Star Wars Science – Optical Command Unit Reviews

Review by L. Eyre for Star Wars Science – Optical Command Unit
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My Son received this toy as a birthday present and it has been a hit! I disagree with some of the criticisms that have been posted.

-The binoculars do require assembly, but it was easily done and allowed for great father-son time. My son got the pieces ready while dad assembled. They were able to assemble it all within 10-15 minutes.

The Pen-Light works really well, and you have to use the magnifying piece to get the pictures to view. If you use the magnifying piece you can clearly make out the projection slides from a good distance. Without the magnifying piece, it’s just a blur, but I don’t think that’s how you’re suppose to use it.

It’s probably not terribly educational, but it’s functional enough for my 5 year old. He uses it to birdwatch in our garden and people watching from the car. Good fun for him.

Taking a little time to familiarize yourself with the toy and how it really works makes this toy well worth it.

Review by Susanne B. Verrill for Star Wars Science – Optical Command Unit
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Bought this for my 7 yr old’s birthday. He tried to put it together and it was way too advanced for him, even though he’s a master at legos and following those directions. It was almost too advance for me to put together and I come from a family of engineers. Once it was together, the pieces don’t operate quite as smoothly as they should b/c the pieces don’t fit together well. My 7 yr old does enjoy playing with it, but not as much as he would if it worked better. It’s something that he picks up just occasionally.

Review by S. Andrew Baker III for Star Wars Science – Optical Command Unit
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I first saw this toy at the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago. My son is an avid Star Wars fan, and I thought that this would be a good compromise for a Christmas gift.

While the concept of the device is a good one, its design and construction leave much to be desired.

-First of all, it was like putting a model together. It came in the same type of plastic that snap-tite model kits do, only it did not go together as well as they do

-Then there is the “optics”. Supposedly, you can slide a bar forward and backward to adjust the range or clarity of site through the lenses. The plastic that holds the lenses onto the adjusting bar is extremely thin, and flexes very easily, which means that the lenses stick and don’t move very well.

-The other issue is the light. While the pen-light itself works great (after all, how hard is it to make a flashlight?), the photo projection slides are lousy. You have to literally have the front of the projector against a wall to even get an idea of what is on the slide.

For the price that they charge for this, I would have been better off to get a cheap pair of binoculars and flashlight at a supercenter, then decorating them a little. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement.

Review by Snoochy for Star Wars Science – Optical Command Unit
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I purchased this for a nephew who is a Star Wars fanatic (even though only nine years old). I purchased on Amazon at a heavily discounted price.

My nephew loved it and is not (at least yet) too annoyed that he can only project a few images. It’s a great prop to complete his costuming as he has numerous other accessories and props acquired over the past few years.

It was fun to put together but doesn’t strike me as much of an educational toy for someone his age. I’m sure it could be educational if you wanted to use it that way…but it’s more of a nice toy or prop.

Durability of the main body of the toy is pretty good, but the little hinged projector piece will probably break off at some point. Has not yet though…

Review by Stephen H. Poor for Star Wars Science – Optical Command Unit
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I bought this to make a decent prop for Star Wars macrobinoculars. It fits the bill well. It does say “Star Wars” on the front, but I’ll cover that up. You have to assemble it yourself, but it isn’t difficult. The objective lenses are a little difficult to move in their tubes, and a trim with a sharp knife or some sanding before installation will probably help. I may put some paint on it here and there, too. The color scheme is a little bland for costume use.