Trigger Objects

Trigger objects, unlike a lot of things in the paranormal fields, are very well, if not universally liked, they have proven for many people and groups that they do some good in helping spirits come out through enviromental appropriation, or do they? I have talked before off the blog about my experiences with EMF Pumps, and why I think they work, and that reason is that it has proven an increase in activity on multiple occasions in the same location. The weather, air, temp. can all effect the spiritual activity in an area, so it become very important to tell the difference between the weather causing the changes in activity, or is it the trigger object? People have gotten photos of mists around the objects, caught video of the objects being moved by an unseen force, which leads me to believe even if the weather plays a role in the increase of activity the trigger objects are still important. They give the spirit, active or not, something to be drawn to, something familiar, causing a decrease in timidness. And now builders of ghost hunting technology are starting to release certain stands to set objects on that, if moved or manipulated, will cause an alarm, making the use of trigger objects more practical and easy because you don't really need a trace over a piece of paper of a specific camera to watch the device, you'll have the alarm to alert you. Trigger objects have been around for a long time, but it seems they are just coming into their full potential.

Paranormal Puck

Original Paranormal Puck

The Paranormal Puck was another device built by Bill Chappell of Digital Dowsing. It was his original ITC device that he sold along side the Ovilus I. Even though it was sold along side the Ovilus I, it is very different from that device. The Paranormal Puck is a small, puck shaped, device. It can only run on computer power, so it is less mobile than the Ovilus. But, it is still a very useful device, one big thing that it has over all the other Ovilus devices is data logging. The Ovilus and the Puck both run on environmental sensors, but with the Puck, you can see the changes in those sensors as they happen on your computer, all while using the ITC communication mode as well. So it adds some extra diagnostic with it, as you can see the changes in environment as it is speaking words, so if you witness changes as it is speaking seemingly accurate words to what you're doing, it means a little more. They also built another type of Puck, called the Puck ECM with just the ITC communication, no data logging. Still this, along with all other Ovilus devices, is experimental in nature and should be treated as such, not as evidence. The Paranormal Puck, like the Ovilus I, was discontinued a few years back and is a very hard find. I have one and personally don't use it all that much, I’ve got three other Ovilus devices that are more practical and easier to use.

Ovilus I

I did a blog about the Ovilus devices earlier, but now I figured I'd go a little bit more into specifics about certain models. The first one I'll be going over is the Ovilus I, named as it was the first device called an Ovilus to be built. It was originally built by Bill Chappell of Digital Dowsing a few years ago, and was sold along side another original invention of his, the Paranormal Puck, which I will go over in a future blog. The Ovilus I has 7 total modes of operation. The first is the Dicitionary Mode, which lets the device speak out of a preset dictionary of 512 words based on enviromental changes in the area. Second is Phonetic mode, which works just like dictionary mode, but uses a generator of certain bits of speech and words instead of full words, so spirits can say anything they please, although it is a little more difficult to hear. Third is combination mode, which combines the dictionary and phonetic mode into one mode, so you can use both at once, this is my favorite mode. Fourth is called EMF mode, where the device speaks the EMF levels in Milligauss around the device, i find this mode fairly unreliable. Fifth is Level mode, which shows a visual representation of EMF using the built in LED's, but these LED's read EMF on just about any of the other levels, so i find this one fairly inpractical as well. Sixth is called Yes/No mode, where the device only speaks those two words based on enviromental changes, its good for EVP sessions. Seventh is Dowsing mode, where the LED's light up in certain patters to recreate a dowsing rod experience, without the swinging rods, i have done a little experimenting with this, and found it shows some promise, but more use is needed before i can say for sure. The Ovilus I has been out of production since 2009 and is a rare find to buy, it is experimental only and should be treated as such, I have found it to be a useful tool, but the small dictionary is a let down. Ther current Ovilus is called the Ovilus X and is available, among other things, at http://www.digitaldowsing.com/

Tri-Color Flashlight

For any ghost hunter, I'm sure any old flashlight will do, and I'm not one to argue. They may just be the simplest tool, and the most important next to batteries. But, believe it or not, when it comes to ghost hunting, there are upgrade options when it comes to flashlights. Tri-Color Flashlights can be found online at ghost hunting sites, or on E-Bay/Amazon, and even in some stores. Many people think that the extra colors are just for fun, or to change it up a little from the basic white color flashlight, but these colors are more important to a ghost hunter than one might think. Most Tri-Color Flashlights come with the same three colors, white, green and red. White is white, nothing special there. Green is made for less glare, you may have seen green camera lights on sale for cameras without nightshot to give that same experience. And with the reduction in glare from the white, green makes that possible. Red is most important in my opinion, because red colors don't appear in night vision, so you can have a light source with you on your investigation, and still not contaminate the night vision you've got on any cameras that are rolling. These flashlights are usually pretty cheap, have bright LED's and are small and light weight. I'd highly recommend  them for investigations in comparison to basic flashlights.

Sima IR Lights

A common version of the Sima IR light

Sima IR lights are some of the most commonly used lights in the paranormal field. This is most likely because of the cheap price, high power, and the fact that they can be found in some hardware and outdoor stores, so the internet is not always needed. Being able to buy a ghost hunting tool of any kind in a store is a rarity, so purchasing and not waiting for shipping is a great plus for Sima lights. However, there are much more powerful lights for nightvision in the field today. Many groups build their own IR lights or floodlights, which pump near ridiculous amounts of IR power with long lasting batteries. Many investigator-built lights last 2-6 hours on one battery, while the Sima lasts around 1 1/2 hours. But, Simas need no batteries, they run on a lithium charge. Any ghost hunter will say that the lack of the need for batteries is a good thing, because batteries are a huge expense in this field. But, some people also modify their Sima lights to take AAA batteries, which last much longer than the regular chargable batteries built in when they're stock sold. But, with that, comes the need for batteries once more. Still, the Sima IR light is a powerful one, I only need to use one usually, on a Sony Handicam. My suggestion is to buy multiple, so you can use them throughout the investigation with just a quick switch when one battery runs down. They are only around $30 - $50 online or at the stores, and most come with a camera boot as well.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! :)

RT-EVP

RT-EVP Recorder/Spirit Box Device

The RT-EVP is one of the newest, most advanced EVP recorders out on the market today. It's built by DAS Distribution, builder of the Mel-Meter and upgrades of the K-II meter, and is the upgrade from the DAS-EVP.  The latest RT-EVP, called the RT-EVP 2 comes with some common features of the past devices, such as live listening and playback, which makes it easier to find EVP's while out in the field instead of analysis afterward (although I'd still suggest doing that, even with the live playback). It also contains a Spirit Box device inside, making it a two in one device, EVP recorder and ITC device. Another new, fairly important feature of the RT-EVP 2 is the programmable audio filter. This filter can find possible EVP's by itself and even divide them inbetween classes, from A to C. This filter makes the analysis much easier than with a regular recorder, but I would still suggest going through it all, just in case the recorder missed something. The RT-EVP is a little pricey, at $289 plus shipping, but with all the new and groundbreaking EVP anaysis features, and the built in Spirit Box, that money does not go to waste.

Bell + Howell IR Camera





Bell + Howell IR Camera



I've talked earlier about the Moultrie IR Game Camera, and its capabilities in the field. But now it's the Bell + Howell IR Camera, it is a compact, handheld, IR/normal spectrum hybrid. With just the flip of a switch, you can go from regular photography to night vision. It runs on a lithium ion battery so there's no changing of batteries, which most ghost hunters find as a big plus. The battery doesn't last too long on IR vision, but it definitely goes for longer than most cameras that run on regular batteries. The image quality is also not very top notch, but when it comes to ease of use, the Bell + Howell sure beats out the Moultrie Game Camera, if you're willing to give up a few extra perks that you can find in other cameras. My recommendation would be to use a tripod to help fix the image quality problem, and don't leave it on too long at a time to save the battery. It may not have to IR power that the Moultrie Camera does, but this one has a view screen, which is a big thing that the Moultrie Camera does not have. I would also recommend an IR light to attach to it, the six IR lights have just aren't enough in most situations. It can work in tight, indoor spaces pretty well, but for outdoors this camera is useless, even with the attached light, you can't get much distance in IR mode. I got mine for only $80 on Amazon, so for the money, it's a good camera.