DIY - Ghost Hunters Toolkit

Do you believe in ghosts? Millions of people do and stories of haunted places and the spirits that dwell there have persisted throughout history.

From the two thousand year old story of a ghost of an old man, complete with rattling chains, to the ancient Roman festival of Lemuria, which residents performed a ritual exorcism to clear their homes of evil spirits of the dead, ghosts have haunted our homes and dreams through the ages.

Studies show about one third of people believe in ghosts and millions have had experiences they cannot explain. TV shows like Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Witness are among many aimed at believers and the curious.

You don't have to be a professional ghost hunter to do your own investigation. The tools of the trade are widely available online and even as apps for your smart phone. Here's a roundup of the most common ghost-busting tech to liven up your Halloween.

Basic equipment should include a camcorder with a good quality microphone and night vision. Use webcams for remote rooms. Connect these to a central computer to record paranormal activity.

A digital camera with good resolution and an old fashioned 35mm camera for capturing ghostly images.

Cassette tape recorder. The analog method of recording sound can capture background noises which may be missed by digital recordings.

Motsha Ghost Detector

A classic ghoul finder, EMF Detectors register changes in the electronic and magnetic fields. These are relatively inexpensive and even are available as an app for your smartphone.

Check out Motsha Ghost Detector and Ghost Meter-PKE Detector, both free from the Android Market. iPhone users can try Phantom Radar or Ghost Radar among others.

A compass is handy as a backup EMF Detector. It will also respond to changes in the magnetic field.

A thermometer is essential for verifying temperature fluctuations and identifying hot and cold spots.

Finally, don't forget the flashlights and extra batteries for all your electronic equipment.

The stories have persisted for thousands of years. Finally, we can use modern technology to help answer that age old question, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

First published as DIY- Ghost Hunters Toolkit on Technorati by Michelle Blowers

ghost window image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/5054420781/sizes/m/in/photostream/