Big Trak
Big Trak :
Big Trak was a programmable electric toy tank first released by Milton Bradley (later more commonly known as the abbreviated MB) in 1979.
Big Trak was a six-wheeler toy tank that could be programmed to drive forward, backward, turn and fire a 'photon canon' in the sequence you entered. To program the tank you needed to type the commands into the brightly coloured keyboard at the top of the vehicle. Big Trak could remember up to sixteen commands at any one time, but you needed to program in the movements in sequence. Big Trak was quite advanced for its time being one of the first programmable robotic toys and it became extremely popular among children and adults alike.
It served no real purpose other than novelty but many people became addicted to improving their Big Trak programming to the point where they could get Big Trak to circumnavigate their homes.
The keypad on Big Trak took quite a bit of getting used to as all of the actions were abbreviated. When you first got Big Trak out of its box the labels needed fixing first of all. The keys consisted of:
Green Directional Arrows: Forward, Back, Left, Right
HOLD: To pause the vehicle
CLR: To clear all the programming
FIRE: To set off the LED “laser”
CLS: Clear Last Step (Undo)
RPT: Repeat steps
TEST: Run a test program
CK: Check last instruction (this was a tick symbol on the British version)
OUT: Detach the trailer accessory
IN: A spare button
0-7 keypad: To allow you to define a time for each action
Two different Big Traks were available, depending on whether you were based in the US or Europe. The American Big Trak was grey with a large Big Trak label whilst the GB version was white with a slightly different keypad. You could also purchase an optional trailer to make Bigtrak deliver objects.
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The original fiendishly difficult puzzle,
now with solution guide
The original fiendishly difficult puzzle, invented by Erno Rubik in Hungary and one of the biggest toy crazes ever. In 1982 Hawkin's Bazaar was the first to bring a few cases of the Rubik's Cube to England. Unfortunately 25 years ago we were very small and it wasn't long before a much larger company had the exclusive rights to distribute in the UK. We are very pleased to be offering it again! And now includes a new seven step solution guide.
Features
5.5cm Seven step solution guide
About Hawkin's Bazaar
Hawkin's Bazaar has been providing you with unusual gifts, toys and gadgets since 1973. Originally a local toy shop at the Hawk Inn (hence the name), Hawkin's Bazaar now sells things you thought had gone forever and things you never even knew existed. They bring you Pin Art, Morph, Rubik's Cube, Big Trak, Space Hoppers and much more.
Also remembered...
The Twinkling Thumbelina Tyco Doll was produced by Ideal Nursery in the early 90s. Twinkling Thumbelina moved like a real baby and her headband and rattle twinkled and lit up. The rattle plugged into her hand so you could remove it if you wanted to. Twinkling Thumbelina had blonde hair and blue eyes and was around 17" tall. She wore a pink, yellow, blue and green romper with matching booties and also had a removable lace head band.
...and do you remember these?
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- Kiss Kiss Doll
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Comments
Big Trak's main purpose - to transport a precariously balanced can of fanta from one side of the room to my friend on the other.. despite it taking a fraction of the time to lean across and pass it myself. Oh, and to 'fire' a laser at the dog.. provided the dog had stayed still for the 5 minutes it took to program the sequence in. Which it inevitably hadn't... Anyway, great toy!
Ian Dav 06-May-2004, 12:35:09 PM
I always thought Big Trak was an expensive apple transporter? "thanks Big Trak!"
tim 06-May-2004, 11:18:08 PM
It was good up until the point I wanted it to drive up my 'Cheeky' annual, It got stuck at the botomn and never got used again. It looked better on the TV advert.
Paul 21-Aug-2004, 08:53:17 PM
mate what a toy,this was the nuts,i remember programing mine to navigate my mums hall in total darkness and find its way back to face me and shoot its blue light at me,it took me ages but i thought it was the dogs.where can i get one?
steve nicol 22-Oct-2004, 07:44:57 PM
I remember using the big trak as a giant tank to haul my GI Joe's around in. It was cool because you could program it, then play against it or around it. It was like a giant invincible invader that me and my friends took turns trying to fight with GI Joes. The winner was whoever had the most men/vehicles left standing when the BT stopped moving. Also, I remember it had a trailer that plugged into the top of the tank via a headphone jack. And the trailer was a motorized dump-truck bed.
Steven Davidson 22-Oct-2004, 08:43:24 PM
My friend had one of these programmable space age tanks. We used it to transport action man, either sitting on top or in the trailer. It sadly ended up at he bottom of the stairs, smashed up, flashing its lights and bleeping. My friend, now a 30 year old, has also smashed up a few cars and they have also ended up flashing their lights and bleeping!
Leslie Somogyi 18-Dec-2004, 08:41:20 PM
Big Trak was great. My party buddies and I would program it to go into the kitchen (when someone was in there) and it would bring back a beer. I still have my original owners manual!!!
Pat, Apple Valley, Ca. Usa 27-Jan-2005, 12:31:00 PM
I remember programming the Big Trak to go into the kitchen when mom was cooking. I would do it over and over til I got the distance down, then had it turn right and shoot at her. Sorry Mom! I have to admit, I still have the thing today as well as my Atari original and my VIC 20. No wonder I can't get a date. :O)
Tim (Santa Clara,Ca) 16-Feb-2005, 03:56:18 AM
Oh My God!!! I had forgotten about that thing. It was my favorite piece of antiquated technology. I had one with the optional dump truck attachment. I used to drive my mom & the dog nuts. I must of had a lot of spare time back then to program the damn thing. I remember we built pontoons for it and took it to the creek. It was cool! ...and it's still in my parent's garage! ...humnnnnnnn??!!
Michael A. Pettit 24-Feb-2005, 07:28:28 PM
Man I totally forgot about that thing untill I saw it, what memories of that crazy toy, Mine of course got stolen along with my cookie monster cookie jar, Thanks Big Trak, just kidding...
danny 18-Mar-2005, 04:29:08 AM
WOW!!! HOW COOL WAS THAT TOY. It was made available in 79. Why are there not similar toys today? It really was one of the best toys I ever played with. Sure beats game consoles...well sort of. I am bidding on ebay so my son can see one of the toys that I grew up with!
Steve 04-Sep-2005, 05:04:28 PM
I loved this when i was wee, Unfortunately the batteries leaked and destroyed the metal contacts inside :(
bobsam 08-Aug-2006, 08:12:04 PM
This was a great toy. I had the dumper for it and it was just awesome to play with. I still have mine I believe somewhere. I remember the back trak wheels broke and the dumper broke too. But it still worked, well the big trak did not the dumper. There was also another toy I had similar to it. It was a corvette and the pad was under the hood. Same concept. Great toy, great memories.
Keith (USA) 26-Sep-2006, 04:43:44 AM
Ooh, that commercial...! How I cannot ever forget the countless hours I spent diligently trying to program my Big Trak to deliver an ice cold beer from the kitchen to my father sitting in the living room...! Needless to say, it never did happen...by the time I got it even close, the damn beer was room temperature! Oh well, gimme an E for Effort! I sure would like to see that commercial that showed the apple delivery! Anyone know where to view it?BTW, my transport only worked correctly for about 10 or 12 runs...how did your's do? I thought I still had my BT, but recently found out it was lost in a move...Damn, can't have nothing nice! Oh well, it had a broken axle and the rubber rings on the drive wheels were gone... Trak On!!!
Kyle Beeson (Macon, MO., 34) 21-Nov-2006, 08:05:00 AM
I recently found my Bigtrak in the attic! Memories of the hours of fun of making it go forward, turn and then shoot my old Nan several times. It was the first time I ever programmed anything and certainly gave me plenty of amusement.
Monkey 22-Dec-2006, 08:47:59 PM
Me & my brother had one between us, I was really too young to do much with it, especially as we were warned not to try a too long program as it would use up the batteries too fast. The plastic it was made of was fairly brittle & some of the trim snapped off before the side bit did and all the wheels fell off. I can't remember if we got rid of it or gave it to someone who could fix it & never got it back. A few year later I would have got much more out of it. Someone I knew had his for ages but wrecked it by accidently sending down his stairs by turning it left rather than right.
Richard Davies 29-Dec-2006, 11:00:17 PM
I had two Big Traks, both broke in quick succession; 'Transport' (the trailer) also kept tilting it's bucket. I loved that toy as well, shame about it's short life!
Big Rik From Hexham 06-Jul-2007, 12:11:09 PM
My first school bought one as a primitive venture into teaching us kids about robotics (teachers were mad on robotics in the 80s). I saw it and instantly wanted one. After six weeks of torturing my parents I finally got one. Then my cousin sent it down the stairs. It survived the fall but died under the impact of a Tonka truck taking the same downstairs route.
Man E Faces 11-Sep-2007, 02:30:15 PM
My mother has always had the knack of 'letting the cat out of the bag'. And to this day, when she does I still say 'WELL DONE BIG TRAP'! In the style of the kid who was in the advert all those years ago. My Mum always giggles when I say it.
vixsta33 17-Apr-2010, 04:13:05 AM