A guide to paranormal equipment - Part 1

At My Haunted Project we see everyone from experienced investigators, to people just beginning their paranormal journey. One question we get asked so frequently at the project is - What do we think of paranormal equipment?

Below we have put together a short guide designed to cover the basics of paranormal equipment. How it works, and share our thoughts.

I tend to place equipment into 4 key categories.

• Environmental:

Environmental based equipment is exactly as you would expect. It measures, records or reacts to changes in the environment within its working range. This can be anything from Temperature, to Barometric air pressure, Electromagnetic fields (EMF), Electric fields (EF) Radio frequencies (RF), Vibration, humidity, audio, LUX (Light), Motion and so on.

Here at the project we are a big fan of environmental based equipment. Whilst much of this equipment does not produce compelling evidence on its own, mixed with other factors it offers a reinforcement to the evidence. We tend to like seeing a moment of interest backed by 3 points (Triangulated) so for example a change in air pressure, combined with an audible sound and also an activation of motion starts to become much harder to explain (Debunk).

Below are some examples of Environmental based equipment:

The Aeroflux 2 by ScireTech measures air pressure within the room. It alerts you visually and audibly when a fluctuation occurs. Amber indicates a minor fluctuation. Red a significant fluctuation.

The Paranormal Puck 2 is a device that contains a handful of environment sensors. Barometric pressure, Lux, Motion, Temperature/Humidity, G-force. What is really nice about this item is it displays the data on a phone app allowing you to monitor externally.

EMF/K2 Meter - Probably one of the most commonly used items within the paranormal

EMF/K2 Meters are an item designed for electricians. Their purpose is to measure for voltage/current leakage.

When it comes to K2 meters and their use within the paranormal there is a lot to be said!

As you can see I have placed an image of 3 EMF/K2 Meters above. The theory here is that ghosts, spirits, gins.... Whatever you may call them are made of energy. And thus, using a device like this is a prime way of detecting and communicating with said entities.

As aways within the paranormal, it is important to be careful when using items of equipment to avoid false positives/leads. K2/EMF Meters are affected by a number of different factors which I will outline below:

1. Electricity - It sounds obvious but many will wave these items near lighting or electrical items and immediately jump to the conclusion they have found a ghost. Lets remember, these items were invented to alert us to the strength of an electric field and that is what they are good at doing!

2. Mobile Phones/Cellphones - One of the biggest things that will affect these devices is your mobile phone. Its surprising how far away your phone can be and still affect these items also! Airplane mode absolutely helps to minimise interference but it is something you should keep in mind. If you are getting a pulsing reading on your K2 it is very likely caused from phone signals.

   1. Walkie Talkies/Radios - Often used on paranormal investigations these will cause high spikes when used in the area. Remember that in city centres radios/walkie talkies are used regularly by restaurants, emergency services, truck/lorry drivers so there is always the potential for false readings.

      
      

      A final point about the EMF/K2 meter is the inconsistency from brand to brand. The K2 Meter in the middle is an original which is manufactured in the USA. Its quality is exceptional and you will find its very resilient to anything other than electromagnetic fields. It can often be distinguished by its black strips on the left and right of the sticker.

      
      

      The meter on the left is a much cheaper clone of the original K2 and is effected much more by RF and EF signals. These meters are considerably more sensitive and also tend to have a much shorter lifespan due to the lower quality. The original company K2 recently went into liquidation due to the high influx of clones on the market.

      
      

      The meter on the right is based off the original K2 meter but has a different design. We find these to be higher quality than the clones on the left, but still very far from the quality of the original K2 meter.

      
      

      That said these devices can have their uses within the paranormal. High levels of EMF can cause symptoms such as paranoia, the feeling of being watched, dizziness and nausea, and in extreme circumstances hallucinations. These devices can absolutely play a part in ruling out an electrical source for people feeling uneasy in a location.

      
      
      
      

      In part 2 we will delve Instrumental trans-communication devices. (ICT)