Classic Tricorders
Page Two
Next
to the TV screen were three knobs with the three blue rhinestones above them,
and above that was a small square speaker/microphone grill. Below the hood was the middle small door. Behind it was the scanner disk and display
next to the data disks. On the original design, these were to be removable like small
CDs. There was one special geologist
model that had a white square light in place of the scanner, and this model
could be set on alarm scan.
The
bottom or big door was never really opened to our view, although
Doctor McCoy's did contain his famous little Medical
Scanner. This never-seen, never-used bottom door
did serve a purpose, though. For example, Leonard Nimoy would use his tricorder's bottom
door to hide his Tootsie Roll Pop. Some even seem to still have a sticky
one still awaiting his return.
One
model I have seen (which I am not completely certain was on the original show,
for most details are right on, but others off) was a leatherette covers model.
It had a straight cut hood, unlike the notched hood common to the standard
models, and the fit and trim were the best I have seen.
In fact, if it were not for the odd details, I would have said we are
looking at a front line "Hero" Model. The oddest detail was the use
of three round headed sewing pins in place of the three rhinestones and train
wheels for washer bases. In addition, these three pins are red, yellow, and dark blue.
The speaker grill on this interesting piece is not the normal metal grill,
but a piece of cloth.
At Conventions I often called it the "Seamstress Model"
Star Trek created the idea of the hand held scientific scanner/sensor instrument that
could analyze just about anything and give information, this concept has become a staple
of science fiction and in the real world they are working on them, there was a real
tricorder made for a short while that could do some real world sensing, see the degree of
light, read temperature, read electromagnetic impulses and other functions.
So the day of one that could really do what the Tricorder did in Trek may not be too
far in our future.
And here are more pictures. Sorry about the loading time.