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.

Parabolic Microphones

Handheld Parabolic Dish Microphone

These large, fairly gun-like devices are usually used for animal watching or tracking, for things like birds, deer, etc. But the large amount of amplification that comes with these dish devices, makes them ideal for the paranormal community. Amplification ranges from 50 times, up to 500 times or more. I personally own one with 150 times amplification, and I have been able to pick up on legitimate EVPs in real time as they happen. One downside to these devices is, even with the small ones they take up a lot of space, so you should be prepared for a large amount of room to be taken up in your equipment cases by these devices. Another thing is that in order to use these comfortably, it needs to be fairly quiet in your area, these, like I said, amplify noise to a large extent, so prolonged talking can easily cause a headache. I picked up my device for only $30 plus shipping on e-bay, although some even cheaper than that can be found in some local outdoors stores. I find the Parabolic Dish an interesting and useful tool for investigations, and it is very much worth the money I paid.

EVP Listeners

The modern EVP Listener devices are usually small meters that are meant to read EMF pollution via sound rather than numbers. The idea behind these tools for the paranormal field is that they can hear EVP's in real time through the built in speaker that usually only transmits audio EMF levels. People theorize it works around the fact that EVP's reportedly originate from this certain area of EMF noise that these devices read. I personally own on of these devices, I picked it up for $50 plus shipping and, plainly speaking, it's horrible. After uses on every investigation since i bought it (3 years ago) I have received absolutely zero results. It's not like I've gotten things and later picked through them to find them false, I have gotten literally nothing but a stagnant humming from the speaker every time I turn it on. Sure, it still produces white noise, but for fifty dollars, there are much cheaper and more practical options than this. Would I recommend this device for anything? No. It is a useless ghost hunting tool, and if you're searching for EMF pollution, just pick up a small EMF detector, they're more reliable and are sometimes cheaper than one of these "EVP Listeners".

Moultrie I-40 Game Camera

Moultrie I-40 Game Camera

This camera was originally designed for hunters and outdoorsmen, it is ment to hook to a tree and be left over a period of time to capture photos throughout the day and night through the use of many IR lights and a motion sensor. This camera became popular in the paranormal field in the past few years for its many perks towards field use, as well as it being featured on the popular show Ghost Adventures. This camera runs on 6 D-Cell batteries, and the life on these batteries can extend 12-24 hours depending on length of use at one time. The IR lights are large and numerous, making it ideal for investigation. The range of the night vision is unmatched by any other camera, and if you're investigating outside, you can't find more power on IR cameras. The motion detection is another big plus, you can leave it and see what it captures, or keep it in the room you're in and have it take continuous photos of what's around you. It also stamps the temperature, moon phase, time, and date on to each photo. These can be very useful for ghost hunting, if a Temp. change is seen along with a mist or apparition; it can help validate that photograph. One downside is the lack of view screen. You can view the pictures on a TV or computer, but that makes it hard to view them while in the field. The large size can also be a problem, but for all the perks, it is a great camera for ghost hunting. I picked mine up for around $140 on e-bay, so it is fairly cheap for all the options it has. A final suggestion is use the pictures more than the video option; it’s easier and takes up less memory to take pictures. 

Laser Grids

Laser grids are simple tools used by some paranormal groups today. The idea behind these grids is that, thanks to the multiple laser dots, it is easier to detect movement through the area the grid is aimed at. One of the most common grids is a green colored grid of multiple, moveable, laser dots. I have used one of these grids many times and, so far, have not got any positive results in the realm of catching apparition movement. But, I've found that it is very useful for getting an idea of the amount dust or other particulates in the air. Nowadays, grids like that come in blue and red colors as well. But, I see a flaw in the red color. Red is unseeable to night vision cameras, so if you're looking to collect video data of your laser grid test, forget about it. But if you don't want the dots messing up your night vision, go for the red. Another upgrade in the area of laser grids is a newer grid, that's actually shaped like a grid. A new laser grid available at http://www.ghoststop.com/ gives out an actual grid of small squares. That way, if it does detect movement, you can use the squares to further analize the movement and even create a 3-D image of whatever it was. Laser grids are fairly cheap and can be useful on investigations for apparition detection, particulate detection, and even as a fun looking flashlight.

The ES (Energy Speaker)

The ES is a new device designed and built by Bill Chappell of Digital Dowsing. The idea behind the ES has long been a part of Digital Dowsing, it creates a silent magnetic field that pumps out specific bursts based on audio tones received by the device. In regular terms, you plug it into any audio device, (recorders, mp3 player, etc.) and it produces a kind of "quiet noise" through special EMF levels. If you bring an EMF detector near it you can see the numbers or lights jump up and down in accordance to the audio received. This device is following in the footsteps of other Digital Dowsing devices like the R.EVP and Inductive Transceiver. The ES has only been available for several weeks and is an experimental device. I personally own one and have used it attached my recorder on every investigation I have been on since I received it. So far it has not given any real consistent results to the positive, but I will continue to experiment with the device further. This little device is only $30 +shipping at http://www.digitaldowsing.com/

REM Motion Detection

Mel-REM Meter

REM Motion Detection is a fairly new form of motion detection developed for the paranormal field. REM is characterized by a small antenna coming from either an EMF detector or a Pod that emits a minute magnetic field that, if disturbed, creates an array of lights and sounds according to the distance of the object from the antenna and the size of it. REM was created by Gary Galka and was originally added onto a Mel Meter, the Mel-REM was first displayed on Ghost Adventures Live in 2009. Now the REM function comes in the Mel Meter, a Pod called a REM-POD, and another Mel Meter in which it is coupled with an ATDD (Ambient Temperature Deviation Device). In the past few years, REM has become a widely used alternative to regular motion detection in the paranormal field. I would suggest using both REM and traditional motion detection on an investigation due to the REM's low range of distance. But it does hold up against the traditional motion detection in that the way it works is less likely to be manipulated by outside sources. If you want to learn more about traditional motion detection in the paranormal field, read my past blog.

Tomorrow's blog: The ES (Energy Speaker)

EM Pumps



The original Digital Dowsing EM Pump

 EM Pumps are a fairly new tool when it comes to the timeline of paranormal equipment, and still mostly experimental. I first got mine last summer, and was originally skepitcal of its abilities. After one investigation with no change in the amount of paranormal activity from the other times I'd gone to this location, my skepitsim increased. But after I revisited a location where I previously only gained two class C EVPs, this time with my EM Pump in tow, my thoughts changed. I left there with almost 10 class A's and others of lower classes. I went back several more times, and gained great EVPs and other activity with the EM Pump, and minimal activity without it, basically ruling out the idea of different enviromental factors as the primary cause of the increase and decrease of paranormal activity. The first EM Pump I had was the original developed by Digital Dowsing, it pumped a maximum of 70-90 milligauss and the battery lasted 4-5 hours tops. Now I've upgraded to a larger EMF Pump built by Entity Electronics. This one plugs into the wall to save on batteries, and can pump out energy as high as 2500 milligauss, but it heats up quickly, and cannot run for very long. You can find one of these high power EMF Pumps at http://www.theghosthunterstore.com/ for usually 90-130 dollars depending on certain sales. You can also find another EM Pump from Digital Dowsing for around $45 and also their powerful EM Vortex at http://www.digitaldowsing.com/ But, in my opinion, there is nothing quite like the Entity Electronics pump out today.

P-SB7 Spirit Box

P-SB7 attached to a folding speaker

For several decades almost, paranormal investigators have been researching the use of radio sweep as a way to communicate with the dead. From the work of the original Frank's Box, to now, many have reported crystal clear voices and sentences being captured through this experimental technique. In the modern day, we've come a    long way from the large Frank's Boxes of the past. Today we run on small, home hacked, radio devices, mostly known as Shack-Hacks due to the manufacturer, Radio Shack. But there is another option out in the field today, a much better option. The P-SB7 Spirit Box was created by Gary Galka and made its first real appearance on the live episode of Ghost Adventures in 2009. Since then it has become a new staple of paranormal radio sweep technology. This device, unlike the shack hacks, is built especially for the paranormal field, and therefor is a better quality device than other radio sweep devices. The sweep rate is adjustable, and much faster than any Shack-Hack, it can go as fast as 10 radio channels per second in FM. The newest version, called the
B-PSB7, is available at www.ghoststop.com and at www.myghoststore.com for a little less that $80.

Tomorrow's Blog: EM Pumps