The instruction sheet that came with the box actually tells you how to hold and operate the Tricorder. So, please read it, even if you already know all this stuff.

This Tricorder takes 3x AAA batteries. And as you can see, its very tight in there. The plastic cover doubles up as the battery holder and also as a grill for the speaker. I tried to pry it open after removing three other extra screws but its snapped on tight. Naturally, if  you leave the cover open, the sound is very loud.

This is the second time I have ever seen screw system like this, the first being an Endgame Tricorder resin kit which came from Roddenberry.com. Anyway, you have to be very careful because not only are the screws tiny, which you need a jeweller's screwdriver to make it work, its top is also painted with the same paint scheme. One thing I've learnt from the techs at Toshiba is how to screw. You know that. to fasten a screw, you have to screw in clockwise direction. So, you that you first screw in a counter-clockwise direction slowly until you 'feel' a click. This is where the screw thread sort of meets the origin on the matching thread. Then slowly screw in clockwise direction. Keep doing it until you feel a slight resistance. This means you're almost about to reach the end of the thread. Screw lightly until the resistance is stronger. Stop rigth here as going futher means killng the screw threads.

Once you add in the batteries, the Mk IX would weight a little more than half a Kilo. As I was carrying this in my pant's pocket on the way to the office, it just occurred to me that with such weight, it is not easy to carry them about as was my intention; to have it with me all the time. Even the holster/belt would sag from all the weight, swinging here and there like two pieces of gold bullion, knocking into other things.

This is how the Mk IX looks like when opened. Just like the prop, it is very accurate. The Master replicas version has a slightly darker paintjob.

But unlike the prop, I am not sure if the clear area allows you to see through and into the small SMD LEDs, though. While the red bargraph is diffused, the binary numbers '0010111010' is clear. Compared to Master Replicas version, they were masked.

When activated, the Tricorder jumps to life and all the wonderful LEDs flash in their correct sequence. However, I am not so sure about the red/green sequence on the far right and also the yellow Okudagram bar inside the view screen which I thought would flash in the opprosite direction of the Alpha, Beta, Gamma & Delta LEDs.

When I say the LEDs are bright, I do mean that are bright. And sometimes, when I look at it, its almost blinding. I am so tempted to open up the Tricorder and diffuse the clear areas.

Despite its bright lighting, the Tricorder looks OK when under the Sun. But if this was done in a shade, it would be perfect, I think.

However, when I got it inside the office, its too bright again. Maybe eFX followed the brightness of the original prop to counter the brightness of the studio lights.