October 20th, 2011 

The Spectercam E Field Detectors

Sorry for the delay. This was a big Halloween build this year. Ok, back to Ghost Hunting!

 

So, you’re out on location at your latest hunt, and for no reason you start to get the creeps and your hair stands on end. Are you just getting weirded out? Or are you actually feeling the effects of paranormal activity. As you’re aware, it’s been theorized that when paranormal activity occurs (before, during, and after), that ion activity changes. Essentially, this can affect the static polarity of the room. This change may be measurable, but pro-meters can cost hundreds of dollars.

 

If you will recall, I reviewed the E-Pods by Gary Galka/Pro-Measure in my very first review. These are still available, and great at what they do. But, at $45 a pop, and the fact you cannot distinguish whether the change is positive or negative, make these a bit limiting. Leave it to the new guy on the paranormal gadget block, Keith Engel of Spectercam, to come up with a great little device that is not only cost affective, but can distinguish both positive and negative static charge changes.

www.spectercam.com

The E Field Detector (Positive & Negative)

 

The E Field Detector is a compact snap on electrostatic fluctuation detector. It is no bigger than the top of 9 volt battery, and has either a Green (positive +) or Red (negative -) LED, as well as a short wire antenna and white marking for polarity. They are sensitive down to 200mV, and can detect static field anomalies 2-3 feet away from the device. Keith claims with an added wire to the antenna, you can detect fluctuations from over 8 feet away. Keep in mind this is very dependent on the humidity and charge in the area. In a positive or neutral environment, the negative detector will be lit, and will dim as a negative charge approaches. The opposite goes for the positive detector. Keep in mind, the LED may NOT be lit, depending on the static state of the environment, and may then begin to light as the field becomes neutral.  The fully potted housing is water resistant and is fine indoor or out. 15 hours minimum is the claimed run time, but is also dependent on the current temperature. Care must be exercised in placement of the devices, as easily charged material (carpet, etc.) may create a false positive.

 

Bench Tested- Out of the box, first thing you’ll say is “Holly crap these are small!” Maybe ¾” by ¼”. The antenna is a very malleable wire and caution must be exercised not to bend as I’m sure continued flexing will break it. The device easily snaps onto a 9v battery. CAUTION- attaching via the wrong polarity will fry this device; not immediately, but pretty quickly. The LED’s are super bright, and easily seen in a 360 degree area. A very simple test of rubbing plastic wrap in my hair was immediately noticed by the red –LED from over 2 feet away. As I got closer the light dimmed, but the green +LED stayed lit until I pulled away (there by creating a positive effect). Only if I pulled away slowly did the green stay lit. So clearly, these are polarity separate, which is much easier to use than the much more expensive ePod. I moved these upstairs to a dry room with carpet and placed on the floor. The detector was able to pick up me walking from almost 8’ away, so again caution need to be exercised in placement. I left the green + plugged in and it stayed lit for over 24 hours. YMMV.

Innovation= A+ Although the ePod was the first, Spectercam’s E Field detector made it smaller and polarity specific. Not many devices out there like it. Great Job!!

Ease of use= A Snap on and go! Placement is a concern, but these are simply set it and monitor devices.

Quality= B+ The only reason for the B is I’m worried the antenna will eventually break off. It is VERY pliable. Also, as mentioned above, attaching to a battery in  the wrong polarity can kill the device.

Price= A+++++++++ 4 For $25, and Keith will even do 2&2 if you wish. Consider the ePod is $45, this is a stellar bargain!

Field Tested- I have used these on 3 investigations so far. They have operated flawlessly, but I’m sad to say I did not capture any evidence with it. But, on a good news front, they did prove very sensitive as they would dim as a charged investigator moved past. Also, I’ve used twice in a large venue and they were visible from well over 200’ away, and easily seen on camera. The only bit of advice, don’t drop them as they are a @!%# to find on a dark floor due to their size.

Bottom Line- For $25, not only are these an extremely cost affective gadget, but the fact that you can monitor both positive and negative electrostatic changes is incredible. Spectercam offers snap on IR lights using the same housing that rock too. I would buy these now before they are gone. In fact, I’m buying 4 more!