Ghost Hunting Equipment and Investigation Techniques

A man stands holding a device in an eery green tinted room. In this scene inside a supposed haunted location the man begins talking into the air as if asking an unseen person if he is alone or with a spirit. This man is on an investigation to see if the location is really haunted.

"If anyone is here, let us know now!", Cast

Low audio-enhanced distant (THUD!) with added scary music and extra odd visuals for a spooky effect.

Cast surprised (even though it happens in every episode), "What the heck was that?"

Then the scene cuts to an enhanced piece of audio from a digital recorder that was held by the investigator with the words, "I'm here!" immediately followed by the thud.

Are you tired of watching plumbers, college nerds, and rock and roll muscle builders out there with their green screen television shows with all the crazy editing and creepy music doing what you only wish you could do? Are you tired of being an armchair ghost hunter? Do you feel like the equipment they have is out of your reach or that they have special training in paranormal investigations?

You should know that you don't need some sort of special degree in parapsychology or investigation to tromp around cemeteries and old hotels gathering evidence of life after death. Also the equipment they use on those shows to hunt ghosts and to prove a haunting is real are mostly all available online for purchase and some of them you may already have!

Now the equipment side of things has gone pretty high tech and is constantly changing but not at a rate like computers and cell phones do. This change is all garage tinkering type advancements and those take time. But there is a surge in the interest of the ghost hunter paranormal investigator type of entertainment on television and this has garnered a new Renaissance in ghost hunting and investigating the unknown.

Meters: There are a multitude of meters out there that Ghost Hunters use, here is a list.

• EMF gauss meters - used to test the environment for electromagnetic fields either caused by man made devices like electrical appliances and outlets or those that are in the natural EM field, even the earth produces an ambient electromagnetic field caused by the earths iron core. Meter types: Ramsey Trifield Meter Kit (You have to know how to solder a circuit board), Trifield Meter, EMF Gauss Meter, Ghost or Cell Sensor Meter, K2 meter with alarm mode.
• Digital Thermometers - these devices are used to find temperature changes in the environment. Infrared thermometers can take readings with a point and click and this is great for real time recording of information in the field. It has been shown that in some paranormal hot spots, cold or hot spots can be detected and even felt by investigators.
• Electrostatic Meters - these devices can pick up on electrostatic fields in the environment and can help investigators track spots that are charged with ambient electrical energy.Ramsey Trifield Meter and the Natural Trifield Meter will detect these energy types.

Other Devices:

• Ghost Box or Franks Box - these devices are used to make real time contact with unseen entities. By scanning continuously the static caused by the scanning can be formed into phonetic information that seems to intelligently respond to questions asked by investigators.
• Digital and Analog Audio Recorders - digital audio recorders and even analog audio recorders with electromagnetic tape are capable of picking up disembodied voices. It is said that electromagnetic energy in the environment that is some how used by an unseen entity and is then recorded as audio information on the media.
• Digital Cameras - digital cameras used a charged coupled device or a light sensative electronic chip that is capable of capturing light just outside the normal light spectrum that the human eye can observe. This allows the digital media to capture streaks of unseen light, orbs (dust), and other spectral phenomena.
• Mini Night Vision Digital Video Recorder - having a night vision camera added to your equipment allows usually unobservable phenomenon in the pitch darkness of night or in subterranean and unlit spaces to be recorded.
  
• Paracorder - a paracorder is a device with two antenna that allows you to use the device in different capacities. The paracorder can be used an electrostatic energy sensor, a electromagnetic energy field booster, or to communicate with spirits.
  
• Electromagnetic Field Booster - a field booster us used in conjunction with communication devices like a ghost box, electromagnetic digital audio recorder, or an Ovilus Device.
  
• Ovilus Device - an ovilus device is a communications device used by investigators to make real time contact with unseen entities. This device uses an onboard phonetic and electronic dictionary that is conjoined with an electromagnetic field detector. The detector is crossed with the dictionary and phonetic generator to create words that are connected to different levels of electromagnetic energy. If there is a spike then the device will say a word.
  
• Multi-spectrum Digital Video Digital Recorder - a multi-spectrum digital mini recorder will allow you to see cold or hots spots in real time. This may be energy unobservable in any other way.
• Analysis Software and Equipment - a laptop and software will help analyze data during the investigation.
• Bright Duct Tape - if you are using equipment with cords and also to mark hot spots in actively haunted areas.

Going old school investigating can be very fun and if you mix up your high-tech equipment with old school investigation techniques you may find irrefutable evidence!

• Talc Powder - talc powder like baby powder? Yeah talc can be poured over a surface to show any kind of tampering. A floor, a table... you name it.
• Object Placement - objects that may pertain to a sight or to the entity like a personal item placed in a circle at a stationary flat area may show signs of tampering if they are moved.
• Swaying Objects - having rope in a doorway with bells attached will alarm and show signs of movement from unseen entities from one room to another.
• Candle Flame Communication - candles have been used in spirit communication since the times of the Ancient Greeks. Ask a question and if the flame grows brighter it is positive if it dims then it is negative if it does nothing then communication hasn't been established.

Techniques:

When setting up your investigation using bright tape mark areas of phenomena and recent activity. Use bright tape to mark cords and other equipment that might trip up investigators who may be looking at equipment and not paying full attention to the floor. If using video and audio devices then do a call out for all the investigators on the investigation along with date and time to stamp the video and audio evidence. List off all the supplies, meters, and media being used on the investigation and the person using the equipment.

Have areas for each team member to cover over and collect evidence. Use a grid pattern if in a team of four or six. Divide an area into four or six zones and have the members collect data at that location over a set amount of time and then later regroup and trade spots to see if other supportive evidence or new evidence is collected during the investigation to lend to the credibility of there being a haunting. Keep personal data logs and write down feelings thoughts and impressions along your walk through and evidence collecting. Keep extra batteries and tools for your equipment.

Be respectful of the location and the property inside or at the location. It is best to be professional when dealing with the public, especially if you want your evidence to stand up to scrutiny. Being disrespectful of traditions, beliefs, life styles, religions, racial issues should be strongly discouraged and rejected. Respect others feelings and thoughts. Never be negative or react in a negative way to the person seeking your help. Always be objective and keep an open mind when dealing with people so that they know you are only trying to help them understand that which they do not.

Evidence Review and Cataloging Data:

Going over evidence can take hours, days, even weeks at times depending on how many people are reviewing the data and cataloging the data. Having a good computer or even computers can save you time and is well worth the investment if you plan on being a serious investigator. You should have the right software to go over both audio and video and help to rule out any hoaxing. Use your computer to help you review your evidence and show it is unaltered and authentic. Be objective and offer other non supernatural explanations as to what may have caused the same experience.

Get good cataloging software for your investigations. Use Excel to help your cause of proving that the spirit world is real by creating investigation graphs and evidence collection data sets. Catalog all photographic and video evidence and create back up files on separate media storage like a CD RW or flash drive mass storage device.

Have a Website:

Every ghost hunting group that is serious has a website and will even advertise at certain times of the year. This will help you to reach out to the general public. Give contact information and once you have collected data from investigations display your findings. Give a mission statement and explain what your purpose is and what it is you investigate. Advertise locally on sites like craigslist. Have a phone number for people to call.

These are the basics of ghost hunting. So go on and give it a try. Who knows what you may find. Just remember what they say, "Beware what you wish for, you just might get it." and with that happy haunting!