Being the kind person that she is, Paula sent me a scan of the article in return when it was finished and made sure it was okay for me to publish it here. Thanks, Paula!

Look for the reference to trekprops.de on the bottom of the second page with the corresponding paragraph of the article right next to it. Check it out below (click for a bigger view).

If you want to order this issue of Stamp & Coin Mart online, you can do so at the website of the Collectors Club of Great Britain for £3.10. Subscriptions are also available, here.

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Why? Well, the matter of the fact is that they are simply unnecessary. Twitter is a micro-blogging platform, so what sense does it make to repeat the information that is already there as a post in a “bigger” blogging system and make it available in two places? None as far as I can see. On top of that, all of my recent tweets are listed in the sidebar on the right as well, so the information is not only doubled, but tripled!

The other thing is that these Twitter roundup posts are keeping people from seeing the “meat” of the blog by taking up too much space on the homepage. I’ve noticed that it quite often happens that I’m twittering small updates which don’t warrant a full blown blog post, which is absolutely what Twitter is for. However, if I do this for a few weeks without publishing a “big” blog post, all these roundup posts can add up and obstruct the view of the “real” contents of the blog. That’s also why I have removed all of the existing roundup posts, so that all the recent blog entries are better visible from the homepage.

So, if you want to continue to catch my Twitter updates, the simplest way to do so is to follow me (@trekprops). In addition to that, have a look at the sidebar where you will see not only my status updates, but also my Twitpic pictures. A simple click on “More updates…” will take you directly to Twitter and to my complete timeline.

What do you think about this change in the blog structure? Do you feel it’s for the best or would you rather keep those roundup posts? Let me know in the comments.

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For it to be the correct size, a good portion needs to be cut off the back of the unit. The display screen of the Desktop Viewer was scratch built for the show, then the whole thing was (re)painted and decorated with pieces of black acrylic as well as vinyl tape.

I’m currently looking to get the missing pieces (screen, etc.) from fellow prop builders. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll scratch build them myself. Anyhow, this project is on the back burner for now.

Are you going to try to get one of these for yourself? Leave a comment and tell me!

Below are some screenshots. Notice the power plug socket on the side which was concealed on some prop units and visible on others.

Related Content:

1. Buildup: Small PADD (VOY)
2. Prop Analysis: Neutrino Probe
3. Small PADD (VOY)
4. Comm Badges
5. Work In Progress: Neutrino Probe – Main Parts

Why? Well, it was simply too much of a hassle! You see, the site as it has been in existence until now was completely built by me from scratch. Which means that every time I wanted to publish something, I had to dig really deep into HTML code and build a new page for my content, put a new thumbnail in the showcase, update plenty of links, manually add a paragraph to the homepage, etc. That’s a lot of effort and often times made me shy away from even approaching the task.

That’s why I now moved to WordPress! With this blog publishing system which makes it very easy to crank out a quick posting, I’ll be able to bring new content to you more frequently – even on the go from my iPhone! Also, there are a lot of new features which I simply couldn’t provide before:

• Easier navigation via categories and tags
  The sidebar on the right hand side provides lots of navigational functions. Click on “Voyager” for example and you will see all posts of this category listed, whether it’s a “showcase” or a “buildup” post. The same goes for tags. You will find them at the bottom of every posting. Click on one to see all of the posts that have the same tag attached to it.
• Search function with Live Search
  On top of the sidebar there is a search field. It works pretty straight forward: Enter your search term, hit enter or click “Search” and you will see the results. Alternatively, enter what you are looking for and wait a few seconds. A window with your results will appear under the search box where you can click on them directly.
• Twitter-Integration
  Want to catch my Twitter updates without having to check yet another place on the web? Well, no problem. The five most recent tweets of mine are displayed on the sidebar, including links, hash tags and even my TwitPic pictures! Wanna see more? Just click the “More updates”-button below. Also, on Sundays at 8 pm, there is a weekly Twitter roundup post automatically generated with all tweets from the bygone week.
• Commenting System
  Each posting allows you to leave a comment. Tell me what you think about the topic or what you would like to see in future posts, ask a question, make a suggestion, or just say hello. I’m looking forward to all of it.
• RSS-Feeds for Posts and Comments
  The quickest and easiest way not to miss anything I post. Use the two buttons top right above the search bar and subscribe to the feed to have my latest blog updates appear in your RSS reader. Works for comments, too!
• Social Bookmarking / Sharing
  Are you on Twitter? Facebook? MySpace? FriendFeed? Or any of the other Web 2.0 sites that enable you to connect with other people? On the bottom of each posting’s page you will find several buttons which enable you to share the respective content on any of these social networks.

So, with this infrastructure in place, I look forward to tackle a number of new and exciting prop projects and you’re invited to come along and join the fun!

Meanwhile, look around, maybe leave a comment or two and let me know what you think – I’d love to hear from you.

To be always up to date, subscribe to my RSS-Feed for new blog posts (this feed for new comments) or follow me on Twitter to see all of my prop-related activities in real-time!

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Together with a visual redesign, trekprops.de is now not only international but also looks a lot better than before and features a new, recognizable and very “Trek-like” logo.

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“As small as they usually are, Star Trek could not exist without its props. Trekprops.de is a German site dedicated to collecting and building such devices. The section “Materialien & Werkzeuge” depicts basic materials and tools the modeler needs to assemble and modify props which are usually available in the form of rather coarse resin kits. The “Showcase” is a gallery of several props from isolinear chips to Tribbles the author has built or purchased. “Tutorials & Dokus” is a highlight of the site and demonstrates step by step how to build or improve such things as a mobile emitter or a hand scanner. Finally, there is a prop FAQ explaining some common terms and a link list. Although the site is in German for the most part, the many pictures are descriptive and helpful to everyone interested in prop design. The professional site design and easy navigation is one more merit of Trekprops.de.”

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