Equipment
Most of our equipment is owned by individual members, so this isn't so much an inventory of our stock, more a list of what is available to us at individual discretion.
- PMR446 Two Way Radios
- Motion Sensors
- Powdered Trigger Objects
- Dictaphones
- Digital Still Cameras
- Film Cameras
- Polaroid Cameras
- Digital Video Cameras
- Cars
- Tents
General Points
- Batteries - Make sure you have fully charged batteries and ideally a second set too. Investing in a good set of NiCad or NiMH rechargable batteries and a charger will pay for itself many times over. In particular Jessops the photography shop do good deals on these. Ensure that you get at least 1100 miliamp (ideally 1500ma) rated batteries. Never attempt to recharge non-rechargable batteries.
- Computers - Most members have computers and many of them have quite a lot of computer equipment. Printers and scanners are available from many members, but for colour photograph printing you should remember that high street photographers such as Jessops (again!) will print your digital photos with much better quality on proper photographic stock for much less than the cost of the ink and the photo paper to do it yourself.
- Valuable Equipment - Many members will only allow their equipment to be used by themselves or in supervised situations. The definition of valuable is very personal. Please do not complain if a member refuses to share their toys.
PMR446 Two Way Radios
Usage Notes
- Parasoc uses channel 2 with no subchannel unless otherwise agreed.
- Beware of going out of range, particularly in stone buildings or in valleys.
- Only one person can talk at a time. Keep messages short and say "Over" when done.
- Remember that all talk on these radios is public! Anyone can listen in.
Availability
The following members have PMR446 radios available:
- Andrew
- James
Background
Parasoc uses the PMR446 two-way radio system for communication between the team during investigations and other events. They are particularly useful for hilly rural locations which are out of mobile phone coverage.
These particular walkie-talkies are cheap (as low as £30 per pair) and require no licence nor any ongoing charges other than batteries. Typical battery life on AA/AAA batteries is around ten to twenty hours. They have a range of around one to five kilometres (a half to three miles) depending on the circumstances. Height and clear line of sight will give best results, whereas being in the basement of a stone walled house at the bottom of a valley may reduce the range to only a few dozen metres.
The benefit of the PMR446 system is that all walkie-talkies which support this standard can communicate with each other provided all users agree on a channel and sub channel. You don't need to buy a specific brand or make. Generally the only discernable difference between makes is the battery life, unless you want to really push the distance range. Small size is not necessarily good, since a larger antenna will generally reap a better signal.
It should also be bourne in mind that only one person can speak at a time- so remember to say "Over" when you've finished talking, keep your messages short and avoid cutting in on other talkers. Also remember that these radios are not encrypted and any member of the public can listen in.
PMR446 radios can be bought from most high street electrical shops including Dixons, Argos and Littlewoods Index.
Here is a good introductory guide to PMR446 radios.
Motion Sensors
Usage Notes
- Ensure motion sensors are not set up along frequently used access routes.
- Reduce false alarms by informing other members of the locations, and instructing members to tell you when they wish to approach them.
Availability
The following members have motion sensors available:
- Luke
- James
Background
Motion sensors can come in a variety of flavours, but most common is the passive infra-red type used by burglar alarms.
These can be purchased very cheaply, from self-contained portable burglar alarms to wireless grids of sensors. You can even get good results from toys sold as "spy kits" or suchlike. With sensors sold as burglar alarms, check to see if there is a delay between activation and the alarm, and also whether the motion must be continuous for a certain period before the alarm is triggered.
Ideally you should test the range of the sensor in a variety of light and environmental conditions before the event. Some sensors are pretty useless outside in the dark, others will pick up the leaves moving on trees five hundred metres away. If the sensors are wireless you should also check the reception range through different materials such as brick and floorboards. Getting to know your own kit will enable you to ensure you get genuine results whilst eliminating false positives.
Powdered Trigger Objects
Usage Notes
- Use only in draught-free areas. Try sprinking powder in the air near windows, doors and corners to find the draughty spots. Ensure you clean up any test powder before setting the real experiment. Also make sure you can enter and exit the room without creating a draught.
- Parapsychologists claim a higher success rate with objects supposed to be of interest to the alledged ghosts. For instance, toys for children or kitchen utensils for cooks.
- Your object must be substantial enough not to be knocked by air movements, but light enough to require little physical effort. You are testing for paranormal activity, not draughts or weight-lifters.
- Try to use a level area. Marbles rolling downhill do not make a convincing haunting.
Availability
We recommend baby powder or talc as a safe non-toxic powder, this can be purchased from high street chemists such as Boots. We also recommend using a spirit level (no pun intended). Pocket sized spirit levels can be purchased form DIY stores, for instance as part of a retractable measuring tape.
Background
The concept with trigger objects is to test whether an object moves without any rational explanation. Basically we are looking for minor poltergeist activity.
Previously this was done by drawing a line around a trigger object such as a crucifix. The problem here is that drawing around the object usually causes it to get knocked anyway.
The new method is to use a thick even spread of powder on a draught-free level surface and then gently place the trigger object on top. Once placed, a photograph should be taken and then the room vacated until the end of the experiment, when another photograph should be taken. Ensure that in exiting or entering the room you do not create a draught that disturbs the powder.
Any movement of the trigger object should leave a trail in the powder.
Other variations including using sealed boxes and remotely triggered cameras to reduce contamination from air movements caused by personnel entering and exiting the area.
Thanks to the Bassetlaw Ghost Research Group for passing on the benefits of their experiences with this experiment.
Dictaphones
Usage Notes
- Fresh batteries, new tape (ideally still sealed in wrapper).
- Digital recorders suffer from poor quality, do not use digital recorders when trying to identify unknown sounds.
- Buttons can be close together and poorly labelled. Learn the button layout in advance to make sure you don't accidentally hit the wrong button in the dark.
Availability
The following members have dictaphones available:
- Luke
- CJ
- Andrew
Background
Dictaphones and personal audio recorders are ideal for capturing personal experiences in situ. They can also be left in voice-activation mode to capture loud sounds as part of an experiment, although sensitivity varies from model to model and you will need to play around with your dictaphone to get to know exactly how well it is at being triggered.
Cassette and microcassette tape is particularly prone to having old recordings still audible in the mix when newer recordings are made over it. Older tape also suffers from stretching and warping. Therefore only brand new sealed cassette tapes should be used when trying to capture or identify unexplained noises.
Many tape models have their control buttons arranged tightly together, so be careful not to hit the record button when rewinding or reviewing the tape. Get to know the button layout in advance if you are likely to use it in the dark.
Digital audio recorders, especially the early models, often suffer from particularly small memory capacity and use some pretty dreadful algorithms to extend their abilities. This compression can result in strange muffled clicks, squeaks and other unusual noises. Therefore digital audio recorders should not be used when trying to identify unexplained noises.
Digital Still Cameras
Usage Notes
- Fresh batteries, spare memory cards, clean lens.
- "Orbs" are a standard known feature of digital still cameras and are caused by minor light reflections from dust overloading the sensor array. No orb-like artifacts should be considered unusual unless confirmed by a traditional double-lens array film camera.
Availability
The following members have digital still cameras available:
- Andrew
- Mel
- James
Background
Digital still cameras are more expensive than basic film cameras but there is no processing cost to transfer your images to your computer.
The most important thing to consider when purchasing a digital still camera is lens quality. Stick to known traditional lens manufacturers such as Fuji, Canon, Nikon and Kodak. Avoid cameras from non-photographic companies even if they have a good reputation in the computing industry.
Your camera will need at least 1.3 megapixels to be able to print 6x4 photographs without noticable graininess, and you will need at least 4 megapixels to allow enlargements without loss of detail.
Using a tripod and the count-down timer will enable photographs to be taken in low light without the flash whilst avoiding the blurring associated with shaky hands.
Please note that digital cameras are associated with orb-like picture artifacts. No orbs on digital photographs should be considered paranormal unless confirmed by film cameras.
Film Cameras
Usage Notes
- Good batteries, spare film, clean lens.
- If you are using infra-red film you will need both an infra-red filter and an infra red flash. You will need to load and unload the film in total darkness. Ensure infra-red film is kept in a dark container both before and after use.
Availability
Most members have film cameras but the following members also have high quality SLR film cameras:
- Mel
Background
There isn't much to say about film cameras that hasn't been done to death in photography magazines. Higher film speed is essential for low light photography, and SLR cameras can be outfitted with an infra-red filter to allow use of infra-red nightvision film provided you also remember to use an infra-red flash! Infra-red light does not occur naturally at night so you must use an infra-red light source.
Accessories such as tripods and trigger cables can be used to take pictures remotely, particularly useful if you do not wish to disturb an experiment in progress.
Infra-red developing and other specialist film services are available at The Darkroom which is located behind Richer Sounds on upper High Street, Cheltenham.
Polaroid Cameras
Usage Notes
- Good batteries, spare film, clean lens.
Availability
The following members have polaroid cameras available:
- Mel
- CJ
Background
Polaroid cameras combine the immediacy of digital cameras with the orb-resistence of film, but the usage costs are high. They are ideal for confirming or rejecting claims of orbs.
When a digital camera is consistently getting orbs in a particular location, a quick test with a polaroid camera can be used to distinguish whether these orbs are simple digital camera artifacts caused by low light flare from dust.
Digital Video Cameras
Usage Notes
- Fresh batteries, spare batteries, spare tape, clean lens.
Availability
The following members have DV cameras available:
- James
Background
Digital video cameras provide very high image quality and long recording times. Many DV cameras also have a built-in infra-red nightvision mode.
As these cameras use the same compound sensors as digital still cameras, you should be wary of any orb-like image artifacts.
DV cameras also tend to have a very short battery life, so having a spare battery around is often useful.
Cars
Usage Notes
- Fuel costs should be shared amongst passengers. There may be a subsidy available from society funds for some events; ask the Treasurer.
- Drivers should ensure their cars are parked so as not to cause obstruction or concern. Loading signs with the Society logo are available from the Papers - Misc section.
- Off-road driving should be left to those with suitable permission, vehicles and experience. Where necessary, road vehicles should be parked near the road network and off-road vehicles used to ferry passengers to the investigation site if it is not practical to proceed on foot.
Availability
The following cars are available:
- Sarah - hatchback car - 4 seats
- Kevin - estate car - 5 seats
- Andrew - short wheelbase 4x4 - 5/6 seats - with towrope & breakdown kit
- James - transit van - 4 seats plus James - with wheelchair access & orange badge
Tents
Usage Notes
- Ensure you have permission from the land owners before setting up camp, particularly if you intend to light a fire.
- Take precautions to ensure no-one trips over guy ropes.
Availability
The following members have tents available, they probably also have other camping gear for use:
- Andrew - three man dome, four man dome, three room family tent
- Kevin - three room family tent