Southern Ghost Hunters of South Georgia

A good investigator is objective. Adheres to scientific protocols, eliminates all other possibilities and presents what is found.

EVP CLASS:

Class A:
Class A EVP is a message that can be heard without headphones and one that people can generally agree on its content.

Class B:
A Class B EVP requires a headphone to distinguish message content and not everyone will agree on the message.

Class C:
A Class C EVP requires headphone, often needs amplification and filtering and will seldom even be heard by others.

There are four proven ways to gather EVPS on tape.

1. Lay the unit down with MIC extended, ask a few questions and walk away for a short time.

2. Lay the unit down, ask a question and pause a few moments for a response.

3. Carefully carry the recorder around with you, making sure not to bump or move it around too much, then stop and ask a question, pause for answer then move on and repeat the process.

4. Carefully carry the recorder with you, and hold conversations with your team members. Talk about the site, or other things. We’ve been very successful with this method. It seems the ghost love to jump in on the conversations.

Sixteen helpful tips:

1. If using an analogue recorder, only use new name brand tapes. The better tapes will increase the clarity of the voice you capture and is worth the difference in cost. Never use a previously recorded tape. And only use one side of the tape to prevent bleedover.

2. If possible, use an EXTERNAL microphone. This will drastically cut down on the motor noises and internal sounds from the recording device. Extend the MIC away from the unit when recording.

3. If you talk on an investigation, do it in a normal voice. Don’t Whisper. During playback, you may hear the whisper and think you have something.

4. Always maintain a positive attitude and expect to get results.

5. As you are recording, be sure to make note of any sounds or noises so as to not confuse it with something paranormal during playback.

6. If you’re recording unit has a sensitivity level, adjust it to the highest level possible. A ghost voice is usually very faint and anything you can do will help.

7. Consider setting your unit to “voice activated” mode if it has it. But only do this if your unit is extra sensitive or has the ability to adjust the sensitivity to high.
(I don’t like to do this because sometimes the beginning of the evp is cut off.)

8. Both digital and regular tape recorders seem to work fine. We use both in our investigations. What one doesn’t pick up, the other might. We use several different brands, a GE AVR Micro Cassette Recorder, which has high sensitivity, voice activation, and external Mic. And a RCA Digital with all the above, among others.

9. At the beginning of your recording session state your location, the time, what team members are in the location, and the weather conditions. This can be very helpful later on.

10. Ask the spirits to speak loudly and clearly. Ghost are people, treat them as such. Note: This works very well

11. On playback do not confuse background noise and garble as a ghost voice! If it sounds like it could be background noise, then it most likely is.

12. There are several programs that can be used to edit your voice results. You can find some of these on the web at Downloads.com & Tucows.com . A good one that many use is “GoldWave.” Audacity, Adobe Audition.

13. Here’s a small tip…when asking questions don’t ask “is anyone there?” Assume they’re there. Instead, ask their name, or something like “is there something I can do for you?” You may be surprised at the response you get.

14. During playback it is advised that you use earphones that completely cover your ears as to not allow distractions when you’re reviewing for the first time. And a little tip to save your eardrums, adjust the volume so it’s at a safe level in case there’s a sudden loud burst.

15. Don’t forget to say thank you at the end of the recording session.

16. Consider using your video recorder for collecting EVP while filming . Sometimes the video recorder can pick up the evps even if the recording devices didn’t.
We’ve had this happen several times.

We ran across a post about using heat lamps during an investigation to help with the infrared for cameras… Well, it sounded interesting, and we’re willing to try new things, so we went out and purchased a couple. We did a small test with them, and I must say, they work like a charm. We’ll be doing another test this coming weekend on our next investigation. The only problem I see is the heat these things put out. Living in Ga. where the temp goes sky high with humidity, and using these heat lamps, we should sweat off a few pounds… Or maybe that’s a good thing. lol

Here’s some information for those interested.
Repost:
IR heatlamp - like those used to keep food products warm or used as a heat source in bathrooms. They can be found in the lighting department of most larger stores like walmart or even home depot. Put into a “clamp lamp” fixture and you can aim the light where ever you need it. Put a dimmer switch on it and you can vary the intensity of the light, which is highly recommended as these put out an incredible amount of infrared light.

A couple catches - they do get quite hot, so watch yourself that you don’t burn anyone or let anything touch the bulb. The glass used on the bulbs is also quite thin and fragile, so handle with care and make sure you have a safe way to transport it (padded container) or you might discover glass shrapnel everywhere when you arrive at your location!

Not only do they illuminate the entire room they are placed in for the camera, but they put off a good red glow that lights the room enough for you to be able to see without a flashlight and not ruin your night vision.

I’ve found that I actually have to put a dimmer switch in line to vary the intensity - its usually TOO MUCH infrared light, unless you are outdoors in a field or cemetery.

I think they normally go for $7 a pop at Home Depot. You’d probably get them for the same or maybe less at Super Walmart or possibly even Target - they aren’t that uncommon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these larger general stores carried them.

Of course, that’s just for the bulb - you also need a fixture. I use the “clamp on” type fixtures (also available at HD). They cost about $7 I think and come with a nice aluminum reflector hood. Add an in-line dimmer switch for about another $10 or so.

Total cost for a high-intensity IR illuminator should be no more than $25-$30. If you need more control over where the light “spills”, you can do it on the cheap and make your own “barn doors” with aluminum foil, or you can get a professional “par” fixture with adjustable barn doors.

PROS to this design…

*High intensity IR light source
*enough “visible” light to see what you are doing
*inexpensive

CONS…
*need 115v AC power source - remote locations out unless you have AC generator or battery power with inverter.
*lamp gets hot - burn hazard
*bulbs very thin and fragile and must be handled/transported carefully

Make SURE you check the wattage rating on the fixture! If you have a 250 watt bulb, you NEED a fixture rated for 250 watts MINIMUM. More never hurts, but NEVER put a light into a fixture that exceeds the rating of that fixture!

The “red” heatlamps are better IMO. They let less visible light out, and that nice reddish glow will help preserve your eyes night vision.

OK Links…

Here is a 250 watt “clamp lamp” fixture from Amazon…
http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Clamp-Lamp/dp/B0002DHOE0

A 300 watt in-line dimmer switch - just plug into wall and plug your light fixture into the receptacle.
http://www.lampsplus.com/htmls/prodlist.asp?Category=Dimmer&Typ…

100 watt “Red” IR heatlamp…
http://www.scalyskins.com/store/store.php?id=860

These are online retailers, but you should be able to find everything you need locally too, if you are in a decent sized metro area.