THE COMPASS

Simple in construction and function, next to commonsense this is probably the most overlooked and dependable paranormal tool in existence. Simply put, the compass is a  basic yet highly dependable electromagnet field sensor.  Now replaced by far more accurate and sensitive electronics, this paranormal tool is still used by  many paranormal investigation traditionalists and those wishing to carry a dependable back-up to their modern day electronic tools.  Using the needle as a guide, with practice the compass can easily pinpoint the location and movement of a moderate magnetic field in the user's vicinity.

GAUSS MULTI-DETECTOR

Similar in function to the EMF Meter in that it detects Gauss Fields, but on a far more sensitive level.  This handy tool measures values in both Electrostatic and Electromagnetic scales independently and with high accuracy.  Using  a corresponding colored bank of  LED lights and a field strength rating capability ranging from .00001 to 1.0  on both the Electrostatic and Electromagnetic scales, this moderately priced  instrument is a must for the serious investigator.  Some of the  more modern models come with a built in audible signal feature as well.

A single axis gauss meter that detects paranormal activity within a given area via of the Electromagnetic Smog signature such activity creates.  These instruments are incredibly accurate with a comparative reaction time to the presence of a gauss field that easily doubles the reaction time capable using  its close cousin the Cellsensor.   A color coded graph helps indicate the level of a field's intensity at a glance.

Just as there are different nails used for different tasks and yet they are all basically capable of doing the same chore more or less, the same can be said for Gauss meters.  The sensitivity, ultra fast reactivity, extended detection range and audible tone that these meters are capable of make them a precision instrument designed for those specific situations where such qualities would be an asset to the safety of the team involved.

The Air Ion Counter can be used for the detection of natural and artificial ions. Both positive and negative.   Paranormally speaking, we have seen that when a ghost/spirit is about to make an "appearance" that a certain amount of energy is taken from the surrounding environment or from a nearby source. This meter and those like it measure the resulting change in the positive or negative ions (electrostatic energy) in the air.  A rather fascinating tool in the paranormal investigators arsenal.

This particular instrument has the following features..

• Audible notification of activity, a discreet noise, not a piercing one which will disturb an investigation.
• Visual notification of activity .
• Long battery life up to 18 hours continuous use on one battery.
• Telescopic Antennae for maximum signal gain.
   

Just like in other fields of serious scientific study, you have one tool better suited for a situation than another.  Sometimes silence is golden or the weather is less than favorable for electronics.  This weatherproof meter is made for abuse!  5 led lights that notifies you of different levels of Electro Magnetic Fields. The led lights makes it easy to use the meter in the dark. Man made EMF will stay steady. Paranormal activity will produce continuous spiking of the meter (a spirit emits a pulsating electromagnetic field). As soon as the meter goes to the 2nd light you have a higher than normal field of electromagnet energy. EMF is always around us. We even emit a small field ourselves. This meter will only alert you when you have a field that is worth noticing. That is when it is higher than normal. Typically spirits will cause the meter to go all the way up to the highest level and make the meter flash (spiking).

EMF/GAUSS METER  (aka ELF Meter)

Detects Electrostatic (Telsa) and Electromagnetic (Gauss) fields with EXTREMELY high sensitivity, very high range and accuracy. Integrated, switchable frequency filter to allow monitoring of frequency fields (VLF/RF and ELF) separately! The lights give the user the ability to read results in darkened areas. Dual use meter featuring RF measurement as well as a single axis EMF gauss meter for basic combination detection of EMR  as well as ESR. RF meter measures the intensity of radio frequency radiation. Two analog scales: HIGH sensitivity 0-1 mW/cm²², and NORMAL sensitivity 0-10 mW/cm²². Remote probe with 2 foot extension cord allows user comfortable flexibility and reach. Both RF and Gauss meter provide audio sound and large flashing light which corresponds to abnormal spikes in field strength.

NOTE:  These meters have a serious drawback where the users often become too accustomed to listening for the meter to sound or the light to flash to signal paranormal activity in a specific area.  This is wrong as well as potentially dangerous for those depending on your information.  The analog meter itself is what should be constantly watched if you are supposed to be taking preliminary readings or if you are assigned to monitoring ELF levels during an investigation. A lot of paranormal phenomena can be detected beneath the alarm threshold of these sensitive meters.  The ONLY exception to this is where the meter is being used for paracode (see glossary) by a sanctioned sensitive.   Simply hanging the meter around your neck does little for fashion and still even less for the cause that brought you to the gig in the first place.

TRIFIELD NATURAL Em METER

Starting at  $180.00 and subject to easy breakage, these meters are very often out of the grasp for many investigators and groups.  However, the benefits that these instruments can bring to an investigation might be well worth considering the risk.

Built electronically (through the use of filters) to detect only what we would consider paranormal activity, they take most if not all of the guesswork out of situations where the ELF, ION and Gauss detectors leave the investigator otherwise unsure of his or her findings.  They are reasonably simple to use and have an audible tone which comes in handy in dark areas.

Unlike what we see on those television shows, this is NOT a handheld instrument. Producers love these gismos because they create a great effect, but as far as true and accurate readings it requires a strict protocol to be followed and number one on the "Don't Do!" list is touch the meter or disturb the area being measured (approx. 50' FC) in any way.   However, this meter's close cousin, the TRIFIELD meter, can be handheld under some circumstances.

INFRARED MOTION DETECTOR

With a slight adjustment, this unit will detect anomalies in a controlled area on two levels. 360° Passive Infrared motion detection searches and compares a room's thermal make-up to that registered upon activation and Infrasonics instantly detect any noise whatsoever as well as sudden changes in the room's physical air mass. Just as a boat displaces water, objects even on the molecular level will displace air within a room. Completely self-contained and portable, the unit operates on a standard 9V battery or AC adapter. Can be mounted on a wall, floor or ceiling, or simply placed on a tabletop. Unit is armed and disarmed from up to 30 feet away with the handheld remote. Easily obtained at any store and very wallet friendly.

Used primarily by the Safety or Safety Team during Sit-downs, this thermometer is actually a base station which uses wireless technology and a remote sensor placed in the immediate vicinity of a sit-down. This instrument continuously receives essential data from the sit down area allowing the Safety to thoroughly monitor the continuously changing atmospheric conditions created by the sit-down and its participants.  A sudden shift in temperature is always a key indicator as to the progress and level of safety with regard to sit-downs and other higher risk procedures.

MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR

High end device that through computer software enhancement will detect, monitor and document even the slightest change or manifestation of  a magnetic field.  Used by us to successfully confirm the presence of entities during sit-down events.  Sometimes used for Para-Code©,  these devices are sensitive enough to detect even the slightest shift in the Earths gravitational fields! 

INFRARED THERMOMETER

Infra-Red (IR) is a type of EMF we don't hear much about... but you know it when you feel it! This pistol-grip meter (with laser pointer for pinpoint accuracy) will measure temperatures from 0ºF all the way up to 600ºF at a safe distance. Offers an amazing 2% accuracy and a resolutio

n of 1ºF. Field of view is 6:1, low RF output, Backlit LCD readout is easy to see, even in dim lighting. Use it to instantly measure the IR temperature of walkways, rooms, attics or basements.

Used to instantly gain a suspect area's temperature and humidity data.  Worth ten times its weight in gold when investigating an area's orb activity and insuring it is in fact paranormal and not a natural phenomena as is common in concentrated areas of humidity.

HARDWIRE THERMOMETER (aka Thermocouple)

This high tech thermometer is mostly used to back up those readings found with  IR thermometers made by the same United States and foreign manufacturers found in many investigator's tool box.  Using an ultra-sensitive wire probe hard wired to an equally sensitive meter with a digital readout, the probe is placed in the vicinity of a target area to record the temperature in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.  Unlike the IR thermometers, this instrument is not usually subjected to false readings caused by both natural and manmade transient thermo fields like those that are common to abandoned buildings.  Nor are it's capabilities restricted to the IR spectrum.

2-WAY RADIO

Handheld communication is an absolute must for responsible and safe paranormal investigations where normal speech is not possible. Groups that investigate buildings of any size need to maintain communication with all members at all times to insure integrity and safety during investigations and these devices make that possible. Most of today's small handheld transceivers are powerful enough to allow clear communications through all kinds of weather and obstacles; 2-5 mile ranges are common.

IONIZING RADIATION METER, better known as a Geiger Counter

When one of these gets pulled out of the box at an investigation images of mushroom clouds and body parts falling off fill the minds of the uninformed. These meters simply detect changes in the number of negative and positive charged ions in a particular area and that is all. Paranormal energy ionizes the air and this meter detects that change instantly. If your research is serious enough to warrant this kind of sensitivity, then these rugged Civil Defense meters are just the ticket. Study, portable and powerful, yellow-painted steel case houses the meter and 1 "D" battery. Calibrated 0-5 roentgens/hr (r/hr) analog meter with x0.1 - x1 - x10 - x100 sensitivity selector switch (effective range is 0.1 -- 500 r/hr). These Cold War surplus units are available online, at military surplus stores and through many catalogs for under $60.00. Sets including a remote sensor are best and can reach over $100 in some cases, but are well worth the extra investment. Be sure to insure that whatever the unit, it comes in its original box  complete with instruction manuals.

CLOSED CIRCUIT TV

Some might argue that such a system as this is overkill, but we do not agree. A closed circuit television with night vision capability (CUT/IR) allows an investigation team member to monitor one or more areas at one time and yet not have to risk exposure to any potential danger within. Yes, these systems are VERY EXPENSIVE for non-profit groups to afford and the only reason we have one is because it was a donation to the group. A system well worth considering if the funds come your way!

NIGHT-VISION®  EQUIPMENT

Outrageously expensive and ridiculously over priced for a technology over thirty years old, quality GEN I devices that won't break with normal use are just starting to slip below $300...a fortune for a non-profit group to absorb. But for anyone that can afford the price tag they are a God send! They eliminate the need for flashlights as a primary vision aide which enables the user to walk through completely darkened areas safely. The device we use (again, a much appreciated donation) is a GEN III military surplus handheld scope.

MICRO-CASSETTE RECORDER

The personal hand held micro-cassette and digital voice recorder is probably the singularly most important tool you can carry. Beyond the obvious uses, these must-have tools have been responsible for more recorded EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) than systems designed for the purpose of capturing this rare phenomena and cost thousands of dollars less, around $25 in most cases for tape and $40 for digital.

Multi-channel headphone amplifier used for analyzing possible Electronic Voice Phenomena during evidence meetings.  Each miniature console allows several investigators to evaluate sample EVP at their own adjustable volume level using separate headphones; insuring that cross contamination through suggestion is cancelled out of the process.

A newcomer to most paranormal investigator's tool box is the protective facial mask. Its use is obvious and its need is crucial in asbestos laced atmospheres. Not very appealing and comfort is less than perfect, but far more preferable to what awaits the one who's willing to literally trade their life for fashion or comfort. Asbestos kills...its that simple!

Innovation is often a must for paranormal study and this apparatus is a good example of how some modern marvels can be used quite successfully.  Due to its high cost, however, this is not something every group or individual paranormal investigator should consider. 

This instrument has the capability of allowing its user (under prime conditions) to clearly hear a conversation up to 150 yards away or the telltale sound of any mechanical device within 25 yards away.  Making this an indispensable tool for the Safety's initial scout of a location like an abandoned building and its surrounding area while securing a site for an investigation.  

Our more compact version is also armed with a digital recorder allowing it to instantly record at the push of a button which makes it useful for "live" EVP collection as well.  It has successfully done so on many occasions.

SOUND LEVEL METER

Available on the web through specialty stores and merchants, this enhanced top shelf sound level meter will detect a pin drop in a room and tell you how many decibels the pin made as it hit the floor. Used in paranormal investigation to detect ELF (Extra Low Frequency) and EHF (Extra High Frequency) sounds, its uses are limitless. It is not uncommon for investigators to run into frauds and this device will catch them every time. With slight modification, the device will easily register the sound of a tape recorder's operation, a video device's mechanical signature, or even the sound of a hidden person's heavy breathing or excited heartbeat. De-bunkers and law enforcement has relied on this device many times and for good reason. Being so sensitive, you can only imagine how useful it is to the EVP seeking investigator, infinitely helping him or her decide where the (quietest) best to place his microphones and recording devices will be!

BLACK LIGHT

The portable black light or basic UV light is one of the more handy tools. Used to detect airborne asbestos fibers and particles in the air within a room or building, it also allows the investigator to distinguish between true orb phenomena and non-paranormal airborne contaminates. Most of these very affordable devices come with a flashlight feature as well. A multi-tool is a good thing when lugging a lot of equipment around.

LUMINOL

Luminol and several chemicals like it are powerful chemical reagents used in the forensic survey of a investigation site.  Luminol in particular is a highly poisonous chemical and requires proper preparation and handling while its cousins are far safer to use.  No matter what chemical is used they all work basically the same.  They act as as a reagent to human blood and in doing so can provide on-the-spot confirmation of a sensitive's findings with hard viewable evidence. 

VIDEO CAMERA/Night  Vision Capable

Most of the modern hand-held video camera models commonly available  have all the bells and whistles that a paranormal investigator would want. Prices vary with the extras, but many are affordable to an extent and are built for abuse. They are a decent alternative to actual Nightvision® devices and considerably cheaper as many come with some form of "see-in-the-dark" technology.

One of the most controversial tools used in paranormal research is a simple device realized by one of the most influential scientists to ever walk the Earth, Nikola Tesla.  Many of  Edison's inventions, including the urban legend based Ghost Communicator which caught the first EVP in history, was based on his adversary Tesla's work.  

Tesla, known for his work out of the mainstream of science,  hypothesized that ghosts were comprised of pure energy and could be studied by discharging controlled amounts of electrostatically charged ions in the immediately surrounding atmosphere.  Tesla's hypothesis was proven shortly after his creation of the a high output, high voltage coil and the resulting Jacob's Ladder (named for the biblical story of Jacob's vision of a "ladder" reaching up into Heaven) was put to laboratory use.  Put simply, the Jacob's Ladder works via an electrical discharge (spark) forming between  two copper rods.  This in turn  energizes the surrounding atmosphere which then literally feeds the nearby entities with incredible amounts of pure energy. Enabling an entity wishing to communicate to do so more easily than depending upon their natural state's energy allowances.

Used with EXTREME caution, under close supervision and only under the proper psychic conditions, this instrument can and will enhance the psychic experience and paranormal activity within the effected area safely. 

Physically speaking, this instrument's misuse will result in serious personal injury and even death.  Psychically speaking, just imagine placing incredible power into the hands of your worse nightmare and fears!  With either scenario, those misusing a Jacob's Ladder have a heavy price to pay! 

LAP-TOP COMPUTER

A much needed item and a boom to paranormal research both in the field and back at the evidence meeting is the laptop computer.  We have been using laptops since they became available.  Now, with ever improving software designed for the purpose, monitoring participant stress levels during sit downs, evaluating photographic evidence and diagnosing potential EVP files on site is all within our reach and at the press of a button.  However like most advanced equipment, a hefty price tag is attached to these very delicate and all too easily breakable machines. 

We use instruments such as EEG, EKG, Bio-Feedback, Heart rate/Respiration Monitors, Blood Pressure Monitors, etc. in our ongoing effort to record, document  research and, most importantly, enlighten others as to what physiological changes take place or are affected when a sensitive experiences a "psychic" event.  Data gathered from these sessions are frequently shared as an ongoing collaborative effort with research teams working at universities in both the United States and in England.  Training is mandatory for proper use.

Among the more experienced groups is a practice that goes back to the infancy of photography.  Using the flash as a means to actually see successfully paranormal phenomena and effects.  This is done by holding the camera or flash unit down below eye level and looking at the effect of the camera flash using normal vision, NOT the rangefinder or other eyepiece.  

The modern strobe light recreates that effect perfectly and the some with its variable flash rate.   The device is placed on the floor towards a suspect area and then turned on.  The flash rate is adjusted so that any airborne "contaminates" appear to be frozen while allowing faster moving phenomena to be enhanced and therefore visible. 

 Relatively quite inexpensive, these lighting effect tools are much cheaper to run and upkeep as opposed to replacing burned out camera flashes and alike.  The downside is that all the worthwhile strobe lights presently require 110V AC to operate.

WARNING: Never use these devices in the vicinity or in the presence of anyone who could be prone to dizziness or seizures!

Designed to actually "see' and then analyze heat signatures and  remnant heat signatures as well as analyze on the spot  heat and cold atmospheric (air-born) anomalies (just to name a few of the functions this equipment is capable of), this is the ultimate tool for paranormal research...and probably the most expensive as well.   Thanks goodness for benefactors!

A must for the serious psychic investigator is a good facial composite program.  T.R.I.P.R.G. uses the same high tech and dependable software utilized by Child-Find, the FBI and most law enforcement agencies locally and world-wide.  The use of this program gives a research team the ultimate investigative edge to be able to have a likeness to put with the evidence being gathered.  We are very grateful for the generous donation of this expensive software.

HUMAN BRAIN

Although most parents with any child 14 to 17 would be quick to argue the point, the human brain capacity for common sense is still the most dependable  tool ever created.  Not only is it an ideal tool for investigating the unknown due to its tendencies towards skepticism and curiosity, but it has been known to keep the rest of the body out of harms way as well.