Equipment Used In A Paranormal Investigation
One of the best pieces of equipment that is used in an investigation is yourself. You are far more sensitive to things going on around you in a room (especially in the dark) than any piece of equipment that can be bought. Equipment can't tell you that the room is feeling creepy all of a sudden. All the equipment can do is try to scientifically back up what you are feeling, review the results at a later time, and if anything is found present it to the client.
Other things not shown in the pictures that should be included are:
- watch (so you know what time it is)
- notebook and pencil (writing anything down you don't want to forget later)
- compass (good for a cheap EMF detector or to avoid walking in circles in the woods)
- first aid kit (who knows what might happen)
- extra or layered clothes (never really know about the weather)
- flashlight (preferably red to retain night vision)
The equipment below is what we actually use during an investigation.
DVR System
A DVR system is able to record hours of video from your cameras. Record time depends on what size hard drive is installed.
Camera equipped with Infrared(IR) Night Vision
Camera that connects to your DVR system to record possible evidence. These cameras are equipped with IR LEDs that allow it to see in total darkness (0.0 Lux). Depending on how many IR lights are installed and how bright they are determine how far the camera can "see". You may also use an IR illuminator to help the camera "see" further. The illuminator has more and brighter IR lights. Video also comes in handy in determining where people are at all times during an investigation.
SpecterCamCorder
This is a Full Spectrum Camcorder. Similar to a regular camcorder except that it can "see" the full light spectrum range from UV to IR. This allows you to catch anomalies that you cannot see with the human eye, or a regular camcorder.
Digital Blue Night Vision Recorder
This is actually a toy, but far exceeds any toy I ever grew up with. It records in color and automatically switches to IR night vision when needed. Everything is saved onto a 2 GB SD card which will hold about 1 1/2 hours of video and sound. Since it saves to an SD card, once it fills up, just pop in another card and keep recording. It uses 4 AA batteries and does not accept an AC adapter, but that's what rechargeable batteries are for :) Being a toy, this one is best set up on a tripod and left alone because of how the video blurs while moving around. Good for those cases that are in places without power.
Digital Camera
Used to catch a still photo of possible evidence. Any camera can be used that has a flash but digital has the gratification of being able to see immediately if you caught anything. You just can't jump to conclusions on what is called an Orb. Orbs are balls of energy. On a camera the flash can make a piece of dust or a bug look like an Orb. There are also cameras that take pictures in IR, UV, and Full Spectrum light. These have been very beneficial in capturing evidence that normal visual light cameras cannot see.
Digital Voice Recorder
A digital recorder is used to catch any audio evidence, or EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena). Normally you wont hear anything until you review everything later. Programs such as Audacity can be used to listen and adjust the sound to best decipher what may have been caught. More often than not, digital recorders are what catch the most evidence. Digital is of course not the only option to catch audio but is the most economical considering you don't have to keep buying cassette tapes.
A cheaper digital voice recorder is believed to be better for catching EVPs than a higher quality one because cheaper ones produce more white noise. Maybe, Maybe Not....only time will tell.
A cheaper digital voice recorder is believed to be better for catching EVPs than a higher quality one because cheaper ones produce more white noise. Maybe, Maybe Not....only time will tell.
Testing says....NOPE....cheaper is not better. It's unbelievable how clear recordings are on this H2.
EMF Meter
EMF stands for Electromagnetic Field. EMF is caused by anything electrical. It's amazing the field that is produced by your refrigerator and microwave. It is believed that ghosts produce EMF fields and are able to be detected as they move. The ability to detect EMF fields is not only a way to detect ghosts but also find dangerous fields that your clients may be unknowingly living and sleeping in. Some people have EHS (Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity) and can have a long list of problems such as nausea, irritability, sleep disorders, memory loss, skin rashes, headaches, and so on from being around higher than normal EMF fields for an extended period of time.
This particular meter gives us EMF and Temperature readings at the same time.
This particular meter gives us EMF and Temperature readings at the same time.
K2 meter
The K2 meter is another EMF meter. It uses LEDs to show field strength. The reason people really use this meter is not so much to detect EMF, but to communicate with a spirit. Lights are easier to see and document in the dark, compared to meters. Being able to see the lights from across the room at night also allows a little personal space for the spirit to interact with it........hey, we need personal space while we are living, only right to think we might need it in the afterlife as well.
The Ghost Meter
This is an inexpensive EMF meter. Although it is not as expensive as most meters, don't let it fool you, it starts to detect EMF fields at the exact same time as the more expensive meters. The light on top makes it easy to use and "see" EMF fields in the dark, and also helps it double as a K2 meter to communicate with a spirit. This meter also has a buzzer built in with a volume control.
Infrared Thermometer
These can be used to determine base temperature readings. They can detect any drops in temperature that ghosts are said to produce as they are gathering energy to say or do something. This type of thermometer is only reading surface temperature, so not really that reliable for finding a ghost unless the ghost is cooling a surface as it manifests. The best type for following a ghost is one that reads the true ambient temperature of the air.
Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector
Not only can you debunk a claim of a cold spot, you can also save your client some money on their utility bill. Even though this only checks surface temperatures, it has a nice feature of being able to visually show a client where cold or hot drafts are coming from. When you turn it on, it will shine a green light wherever it is pointed , like a flashlight , and show you a base temperature reading. You have a choice of when it will show a temperature change of 1, 5, or 10 degrees. Say you set it to 5 degrees. If the temperature drops 5 degrees below base reading, the green light will change to blue. If the temperature rises 5 degrees above base reading, the green light will change to red.
Two Way Radios
The ability to communicate over large areas is important. Everyone has cellphones but there are places where you may not receive service.
30mw Laser Star Holographic Projector
As seen on Ghost Hunters. This enables the ability to see movement in a dark room without night vision. Very cool item, but we'll see if it will be productive in evidence collection.
We also have this one, which plugs into an outlet
(Electronic) Electroscope
An electroscope is used to detect static electricity. If ghosts can produce an EMF field then they should have some sort of static charge that can be detected. Also could be used to determine if the hair on your arms and the back of your neck is really standing on end because of static (possible ghost) or you are just scared. There is something called an E-Pod that is used to detect this static field. Instead of buying one of these pods I decided to build some of my own. They are pretty sensitive and can detect you combing your hair or walking across carpet from up to 20' away in low humidity. The higher the humidity the closer you have to be to the pod. They detect both positive and negative charges. The light is normally on but will fade out as you approach if you are negatively charged. The opposite will happen if you are positively charged and the light will grow brighter.
IR Proximity Sensor
I like to tinker, so I found a way to make a proximity sensor. This sensor lights a red LED when anything reflects the IR LED beam (violet LED) and is picked up by the receiver (clear LED). So far I can get it to light the LED from about 9 inches away using my hand or dark object, a lot further with something reflective. Not sure if it will be useful in the field, but I'm gonna try anyway. The plastic looks cracked on the front because it is. I used a really cheap project box and that's what happens when a drill grabs. Oh well, it still works and I'm wanting to add a buzzer to the mix anyway, so I will just transfer all the guts to a better box.
Ghost Box
This is Radio Shack model 12-587 which is very easy to modify to a ghost box. This model also has a built in speaker which some older models did not. Some feel that this model scans a little slower than older models, allowing more audible words per channel, but this one also does not click while scanning. After modified, the radio will continuously scan through stations without stopping. It is believed that you can communicate with spirits because you can actually hear what is being said in real time.
EVP Listener
This "listener" is just an amplifier with a magnetic induction pickup connected to it. The pickup is the same that was used to record phone conversations on older phones. Connected to the amplifier you can supposedly hear EVPs in real time. We are not convinced of this yet, but what this setup does EXTREMELY well is detect electromagnetic fields. This will actually detect electromagnetic fields before meters designed for this purpose. As it picks up EMF it will begin to hum. The stronger the field the louder the hum will be.
The ES "Energy Speaker"
This is essentially a speaker that does not create sound...instead, it creates sound as a magnetic field. We will be conducting an extensive amount of experiments with this, as it turns any portable electric device (Cell phone, MP3 player) into a mobile magnetic broadcast system.
For example:
We can do this now, but with the ES, we can now broadcast as an EMF field instead of sound. Props to Digital Dowsing for innovation in our field.
For example:
- Broadcast white noise during an EVP session.
- Broadcast specific tones and frequencies to see what the effects are.
- Send out voice commands to trigger an emf meter or move an object.
We can do this now, but with the ES, we can now broadcast as an EMF field instead of sound. Props to Digital Dowsing for innovation in our field.
8" Sound Responsive Plasma Ball
I think we have more fun with this than any ghost ever will. It's just a toy to experiment with to see if it will attract anything. Maybe a child spirit will find it interesting one day. Puts off a lot of EMF also.