What's Inside Paranormal Discovery's Equipment Cases ?
Here you will find a list of the equipment we use. Some pieces of equipment are used regularly on investigation and others only occasionally. If there are any good points to a certain device then we have pointed that out as well as any negative aspects of that particular piece of equipment.
We don't have as varied a kit as some teams but this is simply due to the fact that we are self- funding and money is limited. We do have a very long wish list, however!
Thermometers / EMF Meters /Environment
Max/min mercury thermometer
A very handy thing to have set up in an area, that we can’t cover all the time. Will tell us the highest and lowest temperatures of the room during a set period of time. Best used in a secure, locked area, after all temperature fluctuations are only really useful if the conditions have been the same throughout the night. People going through the area all the time would render the reading useless. Easy push button to reset. Disadvantages to this piece of equipment are that it is quite fragile and that its use is limited. It only gives an overview of temperature and not any insight into when or how often there has been a drop or rise in temperature.
Pocket thermometer x 2Simple, light weight but really useful. Not back-lit which means you have to find a light to read the display but that’s the only drawback. Sample rate can be adjusted from once every 10 seconds to once every second which is ideal for paranormal investigation use. Temperature range –10 to 110*C
Digital in/out thermometer
Very small device with a clear readout. Measures –19 to 70*C. Updates temperature every 10 seconds. Not back lit which is the only drawback to this small piece of equipment.
Hunidity/temperature sensor
Humidiprobe from Picotech, Not used yet but soon to be up and running! The only disadvantage to this particular piece of equipment is that it must be plugged into the laptop to be used which makes it awkward to take from area to area. Plus it only measures from 0-70 C so below zero temperatures won’t be accurately recorded.
Infrared thermometer
Easy to use but probably the least used piece of equipment we have. Laser pointer to help aim the target accurately.This device will measure surface temperature only and is no use for finding cold spots in a room. It will not measure ambient temperature. Ideally should be used very close to the target at between 7-30cm away. Factors such as dust or smoke can prevent accurate measurement. Plus points are the very fast response time of 0.5 seconds, the backlit display and small size which makes it ideal for keeping to hand in your pocket. Temperature range –20 to 200*C.
Environment meter
Measures sound/light/temperature and humidity. Quite fiddly to use in the dark, especially to plug probes in and to change the settings but a good piece of kit and easier to use if sitting still in one area where it can be attached to a tripod.
Sound range = 35-130Db
Lux= 0 – 20,000
RH% = 25-95%
Temp= -20-750*C
Audio/Video
The team currently own 5 Sony camcorders with night vision, ranging from analogue to HDD. We chose Sony camcorders due to their night vision capability, which uses infrared technology. This gives the image a green tint but the image is not as grainy or as jittery as what you might get by filming with other brands using night mode rather than night vision. Night mode relies on slower shutter speed rather than infrared.
DCR TRV265E X 2
Recommended but extra batteries are required as they last 180 mins MAX. Tapes last for an hour’s filming so timing is essential.
DCR HC35E as above
DCR SR32E HDD Can record for 7 hours which is great till it becomes time to watch the footage! Spare batteries are handy for this reason.
CCD TRV228E analogue. Tapes last for 1.5 hours. Again best to have spare batteries. This camcorder is mainly used for recording our trigger objects as the tapes last for that little bit longer than the other models. The only difficulty encountered is if we capture anything interesting. The analogue footage then has to be converted to digital which is very time consuming as it has to be converted in real time.
Digital cameras
EPSON PHOTO PC 2100Z model G871A
Great for taking photos in dim light.
TECHNIKA SH 1060
10 mega pixels. High resolution but best for use in daylight/lit conditions.
Audio Recording
Digital voice recorders
All Olympus
Olympus VN-2000
This voice recorder was a waste of money! It has no usb port, not helpful at all, and doesn’t give the best quality of recordings either. This is only kept as a back up and for recording notes and comments about the investigation.
Olympus WS-10
Brilliant! We would buy ten of these! They plug straight into the computer and it couldn’t be easier to transfer files. Great quality and not too expensive either.
Olympus VN-960PC
High quality recordings. Not as easy to transfer files as with the WS10 but still quite straightforward.
Cassette Recorder
Sony TCM 16
Limited use now we have digital voice recorders although sometimes used alongside a voice recorder for comparison should we capture an EVP on both. Use of an external microphone is advisable otherwise it is possible to record the mechanism inside. Also used in empty rooms to play back a set of pre-recorded questions while a digital recorder records any EVPs in response.
Ghost Box
A cheap hacked Radio Shack digital radio used fro spirit communication. Speakers or headphones are required but speakers are best as it is necessary to ask questions out loud and then listen for answers. ‘Spirts’ are allegedly able to communicate by manipulating the voices on the airwaves (sometimes only individual syllables from words) and white noise to form audible answers to questions. So basically, the answers the investigator hears can be formed from bits of various broadcasts. However, sometimes the spirits seem to produce sounds using their own ‘voices’ as in EVPs with the excepton that these utterances can be heard in real time. It is best to record sessions with this piece of equipment and play them back later as it is easy to miss some of the communications first time.
Very simple to use but does it work? Well, we’ll make our opinions known after we have tried it for a while.
Other
Mini alarm with infrared sensor
This is basically a room guard. The siren is activated by the movement of heat-emitting bodies within the room or at point of entry depending on where it has been set up. Ideal for securing an area and for alerting the team of any animal presence or human intruders. Multi – directional so can be attached to cover a whole room or just a doorway.
Glitterbug ultraviolet powder
This is used to dust our trigger objects in situations where they are not being left in a secure area. Transfer of the powder is easily spotted on hands, clothes, door knobs etc under the beam form a UV torch. IF we are ever rewarded by having one of trigger objects move by paranormal means then we wonder where or if any of the powder would be transferred . . . ?
Torches/lighting
Infrared torches
The small IR torches are helpful but really not big enough to be of that much use. The best IR torches we came up with are home made, extremely cheap and very easy to put together using coloured acetate sheets. In the future we hope to get our hands on a big lamp like the big spot lights you can fit onto a car and convert it to IR in a similar way.
UV Torch
For use with the UV powder mentioned before.
Laser pointer
Handy to use when on a vigil in the dark and you want to remain silent. Can be used to show team mates where a sound has been heard or something has been seen.
Torches
Torches with spare batteries are essential pieces of equipment for each investigator.
Battery operated tealights
Useful for when a low-light is required, eg during a séance, for mirror scrying etc.
Book light
Fixes onto clipboard to allow you to take/read notes in the dark
Useful & Just in Case
Paper and pens
First aid kit and blankets
Compass
Extension leads
Fold-up tables
Spirit level
Camera tripods
Measuring tape
Two-way radios
Trigger objects : coins, jewellery, toys, crucifixes, playing cards etc
Sellotape & blu-tack
Scissors
Screwdrivers
Spare batteries for all pieces of equipment
In-car camcorder battery charger
Clip boards
Self-adhesive door/window alarms
