[Radar]

The other day I was looking at some reference photos of the Planet Hollywood packs and something occured to me: there's no easy way to "fire" the neutrona wand!

Think about it...the wand is covered with switches, knobs, and buttons of every type, but every button is out of reach if both hands are on the grips. Even the two buttons on the collar near the tip of the wand, which seem pretty convenient to tap with a thumb, are in the wrong place for easy access. Unless you've got some really long fingers, you'd need to let go of one of the grips to make any adjustments or to turn the wand on and off.

This is pretty pointless, just wondered if anyone else had ever noticed...

[AJ Quick]

Really you should just set adjustments, and then just push the fire button.

[Radar]

A good idea, but I guess sometimes you'd have to make some corrections during use, like when you need to shorten the stream to keep from burning other peoples' faces off. Also, you'd still need to let go of a grip to hit the on/off switch.

Wait...are we talking about design flaws in a piece of equipment that doesn't exist? I've got an Astronomy paper due tomorrow...

[GBFreek83]

You know, I HAD noticed that...I never really gave it more than a minute or two of thought, But I ALWAYS wondered where the "trigger" to the gun was, I mean, in the movie you always saw them move their thumbs and the with their arms and hands motion with the gun downwards in sync with the starting sound, but I never actually saw them do anything once the guns actually FIRED...it's wierd, true..but hey, oh well, it still looks cool

[AJ Quick]

I think you could hold onto the rear grip and push the button while your other hand is adjusting the clippard or something.

[ecto_skywalker]

I always thought that the push button on the "thumb box" was what fired the gun. So it would shut off when you let go... I have noticed that depending on which movie you're watching different switches turn the pack on. Out of the three other switches, the one on the thumb box and the two on the back of the gunbox itself, sometimes it would be the one on the gun itself, other times it would be the one on the thumb box... Of course, you could always use the invisible switch on the power cell. The one Egon uses in the elevator scene to turn Ray's pack on.

[dustin993]

Sadly, one of the major flaws in Ghostbusters was continuity. Invisible switches, switches doing whatever at any given time, as well as the pedal on the trap. Even the montage scene in the first film, how did they manage to not catch that shot of the ecto reversed? I think the only thing that really stayed true to form was Louis being a dork. Oh well, that's the 80's for you.

[Master Taran]

No, that's just movies in general for you. I think any movie is going to have those tiny little flaws that at least 99% of the people won't even notice. Filmmakers just don't go to that level of detail on everything, simply because there really isn't a need.

[RoboProp]

Continuity errors and bloopers that weren't noticed during the actual shoot are sometimes noticed in the editing room and can be reshot without sending the budget through the roof but sometimes a scene is just too expensive and impractical to reshoot so the director just has to live with the result.

Darrin

[Radar]

...Invisible switches, switches doing whatever at any given time, as well as the pedal on the trap.

What's inconsistent about the trap pedal?

[ShadesMcPherson]

some versions you step to open and step to close. Others you step to open, release to close... Or maybe it's step to open and it closes when the ghost is in. I'm not sure. That can be explained by the fact that there was 5 years between one and two. I'm sure Egon could've made some upgrades.

[Azgbfan]

And don't get me started if you are a lefty!!

[CountDeMonet]

And don't get me started if you are a lefty!!

Got that covered for my son I'm sure Egon and Ray would have made sure a lefty was ok with something that powerful..



I believe they held the wand like this (how I build it for my son )



So that it is really easy to press the activate button on the side there. The switch below it would be the safety. The other switches were turning it on and maybe power level, etc. Not so hard to use.

[Azgbfan]

In GB2,Tully is a lefty... which is how he holds it when he fires the wand... which doesn't make sense, since his left thumb, couldn't touch the trigger.



Nice work. I love the pic!

[joezlo]

What button turned the light on so the new the actors were firing? There is the real fire button.

[NotSabbat]

I was actually thinking about that the other day; Now while I feel pretty comfortable reaching all the button on my wand, the green lever is supposedly for shortening, lengthening the stream (I think I read that in the Hianes manual, but Im not sure), but you cant really push the button and adjust the lever, which does seem to be done on the fly "Venkman, shorten your stream. I don't want my face burned off." However, if the trigger was actually an on/of switch rather than a hold-to-fire button, it could work. Tully could also tap the on button and hold it however is most comfortable.

[CPU64]

Rick is left handed...

[Theoderic]

Hi fellow busters

Well - this of course is some kind of weird topic to discuss, since it's - like it has been already said before - pretty much an actor's thing to do 'anything' with the given prop, to act like the scrip says to 'fire the proton-gun'.... so the idividual actors may come to different decisions on what they think to be the proper way to enact the given situation - but nonetheless, let's think about the in-depth details of the (fictional functional) equipment

Anyone thought about the use of the red wand-tip button near the yellow hat-light for actually firing the gun? This would work for right- and left-handed busters as well and still give the opportunity to make adjustments at the other elements at the gun body (while losing some stability, of course) while still firing.

The green lever has, as far as i know, already been pretty clearly identified for releasing the clear tip of the wand to pop out, when pulled, so this shouldn't apply for shortening stream functions. The top knob on the gun body e.g. makes more sense to me, when it's about to regulating any intensity.

these were my 10 cents -

[One time]

Based on the decals and button/dial types this operating manual is probably what the prop builders had in mind when they designed this prop. It makes sense when you consider the 5 red circular decals next to the bar graph on the wand, and the aluminum round dial marked 1, 2, 3.



The wand has 3 metal toggle switches on the gun body and a button (Labelled intensify) which fires.

Power= lower metal switch close to the bottom of the bargraph (near SLO-BLO label)
Generator= metal switch above it.
Activate=labelled on picture

1. Power off, Generator off, Activate off= Pack turned off. Bar graph off
2. Power on, Generator off, Activate off= Turns on proton pack main power but does not fire up cyclotron
3. Power on, Generator on, Activate off= Runs system checks and turns on indicator lights. Bar graph powers on and sits at empty circle decal, no stream
4. Power on, Generator on, Activate on= Powers on cyclotron. Ready to fire. Bar graph at quarter circle, quarter power stream (lowest possible positron output)

(In point 4. above, the Bar graph scales all the way up and down -once- when Activate is hit because it is finding and settling into the Positron output level pre-selected (if any) and it settles and comes to rest at that level.)

5.a. Power on, Generator on, Activate on, Positron output dial to +1= Bar graph at half circle, half stream
5.b. Power on, Generator on, Activate on, Positron output dial to +2= Bar graph at three quarter circle, three quarter stream
5.c. Power on, Generator on, Activate on, Positron output dial to +3= Bar graph at full circle, full stream (highest positron output)

I can't believe how easy it was to figure out!

In the image above the positron output dial (metal circle with 1, 2 , 3 markings) is set to default. (Neither +1, +2 or +3). In fact when Egon says, "Venkman shorten your stream, I don't want my face burned off." you can see Murray reaching for the positron output dial with his left hand. (PS: This is exactly how the Matty Collector Neutrona wands operate.)

Extending barrel:
The extending barrel mechanism (green lever next to "Intensify" button) makes most sense if you think of it as an extra safety mechanism. You need multiple safety levels with something this destructive.

When you try to fire it with a non extended barrel the red light flashes quickly indicating it's not ready. (just like the Matty Collector Neutrona wands).

Safety for storage:
The rotating handle. Something you can't do by accident. Rotate the handle and the grip isn’t ergonomic to hold with both hands anymore. It indicates the device is disarmed and the switches can not turn it on. It prevents the switches being accidentally snagged or turned on by accident while in transport.

So much thought has gone into the design of this. Kudos to the Matty guys for figuring part of it out so well.

[DarkSpectre]

I always assumed that the fire button was on the gun ear and the trigger box button was to increase the output since it's labled "Intesify". I mean it makes sense as to why the guys would wear gloves, the chemical gloves protect their firing hand from sparks and electrical recoil.