Our Equipment: What We Use And Why
Every investigation starts the same way. We arrive, walk the location, talk to the people involved, and then set up. If you have only ever seen paranormal equipment on television, most of it probably looks like blinking props designed for drama. The reality is more straightforward. Each piece of equipment in our kit serves a specific purpose, and if it does not earn its place through consistent, practical use, it does not come with us.
This article walks through the core tools we rely on at KASE Paranormal, explains what each one does and, just as importantly, what it does not do. We are not here to sell the idea that any device can detect ghosts. What our equipment can do is monitor, record, and document environmental conditions and anomalies during an investigation, giving us data to review with clear heads after the event.
We don't use equipment to prove ghosts exist. We use it to record what's happening so we can review it honestly and decide what it means.
Environmental Monitoring
EMF Meters
EMF meters measure fluctuations in electromagnetic fields. They are probably the most recognisable piece of paranormal investigation equipment, largely because they feature heavily on television. In reality, they are straightforward instruments borrowed from electrical diagnostics.
We use them to establish baseline readings when we first arrive at a location. Every building has its own electromagnetic signature. Wiring, appliances, phone chargers, even nearby power lines all produce measurable fields. Once we know what is normal for a space, we can identify anything unusual during the investigation itself.
A sudden spike in an area with no obvious electrical source is worth noting. It does not mean something paranormal is happening, but it does mean something has changed, and that change deserves attention. EMF meters are useful precisely because they are simple. They measure one thing, they do it reliably, and they give us a reference point we can cross-check against other data.
We should be honest about their limitations, too. High EMF readings from faulty wiring or poorly shielded electronics can cause headaches, nausea, and feelings of unease in people. These are symptoms that are sometimes mistaken for paranormal experiences. Part of our job is to rule that out. If we find elevated EMF levels caused by a dodgy fuse box, that is useful information for the homeowner regardless of whether anything else is going on.
Thermal Monitoring
Temperature is one of the most frequently reported elements of a paranormal experience. People describe cold spots, sudden drops in room temperature, or feeling a chill that does not match the environment. We take that seriously, which means we need reliable ways to measure it.
We use infrared thermometers for spot-checking specific areas and thermal imaging cameras for a wider view. A thermal camera translates heat signatures into a visual image, which means we can see temperature variations across an entire room in real time. If a client tells us they always feel cold in a particular corner, we can check whether there is a draught from a window seal, a cold-bridging issue in the wall, or genuinely no explainable source.
As with EMF monitoring, the first step is always to establish what is normal. Old buildings in Kent are draughty. Stone walls lose heat. Chimneys pull air. We account for all of that before we consider anything else. When we do record a temperature anomaly that has no clear structural or environmental cause, it becomes a data point. One piece of a larger picture, not proof of anything on its own.
Audio Recording
EVP Recorders
Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP, is one of the cornerstones of how we investigate. We have written about our approach to EVP sessions in detail, but the short version is this: we record audio throughout an investigation and review it afterwards, listening for sounds or voices that were not audible at the time.
We use dedicated digital audio recorders or record through our phones. The reason is quality. A purpose-built recorder captures a wider frequency range with less internal noise, which matters enormously when you are trying to distinguish a genuine anomaly from background hum, equipment interference, or the investigator's own breathing.
During active EVP sessions, a team member will ask questions aloud and leave pauses for potential responses. During passive recording, we leave devices running in rooms we are not occupying, capturing whatever happens when no one is present. Both approaches have their value, and we typically use a combination of the two on every case.
Honest EVP review takes time. Most of what we capture is entirely explainable: creaking floorboards, distant traffic, central heating. We are looking for the things that do not fit. And when we find them, we cross-reference against our other data to see whether anything else was happening at the same moment.
The Estes Method
The Estes Method is a structured technique we sometimes use alongside standard EVP work. One team member wears noise-cancelling headphones connected to a spirit box, a device that sweeps through radio frequencies at speed, and calls out whatever words or phrases they hear. They cannot hear the questions being asked by other team members, which removes the possibility of leading responses.
It is not a method we treat as definitive proof of anything. What it does provide is an additional layer of data that can occasionally produce responses that seem relevant to the specific location or the questions being asked. We record every Estes session on audio and video so that we can review it properly afterwards, rather than relying on in-the-moment impressions.
Visual Recording
Night Vision and Infrared Cameras
Most of our investigations take place in low light or complete darkness, which means standard cameras are not much use. We rely on infrared and night vision cameras to document what is happening visually without introducing artificial light that would change the environment.
We use a combination of handheld cameras for active investigation and static cameras positioned in key areas. The static cameras are important. They record continuously in rooms where no one is present, which means anything captured on them cannot easily be attributed to a team member's movement, shadow, or accidental interference.
Every camera has a timestamp, and we sync these with our audio recordings and environmental data. If something unusual appears on camera at 2:17am, we can check whether the EMF meter in the same room registered a spike, whether the temperature shifted, and whether anyone reported feeling anything at that time. It is this cross-referencing that gives our evidence review its structure.
Photography
We also use still photography throughout an investigation, particularly during the initial walkthrough and at any point where we want to document a specific area in detail. Long-exposure photography can sometimes reveal light anomalies that were not visible to the eye, though we are cautious about these. Dust particles, moisture, and insects are responsible for the vast majority of so-called orbs and light streaks in paranormal photography.
If we capture something visually that we cannot immediately explain, we test it. Can we recreate it? Is there a reflective surface nearby? Was someone moving at the time? The image only becomes noteworthy if it survives that process.
The Experimental Side Of Our Kit
The equipment above forms the backbone of every investigation. But we also carry tools that sit in a different category. Things we find genuinely interesting to use, that sometimes produce compelling moments, but that we hold to a different standard when it comes to evidence.
Cat Balls
Cat balls are small, motion-activated light-up balls originally designed as pet toys. They are inexpensive, simple, and widely used in paranormal investigation because they respond to touch or vibration by lighting up.
We use them. We also know they can be sensitive. A heavy footstep on a wooden floor, a draught, even a subtle vibration from traffic outside can set them off. That does not mean they are useless. It means we pay close attention to context. If a cat ball activates in a sealed room on a concrete floor with no one nearby, that is more interesting than one rolling around on creaky Victorian floorboards. We never treat a cat ball response in isolation. It becomes relevant when it aligns with something else: an EMF shift, a temperature change, or a moment during an EVP session.
Laser Grids
A laser grid projects a pattern of dots or lines across a room, making it easier to spot any movement or disruption in the space. The idea is simple: if something passes through the grid, you see the pattern break.
We use these primarily in rooms we are not occupying, paired with a static camera. They are a useful visual reference, particularly in large or open spaces where movement might otherwise go unnoticed on infrared footage alone. The limitation is that insects, dust, and air currents can all cause disruption in the grid, so, as with everything else, we look for patterns and context rather than jumping on a single moment.
Torches
Torches are used in two ways during our investigations. The obvious one is practical: we need to see where we are going. The second is more experimental. Some investigators use a torch balanced in the on position so that it can be turned off by slight movement, or in the off position so that it can be switched on. The theory is that this provides a yes-or-no communication method.
We are open about the fact that torches can shift on their own. Heat from the bulb can cause the mechanism to expand and move. Vibrations can do the same. When we use this technique, we note the conditions, film the torch throughout, and treat any response as one piece of a broader picture rather than a standalone answer.
Spirit Talker App
The Spirit Talker app is one we use occasionally and approach with an open mind and clear caveats. We do not fully understand the mechanism behind how it selects its responses, and we are upfront about that. The developers describe it as using environmental sensor data from the device, but we cannot independently verify how the algorithm works or what is genuinely influencing the output.
What we can say is that we have had sessions where the app has produced words or phrases that felt relevant to the location or the people present. We have also had sessions where the output was random and meaningless. We include it as a supplementary tool, something that can add an interesting layer to a session, but we would never present app-generated words as evidence on their own. If something notable comes through, we note it and see whether it correlates with anything else we are capturing at the same time.
Spirit Boards
Spirit boards, sometimes called Ouija boards, carry a lot of cultural baggage. For many people, they sit firmly in the "absolutely not" category, and we respect that. We never use a spirit board in a private home investigation without a conversation with the client first, and if anyone present is uncomfortable with it, it does not come out.
When we do use one, we approach it as a structured communication tool rather than a parlour game. Sessions are filmed, and we are aware of the ideomotor effect, the well-documented phenomenon where small, unconscious muscle movements can guide the planchette without anyone intending to. We do not dismiss that explanation. We also do not dismiss the fact that sessions can sometimes produce information that is difficult to account for through unconscious movement alone. As with everything in this field, we sit with the uncertainty rather than forcing a conclusion.
Our Approach To Experimental Tools
The thread running through all of these is the same: we use them, we find them interesting, and we do not pretend they are something they are not. No piece of equipment, whether it costs £10 or £500, can definitively prove or disprove paranormal activity. What these tools can do is create opportunities for interaction and observation that our core monitoring equipment then helps us evaluate.
This matters especially when we are working in someone's home. The people who contact us are often anxious enough already. We want our approach to reassure, not overwhelm, and our honesty about what each tool can and cannot do is a deliberate part of that. If you would like to understand more about what actually happens during one of our investigations, we have written about that too.
Equipment Is Only Part Of The Picture
If there is one thing we want people to take away from this article, it is that equipment alone does not make a good investigation. The tools are useful, essential even, but they only record data. It is the people behind them who decide what that data means.
At KASE, our team brings backgrounds in historical research, technology, science, and spiritual practice. That range of experience shapes how we interpret what our equipment captures. An EMF spike is just a number until someone with knowledge of building electrics, local infrastructure, and investigative methodology looks at the context around it.
We also bring something that no piece of equipment can replicate: sensitivity. Several of our team members have what many would describe as spiritual sensitivity, an awareness of atmosphere, presence, and energy that complements the technical side of what we do. We treat these impressions as another data point, not as evidence in themselves, but they often guide us toward areas that then produce interesting results on equipment.
This balanced approach, grounded, methodical, but open to experience, is central to how we work. It is what sets us apart from entertainment-led teams and why the people who reach out to us can trust that we will take their experiences seriously without jumping to conclusions.
Get In Touch
If you are experiencing something unexplained at home and want to speak to a team that takes it seriously, we are here. We offer confidential, respectful private investigations for households and families across Kent and the South East.
You do not need to know what is happening before you contact us. You just need to feel comfortable reaching out.
Use a short contact form to describe what you are experiencing in your own words:
https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/contact-usRequest a free chat about your situation in the contact form
Contact us via email: info@kaseparanormal.co.uk
Find us on social media:
You can also read other articles on our blog if you want to think things over before deciding what to do next: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/blog