Spiritual and Paranormal Investigation and Research Team

Equipment

Here is a list of some of the things we use during an investigation, all can be purchased by following the links on our links page. These devices are in no way "ghost catchers" or "ghost machines". These are simply devices that were intended for their normal use, it just happens to be that they are more than suitable for paranormal work. These items are not dangerous or hazardous, and can be picked up online or at specialised outlets. Each item will be illustrated and described briefly, to give you an idea of what it does and why we use it. If you require any further knowledge on specific devices, please feel free to contact our equipment technician. Click on the contact us link, and the address is listed. We check our equipment before and after every outing, and if you have any suggestions on what more we might need, or you have your own opinions on how to use it, please contact us, we are always interested in your ideas. Thank you.

 

We use:
Panasonic mv-dx110 Camcorder

This is one of four video cameras we use, this one we use for daytime footage of locations as it has a 3ccd chip inside. This chip processes colours with more vibrancy and a better white balance, it also runs cooler and produces less noise and pixelation on footage in warm temperatures. It takes mini DV tapes and has an output for virtually every device going, this is our preferance during the day. Most if not all of the daytime visits you will see on our site will be taken with this camera.
Sony Handycam Vision 8mm

They dont make them like they used to, and this has proved that fact. This is a slightly older 8mm tape camcorder, like the DV tapes in essence but more bulky and only records in analogue. We use this camera because of its night vision capabilities, being able to see in pitch black is the most useful thing we have in our arsenal. This in every other way is similar to most modern cameras, with an LCD screen and viewfinder, zoom in and out and tape search functions. Nothing state of the art here, but a workhorse it is.
Sony Handycam Digital 8. DCR-TRV255E

This younger looking more modern version of the handycam above is better still. The night vision on the device is improved, and it even has its own built in torch. It takes 8mm tapes like its ancestor, but has a very strong battery life and a few more functions.We use this for night vigils and anything that requires darkness. Footage can be recorded onto a pc or laptop for later analysing.This particular model has a steady shot function, and upto 20x optical zoom. Optical zoom is much better than digital zoom because digital zoom only magnifies an un-zoomed image which makes it look pixelated, where as optical zoom uses motors to move the inner lenses to zoom optically preserving resolution.
Electro Magnetic Field Meters

You have probably seen these before on the television. These are common and relativley cheap. They are used to measure electro magnetic fields within a certain radius. The theory behind paranormal activity is that when a spirit manifests or moves, they generate a small electromagnetic field, just as our body generates its own. This change in local electromagnetism can be read on the meter in MG which stands for milligauss named after Carl Friedrich Gauss. The earths electromagnetic field measures in at 0.5 gauss, where paranormal activity has fluxed these meters upto 20mg, we carry these wherever we go as they are one of the most powerful tools we use.There are also other meters out there, like the tri-field natural electromagnetic meter, which is so sensitive that it can pick up the human body within a large radius.Please note these are not ghost detectors, some people use that term as a selling point, which is highly incorrect.
Vivitar DVR 410

This compact camera is used for spur of the moment shots. It is light and compact enough to fit in your pocket so that when you need it, its right with you. Recording onto internal memory enables this camera to save battery life, like the digital dictaphone it does not have to drive tape motors or heads. Footage and stills can be taken with this, it slightly lacks the quality of our bigger cameras but useful nonetheless.It also has a small tripod we can attach to it, making it easy to keep steady in confined spaces.
Digital Cameras

Present day, we are able to take photos digitally, and more often than not via our mobile phones. It is in some cases better to take pictures using your mobile, as the camera built in if its a descent phone can sometimes be better than a digital camera in terms of pixel resolution. Mobile phone cameras can range from 1.0 megapixel up to currently 8 megapixel, 8 being somewhat better than 1. Digital cameras can span far beyond 8mp, but are costly and bulky, and with the internal memory slot on a mobile phone we can now save hundreds of photos just like the camera. A digital camera does have advantages though, mostly to do with features. The flash on a digicam is useful, lighting up the room almost as if it were daytime, phones sometimes come equipped with a flash, but we have found that unless you are close to the subject, the flash is slightly weak, so we take a few of both devices along with us.

Digital Dictaphone
We have a number of devices we use, one being a digital dictation recorder. This is really just a microphone that records sound onto an internal memory card, but because of the lack of tape drive motors and mechanical inner workings, on a single set of batteries it can record for hours and hours. It also can make life easier when it comes to analysing the results, as it can be connected to an everyday computer, and the recorded files can be transfered very easily, without playing tapes into an external device.It is sensitive and has functions like sound chapter skip, which tape recorders can not do without rewinding and fast forwarding. Again these do not cost the earth and yeild great results.

Analogue Dictaphone
A similar device we use to record sound is a tape loaded version of the above, similar in size and weight but takes very small micro cassettes as a substitute for a memory card. These tend to use more battery power, but with that said, dont tend to run down fast really. This device also has its advantages, with a tape counter you can rewind back to where you heard your strange sounds, and a more important fact, is that of the cassette inside. Cassette tapes use magnetism, and some have used them to record voices from the other side because of the slight noise that cassettes pick up but again its a good thing to have both devices.
Walkie - Talkies

These long range radio's are perfect for paranormal work, with a long range and clear sound they are a must for most investigators. These particular models sport a headphone output so that any communication wont be drowning out the slight knocks and bangs associated with haunted places. In addition, they also have an input for an external microphone, which can be clipped to your collar or clothing, making your hands free. Relatively cheap handsets can be picked up almost anywhere.
Digital Readout Laser Temperature Sensors

These are in essence just ordinary thermometers, only mounted into a gun style handle making it easier and more comfortable to use. They also beam out a laser, indicating exactly where you are testing. Some people are confused when it comes to such a device, most think that the device tests air temperature, which they do to a certain degree. They measure the temperture of surfaces, and give back a reading in degrees Celsius or farenheit, depending on the mode you have set, another must for paranormal work, as we have all heard of the "cold spots"

Mobile Phones

We only really take mobile phones on an investigation as a form of communication. Sometimes we take pictures or video with them, or use the flash as a torch. Mobile phones interfere with most electrical devices such as tv's and radios or pretty much anything with a speaker. They also interfere with EMF Meters and walkie talkies, we are aware of this and use mobiles only when appropriate.They are however handy to have around if your battery dies in your digital camera. However our best photographs so far were taken with a mobile phone, from these pictures we have had startling results.
Torches

Torches are pretty much all the same cosmetically, although some do have differences. We use a few different types, one being a rechargable search light. This particular model puts out the equivalent light of 1,000,000 candles. This is useful for woodland walks and such, and has the nick name "sun on a stick". Other torches are not quite as bright but are easier to carry around, and we have some that you can adjust the lense to create a focused beam, or a more wide spread area of sight. Generally we turn them off during investigations to try and capture faint sightings of activity. The number one rule for torches is, take spare batteries. We also use wind up torches as they have proven to save money, the only drawback being they emit a whiring sound and can be picked up by our sound recording devices. We take great care to ensure that this does not happen.
Wireless Microphones

This device plugs into pretty much any audio recording machine via a standard headphone size jack socket. The microphone can be placed in an unatended room or building and it will send the sound via radio to the reciever, this is useful to us because the ambient sound is not currupted by the rustling and footsteps of the team. We can then monitor any changes in sound from a remote location outside, and record it digitally.
An Intel Sound Morpher

This is actually a childs toy, it records sound or voices, and then you can play them back for fun.You can also record upto 4 minutes of audio, not much, but worth it. Due to the sensitivity of the internal microphone, we decided to impliment it into our investigations, it has proved to be very useful as you can hear even the faintest sounds and taps. This product is unfortunatly no longer manufactured, but maybe you could pick one up on auction sites and such.
Laptop Computer

We take a laptop with us for a number of reasons, you can empty memory cards from portable cameras onto the hard drive so that you can take more photos, also you can save video from camcorders in the same way, leaving more space on the camera for recording. We also use a laptop to record sound from external microphones so that we can see instant feedback on a spectograph, showing sound peaks and levels. Being able to view photos on a bigger screen and analyse video frame by frame is a must for most paranormal photographers and videographers. Most do it after an investigation, as we do, but sometimes it can get interesting to see instant results, enabling us to concentrate on a specific area.

Dowsing rods : They are mostly used (personal preference) by talking with spirit world and getting yes, no or maybe answers.They can also be used for locating lost things. Anyone can use them, but as with all things used to converse with the spirit world PROTECTIONS are vital. They vary in price and you can make you're own using wooden sticks.


Tarot Cards : They are used for helping people and guiding them back onto their right life path. The spirit world can and will come through to some readers whilst reading them. Anyone can use them.They are not dangerous but protections are advised as with all forms of contact with the spirit world.


The Dowsing pendant is used in a similar way to the rods. They can be used in nearly the same way as a oujia board although would not advise they be used in that manner unless you know what you are doing and have used protections.
So yes it can be dangerous if used for the wrong reasons.