Speaker The speaker was a type of communications device used for converting electric signals into audible sound . Federation and Klingon starship bridge s were equipped with speakers . In 2153 , aboard the , Commander T ' Pol reported to Captain Jonathan Archer that the ship had picked up a conversation between a transport declaring an emergency and a government official on . Archer requested the conversation be put on the speakers . ( ) Captain Archer placed two small loudspeakers on his desk in his ready room aboard " Enterprise " . ( ) In 2266 , aboard the , Lieutenant Commander Leonard McCoy contacted the bridge from the dispensary . He had discovered the cause of Crewman Darnell ' s death , which he didn ' t want to communicate by the speaker , so he requested that Captain James T . Kirk come see him . ( ) Later that year , as the " Enterprise " approached Outpost 4 , the starship regained contact with the outpost . Lieutenant Nyota Uhura switched to speakers . Commander , the outpost ' s commanding officer , and Kirk communicated with each other " via " the speakers . ( ) Much later that year , the Tantalus Colony sent a message to the " Enterprise " . Uhura switched the message to the speakers . Kirk acknowledged the message from the colony via the speakers . ( ) In 2267 , aboard the " Enterprise " , the ship began receiving calls from people on the surface of Omicron Ceti III who had been recently liberated from the influence of the spore s . One of the callers was Elias Sandoval . Kirk requested that Spock put him on the speaker , so that he could speak with the colony leader . ( ) In 2269 , aboard the " Enterprise " , Uhura reported to Captain James T . Kirk that the communications equipment was picking up a subspace radio signal from the Taurean system . Kirk requested that the signal be put on the speakers . ( ) Later that year , aboard the " Enterprise " , Uhura reported to Kirk that the communications equipment was detecting interference on subspace extreme upper registers from a planet orbiting the star Cepheus . Kirk requested that the interference noise be put on the speakers . ( ) In 2285 , during the " Kobayashi Maru " scenario , Commander Uhura reported to Saavik that the ship was picking up a message on the distress channel . Saavik requested that the message be put on the speakers . ( ) In 2286 , aboard the , Rear Admiral Kirk requested that the message being transmitted to Earth by the Whale Probe be placed on speakers by Uhura . Later , after successfully traveling back in time to 1986 Earth , Kirk again asked Uhura to put a transmission on speakers . This transmission was of a whale song that was being sung by George and Gracie at their home in the Cetacean Institute . ( ) In 2293 , the picked up a distress call from the . John Harriman requested that his communications officer put the call on speakers . ( ) In 2366 , the attempted contact with the Calamarain . Lieutenant Worf informed Captain Jean - Luc Picard that a signal had been detected , then the tactical officer switched the signal to speakers . ( ) In 2371 , aboard the , Lieutenant Commander Tuvok picked up an audio transmission from within a singularity . Captain Kathryn Janeway requested that he put the transmission on speakers . ( ) Later that year , the Bird - of - Prey commanded by Lursa and B ' Etor was hailed by the " Enterprise - D " . B ' Etor requested that the ship ' s helmsman put the message from Captain Picard on the speakers . ( )