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Post by Darren on Oct 22, 2008 9:24:57 GMT 10
Thermal cameras are not the holy grail of ghost research equipment but they certainly provide a highly efficient means of monitoring a specific part of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum.
There are various models available and price can vary greatly, we hope to cover a range of these in this section.
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kbl
New Member
Posts: 4 
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Post by kbl on Oct 23, 2008 12:52:29 GMT 10
Has there been any proper scientific experimentation conducted to support the theory that thermal imagers are of any importance on investigation ?
I am yet to see evidence that supports this theory, or any evidence captured that even supports this theory.
As far as I can tell thus far these pieces of equipment are actually quite unreliable as heat signature can be apparent for quite some time, thus having no proof the signature has not been caused by some natural phenomena. Also there is no solid evidential proof that spirits/entity's even retain or are made up of any sort of electromagnetic radiation.
I feel these sort of equipment is perpetuated by high profile groups who falsely make assumptions and claims as to the reliability of the products without any sort of evidential scientific proof that what they are recording solid verifiable evidence of the paranormal.
I would like to see what the manufacturers have to say about the reliability of these products in this field.
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Post by Darren on Oct 23, 2008 19:48:48 GMT 10
Hi KBL,
It's important to remember that we are exploring the unknown ... you're correct in saying there's no solid evidential proof that spirits/entity's even retain or are made up of any sort of electromagnetic radiation. .... but remember that there's also no solid evidential proof that spirits/entity's even exist at all!
Visible light consists of electromagnetic radiation and has it's place in the electomagnetic spectrum .... so for people to actually "see" a ghost it would have to be positioned in this small portion of the spectrum - there's no solid evidential proof of this occuring either!
That's what we're in the game for .... to find the facts (paranormal or not) ... using whatever equipment is available. .
Each piece of equipment can also be a double edge sword - It may not actually detect the presence of ghosts - but it may provide proof of a natural cause.
To me if there's reported banging in the walls and a thermal camera shows the presence of a possum ... it has done it's job - and has proven to me it's importance on an investigation.
If a DVR camera shows a figure moving across a room - and a thermal camera confirms there was no heat signature (eg of a person) at the same time.- it has served to provide valuable additional information.
If someone reports that they are being touched by what feels like a cold hand ...and a lower temperature palm print appears on their shoulder in a thermal image - yes i'd be glad I had the thermal with me!
Don't be too intimidated by others who may have access to and use thermal cameras ... it's like any other piece of equipment used to collect data which may confirm or deny a theory. Used within the manufacturers specifications to obtain credible data and relying only on what can be backed up by the data recorded is the key.
As stated in the intro thermals are not the "holy grail" of ghost research equipment. The data they obtain is only as good as the intepretation of the data provided. The odds of any one piece of equipment providing definitive proof is very slim indeed.
Regards,
Darren
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ParaMacGyver
Frequent Contributor
Paul Bradford
Ghost Hunters International
Creepy Hollow Gear
Sonoran Paranormal Investigations
Posts: 16
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Post by ParaMacGyver on Oct 24, 2008 4:13:33 GMT 10
I agree Darren, most of the tools I use are for the purpose of Debunking....
As it is theres VERY few tools actually created for the purpose of Ghost Hunting therefor we experiment with what tools are available and adapt them to our needs...
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Post by Darren on Nov 8, 2008 20:37:27 GMT 10
Exactly Paul,
If thermals are ok to use for night time surveillance/search and rescue by the military, security and emergency services world wide, I'll use them too given half a chance! They may not be using them to locate ghosts, but it seems they can clearly be relied upon to provide evidence of the presence of people/animals! There are various scenarios where this alone could provide important evidence during a paranormal investigation ... either for or against a paranormal cause.
Some people assume that someone using a particular instrument such as a thermal camera, are doing so expecting to find "ghosts", whilst they may actually be using it to find natural explanations, completely within the scope of what the instrument was designed and guaranteed by the manufacturer to do. In this way the more data collected, the more information we have, and the more chance of finding the true cause of reports of paranormal activity - which is the ultimate wish of many people, be they "skeptics" or "believers".
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Post by Darren on Apr 4, 2010 17:33:53 GMT 10
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Post by ourobouros2k2 on Aug 19, 2010 8:03:38 GMT 10
Just wanted to show some graphical examples of the importance of thermal resolution... An example of a Wahl/Irisys 16x16 imager, FLIR/Extech i5, and a FLIR B2:  Some other resolution comparisons (these are not mine, found them elsewhere on the net)   Remember that not all imagers (including ones of the same sensor resolution) are created equal, so do your homework and contact the manufacturer for a demo so that you can know what you are getting.. regards, Andy |
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Post by Darren on Aug 19, 2010 8:29:21 GMT 10
Thanks for that Andy.
It's always important to arrange a demo if possible just so your clear on what your getting. Also if video output is desired that's the first thing to check! So many buy the cheapest thermal they can find only to discover there is little or no way to get video signals from the camera.
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Post by ourobouros2k2 on Aug 19, 2010 10:11:55 GMT 10
Yes, the video output problem is becoming more of an issue as thermal imager technology pushes forward. Nowdays with the newer imagers coming out, most entry to mid-level imagers have either done away with video output or made it streaming over usb input. This presents a portability problem for trying to record, meaning you will have to have a laptop with you. FLIR, Testo, and now Irisys (4xxx series) have video output over usb. Another problem with usb output is that it is already choppy, and the video refresh rate of most entry level imagers is 9hz (9 images per second).
Here is what video output through usb will look like (FLIR Infracam sd)
I wish leading thermal camera manufacturers would stop making video out an after thought, or at least put a video encoder into the software so that you can record video straight to the storage card...
regards
Andy
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