Wiring your own "Fully
Functional" Star Trek Phaser TM by Archie Waugh Models and Miniatures Column
Strange New Worlds Issue 12 - February/March 1994
Like many Star Trek fans, I rushed to my local toy store this past summer to be the
first on my block to have the Playmatesâ Star
Trek: The Next Generation Phaser. I, of course, explained to the suspicious clerk that
the toy was "for the kids." Once home I gleefully ran around the house, blasting
the family dog with my new toy. But I wished it did more than just light up and go
"woosh!" To satisfy that wish, OEI Technologies has created a Phaser Enhancement
Kit that adds an extra dimension to the Playmates Phaser.
The Phaser Enhancement Kit (Techno-KitsTM #24) consists of
an additional circuit board that you wire into the toys existing circuitry, a bar
graph LED and beeper, and a high-output red LED to replace the toy's "flashlight
bulb." The kit is available in two varieties:
1) an unassembled version requiring considerable electronic knowledge,
and
2) an "assembled" version with most of the components already
connected, but still requiring a considerable amount of work to install.
If you have a sure hand with a soldering iron, you may wish to save $20
and purchase the first version. As an electronics novice, I took what I hoped would be the
easy way out and opted for the second approach.
Happily, this project was less of an ordeal than anticipated. The
manufacturer has wisely included an assembly instruction video with the kit. This tape
takes the builder through the assembly process in a way that no written instructions could
a good thing, as the written instructions included are close to incomprehensible.
As suggested, before attempting assembly, I viewed the entire video to see what tools
would be involved. It got a little frightening when they started showing band saws and
other heavy shop equipment, but less elaborate alternatives are suggested throughout. I
soon realized that I would need only a soldering iron and solder (60/40 rosin core),
needlenose pliers, X-ActoTM knife, and other basic handcraft tools. To perform
the necessary cutting of the housing, a variable-speed DremelTM tool is
recommended; but I found a small hand drill and sharp X-Acto knife worked well as an
adequate substitute.
The assembly process should proceed in three phases. The first, and
most terrifying to an electronics novice like myself, involves dismantling the housing and
original circuits. This requires you to remove several Phillips screws, unsolder
electrical connections, and carve or saw several holes in your nice new Phaser. The
reassuring voice of the tapes narrator (kit creator Loren Ostema) greatly reduces
the trauma. He carefully guides the viewer through each stage. In the second stage you
remount switches, wire new components, and rearrange circuits. Stage three takes you
through final assembly and finishing. In this final phase, you will discover that,
amazingly, the darn thing works!
Having never attempted any complex electronic work, I was amazed at how
smoothly I was guided through the whole process by the video. The entire conversion took
just over five hours, yielding an impressive finished product. The conversion replaces the
original toy's painted bar graph (used to indicate different power settings from
"stun" to "toast") with a functional, bright green LED bar graph. The
two buttons on the Phaser activate this LED; you can select power levels starting at a
setting of two and going up to ten. Each increase of power is accompanied by a
"beep." The other exciting addition provided by this conversion is the
replacement of the weak, white light of the original bulb with an intense red from a 10mm
LED. An interesting side-effect available with this converted Phaser: if you press the
firing trigger when the power is turned off, the Phaser will automatically fire when
switched back on this "booby-trap" effect could be used effectively in a
gaming situation. One negative aspect of the conversion is that you must now use the
"light" switch inside the battery compartment to change between the two sounds
provided with your original toy.
If you like your props "fully functional," and do not mind
spending four to six times the original cost of the Phaser to upgrade it, then you will
find this kit a worthy investment. But if the electronics work sounds too intimidating, or
you just dont want to spend the time and trouble, or are terrified at the thought of
wielding a soldering iron, OEI also sells completely adapted Phasers. l
Techno-Kits is a registered trademark of Ostema Electronics, Inc. OEI Technologies is a
subsidiary of Ostema Electronics, Inc.
Browse these Star Trek items
that you can purchase online:
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