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Re-Used Props - Miscellaneous Equipment
by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider

Containers - Other Equipment

Many props of Star Trek were later modified or even recycled without changes to represent equipment for a different purpose or of another civilization. Here are quite a few examples of devices of which some defy a classification. Please note that every statement made here should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no need to seek for explanations. Certainly we are not supposed to watch closely enough to notice that the same props are used for just every conceivable purpose.

Containers

Onion-shaped containers These characteristic spherical containers appear in the Cardassian labor camp in DS9: "The Homecoming". The same prop is used on Hirogen ships as a sort of control console. The Vori use this design for containers as well as for a generator of unknown purpose.

Cardassian containers (DS9: "The Homecoming") (screen capture by Jörg)	Hirogen consoles (VOY: "Hunters") (Fact Files, scan by Bernd)
Vori container (VOY: "Nemesis") (screen capture by Jörg)	Vori generator (VOY: "Nemesis") (screen capture by Jörg)

Finally, the onion-like container can be seen aboard the ECS Fortunate and at the entrance of the mine in ENT: "The Xindi".

Containers in ENT: "Fortunate Son" (screen capture by Jörg)

Container in ENT: "The Xindi" (screen capture by Jörg)

Outside the Trek Universe one of these containers shows up in the Firefly episode "War Stories".

Container in Firefly: "War Stories"
(screen capture by Philip Bober)

Spherical containers The EPS regulators on DS9 can also be seen at the time portal of Golana (DS9: "Time's Orphan") where they must have been around for many centuries. The prop can be seen in at least ten more episodes, most often as freight containers. Only in one of its latest known incarnations as flower pots in ENT: "Oasis" the spheres are used in a similar fashion as originally intended. It is a composter named "Bio Orb".

EPS regulator (DS9: "In the Cards") (screen capture by Jörg)	Part of Golana time portal (DS9: "Time's Orphan") (screen capture by Jörg)
Containers (DS9: "What You Leave Behind") (screen capture by Jörg)	Plasma regulators (VOY: "Concerning Flight") (screen capture by Jörg)
Containers in four episodes (screen capture by Jörg)	Containers (ENT: "Anomaly") (screen capture by Michael Minnick)

Still more containers, and the origin of the prop
(screen capture by Jörg) 

The round compost containers appeared not only in Star Trek but also in "Babylon 5", "Crusade" and "Galaxy Quest".

Containers in "Babylon 5" and "Galaxy Quest" (screen capture by Jörg)

Containers in "Crusade" (screen captures by Philip Bober)

Self-replicating mine Speaking of composters, the self-replicating mine from DS9: "A Call to Arms" showed up in at least six other episodes, each time as cargo containers. In VOY: "Memorial" and ENT: "Favorite Son" there was even a combination of this type of composters and the one above. Most remarkably the containers formed a part of the hull of the Tellarite freighter in ENT: "Bounty".

Self-replicating mine (DS9: "Call to Arms") (screen capture by Jörg)	Containers in two episodes (screen capture by Jörg)
Containers in four episodes (screen capture by Jörg)	Containers in ENT: "The Xindi" (screen capture by Jörg)

Bolian container & mining drill The Bolian container from DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn" was only slightly modified to act as the upper part of a drill on the New Sydney colony in DS9: "Prodigal Daughter".

Bolian container (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn") (screen capture by Jörg)

Drill on New Sydney (DS9: "Prodigal Daughter") (screen capture by Jörg)

Blue bottle A blue bottle acts as a Zalkonian data storage device in TNG: "Transfigurations". The same bottle appears on a market place on the Mari homeworld in VOY: "Random Thoughts".

Zalkonian storage device (TNG: "Transfigurations") (screen capture by Jörg)

Bottle on Mari market (VOY: "Random Thoughts") (screen capture by Jörg)

Plasma bottle Since we could previously see it as a plasma bottle in VOY: "Prototype", Janeway's thermos flask in VOY: "Endgame" probably holds the hottest tea ever. The prop looks like it could be a real thermos flask.

The same bottle in VOY: "Prototype" and in "Endgame"
(screen capture by Jörg)

Other Equipment

Engineering rack & examination couch A rack used for the construction of the prototype unit in VOY: "Prototype" later appears as an examination couch on Dr. Gegen's starship in VOY: "Distant Origin".

Construction rack (VOY: "Prototype") (screen capture by Jörg)

Examination couch (VOY: "Distant Origin") (screen capture by Jörg)

"Robodog" Dr. Graves has something in his office that looks like a primitive robotic dog (probably rather as a nostalgic decoration than as a display of his present work). The same prop can be seen in Ard'rian's house on Tau Cygna in TNG: "The Ensigns of Command". Here it is obviously meant to be something modern by the standard of the planet's technology, like the other robots that almost make even Data smirk. 

Graves' robodog (TNG: "The Schizoid Man") (screen capture by Jörg)

Ard'rian's robodog (TNG: "The Ensigns...") (screen capture by Jörg)

Desktop box This octagonal box was originally built for TNG: "Booby Trap", where it served as a data storage device. It then appeared as the communication scrambler used by Jonas in VOY: "Threshold". Finally, we could see the box as a communication device of the Borg Cooperative in VOY: "Unity". The device was repainted and slightly modified each time. More about the prop at Jonathansweb.

Storage device (TNG: "Booby Trap") (screen capture by Jörg)

Communication scrambler (VOY: "Threshold") (screen capture by Jörg)

Cooperative communication device (VOY: "Unity")
(screen capture by Jörg)

SCM & trajector matrix Wesley shows Salia a device he calls an "SCN model III" in TNG: "The Dauphin". The same component can be seen in Riker's quarters in TNG: "Conundrum" and in the hands of the aliens in "Schisms". Years later the prop is prominently featured as the Sikarian trajector matrix in VOY: "Prime Factors".

SCM model III (TNG: "The Dauphin") (screen capture by Jörg)	Device in Riker's quarters (TNG: "Conundrum") (screen capture by Jörg)
Solanagen-based alien device (ENT: "Schisms") (screen capture by Jörg)	Trajector matrix (VOY: "Prime Factors") (screen capture by Jörg)

Alien & Starfleet field generator Here is the alien field generator that Bashir takes to the Enterprise for closer investigation in TNG: "Birthright, part1". The prop was simply turned by 90 degrees and slightly modified to look more "Starfleetish" and to serve as Voyager's polaron generator (the one that causes the paradox in the first place) in VOY: "Time and Again".

Field generator (TNG: "Birthright, part 1") (screen capture by Jörg)

Polaron generator (VOY: "Time and Again") (screen capture by Jörg)

Harvester annihilator & temporal field generator The container devised to destroy the Harvester weapon in DS9: "Armageddon Game" was repainted, and additional antennae were added to serve as the temporal field generator on Golana in DS9: "Time's Orphan". On both devices the central part is extendable, to insert the Harvester cylinders and to activate the time portal, respectively.

Harvester annihilator (DS9: "Armageddon Game") (screen capture by Jörg)

Temporal field generator (DS9: "Time's Orphan") (screen capture by Jörg)

Phase discriminator & scanner The phase discriminator from TNG: "Time's Arrow" that allows to enter the phase in which the Devidians exist reappears as some sort of scanner in B'Elanna's hands in VOY: "Tattoo".

Phase discriminator (TNG: "Time's Arrow") (screen capture by Felix Ernie)

Scanner (VOY: "Tattoo") (screen capture by Felix Ernie)

Shapeshifting inhibitor & protein sequencer The central part of the equipment that Garak used to forcibly keep Odo in his solid form in DS9: "The Die is Cast" reappeared as a protein sequencer in DS9: "The Quickening".

Shapeshifting inhibitor (DS9: "The Die is Cast") (screen capture by Jörg)

Protein sequencer (DS9: "The Quickening") (screen capture by Jörg)

Tooth sharpener Tooth sharpeners seem to be important tools in the Ferengi culture, and Worf is visibly fond of them too. But the real usefulness of these little devices becomes obvious considering that they can as well be used for trimming your toe nails.

Tooth sharpener (DS9: "Family Business") (screen capture by Jörg)

Tooth sharpener (DS9: "Little Green Men") (screen capture by Jörg)

Pedicure device (DS9: "Tacking into the Wind")
(screen capture by Jörg)

Blinking tubes without function This is the ultimate re-used prop, and there is not a single of its numerous appearances where its purpose would be explained or only hinted at. The fist time we see the blinking tubes is in the Regula lab in "Star Trek II". They are also visible in the Enterprise-A's shuttlebay in "Star Trek V".

Tubes on Regula 1 ("Star Trek II") (screen capture by Jörg)

Tubes on the Enterprise-A ("Star Trek V") (screen capture by Jörg)

Furthermore the tubes appear in a number of TNG episodes, like in TNG: "Datalore", "Suddenly Human" and "The Quality of Life".

Tubes on Talarian ship (TNG: "Suddenly Human") (screen capture by Jörg)	Tubes in Soong's lab (TNG: "Datalore") (screen capture by Jörg)
Dr. Farallon's tubes (TNG: "The Quality of Life") (screen capture by Jörg)	Entharan Tubes (VOY: "Retrospect") (screen capture by Jörg)

The tubes also show up in VOY: "Retrospect" and "Inside Man". Finally the prop, now with blue light (because lately blue has become a more fashionable color for light effects), can be seen on the research station in ENT: "Cold Station 12". The prop was not custom-made in the Star Trek Art Department, but it is available from a company called Modern Props. The prop is described as "dual generators with rotating neon lights inside an acrylic tube; light-controlled panel with knobs and buttons." It can be rented from the company, although we would expect the Art Department to finally build a similar prop of their own.

Tubes in Pathfinder lab (VOY: "Inside Man") (screen capture by Jörg)

Tubes at Cold Station 12 (ENT: "Cold Station 12") (screen capture by Bernd)

"Dual Generators" 195-0290
(Modern Props)

"CD rack" In TOS: "I, Mudd", in "The Immunity Syndrome" and (modified) in "Elaan of Troyius" there is a strange strobing device that we call the "CD rack" because it looks like one (yes, we know there weren't CDs in the 1960's). The third appearance looks to have been modified with the orb thing from the Romulan cloaking device (later used in conjunction with Nomad to form that little robot in "Requiem for Methuselah").

"CD rack" (TOS: "I, Mudd") (screen capture by Michael Minnick)

"CD rack" (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome") (screen capture by Michael Minnick)

"CD rack" (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius")
(screen capture by Michael Minnick)

Round console A console of unknown purpose with a round superstructure and large blinking lights can be seen in the Captain Proton simulation in VOY: "Night" as well as on the Talaxian asteroid in VOY: "Homestead".

"Captain Proton" console (VOY: "Night") (screen capture by Jörg)

Talaxian console (VOY: "Homestead") (screen capture by Jörg)

Spherical device A small sphere resembling a Death Star appears in the overhead neural interface that Barclay constructs in TNG: "The Nth Degree". Later, as something found in the debris of a Borg vessel, it is identified by Harry as an "autoregeneration unit" in VOY: "Dark Frontier". The device resurfaces as a Monean scanner in Rega's inventory in VOY: "Thirty Days" and also appears in an unknown role in ENT: "Silent Enemy" when Reed and Tucker try to convince Archer to let them install the phase cannons.

Barclay's interface (TNG: "The Nth Degree") (screen capture by Jörg)	Autoregeneration unit (VOY: "Dark Frontier") (screen capture by Jörg)
Monean scanner (VOY: "Thirty Days") (screen capture by Jörg)	Device on Enterprise (ENT: "Silent Enemy") (screen capture by Ivan Bozic)

Chronodeflector & power generator The chronodeflector shown in VOY: "Endgame" later serves as a power generator in ENT: "Precious Cargo".

Chronodeflector (VOY: "Endgame") (screen capture by Jörg)

Power generator (ENT: "Precious Cargo") (screen capture by Jörg)

Glass tube A large glass (or rather transparent plastic) tube was used as a quarantine unit in ENT: "Cold Station 12" and as an agony booth in the Mirror Universe in ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly" (the latter inspired by the TOS episode "Mirror, Mirror").

Quarantine chamber (ENT: "Cold Station 12") (screen capture by Jörg)

Agony booth (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly") (screen capture by Jörg)

Exocomp The Exocomp from TNG: "The Quality of Life", one of the rather prominent props, reappears as a medical apparatus from the repair station in ENT: "Dead Stop", now painted silver. It has another appearance in ENT: "Future Tense" and as Xindi device in ENT: "Anomaly" (albeit it is just a picture this time).

Exocomp (TNG: "The Quality of Life") (screen capture by Jörg)	Medical device (ENT: "Dead Stop") (screen capture by Jörg)
Unknown device (ENT: "Future Tense") (screen capture by Jörg)	Depiction of a Xindi device (ENT: "Anomaly") (screen capture by Jörg)

Pralor body parts in VOY: "Prototype" B'Elanna assembles the Pralor prototype unit using an arm of Johnny Five from the movie "Short Circuit". The foot looks like it is taken from "Terminator 2".

Pralor arm (VOY: "Prototype") (screen capture by Jörg)

Pralor foot (VOY: "Prototype") (screen capture by Jörg)

Debris field The Defiant encounters the remains of a Cardassian vessel in DS9: "Way of the Warrior". The very same debris field can be seen once again as Neelix' scrapyard in VOY: "Caretaker".

Cardassian debris (DS9: "Way of the Warrior") (screen capture by Jörg)

Neelix' scrapyard (VOY: "Caretaker") (screen capture by Jörg)

Credits

Thanks go to Ivan Bozic and Jernej L. for noticing the spherical device, to Philip Bober for sightings of containers, to Felix Ernie for finding out about the phase discriminator, to Simon Allen for spotting the temporal device from "Endgame", to Liquidcross who found the quarantine chamber re-use, to Shawn Havery and Michael Minnick for spotting several more of the props and to Robert Heckadon for the hint about the Exocomp!

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	Last modified: 01.08.07
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/reused_props2.htm