EQUIPMENT


As investigators, we use a myriad of tools to document paranormal activity and new ones are probably being invented or perfected everyday. This is a list of equipment we work with, what it can help document and the best tools for beginning your journey into investigating the paranormal.

Audio Recorders

A simple audio recorder is the best tool an investigator can have. An audio recorder can pick up the low frequency voices we can’t always hear with our own ears. It can provide an indisputable piece of evidence when you get a response to a question. When you capture an audio recording of a response or a sound you couldn’t hear with your own ears it is called an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena). It is unexplained how a voice can be captured on a recording that can’t be heard by us. 


If we hear the voice that is not ours and is picked up by our recorders, we call it a Disembodied Voice (a voice you can hear that doesn’t belong to anyone present). It is imperative when investigating that you mark on the recorder if you made an odd sound or whispered so that when you review your recordings you know it wasn’t a sound made by an investigator.


Cameras
Cameras are the next most important tool in an investigator’s arsenal. Still photographs can reveal some amazing things. Many strange anomalies can be captured in photographs. Everything from orbs to full apparitions has been photographed though not visible to the naked eye. Cameras are able to pick up on other spectrums of light revealing some interesting things. Any type of camera can be used as long as you follow one basic rule:

ALWAYS TAKE AT LEAST 3-4 PICTURES CONSECUTIVELY AND CONTINUE TAKING PICTURES IF YOU THINK YOU ARE PICKING UP SOMETHING. To prove that something you captured in a picture is paranormal, then you must be able to compare movements, changes, background or light in the other photos. 

Video Recorders

Infrared is a great option for seeing in total darkness. You can view a dark room as if it is totally lit. It is a great option for seeing objects move. Shadow figures have been captured with infrared cameras. It is easy to capture orbs and other anomalies with infrared cameras. Orbs are believed to be vessels of light, but dust, bugs and water droplets can have a similar appearance in infrared and can appear to be paranormal. Bugs are easy to dismiss because of their wings, dust usually follows the airflow, and reflections can appear to be orbs too. Orbs alone are not definite proof of the paranormal, but if combined with some other piece of evidence can give it validity. Infrared cameras are affordable and you can record with or without night vision. 


Full spectrum still and video cameras are modified to record in all spectrum of light from infrared to ultraviolet. Many amazing pieces of evidence including shadow figures and other variations of light have been captured with full spectrum cameras. They cost a little more than an infrared camera and only record in full spectrum so they are a great addition after you have an infrared camera.


Handheld Infrared & Full Spectrum video cameras work best with an additional light source.  There are many different types. 


DVR System

We also use an 8 camera digital video recording system during our investigations. A DVR allows us to record continuous video in multiple locations at the same time and in infrared in low-light conditions.


Thermal Cameras

Thermal cameras record temperature variations. Thermal cameras are a great tool to verify hot and cold spots and capture an entity’s movement, but can be pricey. There are now attachments to your phone camera that can detect and record in thermal at a reasonable price.


SLS/Kinect

The SLS camera is relatively new to the field and is one of the most exciting. It works on the same technology as Kinect. it is a structured light sensor and uses a camera and IR-light projector. The Kinect has an on-board processor which uses algorithms to process the data to render the three-dimensional image. The middleware also can recognize people: distinguishing human body parts, joints and movements, as well as distinguishing individual human faces from one another. It has been found to also pick up entities that we cannot see, but will react and respond to requests.


EMF Meters
If you are wanting to continue to investigate the paranormal, it is essential this be the third tool you purchase. An Electromagnetic Field detector detects fluctuations in the electric and magnetic fields. Some people may be hypersensitive to high EMF bringing about feelings of anxiety, tingling sensations, nausea, lethargy, depression and possibly hallucinations. We try to assess whether something man-made is causing high EMF, which in turn, is causing the person to feel as if they are being influenced by an entity. As an investigator, it is imperative to get a baseline of EMF before we begin an investigation so we can rule out what may be the cause of the person’s feelings and compare if there are fluctuations or spikes in the EMF. Spirits can affect this field and high-energy fields can also attract spirits that may wish to draw off it.  We have found that using EMF meters, we are able to communicate with spirits by asking yes or no questions. There are many types of EMF detectors.  I have included the few types we use.

The K2 meter is one of our favorites.  It is a simple EMF meter that is easy to use and has an easy to see display.  We have had good luck getting responses through the K2. 

The Mel Meter was invented specifically for paranormal investigating.  It gives you the measurement of the electromagnetic field and the temperature.  Newer models also emit a radiating electromagnetic field to help draw energy fields toward it and have the display lights like the K2.

The REM Pod is also one of our favorite tools at detecting a change in the electromagnetic field and it reacting to the environment. The REM Pod was designed specifically for the paranormal.  It has an antenna and radiates and detects changes in the electromagnetic field. It has an alarm so we could leave it alone in a room and be able to react if it alarms.  It has four colored lights on the top with all four lights responding to stronger EMF fields.

The Rook is a newer EMF detector that is fortified to reduce outside interference and false readings.  It also has sound.

The EDI Meter is highest in price but it puts the best of investigative tools in one piece of equipment.  It can data log and graph all readings, it has an EMF meter with sound and dual readout, ambient temperature readout, vibration sensor display, as well as pressure and humidity changes.

FM/AM Receivers
Spirit Boxes such as the SB-7 or SB-11 swiftly scans through radio frequencies and spirits can use these frequencies to produce their own words that we can hear. It is also considered a "white-noise" generator. We have heard spirits make complete sentences over multiple frequencies, which is pretty difficult to write off as coincidence.

Ghost Boxes work on the same premise as the spirit box, but they are custom made in various ways, are more sophisticated in their makeup, and the static that is heard while scanning is suppressed so that it easier to hear when a voice comes through. 

Ovilus
The Ovilus is similar to a ghost box in that it is a custom-made piece of equipment used specifically for spirit communication, but it does not use radio frequencies the same way. It has a pre-loaded dictionary that allows the spirit to use a word they choose that then appears on the screen.  

Laser Grids
Laser grids are a great, inexpensive tool to be able to visualize movement in a dark room. The most popular ones are a typical laser pen that has a star tip on the end to project multiple points of light creating a grid. If a figure walks in front of the laser grid, it is easy to see the shape that blocks out the light. 

Thermometers
Thermometers are used to detect temperature changes that could be associated with paranormal activity. They allow an investigator to document how the ambient temperature is affected by a spirit’s presence or to document a cold spot.

Static Detection Devices
Spirits have been known to create a static charge (the hair standing up on the back of your neck or your arms is a static detection device). Static detection devices are small battery-operated devices that can be set up to alarm if a static charge is detected.  

Dowsing Rods
Dowsing rods are one of the first and simplest tools used in communicating with spirits. They can be thought of as a primitive EMF meter, in the way that they function. Copper or brass wire is bent to provide a handle. Holding them loosely in your hands, spirits can respond to yes or no questions by making the rods cross or pull apart. Dowsing rods have been used for centuries to find water, graves and lost things. You can use them to have a spirit point you in a direction or follow where they want to lead you. They are easy to make, inexpensive and a great tool for a beginning investigator.

Flashlights
Flashlights are a necessity for finding your way in the dark, but also act as a tool for communication with spirit. We have found that spirits can let us know they are present by turning on the light and can answer yes and no questions by turning the light on and off. Very simple, but works well sometimes. It is quite exciting to see a flashlight turn on on-command. 

For more information on equipment and pricing, check out our affiliate GhostStop!