What type of equipment is necessary?

Question

For starting Paranormal investigations? I have a good digital camera, a video camera. I want an voice recorder, my camera comes with one , but I want a good one.

What equipment is necessary, what is useful and what does all of this cost? I don’t want to start without the right stuff.

Answer 1

Fancy equipment is nice and fun, but the most valuable and important tool is your mind. Develop your senses and open your mind.

You do not need a fancy recorder cassette recorders work well as do the digital ones. I know many who started out with just a film camera and tape recorder and got great results.

Steve

Answer 2

Don't listen to those bozos that don't believe in ghosts.  We have some very good pictures of ghosts that we got on a trip to Ghettysburg, PA.  Great place to study ghosts, btw, since they are in abundance, there.

Here's a few of the tour websites: They should have links to places to get equipment for ghost hunting.

http://www.ghostsofgettysburg.com/

http://www.hauntedgettysburg.com/

http://www.aghostlyexperience.com/home.h...

http://www.hauntedtours.com/

There are some websites that sell specific measuring equipment for the purpose of Ghost-hunting.  Any good portable tape recorder is good for it, but you have to turn the volume way up to hear anything of use and you need a good ear for it to recognize spooks from background noise.

Sounds like you have all of the basics to start ghost-hunting, but if you do a web search of ghost tours, the various sites will have links to places to buy equipment for ghost hunting.  It is not cheap, though, so make sure that you have your pennies saved up if you want to buy any specialized equipment that you don't already own.

Answer 3

a BS detector and a book on common sense

Answer 4

I would bring a video camera and a still camera.  Oh, and don't forget your brain.  That's the most important thing you can have along with you.

In my opinion EVPs are auditory pareidolia, not paranormal.  So I would leave the voice recorder at home.  Besides, your video camera has a microphone on it.  EMF detectors are almost completely worthless.

Oh, and don't listen to bozos who are trying to sell you a tour.  Those who benefit financially from "hauntings" aren't a reliable source of information.

Answer 5

I would suggest a good 35mm film camera that has the ability to turn the flash off. The higher the film speed the better if you are going to work in the dark (which is not required). Or be sure the digital camera has a straight to disk (not reusable) feature. Anything digital can be edited (photoshopped) and is worthless as evidence unless there is a negative (which can be a CD) that can't be altered (at least not without possible detection).

Many people use Sony video cameras because they have a night shot (infrared) feature. If you are not using this then either leave the lights on or be sure you have a bright enough light on the video to light up the area under investigation (this will eliminate normal shadows and such).

Again I would suggest a voice recorder like a mini CD recorder that uses one time use CD's (so it can't be altered) rather than a digital recorder that can easily be edited.

There is some debate about tape versus CD and I would include a full size tape recorder as well (with high quality tapes). Also use an external microphone to eliminate noises from the device or you moving (footsteps, clothes brushing, etc.) that is placed about 6 feet away, The higher quality the mic the better but they can get pricey fast.

Any investigation can be performed with an open mind and

1. Notebook

2. Pens

3. Watch

Most other equipment is optional.

The other equipment you might add depends on the type of investigations you wish to conduct.

I have listed two very basic books below that I required anyone going on investigations to read.

Answer 6

There is no such thing as paranormal activity.

In fact there's $1 million (US) waiting for anyone that can prove there is.

http://www.randi.org/joom/content/view/3...

Many people apply, nobody even gets to the testing stage, and the "professionals" won't go near the challenge.

If you already know this and just want to rip people off, well, most any sort of electronic gizmo will impress the gullible.

Answer 7

Start Slow, A digital recorder and a camera is a beginning Necessity   though make sure the camera is 3 mega pixel camera or lower usally the higher the megapixel drowns out spirit formation and may cause Matrixes *which is what many people Misinterpret certain things in photos to be evidence of paranormal.

then for the recorder when you go  to a claimed haunted location :

what we do is explain what a recorder is

*Please speak loudly into the device with the red dot on it, it helps us hear your voice.*

- we usally record for like 15 - 20 mins a session and give about 15- 40 secs in between each question we ask :)

It takes time for them to reply, their voice isn’t as quick as ours in replying.

Ask Questions with a digital recorder like :

1. Is any one here.

2. Is there any one who would like to make their presence known?

3. Can you give us a sign your here.

4. Can you give us a sign your here by making a noise or moving some thing.

5. What is your age or how old are you?

6. What year is it or do you know what year it is?

7. Can we help you?

8. Do you need help?

9. Are you lost?

10. Are you upset we’re here?

11. Would you like us to leave?

12. Are you upset the home owners are here.

13. Is this your home / business?

14. If you have any thing to say speak loudly into the tape recorder. (Explain what the tape recorder is).

15. We’re here to try and help you; we’re not here to harm you. Please let us know what we can do.

since you are a begginner you may use a video camera at first if you choose.

For the digital recorder try using an olympus with usb connection so you can analyze your evps ... Download the program audacity *search on download.com* for a while untill you can purchase *reccomended* ADOBE AUDTION to anaylze your evps. well hopefully i helped . Check EBAY for the camera and Recorder.... usally cheap

Starting your own group takes time, you work your way up my team started with one recorder ,1  flash light, 1 camera, 1video camera, and 3 people other than me :) Plus you gotta learn your terms, the paranormal theories and debunking of common household things that may imitate paranormal phenomena , before jumping into a home investigation so you can answer home owner's questions. The Paranormal is a learning process you are constantly learning and new theories come out everyday! But the more you try the more you succeed :) good luck with your newly forming group :)

i hope i have helped  :)

Ryan ~Paranormal Investigator/Researcher~

www.theprosonline.com

Answer 8

I have a lot of different test equipment, but it's hard to know what will work best for you. I have a technical back ground and tend to go with high end stuff.   Check out this site and you'll get an idea of what is used by others.

see---

http://www.ghostgadgets.com/gear.html