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What gear for ghost hunting?

Beanbag

Illuminator
Beanbag
Joined
Jun 7, 2003
Messages
3,468
I'm curious, and because I (gasp!) don't have cable TV, I figured I would ask here: just what kind of equipment does one need to be a "ghost hunter?"

I'm serious here: what type of equipment is needed to at least be considered "competent" in the field? I've heard about electrical field meters, plus I'm sure some kind of thermal imaging and scanning gear would be worthwhile, plus night vision stuff, anemometers, plus the usual audio/visual stuff like camcorders, shotgun microphones, digital recorders, etc.

Let's say I was starting Beanbag's Professional Paranormal Investigations and Ectoplasmic Eliminators. What's the shopping list? Can you provide (valid) links to manufacturers' web sites and model numbers?

Note: Anyone linking to images of props from the GhostBusters films gets ten points deducted automatically for the first offense, fifteen each time thereafter.

What do these people use in their line of "work?"

Beanbag
 
As a semi-pro ghosthunter, the following is essential --

1. Pen
2. Paper, a good spiral bound notepad. Some squared paper for drawing maps is useful, and a tape measure.

I would strongly recommend a tape recorder and microphone or good dictaphone for taking witness statements, and a camera for photographing locations. A thermometer might be handy for supposed cold spots, and a candle to check for drafts.

If you want to try and catch phenomena yourself, carry a Polaroid camera, and a cine camera or if you must Video Camera. Never ever use digital cameras. Cine is ideal though.

Beyond that, nothing. An EMF meter might be handy if you want to see if the next door neighbour has turned there washing machine on, or bang a nail in the wall avoiding wires, but not much else in thsi line of work.

Have fun!
cj x
 
Pah! All you really need is this ghost net. It may look like a butterfly net to you but it's specially treated with orgone so the ghosts can't slip through. Only $5K for you on account you're a buddy.

 
Shop Smart - Shop Ghost Mart

Beanbag said:
Okay, but can you steer me to specific items of equipment? Manufacturers, model numbers, etc? What models "work" for the people that do this regularly?
Click to expand...

Unintentional endorsement removed. I can see that the poster below me already posted on this.
 
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Beanbag said:
Okay, but can you steer me to specific items of equipment? Manufacturers, model numbers, etc? What models "work" for the people that do this regularly?

Beanbag
Click to expand...

I do this regularly, and gave my equipment list! :) I'm supposedly one of the better known British ghosthunters - wow, lucky me! Still thsi might be what you are looking for --
http://www.ghost-mart.com/

If you are really really willing to put yourself through torture watch A Guide for Ghosthunters, the DVD by Richard Felix and moi. I wouldn't though!

cj x
 
Roseglass beat me to it! I used goofle as well, but Google ads on my forum. :)

cj x
 
I'm interested in seeing just what people are looking for, and the equipment they're using these days. I can understand the "no digital camera" line because the images are way too easy to manipulate, plus depending on the sensors and the electronic shutter methodologies used that interesting aberrations can be created in the camera itself. Candles for detecting air currents seems kinda old hat, plus a bit dangerous. Cavers would hang a long strip of aluminum foil from the chamber ceiling to measure air flow (some caves "breathe," and watching the foil gave you an idea of the period). I think quarter-mil aluminized mylar would probably work better, plus there's some really handy non-toxic theatrical smoke-in-a-can that would be good for tracking air currents.

The electronic evidence interests me, mainly because I'm wondering just how they manage to pull a discernable signal out of all that noise. I would think something similar to brain-wave analysis, where you hunt for specific frequencies, would be the rage, what with all the FFT and signal-processing packages available for laptops available these days.

I'm looking for hardware, not for having a bunch of psychics wander the grounds and then give me their impressions. Yeah, you can play statistical games with opinions, but I'm more interested in things that are quantifiable, rather than qualitative. Of course, I realize that if such a thing had been achieved, then Randi would probably be one million dollars poorer.

BTW, I'm impressed by the rapid response to the thread, of which I'd rate the responses as 65% serious.

Beanbag
 
Yeah, basically you can get a laptop (or even an old BBC model B, plenty or peripheral slots as I recall) and use all nature of envrironmental monitoring sensors. There are quite a few ghosthunting forums, I have one, but as we focus on the inquiry model not much use to you.

The granddaddy of all this stuff was Wilkinson and Gauld's SPIDER, built by the SPR in the late 70's. I think monitoring temperature, atmospheric pressure, and scanning through many frequencies for anything of interest is pretty common.

As I have a VERY different approach I'm not much use to oyu here, but try googling ghosts-uk - there forum will probably be pretty good for this, or have a look at Richard Wiseman et al's paper on the hampton Court/Edinburgh Vaults experiments for some ideas on what might be worth looking at...

cj x
 
Just skimmed the ghostmart site. Interesting collection of commercial and industrial hardware they sell. Unfortunately, the data you could collect with it is roughly the equivalent of sticking your hand in the ocean and saying it's cold and wet. This will sound kinda snotty, but I could build better equipment for less than what they're charging, and get simultaneous data from multiple points and correlate it with each other (hard-core gadget freak here, used to design and build industrial process instrumentation and control systems).

Is the stuff on ghostmart considered typical and state-of-the-art?

Beanbag
 
No idea I'm afraid. The market si probably declining, after a peak about 5 years ago over here. There was a company called Spectral Electronics who did some nice stuff, including bespoke equipment to order, but I can't find their website.

cj x
 
goodguyseatpie said:
What is your purpose? (if not an attempt to detect ghosts)

~ggep~
Click to expand...
I'm curious. I've worked as an engineering technician in various fields, lab technician, watchmaker, programmer, materials specialist, and have a broad background that required taking precise measurements, maintaining records, and presenting data. These days my passion is digital video, and a couple of groups have advertised that they are looking for people to help investigate paranormal phenomena. I was thinking that if I decided to take part, it might be worthwhile to bring a new perspective and equipment set to the challenge.

Beanbag
 
For some reason it is much easier to photograph orbs in either a dusty room, or outdoors at night near vegetation where insects live.

Orbs must eat dust and insects.
 
Does anyone know or ever heard why ghost hunters seem to only hunt at night and with the lights off? From reenactment stories I have seem about haunting ghost can be active during the day and with the lights on. My theory: It is a lot easier to scare yourself with the lights off. Anyone have some better theories?

-Kyle
 
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