New Techies on the Block - MF-1
There is a reason we are all here. No, I don’t mean here on earth, but here interested in the paranormal. Some are here because they witnessed something in an old house, bar, hotel, etc. others are here for the sense of wonder. We know there is still so much more out there that science has yet to explain. A lot of us got our start by watching TV shows like Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters. Despite what negative or positive opinions you might have about these shows, they have inspired many people who would otherwise not have gotten involved in the paranormal, myself included. After experiencing only what I could describe as a demonic presence several years ago did I truly start to believe. With no explanation and a newfound curiosity, I turned to the paranormal community for answers.
Though many of you have your own opinions about these shows and the technology that is used in common investigating techniques, it’s hard to argue certain observed correlations. By that I mean there are “fields” we observe, that at least 90% of us would agree have some relation to the paranormal, EMF spikes, temperature changing creating cold spots, etc. As someone who is a brick when it comes to “sensing” the paranormal, meaning I could walk into the most haunted location in the world and not notice unless I physically see something paranormal, it is very important for me to use these tools on investigations. Being raised in a very scientific family with a mother who taught in many scientific areas, a sister that is a doctor, and a brother that is an electrical engineer, the scientific method has been pounded in my head. Not just the literal method of testing a variable but being cautious of jumping to conclusions or believing what any one-person says. This point-of-view in the paranormal can be detrimental to ones beliefs but it can also be very beneficial if used with an open mind.
Technology seems to be lacking in such an important and booming niche interest around the world. We have millions of people across the globe interested in learning more about the after-life with many believing they have come in contact in some way with it. This should ignite the passions of scientists wanting to study more but for some reason, and I could rattle off a few guesses, the tech giants and the mainstream scientists seem to have left us on our own to find the answers. This has created a problem for paranormal investigators. With lack of development we have not only limited ourselves to a very small amount of options when it comes to paranormal technology companies, but also have had to re-purpose other devices used for other implementations to be applied to investigating the paranormal. This always bothered me. Why would arguably the greatest question man has to ask be left out of the mainstream science? This is what we aim to fix.
What do I mean by “we”? Well, back in June of 2014 I proposed this very same question to my brother, Michael. He had spent years working in electrical engineering focusing mainly on manufacturing and design. Though he did not share the same passion as I did for ghost hunting, he did hear my plea. We then started the company CenTex Paranormal. CenTex Paranormal is aimed at creating, developing, and researching new paranormal investigative technologies. We want to make sure that the best and newest technologies will be developed to study what we know to be true. It is important to us that these technologies can get into the hands of every investigator possible so more can be explored. How will we do this you might ask? By making it affordable.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will a revolutionizing paranormal research and development company be. We had to get started somewhere. We listened to the critiques of thousands of ghost hunters. The main complaint about the equipment they used was the PRICE! Since we don’t have the financial resources to spend all of our time researching new technologies yet, we decided to answer your critiques with an all-in-one tool that anyone can afford. We call it the MF-1.
The MF-1 Research Device got its name as a simple project title that seemed to fit. The “MF” stands for Multi Field and the “-1” is basically the model number or version number. The MF-1 Research Device carries three important tools into one single unit with an OtterBox-like case around the unit to ensure its durability. It contains an ambient temperature sensor, an EMF detector, and a Geophone all in one solid case powered by three AAs that pack more than 100 hours of use.
Temperature:
First we designed the MF-1 Research Device with an ambient temperature sensor. We chose ambient temperature for one main reason. Infrared (IR) is a very accurate and fast way to get a reading of a surface, but only a surface. Many times we feel cold spots during an investigation and it is in a very specific area in the room. Generally the walls and floor around the cold spot are not affected. The IR temperature gun, when pointed at the cold spot, will not pick up the actual cold in the air but the floor or wall behind it. Having an ambient temperature probe (shown above) allows you to move the device to the area that has cooled and be able to measure the change. The temperature is displayed by an LCD on the top of the MF-1 Research device. Next to the sensor probe are two LEDs. Their purpose is to alarm you by lighting up and blinking if there has been a sharp change in temperature. If the temperature registered on the MF-1 varies .5+/- degrees within 3 seconds this will trigger the alarm. Though we know a literal temperature variation of .5 degrees is not that indicative of something paranormal, the delay the sensor probe has to catch up to the ambient air temperature means that a registered .5 degree change within three seconds is caused by the air around the probe changing significantly more. The probe will eventually register the correct temperature in a matter of a few more seconds. This allows us to immediately alert you of a significant temperature change before the device actually registers it.
EMF:
Electro-magnetic field detectors (EMF) have been the talk of many paranormal researchers and enthusiasts. It is arguably the most popular ghost hunting tool and that is why we did not take this part of our MF-1 Research Device lightly. The problem with EMF detectors is the complicity and sometimes misunderstandings of how and what they are and how they pertain to something paranormal. Basically, in the MF-1 we use a single-axis EMF detector. This does not mean it only picks up electro-magnetic waves coming in one direction as commonly believed, though a tri-axis does cover more, the single-axis detector is extremely effective. This digital EMF sensor is programed to pick up frequencies from the 30 Hz to 30 kHz range. We also have programming that cuts out any small EM noise around the device allowing the sensor to be extremely sensitive to sharp change. We need to understand that the change in the electro-magnetic field when corresponding to something paranormal is what’s important. Knowing the exact intensity of the change in milligauss does not tell us much and the intensity of the electro-magnetic field drops off exponentially based on the distance you are away from the source of the EM field. This means that with even the most sophisticated milligauss reading we really don’t know anything more about the event. Maybe understanding exact frequencies of the paranormal EM event would tell us more but we cannot do that without spending thousands of dollars. So for the purpose of the MF-1 we want to be able to alert you of any change in the electro-magnetic field that could be paranormal.With this LED alarm that fades based on intensity we have also included a speaker. The speaker can be toggled on and off based on preference but allows you to have an audible alarm when something changes. We are very proud of the EMF detector we have created and are willing to bet our reputation that you are going to love using it!
Geophone:
Finally, on bottom we have a geophone. This geophone is an accelerometer driven sensor that detects any movements or vibrations by lighting up an LED array on the bottom based on intensity. We worked with many investigators to calibrate this geophone exactly how you would want it. Many investigators we worked with, including Brad Klinge from Ghost Lab, were frustrated with geophones that were way too sensitive and could pick up people walking in another room. Our geophone is sensitive enough to pick up a light tapping on the table but not enough to pick up a dog farting in the neighbor’s house.
All of these features are packed in nicely and professionally manufactured into a hard plastic case that we’re sure will last you a long time. Included is a rubber case that hugs the device and keeps it protected. You get to choose between five colors: orange, navy, green, light gray, and dark gray.
We hope that by bringing you a reliable, innovative, and extremely affordable all-in-one device that you will earn our trust in paranormal technologies. We plan to work hard at bringing, not only redesigned and more affordable tools that have been used for years, but also new technologies that will revolutionize how we do investigations. We want to take advantage of the knowledge and knowhow we have of electronics to push the studies of the paranormal into the future in order to better understand the unexplainable.
