These cheap and easy to use devices can prove very useful to the investigator.

There are a number of way that these units can provide the paranormal investigator an advantage during an investigation. We will discuss two ways that we use them, although there are potentially quite a lot more uses if you use your imagination

The first potential use is in guarding an area from deliberate or unwitting intrusion. This is usually where a locked off camera, audio recorder, sensor array or trigger object has been set up and left to monitor the area. The beam while not directly contributing evidence in its own right can however reinforce what evidence your guarded equipment has captured by giving you confidence that it has not been tampered with. To really benefit from this you need to be the last person out of the area and set the beams up so that they are hard to spot and impossible to turn off without setting them off. Use two for good measure when it really matters.

The second use is to guard a door or other access that you cannot lock off, close to where you are investigating. Much better to have the alarm sound than allow someone to walk in and scare the daylights out of everyone. I usually put the beam right across a closed door, even opening the door to a crack will break the beam, but the door moving on its latch will not. Make sure the receiver is out of reach behind the door.

I do know of some people that have used these for detecting ghosts walking upstairs, but there is no evidence that this would set these units off. Having said that I have had a set go off in plausible circumstances of this type.
 

The pair that you see in our picture above are battery powered, but also have a a socket for a mains adaptor. These have a stated range of 30 metres and can either sound a continuous alarm or make chiming noises when the beam is broken. They are pretty sensitive and very loud on the maximum sound setting, but can use a lot of battery power over long distances.

Another good point with this particular pair is that if the transmitter is set up first the receiver will find it, as long as it is pointing roughly in the right direction and is within range. This gets around one of the major drawbacks with this type of equipment where some systems require you to line hem up carefully to use them. Their other drawback is that they can just as easily go out of line again.

The downside to the more sensitive variety is that they may be more prone to give false alarms, moths, flies, smoke and mist can all set them off, the latter two may be useful the former two definitely not. As long as the potential false alarm issues are understood and allowed for, the use of these simple devices can be very beneficial.

The only real restriction with IR Beams is that should never be used outdoors. There are far to many things that can set them off including falling leaves, Moths, Flies, Bats, Cats, Wild Animals, Rain, Snow, Shrubbery blowing in the wind and of course the wind moving the sensors about. This is a far from exhaustive list, but illustrates the problems you would face.

 

© County Society for Paranormal Investigation and Research - 2008


Last Updated 27/07/2008