Every day it seems like a new device is released that should make the life of a paranormal investigator so much easier. 3 in 1, 4 in 1, 5 in 1 devices that are pretty much the same as what’s already out there, but modified in some way. Like fish to water, many paranormal investigators flock to buy these new toys. It’s no different with me, I like new toys to play with. At Black Rock House, my brother and I also like to make it a point to get most of the equipment available on the market, especially on TV, so that when people come to our surveys, they can play with the latest equipment. and form their own opinions, whether they are rubbish or not. It could save them a few hundred dollars if they realize that not everything lives up to the hype. We even jumped on the Ghostark bandwagon last year. Ours never arrived. Looking at the dodgy ones other people received, we didn’t miss anything, but instead lost a few hundred dollars.
As you will know if you read my posts, I never claim to be an expert. In fact, many of you have much more experience than I do. However, one thing I’ve learned over the last few years doing this seriously is that you don’t need all that expensive stuff to conduct a survey. It takes me back to the Year 11 business management course. When we weren’t wagging our tails in class (because we all hated this class), we had to listen to the teacher and his acronyms. He loved a good acronym. His favorite was the KISS principle. Keep it simple stupid. While I hate to admit that this is the only lesson I’ve applied in real life, it absolutely applies to paranormal research land.
When I first started, I would go to the same location every week with nothing more than a cheap $30 digital recorder and a converted IR camera that all cost about $150 because that was all I could afford. I would then take my recorder and SD card home and look at my photos and my EVPS. I quite enjoyed deconstructing the photos and when I came back to a location I would try to recreate things. I sat and listened to audio for hours. During the process I learned a lot about EVP and also about photos (remember, this was before I did my photography course). I felt like this was a process that, in a way, taught me how to be a paranormal investigator. It made me think, it made me learn, it made me recreate and it made me expose myself. If I compare it now to what we have at Black Rock House, we have all the equipment you can imagine. From REM Pods to Mel Meters, a DVR system, ovulis, EMF meters, shadow detectors, vibration detectors and wearable kinects…. the list goes on. It’s nice to have this luxury, but it took years and thousands of dollars of our own money to build this kit. (I’m not exaggerating. Some items alone can cost you hundreds of dollars). I also quickly learned what is an asset and what is a waste of money.
There is so much equipment available these days, but my advice for anyone looking to do research is don’t spend hundreds of dollars on equipment you don’t need. Starting with a digital recorder is sufficient. If you can’t afford to buy a cheap EVP recorder, you can even record on your smartphone. If you don’t have any other equipment, you don’t have to worry about the phone signal interfering with it. It’s enough to get you started. Another thing to keep in mind is that the evidence you collect is actually only for you. It won’t prove to the world that there is an afterlife and if you post any evidence on social media be prepared for a lot of negative criticism because if someone isn’t there they find it hard to believe (yes I’m one of those people). Save your money and keep it simple. Let the larger groups or tour companies that organize surveys provide you with equipment if you explore with them. Yes, if you pay a paranormal group or tour company to attend an investigation, they must provide equipment. Use their equipment and get an idea of what you like and don’t like. What do you think works and what do you think is a glorified flashy toy? Then you can start building your collection based on what you like. Not everyone likes the same devices and that’s fine. If you spend the money, take what you like. Make an informed decision first so you don’t get scammed.
Even though we have this full set of gear, we often don’t use it all because we don’t need to. We all have our favorite equipment and we don’t always agree on the validity of a device. It comes down to personal preference. Once you’ve finally found your most beloved Goto device, really learn how it works. Learn it inside out. Use it, use it and use it again. Use it in different environments and at different times. Compare your results. Find out how it really works. That way you can properly interpret the data and really understand whether it was really worth all those hundreds of dollars.
Paranormal research is a very expensive hobby. There’s no way around it. Just be smart with your purchases. When in doubt, remember that you can keep it simple and still be a paranormal investigator!
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