Mark Elliott 09/05/2024 Mark Elliott 09/05/2024

Ghostbusters - Ghostbusting Equipment

ECTO-GOGGLES

GHOSTBUSTER EQUIPMENT EXPLAINED

he Ecto-Goggles, resembling Spook Eyes in appearance are one of the smallest but equally effective pieces of equipment. Essentially a wearable P.K.E. Meter, the goggles slip over the wearer's eyes, allowing them to be able to track an entity while also being able to study its readings. The Ecto-Goggles also prove useful in locating invisible entities. As the goggles can locate P.K.E. they can create a virtual image of the entity. The Ecto-Goggles have seen several incarnations, most notably the original design, and then a unusual design created by Dr. Egon Spengler to help locate several poltergeists who had the ability to become invisible. Polarised lenses that could detect P.K.E detected them.

Safety Precautions: None Recorded.

F/N Adapted from information gathered from The Proton Lab.

ECTO-SCOPE

"Egon..."

A stethoscope connected to stereo earphones, worn by Dr. Egon Spengler.

ECTO CONTAINMENT UNIT

"This is a high voltage laser containment system..."

The Ecto Containment Unit is a bleak repository for souls of many species. Strange lights, mists, and spectral shapes waft about aimlessly. Human-like figures lean against the walls in despairing convict poses. Others flit and hang on the ceiling. It is a sad and frightening limbo and a most unholy makeshift asylum.

Like it's smaller counterpart, the Containment Unit utilizes a revolutionary laser containment system. Up until recently the exact way the lasers contained the ghosts had been a mystery, however thanks to Sinister of GBN the physics of the Containment Unit were laid bare and the way the ghosts were contained explained.

The large Containment Unit as seen in The Real Ghostbusters is the second incarnation of the machine, the first incarnation having been destroyed due to a failure in the Unit's Protection Grid.

If we think of ghosts as a magnet block (Such as those used in science lessons at school.), the ghosts are the South (Negative) end, and the Proton Packs are the North (Positive) end. As we know when you put North and South together they attract. The same thing happens with the packs and ghosts, the two charges attract each other and they merge.

If the laser grid around the inside of the ECU (Which is a large trap.) were positive like the Proton streams, the ghosts would merge with the stream, and possibly be able to escape in the same way they occasionally escape the streams. However, if the grid lasers were negatively charged (Electrons) a South on south effect would happen. As the ghost approached the edge of the ECU it would be propelled backwards due to the shared charge, just as it would should you put two south magnets together.

So in conclusion the ECU has a box laser grid inside it with a negative charge that makes sure the ghosts are kept inside due to the fact that they can't break through it.

F/N Above description provided by Sinister.

C/N Thanks for the great info Iain!

Safety Precautions: There is only one warning about the Ecto Containment Unit that should be taken very seriously:

Do not, I repeat, do not shut it off: The break in power supply is identical to a trap overload/power drain, however on a somewhat larger scale, as stated by Dr. Egon Spengler, "It would be like dropping a bomb on the city." The ghosts, in their eagerness to escape cause the metal shell of the Ecto Containment Unit to rupture. As soon as this happens the build up of P.K.E. causes an explosion that decimates the structure containing the ECU. There has only been one recorded incident of the ECU being shut off against the Ghostbusters will by another human (Walter Peck, of course.). This was during the infamous Gozer incident. The resulting explosion gutted the Ghostbusters' headquarters and released all contained entities into the Greater New York Area.

UNIFORM

According to Louis Tully, the Ghostbusters take great pride in their service and their brand image on a whole. They strive to present a professional and courteous appearance on the job, and they feel that the uniform is the best was to accomplish that. The standard Ghostbusters uniform consists of several parts:

1.) Flightsuit: CWU-27/P* Flight Suit made by FlightSuits.com.
2.) Black T-shirt: A black t-shirt worn under the flightsuit.
3.) GB logo patch: A patch of the GB logo on the right shoulder.
4.) Nametag: A black, rectangular-shaped nametag, with the wearer�s surname spelt out in capital red letters.
5.) Elbow Pads: Made by Markwort. They are gray and bubble-shaped.
6.) Pistol Belt: The belt holds the Neutrona Wand holder, Circuit Board Pouch, Rear Belt Circuit Board, Coil Cable with clips, Leg Tube W/ fitting and belt attachment.
7.) Boots: Black Zipper Paratrooper Boots. The zipper is on the side for quick attachment and removal.
8.) Chemical Gloves: Black gloves.

TRIPOD TRAP

Essentially the Tripod Trap is identical to the standard Ghost Trap in operation. The main difference is the design, which allows for a larger containment area and also allows for elevated entrapment. The trap takes up less space then a standard trap and so can be used in areas of limited space. The device is still in the test stages as it hasn't been used in many busts. The Tripod Trap, when activated creates a grid-like confinement area, but tests have ranged in success.

Safety Precautions: There is only one warning about the Tripod Trap that should be taken very seriously:

Don't stare directly at the Laser: It can blind you if you aren't careful enough.

C/N Information above derived from further information provided to The Proton Lab by Matt Emery.

GIGA-METER

"I'm getting 2.5 G.E.V.s on the Giga-Meter."

G.E.V.s or Giga Electron Volts is an experimental alternate to the P.K.E. Meter. It's main purpose to measure the Psychomagnetheric energy in G.E.V.s. The meter has performed only limited use, and is most notably known for its use in the detection of the river of slime beneath First Avenue in New York.

SLIME BLOWER

"It's Slime Time."

The Slime Blower is one of the least used pieces of equipment due to the scarcity of the weapon's ammunition, positively charged Psychomagnetheric Ectoplasm. The Pyschomagnetheric Ectoplasm was first discovered in 1988 after an incident involving the Ghostbusters' first customer Dana Barrett. An examination of a street where she lived revealed a large quantity of the unusual Ectoplasm. Further exploration revealed the large quantity of slime flowed along the abandoned tunnels of the NYPRR. The New York Pneumatic Railroad, a system that had been an experimental subway system. After collecting a sample it was discovered that the slime reacted to negative vibes, having built up from all of the bad feelings and negative things said by every New Yorker to each other. After a complex series of tests it was discovered that the slime, like Proton streams, can be changed from negative to positive, and so positively charged slime was implemented in the Ghostbusters' arsenal. The slime was playing a part in the 300-year-old plan of a 17th Century Moldavian Tyrant known as Vigo the Carpathian. Utilizing the negative feelings of some "three million completely miserable assholes" Vigo was able to amass a huge amount of slime, which he used to coat the Manhattan Museum of Art, trapping Dana Barrett and her son Oscar who was to play an important part in Vigo's plan, to be the living embodiment of Vigo the Carpathian. However Vigo was eventually defeated through the use of his own slime being used against him.

The Slime Blower works essentially like a fire extinguisher, projecting its ammunition at a specific target selected by the operator. The slime tanks are mounted onto an A.L.I.C.E. Pack Frame with bigger Straps and more padding and protection than the Proton Pack's A.L.I.C.E. Pack Frame. There are also two small but bright lights attached on top of the two small green air tanks. The Slime Blower works on an air pressure system. The central tank contains the mood slime, which is powered by positive human emotions. The two smaller green tanks on either side of the main tank are the air tanks. The Slime Blower's cannon features a switch trigger, which works similar to a tap with an air pressure system. When the switch is pulled, it makes the high-pressured air in the air tanks push the mood slime through the hose and into the large canister-like gun. The Slime fires at a fast and furious rate. The Slime Blower has also been used in possessions, forcing an entity to evacuate the host body due to the positive charge of the slime. The slime's positive charge was put to an unusual test when the Ghostbusters needed to create a large amount of positive vibes to crack the negative slime shell on the Manhattan Museum of Art, after animating a toaster they were able to animate the Statue of Liberty and walk her to the Manhattan Museum of Art.

Safety Precautions: None Recorded.

SLIME COLLECTOR

This is almost like a fishing rod. It has a small lamp on the end to provide light, in dark areas that are difficult to view. On the main section, a motor is activated and it extends an arm out (The maximum length is 3 ft.). When it reaches the full length, a sphere at the tip of the arm opens. The user then puts the sphere into the area that they�re gathering the sample from. The Slime Collector is mainly used to get samples of Ectoplasm. Once the sample is taken, the sphere closes and the user cranks it back into the locked position.

AURA SENSOR

This is a small device that functions almost the same as a Giga-Meter (It�s much smaller, and doesn�t look anything like it.). It detects emotional activity and rapidly beeps. Egon used it to detect the emotions of the couple that thought they were waiting for marriage counseling. He also secretly used it to detect Dana Barrett�s emotions.

www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/19/back-to-the-future-fashion-te2yx

Also known as the "Ghost Sniffer", this piece of equipment was used by Dr. Peter Venkman in Dana Barrett�s apartment to detect Ectoplasmic vapor trails. It tests ionized traces left by P.K.E. activity, and can be used to date the occurrences of paranormal activity. It was created by Bacharach/United Technologies.

Copied from the Bacharach Website:

Bacharch Sniffer 300 Series

Sniffer 300 Series gas indicators are lightweight, portable instruments designed for intermittent measurements of combustible gas and oxygen deficiency.

Rugged and rain resistant, these instruments represent a departure from traditional design. Each has a slender, high-impact thermoplastic case with a built-in handle and trigger switch. They each use easily-replaceable, field-proven sensors and internal sampling pumps for reliable service. The internal pump allows sampling up to 100 feet away.

Designed for intrinsic safety, the Sniffer 300 Series instruments meet various approval agency requirements for use in Class I, Divisions 1 and 2, Groups A, B, C and D hazardous areas.

F/N Adapted from information gathered at GB.Props.com and the Bacharach website.

SPECTRONALIZER

Most of the time, a paranormal entity (Mainly ghosts and any other creatures that don't have reflections.) doesn�t appear on film. However, it is still there. This Xerox-sized device lifts the spirit from the cover inside the photo revealing its form.