amato: “I haven’t seen any evidence that there ever has been any rainfall”, “Geological disturbances don’t frighten me, I’ve come here to study them, it’s my specialty”, “I’m not afraid”, “lucky D’Amato”.
#13 –
“I have my science tricorder now. I think it’s great. I’ll be 43 in 4 days. I think it has something to do with the fact that nothing like it existed when I was a kid – so I’m getting all those toys now.”
I know what you mean. I would have killed for one of these tricorders as a kid. I’m still tempted to get one.
#1 – They were called “landing parties” in TOS, not “away missions.” ;)
#13 – Right there with ya pal! I’m 40… and gotta have my props. :D (Although I already have 3 variations on the AA phaser. Don’t REALLY need any more… do I?)
13 26,28. with you…..I’m 42…and it has taken me this long to be able to get all the toys I want.. TREK and Star Wars collecting is great and insane fun!!!
Damn George Lucas and all his variants!!!
if only the new TREK movie action figures were as good as SW…
happy collecting…
@22 Blow it out your wormhole!
So the TRU version has a plastic antenna grill. At the risk of sounding like a blasphemer I think I might prefer that version. The comm with the metal grill has a tendency to bend if flipped open too quickly. Sadly the bending affects the mechanism that triggers the open chirp. as a result it affects the various voice/sounds as well.
My next TRU sojourn looks like I’m gonna pick up another comm.
-cs™
I almost forgot about Geophysicist Karl Jaeger and his classic lines:
“No detectable soil or vegetation, extremely hot toxic atmosphere swept by tornadic storms and continuous volcanic eruptions deadly to any life form as we know it without oxygen and life support systems.”
“Atmosphere exactly the same as ours.”
“I’m a scientist, not a military man.”
Much more interesting than D’Amato. LOL
I finally realize what the geological tricorder does that the others don’t, thanks to a recent screening of “That Which Survives” – evidently instead of the moire display and library tapes, there’s a rock sample chamber and giant square flashing white light that alerts a person to a perimeter breach. Not sure why a geological tricorder would have such a thing, but it does.
http://74.52.193.82/events/main.php?g2_itemId=124567
Will it come with a scanner too? Or, perhaps a soil/water sample collector? I can’t wait to see what they come up with for such a rarely used variant. I mean, which would you prefer? To play Bones, Spock, or D’Amato or Jaeger? Wouldn’t Scotty’s somewhat rare Engineering tricorder have been more interesting? Or Uhura’s?
I love the DST stuff but I will continue to rail on every board available to me about the lack of customer service I have gotten in regards to the actual damaged tricorder I recieved. No response when I went through ANY of DST’s channels. I am very disappointed but like the schmuck I am I will probably still buy from them as they are pretty much the only game in my league.
I am also not too happy with the way the neck detail is on the Enterprise D I have but I can fix it. It is interesting to see on their Q&A section how they duck direct questions about it, though.
The Geological Tricorder will play samples from the ships computer. I found this out today when I hacked my tricorder to add a three way switch that changes it from science to medical and geological. The circuit board for all three is the same one with a few different connections.
How about a psychological tricorder? That would be interesting to see. If your curious, watch “A Wolf in the Fold”.
It looks like there are a couple of versions of the communicator out there. One with the metal lid and one with the plastic lid. The one that is the “EE” exclusive has the metal lid as far as I can tell.
#16, YOU are right.
“You’re going to put your eye out with that thing, kid!”
you are doing well.
#16, thank you for sharing such great laser. this blue laser must bring much joys for my life.
#16, YOU are right.
“You’re going to put your eye out with that thing, kid!”
this is just what i am going to say! a great job, guy!
The grey handle variant is the only one they have done that is close to anything screen used. The standard blue with black handle is way off….it was never blue, rather grey with a slight blue tint and a darker grey handle. However, the Trials and Tribble-ations HMS prop was grey body/grey handle. DST did one in 2009..it was a Toys ‘r’ Us exclusive (doesn’t mention DS9 or trials and tribble-ations on the packaging but it was based on this variant)….track it down if you can, as it is the most authentic DST have made yet.