Tag Archives: EMF device

Ghosthunting Equipment for the Weekend Ghosthunter

Tips for the Weekend Ghosthunter from Helen Pattskyn

Helen PattskynProfessional ghosthunters, like the folks from Motor City Ghost Hunters, use some pretty sophisticated—and expensive—equipment. Chances are, that’s more of an investment than the average person wants to make. The good news is that the weekend ghosthunter can get by—and still get good results—with just a few ghosthunting tools.

A good-quality digital camera is an absolute must, and the greater the resolution (the more pixels) the better. I use the camera that I bought a couple of years ago for vacations. It has the added bonus of being small enough to fit easily in my purse. I use rechargeable batteries—but always carry a backup set (except for that one time at the Baldwin Theatre, the one time I needed them!). It is commonly reported that batteries die and electronics stop working in haunted places.

A second indispensable piece of equipment, according to everyone I spoke to, is a digital recorder. Most digital recorders are small and inexpensive. All of the ones I looked at had a record time of several hours.

Digital recorders are used to pick up EVPs, or electronic voice phenomena. Paranormal investigators frequently seem to record sounds and even voices on electronic devices, even when no sounds or voices were heard by the team members themselves during the investigation. Many paranormal teams post these recordings on their websites, allowing visitors to decide for themselves whether the “voices” caught on tape are real or just white noise.

A digital camera and digital recorder were the only pieces of equipment I took with me on my adventures around the state, and I really only used my digital recorder a few times. I left it on all night when I stayed at the Blue Pelican—but if anyone was there, they didn’t feel like talking to me.

About the EMF Device

Probably the next most popular ghosthunting device is an EMF detector, which is used to detect electromagnetic fields. The theory is that, where there are ghosts, the electromagnetic fields “spike.” Other things can cause electromagnetic fields to jump, too, such as outlets and major appliances. So you need to have an idea of what’s in the area before jumping to conclusions. Natural and man-made (not paranormal) electromagnetic fields can cause people to have that same “eerie feeling” so many people get when they believe there are spirits nearby. Bearing in mind that you get what you pay for, weekend ghosthunters can purchase a decent EMF meter for $30–$50 from most larger hardware stores. More expensive models start at $100.

Ghosthunting Michigan
Ghosthunting Michigan

A couple of the paranormal investigators I spoke to recommend using a 35mm camera, preferably loaded with black-and-white film, as a secondary source for ghostly images. If you’re going out with a friend, it might be interesting to compare images taken with a digital camera and the good old-fashioned way with film.

If you’re more serious—or as you become more serious—you can purchase additional equipment for your ghosthunting arsenal. Full-spectrum digital video cameras are popular, as are night vision or infrared camcorders.

It has been suggested to also document your adventures with pen and paper—or maybe start a ghosthunting journal or blog.

Helen Pattskyn is the author of Ghosthunting Michigan.

How an EMF Device Works

One possible way to detect ghost is through the measuring of EMF (electromagnetic Frequencies). An EMF meter is an instrument that measures fluctuation in electromagnetic fields.  Ghost/spirits seem to be surrounded by tiny amounts of EMF, so by scanning an area with an EMF meter it is possible to pick up traces of EMF which have no readily explainable “source” under normal circumstances. Using an EMF meter can not only be used to detect the presence of ghosts, but with a reading, it is possible to track or follow the movements of a ghost.

Before using an EMF meter to detect ghosts in a location, one should first take EMF readings throughout the entire site in order to establish any other sources of EMF, such as electrical appliances generators, electrical cables or other devices that either use or generate power. This is done to establish the normal readings for a location and to isolate any natural sources of EMF so as to avoid “false readings” i.e. mistaking a fridge as an indicator of supernatural activity (unless of course the fridge is opening and closing itself).

Knowing the base line EMF readings of the area is important in knowing what the normal expected frequencies are. Most normal readings for devices are in the range of 9.0 – 30.0 on the EMF meter. Always make sure to back up the meter’s readings with other pieces of evidence as well.

When using an EMF meter to detect ghost or spirits one should sweep the area methodically taking note of any readings. A thorough check is done to see if there is any possible natural cause for the reading, i.e. electrical appliance, power cable etc. If no natural causes are present at the location you are reading with the meter, you are dealing with paranormal activity.

A typical EMF reading both for normal and paranormal activity will lie within the range of 2.0 to 7.0. Any reading within this range that cannot be traced to a source is attributed to spirit activity.

Another characteristic of EMF readings to be aware of is that the closer one comes to the source the higher the reading will be. Take for example a T.V. if one points the meter at the T.V. one will get a reading and the closer one moves to the T.V. the stronger the reading will get.

A reading from a natural object will always occur in the same location and will not disappear or move unless the source is moved or removed. Readings from natural sources are always discarded.

EMF fields do not occur naturally, nor do they move or disappear and reappear. It is impossible for low level EMF readings to occur without a “natural source”. Any readings picked up without a “source” present are therefore attributed to spirits and/or residual energy from supernatural causes.

EMF meters have different distance ranges. They all work on the same principle. The meter’s field of detection is generally cone shaped similar to the beam of a flashlight. Its range depends on the model and how much you care to spend on an EMF meter.