32 replies to this topic

[JerseyTechGuy]

I just posted my latest blog on my blog site and it's about the Paranormal Investigation tool I am developing. My fiance and I founded a Paranormal Investigation group late last year called the NJ Paranormal Group. She is a believer in the paranormal and I am a skeptic. I have had some experiences I can't explain and this has driven me to start developing some new tools to try and figure out what is out there.

I'll post up more as the project progresses but here is my blog that contains an overview ==> Pandora's Box Project

Thanks for taking the time to read it

[hanzibal]

I just posted my latest blog on my blog site and it's about the Paranormal Investigation tool I am developing. My fiance and I founded a Paranormal Investigation group late last year called the NJ Paranormal Group. She is a believer in the paranormal and I am a skeptic. I have had some experiences I can't explain and this has driven me to start developing some new tools to try and figure out what is out there.

I'll post up more as the project progresses but here is my blog that contains an overview ==> Pandora's Box Project

Thanks for taking the time to read it

Very interesting project, however I get a server error when referencing the second link. Broken?

[JerseyTechGuy]

Very interesting project, however I get a server error when referencing the second link. Broken?

Please give it another shot. I think it was blocking all non USA traffic because of some spam I was getting from China a while back.

[hanzibal]

<br />Please give it another shot.  I think it was blocking all non USA traffic because of some spam I was getting from China a while back.<br />

<br /><br /><br />Now it works so night litterature is saved!

[ErikN]

Please give it another shot. I think it was blocking all non USA traffic because of some spam I was getting from China a while back.

Ah yes, the sledgehammer approach.

[JerseyTechGuy]

Quick update on the project. I had designed a prototype case to put the ND+ and all the sensors in along with the LCD and LiPo battery pack. Here are some pictures of the laser cut case.

This is how it arrived. It was laser cut and taped to hold it together.


Here's the pieces popped out of the sheet. Still has the brown paper backing on it.


I also designed a clear lens for over the LCD to snap in


Here finally is the project mounted in the enclosure.


This prototype will allow us to do some field testing. Our hope is to tweak the design a bit and finally have a product that fits in a slightly smaller case.

[Stefan]

That's a very nice casing!!

[Arbiter]

That's a beautiful piece of work. Not suitable for exterior applications, unfortunately, or I'd be asking for the contact details for whoever did that for you. Alas I need an IP67 rated enclosure, and without ventilation my options are limited to extruded aluminium with grommeted endcaps.

[JerseyTechGuy]

That's a beautiful piece of work. Not suitable for exterior applications, unfortunately, or I'd be asking for the contact details for whoever did that for you. Alas I need an IP67 rated enclosure, and without ventilation my options are limited to extruded aluminium with grommeted endcaps.

This company does have some different materials than the 3mm Acrylic Plastic. The site is Ponoko.com. Not sure if they have what you need but take a look.

[Arbiter]

This company does have some different materials than the 3mm Acrylic Plastic. The site is Ponoko.com. Not sure if they have what you need but take a look.

Now isn't that a refreshing change. Ponoko headquarters are close handy. Normally everything is on the other side of the planet when you live in Australia.

[JerseyTechGuy]

Just wanted to report that I had my first successful test of my project in the field on an investigation of an old tavern Saturday Night. While we didn't detect anything paranormal with the Pandora's Box, it did work great and logged 4 hours of data. This was also my first test of the new LiPo battery circuit and the charger and it worked fine. Now I am working on the serial communications between the windows app and the Pandora's Box.

[ErikN]

Just wanted to report that I had my first successful test of my project in the field on an investigation of an old tavern Saturday Night.

Congrats!

This was also my first test of the new LiPo battery circuit and the charger and it worked fine.

I looked over your project site but I didn't see anything specific about this. I'm curious - what are you using? Custom build? I just picked up a couple of these from Adafruit and I've just started testing them. So far with default configuration I was able to charge a LiPoly battery and blind myself with a 1W LED on the circuit output from a MacBook Pro USB port. The board says it can do 1A but I believe the default is 500mA.

I didn't run the LED for very long, I just wanted to test the transition from USB pass-through while charging the LiPoly to running from the LiPoly pack.

[JerseyTechGuy]

I have an Adafruit LiPo charger board and I connected a Sparkfun LiPo booster to boost the 3.7 to 5.0 volts. This took care of my charging and powering needs. I also have the SparkFun LiPo fuel gauge hooked in too and this works great. The reason I am using this combination is the SparkFun LiPo shield (while it works great) was took big for my prototype, so I had to be space conscious. Second, I was using the SparkFun LiPo Charger/Booster all in one combo, but it fried itself for no reason. In the end, I will be designing my own board based on these 3 components.

[hanzibal]

Dave, let me just say: Wow, this project is really awesome! Let alone that the question of paranormal activities is interesting but the hardware and physical design of this thing could make a grown man cry. This thing is definitively my nominee for a "featured project". I'm dying to know your findings as of the answer to the said question. I'm thinking "poltergeist" and that's giving me the goose bumps in it self. Please keep on reporting on your progress, both on the hardware and as to what may be out there... EDIT: Read your blog article about "the misery of 2011", proof of some really positive thinking and food for thought too.

[JerseyTechGuy]

Dave, let me just say: Wow, this project is really awesome!

Let alone that the question of paranormal activities is interesting but the hardware and physical design of this thing could make a grown man cry.

This thing is definitively my nominee for a "featured project".

I'm dying to know your findings as of the answer to the said question. I'm thinking "poltergeist" and that's giving me the goose bumps in it self.

Please keep on reporting on your progress, both on the hardware and as to what may be out there...

EDIT: Read your blog article about "the misery of 2011", proof of some really positive thinking and food for thought too.

Thank you for the kind words. We are setting up a few more investigations in the near future so I hope to have a chance to test Pandora's Box soon. I will certainly report my findings and any progress on the prototype development. I am now working on the windows application to analyze the data. This application will also communicate with Pandora's box via COM1 so we can change settings, do diagnostics, etc.

[hanzibal]

As said, I'm following this with great interest. Noticed that I misspelled "dying" but I'm not trying to color anything

[JerseyTechGuy]

As promised, just wanted to post up with some positive results of a Pandora's Box Logging Session.

My Fiance was taking a Reiki 2 class. For those who don't know, Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

We had spoken to the Reiki master before about how energy may increase surrounding the participants and found this as a great opportunity to test Pandora's Box. Again, I am the skeptic in all of this although I do believe everyone's mind is stronger than they think.

I was shocked when we analyzed the data and found this significant spike about the time when the participants and the master started their deep meditation session. From that point onward, you can see the EMF level was higher. Are there other possible explanations? I was told the box was kept within a few feet of everyone and there were no electronic devices around like cellphones, wireless routers, etc. that could have messed with the sensors. So believe what you will... but certainly interesting results to say the least.

[Stefan]

From that point onward, you can see the EMF level was higher.

Also try to measure temperature. You'll get some interesting results, I promise you that. The body temperature of the Reiki master will probably increase without clear reason to it.

[JerseyTechGuy]

Also try to measure temperature. You'll get some interesting results, I promise you that. The body temperature of the Reiki master will probably increase without clear reason to it.

I did detect a slight (5 degree Fahrenheit) lower temperature during this spike and the humidity in the area dipped by 15% but only during that period. That would certainly be interesting to measure the master's temperature changes too.

[Stefan]

I did detect a slight (5 degree Fahrenheit) lower temperature during this spike and the humidity in the area dipped by 15% but only during that period. That would certainly be interesting to measure the master's temperature changes too.

You'd be surprised

By the way, it makes sense from a scientific viewpoint. Take two batteries, one exhausted and one full. Place them parallel of each other. Energy will be shared and 'leveled' between both batteries.
We also know enery can be transferred by direct contact between two conducting materials, but can also be transferred through EM. This technology is used in many electrical transformers and in wet areas.
We also know humans work on electrical pulses. If you put current on a muscle, it will react. That's why an Automated external defibrillator can reboot a human heart.
So why can't humans 'level' their energy together. The reiki master will probably confirm, he can't do his job right when he's ill or stressed himself. He needs to be 'powered up'.