Communicator

A Communicator is a personal handheld communications device which allowed for a person to communicate with another person over great distances - such as person to person, or person to ship or other installation. Communicators used subspace radio to transmit messages.

Starfleet used communicators as communications devices when a person was away from the ship, or in situations on board a ship or installation where the comm system was not usable or there was a need to avoid using the comm. (TOS episode Mirror, Mirror).

Communicators were in use by the Earth Starfleet in the mid-22nd century, and used a flip top model whose basic design would remain unchanged for over a century. (ENT episode Broken Bow). In the 2270s and 2280s Starfleet experimented with using a communicator which was worn on a person's wrist. However Starfleet discontinued the wrist communicator when it was found that the devices were prone to failure after even a minor impact, and returned to a flip-top design. (Reference manual Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise).

By the 2340's, communications technology had advanced to the point that Starfleet was able to build a communication device into the uniform insignia pin. This device, called a combadge quickly replaced communicators as a means of communication between members of Starfleet. (TNG episode Yesterday's Enterprise). Benjamin Sisko was so used to the combadge that when he traveled back to the 23rd century USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), he tapped the uniform insignia on his shirt out of habit before remembering the need to use his communicator instead. (DS9 episode Trials and Tribblations).

Communicators were still used occasionally when a higher power level was needed to break through a jamming field, and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) carried a number of these communicators. (TNG novel Foreign Foes).