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Communicator

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Captain Jonathan Archer handling a style of communicator used in the 2150s

A communicator was a communications device used by many species for person-to-person, inter-ship communications. A communicator could be either an intercom or a hand-held personal receiver that could be used for person-to-ship comunications. ( TOS : " The Conscience of the King ", " Journey to Babel ") Communicators usually transmitted on subspace frequencies. They were eventually integrated into and replaced by combadges .

• 1 Specifications
• 3 Limitations
• 4 Gallery of communicator styles
• 5.1.1 Origins
• 5.1.2 Developments for Phase II and early films
• 5.1.3 TNG redesigns
• 5.1.4 Retro designs
• 5.1.5 Cultural impact
• 5.2 External link

Specifications [ ]

Starfleet clamshell communicators could link up with certain devices equipped with viewscreens .

Portable communicators were used by Starfleet landing parties and away teams ; occasionally, communicators were used in situations where normal intra-ship communications were inaccessible (or inadvisable), during the 22nd and 23rd centuries . ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ", et al.)

Employing a flip-top design, a member of Starfleet spoke directly into the device to give commands and speak with other personnel. ( TOS : " The Cage ", et al.) Once it was flipped open, it locked onto the originating ship's communications system . ( TOS : " A Piece of the Action ") The communicator also had a gain control. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ")

In the alternate reality , Starfleet communicators could also receive text messages . ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

In some cases, communicators served purposes beyond basic communication. By 2152 , for instance, the power signature of a Starfleet communicator could be amplified by an inverse carrier wave , making the communicator detectable by sensors . ( ENT : " The Communicator ") For another example, when accessing a computer , the communicator of the person at the terminal logged in the user information, thereby making it possible to trace back who accessed the computer. ( TNG : " The Drumhead ") Communicators were also often used to allow transporter locks for beaming , thus acting as homing transponders . When used in tandem, two communicators could produce a sonic disruption by using sound beams to create a sympathetic vibration in an unstable object, such as a cliff face. ( TOS : " Friday's Child ") Usage of a communicator, while receiving and outputting a signal, could be hidden from sensors by triaxilating the signal. ( ENT : " Detained ") Communicators could be jammed by a security screen , the like of which was employed at the Tantalus Colony . When the screen was deactivated, the communicator signal was enabled. ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind ")

By the 24th century , these communication devices were integrated into the standard uniform badges and became known as combadges . Users no longer had to speak directly into the communicator, but rather could activate and deactivate them with the touch of a finger. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Yesterday's Enterprise ", et al.)

By the 32nd century , the technology for the communicator had been miniaturized to the point where it could be included with other functions in the tricom badge . Activation and deactivation of the communicator was by hand gestures . ( DIS : " Scavengers ")

Other species also possessed similar communicator devices. ( TOS : " A Taste of Armageddon ", " Errand of Mercy ", " Elaan of Troyius "; ENT : " Fallen Hero ", " Marauders ", " Precious Cargo ", " The Catwalk ", " Extinction ", " Rajiin ", " Chosen Realm ", " Proving Ground ", " Storm Front ", " Storm Front, Part II ", " Borderland ", " United ", " Affliction ", " Bound ", " Terra Prime "; Star Trek Beyond ) An Enolian communicator, for instance, could double as a remote control for handcuffs . ( ENT : " Canamar ")

History [ ]

The Vulcans had communicators as early as 1957 . Some of these early Vulcan communicators were among equipment owned by the crew of a Vulcan survey ship . After the vessel crash landed on Earth , the surviving members of the crew secretly used the Vulcan communicators in Carbon Creek , Pennsylvania , a nearby small mining town in the United States of America . ( ENT : " Carbon Creek ")

While the Andorian commander Thy'lek Shran was holding personnel from the NX-class starship Enterprise NX-01 hostage in June of 2151 , Captain Jonathan Archer 's communicator was, after being used by Shran to threaten Enterprise , crushed by him, using the Stone of J'Kah to smash the device to pieces. The destruction of the communicator caused Enterprise to lose the signal connecting them. The ship then tried to make contact with Sub-commander T'Pol and Commander Trip Tucker , the only other crew members from Enterprise who were being held captive along with Archer. However, their communicators were likewise immediately crushed by Shran. ( ENT : " The Andorian Incident ")

When Captain Archer and Ensign Travis Mayweather were enduring imprisonment at Tandaran Detention Complex 26 in about late 2151, a communicator was secretly beamed into their cell from Enterprise . The device's usage was masked, due to Enterprise Communications Officer Hoshi Sato triaxilating the signal between the communicator and the ship, though the Tandaran guards subsequently discovered the device in Mayweather's pocket. The Tandarans confiscated the communicator, and because both Mayweather and Archer were resistant to questioning about where they had obtained the device, they were brutalized by the Tandarans. ( ENT : " Detained ")

In 2152, fears among the Enterprise crew arose regarding how a communicator that Lieutenant Malcolm Reed had accidentally left behind on an inhabited planet might affect the evolution of a pre-warp culture on that planet. In an effort to find the device, the communicator's power signature was boosted by Enterprise . The communicator was finally retrieved, but not without avoiding cultural contamination partly caused by the device. ( ENT : " The Communicator ")

Kirk and Spock used the communicators' technique of producing sympathetic vibrations in a cliff face to ward off a party of angry Capellans on Capella IV in 2267 . ( TOS : " Friday's Child ")

In 2267 , Alice 99 crushed, with her bare right hand, a communicator Kirk had been holding. Her action prevented him from contacting his ship, the USS Enterprise . ( TOS : " I, Mudd ")

In Starfleet, the flip-top communicators were essentially replaced by 2344 , when combadges instead came into general use. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

In 3189 , the 23rd century communicators of the USS Discovery crew were replaced by the tricom badges. ( DIS : " Scavengers ")

Limitations [ ]

Communicators were susceptible to changes in temperature . In 2266 , Hikaru Sulu believed the cold conditions on Alfa 177 were affecting his communicator. ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ")

Gallery of communicator styles [ ]

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ], origins [ ].

The communicator has shared roots with the universal translator . The "telecommunicator", the genesis of both these technologies, was originally proposed in the series outline Star Trek is... and additionally appeared in the story outline for " The Cage " (both of which are reprinted in The Making of Star Trek ). Although the device was planned to be used for translating all languages into English, the initial draft of Star Trek is... also described the telecommunicator as " little more complicated than a small transistor radio carried in a pocket, " matching a description of Spock's communicator from the script of "The Cage" as "transistor radio-size." Furthermore, the story outline for "The Cage" regarded the telecommunicator as having some of the later-established capabilities of communicators, such as producing "a maximum radio signal" – which is of insufficient strength to completely cut through "a half-mile of solid balsite rock," but allows a bearing to be obtained (much like how later communicators enabled transporter locks). Communicators aboard the Enterprise were also once mentioned in the story outline, though their specifics weren't made clear. ( The Making of Star Trek , pp. 52 & 60)

According to the book The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (p. 147), Gene Roddenberry knew – at the time Star Trek 's first communicators were designed – that they were too large to be realistic for the future setting of the series, since miniaturization was common at the time and micro-miniaturization was certainly foreseeable for the near future. Since this was not a reality in those days, however, Roddenberry believed the general public would have a better comprehension of communicators that could be more easily seen.

The original look of the communicator, as featured in "The Cage", was designed by Wah Chang . ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 13) Dave Rossi commented, " Inside, all you see are these transistors, but the top of the communicator is very reminiscent of the Captain Kirk style communicator. So, they kept some of that and refined it. " Rossi also described a close-up view showing one of the early communicators as "a great shot." (" The Menagerie, Part II " Starfleet Access , TOS Season 1 Blu-ray ) A communicator prop from "The Cage" was subsequently modified to become the neural stimulator 's remote control from TOS : " Spock's Brain ". ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 13)

Wah Chang additionally created the first working model of communicator for the regular episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series . To achieve the spinning moire effect of this style of communicator in operation, Chang positioned a clear moire transparency atop another moire pattern, the latter of which was powered by a wind-up stopwatch (no batteries). Chang constructed two operational models and eight "dummy" communicators. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 11/12, p. 79) He charged Desilu a mere US$1,019.20 for designing and producing these props. ( Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook , p. 239)

A deleted scene from TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! " featuring a communicator being used by Spock

The sound produced by the TOS style of communicator was a part of the device's success, as Ben Burtt , who designed the sound effects for 2009 's Star Trek , explained; " The fact that the communicator made a cute little chirping sound, as if it were a little animal talking to you, made it all the more interesting and it sold the idea to the audience that it's really a piece of functioning technology. " ( Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek , Star Trek BD ) The communicator's sound effects were redone by sound editor Douglas Grindstaff in the second season of TOS. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 11/12, p. 85)

As written in the final draft script of " Arena ", the Metron communicator that the Metrons provide to Kirk in that episode was to have instead been from his own possession. The script referred to this type of tool as a "transicator device" that was electronic in nature (as well as using more generic terms for it, such as a "translator-recorder" and a "communicator device"), and described the device as "a small box, with dials and gauges." In common with the Metron communicators of the final episode, these devices were to have been carried in their respective user's belt, when not in use.

Developments for Phase II and early films [ ]

The communicator was planned to be slightly revised for the ultimately abandoned series Star Trek: Phase II . In a memo dated 19 July 1977 , producer Robert Goodwin proposed that the device still be a "hand communicator," but updated with several new functions. One of these suggested capabilities was essentially as a conduit of information between a generic tricorder and the Enterprise 's computer banks, enabling landing parties to remotely utilize the ship's profuse analytical equipment. ( Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series , pp. 29 & 30) Both the idea that the communicator remain as a portable hand tool and its capacity to be operated in conjunction with a tricorder – so that the communicator could transmit information directly into the Enterprise computer banks – were adopted into the series' writers/directors guide. ( Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series , p. 96)

With miniaturization in vogue in the 1970s (by which point communicators had shrunk to the size of credit cards), it was readily apparent that the new communicators could not continue to be as large as they had been in the original series. Gene Roddenberry had various ideas for how to miniaturize the devices. One concept was having them become implants, though someone noted it would look funny to see one of the 23rd century people talking to one of their own elbows. ( The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , p. 147) The invention of the wrist communicator was made either shortly before or during the writing of the first-draft script for " In Thy Image " (which was conceived as the pilot episode of Phase II but gradually developed into Star Trek: The Motion Picture ); that script includes not only a wrist communicator that was said to be flipped open and manually closed but also a hand communicator which was referred to as being "old-style." ( Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series , pp. 126 & 218) Wrist communicators were included in Phase II on the condition that they looked completely different from ones that Dick Tracy had been using for decades, in comics. Thus, it was decided to keep all the workings of the new communicator on the inside of the wrist, varying from the Dick Tracy device. ( The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , p. 147)

The design for the wrist communicators of The Motion Picture was created by Andrew Probert . ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 182) According to the book The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (p. 147), the film's wrist communicators could be used to directly contact the Enterprise 's main computer, a capacity that is not shown in the movie. These communicators were built by Brick Price Movie Miniatures , to be worn not only by the principal actors but also by dozens of fans who served as extras in a crowded scene on the Enterprise 's recreation deck . ( Enterprise Incidents #11, p. 5; Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series , p. 230) Each of the units built for the main characters had four different-colored functioning lights on the faceplate, but these were not built into the props worn by the extras. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 8 , p. 101) Indeed, the units fitting the latter style were only "Cheap $1.98 Specials." ( Enterprise Incidents #11, p. 5) The reasoning for these much flimsier and less expensive copies was to avoid overspending the prop budget, since it was inevitable that some of the fan-exclusive props would be lost to seekers of souvenirs. ( Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series , p. 230) The prototype of the wrist communicator cost US$3,500, was battery-operated so it could light up and was used for "insert", close-up shots. ( The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , p. 147) 250 communicator props were built, though most of these were the dummy communicators used by extras; only ten units had functioning lights. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 8 , p. 101) The first time William Shatner used his wrist communicator, he wore the prop backward. Luckily, property master Dick Rubin was on the set at the time and explained the prop to Shatner. ( The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , pp. 144 & 145)

The wrist communicator was replaced by an updating of the TOS design for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 204) " It's an understandable decision, " commented Michael Okuda , regarding the choice to return to the flip-top style. " You want to do something that's more advanced, and then after you've done it, you realize, 'Oh – we've lost one of our icons.' " ( audio commentary , Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Blu-ray) ) The communicators in Star Trek II were overseen by prop master Joe Longo . ( text commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD ) These were essentially recycled Vietnam War walkie-talkie units, stripped of paint and coated with chrome. " It was what Paramount wanted, " stated John Zabrucky , whose Modern Props facility created the communicators. " We had a really great design that we wanted to build, but they were fixed on those things. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 29) TOS era Star Trek films produced after Star Trek II have remained with the flip-top design aspect.

For Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , there was some initial discussion about the possibility of replacing the standard Starfleet communicators with watch-televisions that were available from companies such as Sony Corp. of America . " But it proved too expensive, " concluded associate producer Ralph Winter . ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 53) The Starfleet communicator that was ultimately developed for Star Trek III was essentially a sleeker version of the TOS communicator and was designed by Bill George of Industrial Light & Magic . ( text commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD ) The Klingon communicator of the same film was also designed by ILM. ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 218) The prop for the Klingon variant had a small round feature that, although clearly intended to resemble a tiny microphone, was actually the cutting head of a rotary electric razor . (text commentary, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD)

The prop for the Starfleet communicator from Star Trek III was revamped for use in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , wherein it was modified to include a large light that could illuminate the communicator grill as well as the face of the actor handling the prop. [1] (X) These communicators were one style of numerous props for Starfleet equipment that, during filming of Star Trek V (or at least amid the shooting of the film's interior bar scenes on Nimbus III ), were supervised by prop masters Don and Kurt Hulett , who kept track of the incoming and outgoing props. ( Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , p. 154)

TNG redesigns [ ]

The Starfleet communicator underwent more changes, in conversion between the original Star Trek series and Star Trek: The Next Generation , than either the tricorder or phaser. The design team of TNG initially returned to the idea of wrist communicators and Rick Sternbach drew a number of concept illustrations like that, several of which included a digital watch area. A similar concept (labeled an "Archer" Com) was a metallic gray device that covered much of the back of the wearer's hand and was attached around both the wrist and middle finger. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 39) The first two writers' bibles for TNG outlined the communicator as being of the wrist design. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 11)) Props master Alan Sims commented, " The earliest idea in TNG was to drop the wrist communicator [...] because it just didn't work for television. " ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 98)

Concept artwork for a "communications pack"

Next, the producers of TNG considered that the characters of the upcoming series wear an unusually large-scale model of communicator. " They said that they should hang a communicator right on the uniform just like the police wear today, " reflected Alan Sims. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 98) In accordance with this request, Sternbach created a concept drawing of a large-scale "communications pack", which was intended to contain multiple wrist communicators. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 40) " That turned out to be too big and not futuristic-looking, " said Alan Sims. " You could see police on the street with shoulder communicators so why should that remain the same for three centuries? They went round and round with the communicator. " ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 98) Sternbach recalled, " At one early production meeting in 1987 , we discussed many possible communicator designs, mostly handheld widgets with Starfleet emblems. " Gene Roddenberry looked at these and, moments later, suggested the conceptual breakthrough of combining the communicator with the Starfleet insignia as a badge. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 45)

When John Eaves was assigned the task of updating the communicator for Star Trek Generations , he – never having seen an episode of TNG but being a loyal fan of the original series – at first mistakenly based the look of the revised configuration on the flip-top communicator of TOS, before he found out that the device's appearance had developed since then. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook: The Movies , p. 34)

Retro designs [ ]

For DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ", Star Trek fan Steve Horch produced re-creations of TOS-era communicator props. At least three such replicas were built by him. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 77; [2] (X) ) During the episode's production, Miles O'Brien actor Colm Meaney had some difficulty with opening his TOS-style communicator prop. " It kept flipping open and then bouncing closed, " recalled Walter Koenig , who was on the set at the time. He asked Meaney for the prop, planning to open it for him and hoping that it would stay open thereafter. " I took it from him, " continued Koenig, " and I flipped it open and it stayed open. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 81)

The same organization was also responsible for creating the communicators of Star Trek: Enterprise . [3] (X) Owing to the setting of Enterprise being around a century earlier than that of TOS, regular usage of flip-top communicators was reintroduced on the later-produced series. ( text commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD ) As nobody wanted the communicators of ENT to be clunkier than a modern cell phone, however, the newly created devices were designed to be more streamlined than their equivalents from TOS. (" Broken Bow " text commentary , ENT Season 1 DVD ) Explained executive producer Rick Berman , " The communicators of Captain Kirk [...] a hundred years later, were more clumsy than a cell phone is today. So, we had to, sort of, split the difference. " ("Broken Bow" audio commentary, ENT Season 1 DVD) Property master Craig Binkley related, " Rick and Brannon [Braga] wanted [the new style of communicator] to flip up, but they wanted it to be very modernistic. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 138 , p. 36)

The hand-held ENT communicators were Craig Binkley's responsibility and were designed by illustrator Jim Martin . ("Broken Bow" text commentary, ENT Season 1 DVD) Once Binkley had questioned Rick Berman and Brannon Braga about how they thought the new retro communicators should look different from contemporary cell phones, Martin and Binkley began to conceive of the workings of the futuristic communicators. Binkley recalled, " There were a lot of concept ideas: Jim would do a lot of illustrations, I'd throw my two cents in, and Rick and Brannon would zero in on what they'd like – 'Well, I like this part of the communicator in this sketch, I don't like that.' " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 138 , p. 36) Jim Martin's work on the updating of the communicator impressed John Eaves, who remarked, " I so loved [...] the work he did with the reworking of the communicator and translator props. " [4]

The series' art department supplied drawings of the communicators to HMS Creative Productions, Inc. These illustrations had been repeatedly revised, many times, before Michael Moore – a member of the latter team, who created the Starfleet communicators – viewed them. Besides some "hero" props (specifically, numerous working models as well as a range of rubber ones), several wax communicators were additionally built, early in the series. These were made to break apart easily, to portray Shran smashing them to pieces in " The Andorian Incident ". All of the hero communicators had spring-loaded self-opening antenna grids, and each of the working ones had a light-up graphic. The display was drawn by Robert Mannion , inspired by on-screen graphics from colleague Steve Horch 's Motorola Timeport cellphone. [5] (X) [6]

In one scene from ENT : " Sleeping Dogs ", the episode's final draft script described a Starfleet landing party as using, for ship-to-ship communication, the "suit coms" built into their EV suits , while wearing the lower parts of the suits but not their helmets. However, one of the hand-held communicators are instead used in the final version of that scene.

Although one particular writer who was hired onto ENT Season 2 by Brannon Braga tried to fake a foreknowledge of Star Trek , a description which the person gave about communicators made it clear they had lied. " [It] was so wrong. It was... they put it up to their ear, you know, like a phone or something like that, " Brannon Braga recalled, laughing. ("Part One: Call to Arms", ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

The design of the alternate reality communicator, which debuted in the 2009 film Star Trek , was impacted by the fact that – although the TOS-era communicator had elements that seemed futuristic when the device was initially designed – those same elements had become outdated by the time the film was in pre-production. Prop master Russell Bobbitt recalled, " I connected with Nokia , their engineers and we asked ourselves, 'What will it be 400 years in the future?' We did some conceptual drawings. " [7] In fact, at least seven different communicator designs were sketched for the film, before the final one was selected. " We kept bits from the original, like the lid that flips up, " commented Bobbitt. Although many of the potential designs proposed the inclusion of a glass sphere that would provide a holographic display, this element did not make it into the final design. ( Star Trek - The Art of the Film , p. 108) Bobbitt and his team went on to build a prototype model that cost US$50,000. [8] The Star Trek crew also made a communicator prop for scenes set aboard the USS Kelvin in 2233 . The Kelvin -era communicator had an orange flip-top branded with the ship's assignment patch , and a bronze interior resembling its prime reality successors. [9]

Props Master Andrew Siegel , who was assigned to work on Star Trek Into Darkness , considered it fortunate that the previous Star Trek movie had redesigned the communicator. As such, this reduced the amount of work that the props department for the new film had to do to update the device. During production on Star Trek Into Darkness , though, the communicator props did not escape the danger of breakage. " There was a dicey moment with a communicator where an actor chose to use it in a way that definitely endangered its longevity, " remembered Siegel. " I sweated on that one a little bit, but it all worked out. It actually looks great in the finished scene. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 173 , pp. 78 & 80)

As regards the design of Starfleet communicator in Star Trek: Discovery , Aaron Harberts described communicators as "super-important [...] key props" that "nobody wanted to really change." [10]

Cultural impact [ ]

The way in which both the TOS-era communicator and its TNG equivalent were operated became pop culture icons, as noted by Alan Sims; " The single chest tap became the signature motion of TNG the way the wrist flip became the signature motion of the original series. " ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 98)

The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (3rd ed., p. 518) notes that, when the communicator was first invented in 1964 , it appeared to be incredibly advanced and compact, with few believing that Star Trek would still be airing when portable cellular phones were invented. Dr. Martin Cooper , the inventor of the modern mobile phone, credits the TOS communicator as being his inspiration for coming up with the invention in the 1970s (when he was a General Manager of Systems at Motorola). [11] Stated André Bormanis , " Some engineer at Motorola thought, 'Hey it’d be cool to make this look like the communicator, but we need to make it smaller. Or fold it. You can flip it open like Kirk and Spock did, because that was so cool.' " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 32) An exhibit that encompassed information on how the portable phone originated from Star Trek was included in Star Trek: The Exhibition when it moved to London in October 1995 . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 9 , p. 6) An actual TOS-era communicator was also included in the exhibition but was a part of the touring collection from its beginnings in Edinburgh . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 1 , p. 20)

Since the 1970s, the influence of the communicator on the mobile phone has continued to become increasingly apparent. For instance, in a 1996 interview, Robert Picardo – actor of The Doctor – commented, " The Motorola flip-phone is simply a communicator turned upside down. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 18 , p. 55) In an interview from later that year, Rick Sternbach concurred, " We've done a number of interviews where the typical comparison is made between the communicator and the pocket flip-phone. They're getting very, very close. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 21 , p. 29) The text commentary for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition) (written by Michael Okuda in the early 2000s ) comments that the TOS-era communicators "looked a little like present-day cellphones." In the 2009 book Star Trek - The Art of the Film (p. 108), Russell Bobbitt notes, " Today, everyone has a communicator – it's called a cell phone. "

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s , TOS-era communicators were sold by numerous major auction houses, including Sotheby's , Butterfield and Butterfield , Profiles In History and Christies . [12] Among the items which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay was a 22nd century communicator circuit board from the episode " Shockwave, Part II ", [13] and a Klingon communicator, used in Star Trek: The Next Generation . [14] According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 427), in the 24th century, the Klingon communicator had been incorporated into small decorative pins which were worn on a warrior 's uniform. They were two styles of pins, with the early versions designed by Rick Sternback and the later versions by John Eaves .

Steve Horch and others from HMS Creative Productions recreated some of the communicators for display (such as at Star Trek: The Experience ). These included the metallic Starfleet communicators from Star Trek II , which incorporated interactive lights and were nickel -plated, and Star Trek III , which featured working LED lights as well as sound effects. To recreate the latter style, Steve Horch used a polished brass midplate. [15] (X)

External link [ ]

• Communicator at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

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STAR TREK: SOUND EFFECTS – OST 1988

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Douglas Grindstaff’s Sound Effects for the Original ‘Star Trek’

by Michael Kunkes

The original  Star Trek  series, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1969, boldly went where no series had gone before in terms of sound effects editing.  The universe of the USS Enterprise was alive with sound, much of it musical in nature: computer banks, phasers, transporters, photon torpedoes, communicators, and alien and creature vocals.  Much of that was due to the singular vision of writer/producer Gene Roddenberry, along with the inventiveness of Douglas H. Grindstaff, who served as the show’s supervising sound effects editor for the entire 80-episode run.

Grindstaff, who entered the industry in 1954 after service in the Korean War, won five Emmy Awards for his television sound work as well as the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.  He also headed the sound departments at Paramount Studios, Lorimar Telepictures, Columbia Studios and Pacific Sound before his retirement in 1990.

“When I went to work on the series, Gene described to me what he wanted the Enterprise to sound like,” Grindstaff recalls.  “I asked him if he didn’t think we were getting a little too ‘cartoony’ with the sound effects, and he told me, ‘Doug, I want you to think like an artist and paint everything with sound.’  That’s what he wanted, and that’s why the show sounded the way it did.  He had a very strong vision; you had to give him what he wanted, but you also had to use your own instinct about what should be.  You were either on his wavelength or you weren’t.”

Grindstaff and his crew built their tracks mainly from some material in the Paramount and Desilu sound effects libraries, as well as their own personal libraries.  Additional sounds came from Paramount’s 1953 version of  War of the Worlds .  Sadly, the library he meticulously created, bundled and catalogued is now lost to history.

Working with small TV budgets, Grindstaff maximized what he had.  For example, to create the shimmering, musical sound of the Enterprise transporter, he blended together a few musical effects and electric generator sounds.  Then, on a Moviola, he would create his own fades by shaving the mag sound with a razor blade at the desired point, a technique he learned from the late George Emich, who was Fred Astaire’s music editor at RKO, and who is co-credited with applying the click track to music editing.  “I created my own fades because I didn’t trust the mixers to get it the way I wanted it,” Grindstaff laughed.  “We also did all our own Foley and ADR looping.”

Other sounds were just as inventive.  At Roddenberry’s insistence, each planet visited by the Enterprise had to have its own sound, and for these, Grindstaff would use variations of an orchestra tuning up.  In one legendary episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Grindstaff used screech-owls, doves and rat “vocals” for the voices of the furry pets, who came aboard the Enterprise and began reproducing at an alarming rate.  “I had to go from a single Tribble to the sounds of thousands of them filling the ship,” he says.  “I ran them backwards and forwards, put them on the variable speeder and edited loops, so I could have multiple tracks and mix them at different levels for different spots in the ship.”

The schedule was brutal.  “You were making things every week, and that was the tough part,” he recalls.  “I’d try and get as much ready as I could a couple of weeks before we got an episode, so that when the show was turned over to the editors, I had the sound effects pretty well set, and could tell them the right spots to put everything.  I also always insisted on having a sound effects editor at every mix.”

Nearly ten years after the Enterprise concluded its five-year mission, Grindstaff was offered a job by Roddenberry on Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).  He turned it down.  “Not long before that, I had gone to see Star Wars , and I flipped out,” he says.  “I just said to myself, ‘Man, we blew it; we should have made a Star Trek movie a lot sooner.’  But I sure intend to go see this one.”  Was he aware that he was creating something entirely new in sci-fi sound effects?  “Hardly; I was too busy working for Gene.”

• Sound Editors

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©2016-2021 Motion Picture Editors Guild

Star Trek Sound Effects

Star trek sound effects mainly from the original series. Some of the Next Generation era effects and sounds thrown in for good measure. Transporters, phasers computers alerts and more !

Category: Sound FX    Tracks: 27    Views: 806470   

by Jason Booth - 27 tracks

Boards form Jason Booth

© Copyright 2007-2019

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Star trek communicator call beep re-creation.

July 31st, 2011

A recreation of the sound effect made when a communicator beeps. This is not the same as the "chirp" made when the communicator is flipped open, but the "ringtone."

A simple sine wave at the appropriate frequency, beeped twice.

Flac (.flac)

Sample rate

3 years, 4 months ago

10 years, 1 month ago

nice future phone call

10 years, 7 months ago

Thanks mate!

10 years, 8 months ago

Nice sample. Easy on the ear. Thankyou.

• 624 downloads

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Star Trek: The Original Series Sound Effects

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Star Trek: Light-and-Sound Communicator (RP Minis) Paperback – May 24, 2016

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 48 pages
• Language English
• Publisher RP Minis
• Publication date May 24, 2016
• Dimensions 3 x 1.88 x 3.88 inches
• ISBN-10 0762459336
• ISBN-13 978-0762459339
• See all details

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About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ RP Minis; Box Min to edition (May 24, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762459336
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0762459339
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 3 x 1.88 x 3.88 inches
• #4 in Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Television (Books)
• #5 in Antique & Collectible Toys (Books)
• #9 in Popular Culture Antiques & Collectibles (Books)

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Customer Review: Great

Dylon Perkins

Customer Review: Slightly smaller than original size. Has the chirp on a button.

STEVEN C LEWIS

Customer Review: Star Treking across the universe......

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Customer Review: This is a perfect replica!

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Customer Review: Arrived with Dead batteries

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About the author

Chip carter.

Chip began his trek into the written world with numerous STAR TREK trading cards. After selling a story pitch to STAR TREK: VOYAGER, he wrote the Obsessed With Star Trek trivia book, gift books highlighting Star Trek technology, and continues to work on other licensed products including thousands of questions for licensed Trivial Pursuit sets for THE WALKING DEAD, HARRY POTTER and of course, STAR TREK.

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Star Trek: The Original Series Bluetooth Communicator - 55th Anniversary Limited Edition

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Estimated delivery date: May 01 - May 05

The exclusive Star Trek: The Original Series Communicator is a fully functioning Bluetooth handset compatible with all Bluetooth enabled devices worldwide, such as mobile phones and music players. With its contactless charging stand, high-quality MEMS microphone and large speaker, it doubles as a hands-free kit and a desktop Bluetooth speaker. To mark Star Trek’s 55th anniversary, the Wand Company's premium Original Series Communicator replica is back, with all new voice clips.

Product Details:

• Highly accurate: Created from 3D scans of the original hero prop with 3D texture mapping to replicate hero prop surface finish  
• Fully working Bluetooth handset: Easy to pair with any Bluetooth compatible mobile phone – authentic flip-to-answer action.
• Immersive play features: Authentic voices and sound FX from the Star Trek universe.
• Contactless charging: Magnetic desktop display stand. Built in Lithium polymer battery.
• High Quality: Highly realistic construction, with die-cast zinc and CNC machined aluminum components, plus iridescent coated jewels.

What's in the box?

• Star Trek: Original Series Bluetooth Communicator
• Magnetic wireless charging stand
• Micro-USB charging cable
• Leatherette slip cover
• Illustrated user instructions
• Protective foam lined transit case wit h exclusive 55th Anniversary art.

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• Return Policy: We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
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• Multi-item Orders: Expedited shipping options are not available in the checkout for multi-item orders that include Fast Ship items AND products that are not noted as Fast Ship.
• Availability: Ships internationally to most countries around the world.
• Shipping Policy: For more information, see our Shipping Policy here .

The Ultimate Collectible

"it is also probably the best reproduction of that prop ever offered."

-- The Trek Collective

Ultimate Collectible

Whether you have just discovered  Star Trek  or have been hooked since you were a kid, this Communicator is something that you just have to own. Researched, designed and built with fanatical attention to detail, the simplicity of its embossed, die-cast, magnetic, wireless charging stand presents and charges this iconic piece with style.

Beautifully Presented

The Communicator prop replica is protected from damage and kept in pristine condition (when not on display) in a high quality, moulded-foam-lined presentation case. Manufactured in hard-wearing engineering-grade ABS, the case is also designed to stack as if supplied from the original Enterprise. When on the move, a leatherette pouch protects it from scuffing.

Quality Materials

High-quality materials are brought together to create an exceptionally well-finished Communicator replica that looks and feels like it means business: CNC-machined aluminium; nickel-plated die-cast zinc; punched, pressed and welded steel; thermoplastic polyurethane rubber; ABS plastic with a digitally created texture.

Additional Product Details

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Star Trek  TM : The Original Series

Bluetooth ® communicator prop replica, the wand company is proud to present our star trek: the original series bluetooth communicator. this exceptionally accurate and highly detailed working replica was revealed on thinkgeek’s booth at san diego comic-con in july 2015., our new communicator is an advanced bluetooth enabled speakerphone that is compatible with all bluetooth enabled communications equipment worldwide, such as mobile phones and music players..

Highly accurate: Created from 3D scans of the last known hero prop

Fully functional: Easy to pair with any Bluetooth compatible mobile phone

Authentic function: Use the classic flip action to answer calls

High quality: Die-cast zinc, CNC machined aluminium, iridescent coated jewels

Contactless charging: Built-in lithium polymer battery

Immersive play features:  17 new authentic voice clips and 3 Original Series Communicator sound FX

Gorgeous transit case : Moulded foam lined transit case and leatherette pouch

beautifully presented

The Communicator prop replica is protected from damage and kept in pristine condition (when not on display) in a high quality, moulded-foam-lined presentation case. Manufactured in hard-wearing engineering-grade ABS, the case is also designed to stack as if supplied from the original Enterprise. When on the move, a leatherette pouch protects it from scuffing.

quality materials

High-quality materials are brought together to create an exceptionally well-finished Communicator replica that looks and feels like it means business: CNC-machined aluminium; nickel-plated die-cast zinc; punched, pressed and welded steel; thermoplastic polyurethane rubber; ABS plastic with a digitally created texture.

the ultimate collectible

Whether you have just discovered Star Trek  or have been hooked since you were a kid, this Communicator is something that you just have to own. Researched, designed and built with fanatical attention to detail, the simplicity of its embossed, die-cast, magnetic, wireless charging stand presents and charges this iconic piece with style.

the fantasy made real

Designed from the first 3D structured light scans of the last known hero screen-used Communicator prop, this amazing replica boasts a host of exciting features such as a silent rotating moiré pattern, AB-coated iridescent jewels and, authentic voice clips arranged in sentence fragments for immersive play, while also being a fully-functional Bluetooth enabled handset.

The Wand Company’s attention to detail combined with state-of-the-art technology brings the fantasy to life

This Original Series  Bluetooth Communicator is not a toy: it is an advanced, Bluetooth wireless technology enabled communications device, designed to pair with a mobile phone and thus permit near instantaneous person-to-person communication at a considerable distance. When paired with a device capable of streaming music, the Communicator may also be used as a wireless music speaker.

This Communicator has been developed to give its owner the maximum level of enjoyment; designed using extremely accurate 3D scans of one of the last remaining communicator hero props from the 1960s Original Series television show, dedicated attention to detail, the use of authentic materials, textures and finishes and the tireless support and extraordinarily deep knowledge of HeroComm.com so generously given to us, has resulted in a fully functioning, display grade product that is highly faithful to the original prop.

The Communicator is robust enough to be used in play and cosplay. With its authentic sound effects and original voice clips, the Communicator provides plenty of opportunity for in-universe interaction and fun, and of course its Bluetooth functionality enables it to be used exactly as it was always intended – as a person-to-person communications device. The Communicator is not a walkie-talkie. In order to use it to talk to another person, you will also need a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone (or internet phone) that can make and receive telephone calls.

Pairing and using the Communicator with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to receive and make calls is straightforward

Pairing with a mobile phone is a simple procedure.

Once the Communicator is paired with a phone, just flip open the antenna grille to answer an incoming call.

Press and hold the right-hand button to initiate voice dialling (or to access other functions available via voice-activated assistants such as Siri on iPhones, Google Now on Android or Cortana on Windows phones).

Double-click the right-hand button to pause and play music.

20 authentic Star Trek voice clips and Communicator sound FX can be accessed at any time via the right-hand 5-way jog button.

What people are saying about the Communicator

The Verge The little device was actually designed using one of the original props from Star Trek, and is composed of a combination of pressed metal, aluminum, and textured plastic. Without having actually lived through the 1960s, I thought it felt authentic — weighty and purposeful for people in Starfleet. The grill flips opens with the actual sound effects from the show, and the speaker and transceiver make it look truly like a 23rd century artifact.

The Thrillist That sound you may have heard earlier today? The excited sobs of Trekkies everywhere when they saw that this bad boy is soon going to be a reality. The Wand Company just threw down a certified replica of the iconic Star Trek Original Series Communicator. A fully-functioning certified replica. Yeah!

Gizmodo This Bluetooth-equipped Star Trek Communicator is going to enable my bad habits even further—and my friends will hate me for it. Created by The Wand Company, a toy outfit that has a penchant for designing nerd treasure with actual real-world function.

Pocket Now Here’s where things get intense. The Wand Company wasn’t content merely to kick out a slightly refined version of the communicator toys we’ve seen for years; rather, building on the reproduction expertise it demonstrated with its earlier phaser remote control, it’s made the Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator a fully-fledged, museum-quality replica.

The Trek Collective …it is also probably the best reproduction of that prop ever offered.

Our customers

“It’s so great that you build all that stuff from the original show!!! Thanks for that!! I will buy some!”

“I wish I could high five each and everyone one of you at The Wand Company you all def deserve!”

“This is absolutely amazing. I just got through studying it. Heck, even the diagram is fantastic. I can’t imagine how great it will be to actually hold one of these in my hands.”

“I am very much looking forward to this, if it works like I hope it works, I may never talk directly on my phone again!”

“I’ve never even watched Star Trek and I honestly want this. Looks awesome.”

“This is awesome, Wand Company! Have wanted one of these for a long time and this was a great surprise when I came across it today! Every one of your products so far has been great! Keep it up!”

“I’ve been involved in the Star Trek prop-building community for a long time, and this is the holy grail. Commercially available “replicas” made up to this point have been pretty lackluster…and come in at many times the price of this and had no practical functionality at all.”

“This will look fantastic sitting next to my Phaser can’t wait.”

“Wow. You are spoiling us now….but THANK YOU!!! An already top quality product just got better!”

A Communicator that really works is a dream come true for fans who have waited 50 years for the function of this iconic prop to be realised.

Ever since James Tiberius Kirk flipped that gold-coloured antenna grille, called the Enterprise’s Chief Engineer orbiting 1000 kilometres above him, and asked to be beamed up, every Star Trek fan, in fact pretty much every science fiction fan, has wistfully dreamed of having a working Communicator of their own.

The Communicator didn’t just excite fans with a sense of what the future might hold for them: it actually inspired engineers to boldly go and create that future. Martin Cooper, the engineer working at Motorola credited with creating the world’s first mobile phone in 1973, said it was Kirk’s iconic prop that inspired him to create it.

The mobile phone has changed the way that the human race interacts. Mobile phones now dominate one-to-one and one-to-many communications; but still nothing can compare with the utter magic of putting yourself into the mindset of an intrepid 23rd century Starfleet landing party and flipping that golden antenna grille to answer an incoming call with the classic Communicator chirp, or speaking through the Communicator to your ship’s computer to ask it to dial and connect you with one of your friends.

For all those fans that dreamed, now at last the wait is over – owning is believing!

Where you can order a Communicator

The Communicator is available exclusively from

United States | United Kingdom | Canada | European Union

Is the Communicator a walkie talkie?

Can i receive phone calls on the communicator, can i make phone calls on the communicator, what batteries does the communicator use.

• Is the Communicator a ``screen-accurate`` replica?

Can I use any USB cable to power up the charging stand?

Frequently-asked questions.

Look down this list of frequently-asked questions to find answers that will help you if you are thinking of buying a Communicator and want to learn more about how it works.

No, the Communicator is a Bluetooth enabled handset. This means that the Communicator can wirelessly send and receive audio to and from a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone (or Bluetooth enabled music player) within a range of about five metres. Therefore, in order to use the Communicator to talk to other people, you will need a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone with which the Communicator will have to be paired and connected.

Yes, provided you have a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone and the Communicator is paired with it, within range and connected to it.

When a call comes in, the Communicator will play the hailing beep and flipping open the antenna grille will answer the call.

The Communicator does not have a numeric keypad or graphical display, so calls may only be initiated via the Communicator if it is paired with and connected to a mobile phone that supports voice dialing from a hands-free Bluetooth headset, or by using the ‘last number redial’ function (see below).

To make a call:

Single click the right button to initiate voice dialing.

Once voice dialing is initiated the Communicator will play speech prompts and confirmation tones from your mobile through the Communicator’s speaker and your mobile phone will use the Communicator’s microphone.

For some phones, an internet connection is required for voice dialing.

IMPORTANT: Please check your mobile phone’s user manual to find out if your mobile phone supports voice dialing from a Bluetooth headset, and best way to activate and use it. There are some mobile phones that can only use voice dialing if a key is pressed on the mobile phone to initiate voice dialing. You will not be able to use a phone like this for voice dialing from the Communicator. Also, identical mobile phones may handle remote voice dialing differently depending on what version of operating system software they currently have installed.

Last number redial

Press and hold the right button for last number redial. This can be useful where your mobile phone doesn’t support remote voice dialing, but you would still like to make a call from your Communicator.

What batteries does the Communicator use?

The Communicator has a built-in rechargeable lithium polymer power cell that is recharged via the USB cable supplied with the Communicator. (Any good quality USB to micro-USB cable may also be used). The Communicator handset is charged by placing it on the charging base and held in place by magnetic catches.

Is the Communicator a “screen-accurate” replica?

For most users the answer is a definite “Yes!”. We have spent thousands of hours and taken great care to make this Communicator replica as accurate as possible to the last known screen-used hero prop that Shatner and Nimoy used in the original series of Star Trek. In order to make it so accurate we took high-resolution 3D structured light scans of the “Alpha” original hero prop. To complement the “Alpha” scans we took numerous photographs and measurements, 3D laser scanned the “Epsilon” static screen-used prop, and took castings from (and weighed the components of) the “Zeta” static prop. We also made use of HeroComm.com’s extensive access to samples of authentic original materials, which were kindly loaned to us to make sure that our Communicator not only followed the data of the original accurately, but also captured the nuances of the original prop’s intention.

However, in order to make the Communicator manufacturable and more affordable, and to iron out some of the original’s inconsistencies, we have had to make some slight changes, and as such, this replica may be considered to be an idealised version of the original hero prop.

The original hero prop was made from a range of different materials including thermoformed Kydex sheet material, brass, and aluminium. In order to keep the cost as reasonable as possible we have used the nearest equivalent material that is suitable for modern manufacturing methods. Where metal was used in the construction of the hero prop, we have used metal in the Communicator replica.

The Main Housing

The hero prop’s main housing was made by thermoforming a sheet of Kydex material over a specially shaped tool. The Kydex had a particular pattern designed to replicate a pigskin texture. Due to the process, the texture stretched slightly at the sides, where the sheet was drawn down over the steeper draft angles of the housing. Our Communicator could not be made using thermoforming due to the need for internal fixings, so as a result our replica’s housing is made from injection-moulded ABS. However, the Kydex pattern was carefully reproduced using an advanced 3D laser etching process to create the pattern on the surface of the mould tool. One of the benefits of using this process is that we were able to measure the distortion of the original sheet material and recreate it on the texture of the injection-moulded part.

The Antenna Grille

The hero prop’s antenna grille was made by forming a sheet of perforated brass to give it its distinctive rounded-corner box shape. This was then soldered onto a brass wire that was glued into the turned brass hinge axle. For our Communicator for the purposes of robustness we have used steel for the grille and the supporting wire and coated it in a gold metallic finish. The hinge axle is die cast zinc.

The Mid-Plate

The hero prop’s mid-plate was a simple shape cut out of a sheet of aluminium. While our Communicator’s mid-plate looks identical on the outside, inside the Communicator it has a complex design that is a structural element, providing a fixing for many internal parts and a strong hinge stop for the antenna grille. As a result our Communicator’s mid-plate is manufactured in die-cast zinc, causing the overall weight of our replica to be around 27 grams heavier than the screen-used “Alpha” hero prop.

The Moiré Bezel

In the hero prop, where aluminium was used for the bezel, we have copied this exactly using CNC-machined aerospace-grade aluminium. On the “Alpha” hero prop, the bezel was mounted not quite centrally onto the top of the housing – we have corrected this imperfection for our product.

The hero prop’s jewels were Swarovski jewels mounted on the upturned ends of vacuum metallised slot car wheel hubs. The left and right jewels were sputter coated in gold to give them an iridescent AB (Aurora Borealis) look. The hero prop jewels did not light up and were prone to falling off. Our Communicator’s jewels do light up and need to be fixed permanently in place. The replica jewels are injection moulded – with facets underneath to catch the light. The left and right jewels are also sputter coated in a gold layer to give them that authentic iridescent AB (Aurora Borealis) appearance. Light pipes connect the jewels to LEDs inside the main housing, and chromium-plated injection-moulded mounts house and fix the jewels permanently in position. In the “Alpha” prop, the jewels were not evenly spaced across the housing – this was not an intentional aspect of the design so we have corrected the spacing for our product.

The Buttons

The hero prop had vacuum-metallised slot car wheel hubs as buttons. The original hubs were injection moulded in yellow plastic that was coated in a very thin layer of shiny metal. As a result it wore off during handling, revealing the plastic underneath. Our Communicator uses specially moulded buttons that are more heavily plated (with true chrome electroplating) and will be much less prone to surface wear.

Moiré winder

The “Alpha” hero prop’s moiré pattern rotated, turned by a pocket watch mechanism inside the prop. This was wound up through a brass tube that poked out of the main housing at the front under the mid-plate. After careful consideration, we decided that this aspect of the hero prop was not intended to be shown on screen and as a result was removed from our design. To make room inside the Communicator for the Bluetooth wireless components battery and speaker, the moiré screen is rotated by a miniature stepper motor.

Yes. The Communicator is supplied with with a USB charging cable, but any good quality micro-USB cable may be used to power the charging stand and thus charge up the Communicator.

Look down this list of frequently-asked questions to find answers that will help you if you are thinking of buying a Communicator and want to learn more about how it works.

Is the Communicator a "screen accurate" replica?

The “Alpha” hero prop’s moiré pattern rotated, turned by a pocket watch mechanism inside the prop. This was wound up through a brass tube that poked out of the main housing at the front under the mid-plate. After careful consideration,we decided that this aspect of the hero prop was not intended to be shown on screen and as a result was removed from our design. To make room inside the Communicator for the Bluetooth wireless components battery and speaker, the moiré screen is rotated by a miniature stepper motor.

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