Basic Equipment
Temperature/HumidityReason for Measuring: Theory that ghosts/paranormal phenomenon can be detected by the presence of "cold spots", cold breezes, etc. The thought process is that the spirit draws upon the heat energy in the surroundings in order to manifest itself either visually or indirectly via its actions. Equipment: There are a few different types of equipment: Thermometers, Hygrometers, and Thermometer/Hygrometers. With thermometers, there are two main types, Non-contact IR and ambient air. Non-contact IR thermometers, the kind that you see on a lot of the paranormal TV shows, are actually not well suited for this field as they read surface temperatures only. These do offer an instant reading, but only when triggered by the user, so getting accurate, timed responses is also very difficult. Ambient air thermometers actually measure the temperature of the air where it is located. These thermometers have a timed reading setting, varying from 2-15 seconds, depending on model, settings, etc. This is good when watching a stationary unit, as you can monitor the changes close to real time. One good feature that some higher end models offer is datalogging. This allows the unit to not only take readings at set intervals, but to store them for later viewing on a PC. The advantages to this are great. The user does not need to monitor the equipment, leaving them available to use other equipment or to observe their surroundings. Plus, the equipment can be left set up remotely and collected at a later time. Hygrometers are used to detect the relative humidity (%RH) in a given area. The reason this is important in the field is when dealing with "Fairy Lights". These are visual phenomenon which looks like little sparkling lights in the air. This has been linked to static charges on particles in the air discharging, thus creating the lights. Knowing the humidity in the area that this occurs will help properly evaluate the event. With that said, and without going into a lot of detail, there are two terms associated with hygrometers: wet bulb and dry bulb. For most purposes, the dry bulb hygrometer is used, as it offers the quickest reading, and most portable electric units utilize this method. As with the thermometer, some of these units do offer datalogging capabilities. The benefits with this are the same as well. There is equipment on the market that offers a combination of the two. Most of these thermometer/hygrometers are ambient air/dry bulb, though you can find other combinations. These are compact, easy to use, and eliminate the need for two pieces of equipment. These units typically cost less than 2 individual pieces of equipment.
Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)Reason for Measuring: 1) Theory that spirits emit an electromagnetic field due to their construction as a refined, or pure, form of electrical entity. 2) Another theory is that naturally occurring EMF fields can provide a spirit with the needed energy to manifest itself. 3) Environmental Science showing that there could be a connection between exposure to high levels of electromagnetic radiation and perceived paranormal phenomenon. Equipment: EMF detectors are broken down into multiple types based on characteristics. The most common of these are Digital vs. Analog, Single Axis vs. Tri-Axis, and Natural EMF vs. Man-Made EMF. One feature that you need to look for, regardless of the type of unit, is it's ability to display in milliGauss and microTesla units. More and more people in the scientific community are turning to microTesla measuring. Some units offer the ability to measure in both scales. With Digital vs. Analog, this is in relation to how the data is displayed to the user. An advantage of the analog display is a true real time display of any fields. Digital displays will always have a very minor lag, minute fluctuations are very noticeable, and they skip numbers if there is a rapid rise/drop in readings. Analog screens have a more fluid motion. On the other hand, digital displays offer benefits not available with analog units. One is readable accuracy. While both types of units can be just as accurate, you can only extrapolate so much data from an analog display (i.e. if it reads to .1, you can only extrapolate data to .01), while a digital display gives you set data. Also, there are datalogging digital units available, whereas there are none on analog units. With Single Axis vs. Tri-Axis, you have to look at the actual meanings. 3D space is broken down into 3 axes: x, y, and z, basically referring to side to side, up to down, and front to back. A Single Axis reader will do just that, read 1 axis. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean that there are separate readers for each type of axes; it just means that it will only measure one axis, in relation to how the unit is held/placed. A Tri-Axis reader takes readings of all three axes at the same time, and combines the data into one data output. While this allows for rapid and easy detection, it is a bit deceptive in that it does not help you readily locate the actual flow of the field. Natural vs. Man-Made EMF is, in essence, electromagnetic fields created by the Earth and the environment, compared to fields created by electronics and power distribution grids. Here is where the debate comes in. If you are following the theory that paranormal phenomenon creates EMF radiation, a Natural Field detector is best suited for this, as it "ignores" man-made sources. Likewise, if you are following the direction that environmental EMF field exposure can cause perceived paranormal events, then a standard detector would be the best suited.
CamerasThere are many variations on the camera that are available to use for investigations. The types are primarily broken down into film vs. digital and SLR vs. auto-focus. All types will work, with the deciding factors mainly being preference, price, and ease of use. Here is a breakdown of each type:
Again, this is just a basic breakdown of differences between the different camera types. All of the types produce the desired evidence format, so it is mainly a personal, time, or budget preference that determine the camera best to use.
VideoReason for Measuring: Visual and audio documentation to compare with 1st hand accounts. This equipment allows for an unfaltering view that can be extended over great lengths of time. In addition, non-visible wavelengths of light have been shown to be visible when using video cameras. Equipment: This is probably the most varied and flexible piece of equipment that a paranormal investigator can use. There are many variants, from the type of camera used, to the medium used for recording. Let's start with a look at the types of cameras available. Although there is a wide assortment of cameras available, they break down into two basic categories, portable and fixed. Portable refers to what is commonly called a camcorder, while fixed refers to security system style cameras. There are some substantial differences in advantages to each type of camera, but video quality is comparable within the confines of similar media. This means that you cannot compare the video quality of an HD camcorder recording on DVD with a security camera recording on VHS cassette. Here's a breakdown of the attributes of each type of camera.
One feature available to both types of cameras is that they can be hooked up to a video multiplexer, via wire or wireless, and monitored simultaneously from one location. The previous table briefly touched on the types of media utilized by both types of cameras. While they both share some of the same recording options, the main difference is the amount of time that can be recorded per item. With C-VHS/8MM, you are looking at about a two hour recording time, 30 minutes with DVD, and variable with HDD on the portable units. Your time options greatly increase with fixed cameras. With a standard VHS tape, you can record real time up to 8 hours, and 40 hours time lapsed. With a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), you can record longer timeframes in both real time and time lapsed. There is also the ability to set the cameras up with motion alarms, so that there is only recording taking place when movement is detected. The final benefit to fixed cameras relates to the DVR. Most models allow you to review footage already stored while continuing to record. This is not an option with portable units. Simply stated, there are many benefits to each type of video camera used. For a quick investigation, or one that is not going to require remote monitoring, a portable camera is the preferred equipment. If a locale is being monitored over an extended time period, or from another location, fixed cameras will be the best option.
AudioReason for Measuring: Theory of Electronic Voice Phenomenon, or EVP. Equipment: Two words, audio recorder. There is no real need to go with anything beyond a small and portable audio recorder. There has been little, if anything, done with large scale recording equipment, plus this falls outside the budget confines of most groups. There are just a couple of types of recorders, being either tape or digital. The advantage about tape is that you have a hard backup that can be analyzed for deficiencies, etc. if the evidence warrants. Digital, on the other hand, offers the convenience of rapid uploading of files to a computer for analysis. Tape transfers can only go as fast at you can play the tape. One option that is worth looking at is the ability to add an external microphone. When dealing with a tape audio recorder, the internal microphone inherently picks up the motor whir and flutter. An external mic will minimize this, greatly enhancing the work and subsequent strain of analyzing. A regular hand-held microphone, or even an omni-directional mic, with the proper plug for the recorder, will work. 
Advanced Equipment and Theory Behind UseThe following is a listing of equipment that is used, or theorized, to detect paranormal activity outside the usual scope of investigating. These are not as common as the previous items, and are controversial as to their effectiveness. This list is not all inclusive. Items that are extremely controversial, such as Ouija boards and other equipment supposedly able to offer two way communications with the deceased, have been omitted. The thing to remember is that paranormal investigating needs to be expanded and pushed, but needs to remain in the realm of reputability. Negative Ion Detector Used based on the theory that 1) spirits are attracted to negative ions, and/or 2) spirits generate negative ions. FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) Used based on visualizations of different levels of temperature and the theory of spirits generating "cold spots". It is theorized that spirits are not the same temperature as their surroundings, therefore making them visible in infrared. Geiger Counter Used based on various theories related to when a spirit manifests, that it might give off radiation detectable by this equipment. |
