Franks Box – Telephone to the dead?
The Franks Box, aka Ghost Box, may be the next tool in the ghost researchers tool box. I ran across this article of the fact that a company plans to start producing Ghost Boxes for paranormal fans. I’ve done a lot of reading into the Franks Box, intending to find out it’s practicality and it’s caveats.
The Franks Box was first created by Frank Sumption in 2002. His interest started with recording EVP’s and later he thought of creating this device in order to catch real-time EVP’s. The basis of his device was to scan AM frequencies constantly in a sweeping fashion (back and forth on the dial) in order to create ‘white noise’ (which is a theoretical basis for the existence of EVP’s). The received noise was then fed into a ‘echo chamber’ on the box which enabled spirits to manipulate the noise to form words, and the output is fed into a speaker, thus allowing communications in real-time.
The Franks Box is slowly becoming the latest rage with paranormal investigators, with it even being (unfortunately) highlighted on the show Paranormal State. For those of you that believe in EVP’s, this could be what you have been waiting for. A real-time tool used to receive direct responses to your questions. For those who do not believe, this tool is just another gimmick. From what I have read, controversy swirls around the Ghost Box.
The Franks Box receives EVP’s in real time, although the quality of these vary, like the recorded variety. Another annoying aspect pointed out on several forums, is that the white noise being generated has pops and pings from radio stations that are active (as the receiver sweeps the channels back and forth, it still gets hits from active stations). What is received at times is suprising. Questions are answered, albeit not in the way you might expect. Pending on the spirit’s mood, you might actually get cussed at. Answers range from single words to actual sentences, while at other times spirits can be heard talking with one another.
Frank’s intentions with these boxes was more for ITC (instrumental transcommunication – IE talking to spirits, inter-dimensional beings, ET’s) than for investigative purposes. Frank felt that by using it for investigative purposes, the results would become biased based on people hearing what they wanted to hear. When Frank initiated sessions, he would not even ask questions, he would just listen and analyze recordings. Unfortunately, Frank’s creation was perverted by Chris Moon, who was using the device for his own monetary gain by charging people to talk to the deceased, though this actually raised more interest in the Franks Box.
Of course this machine is a skeptic’s dream to argue against. Arguments range anywhere from manipulation of radio signals, reception of bogus signals (cell phone, cordless phone, CB’s, etc). Due to the equipment installed in the Franks Box, it is argued that transmissions can be fed into the box in a fraudulent fashion. My only thought (though I’m no electronics wiz), is that with how quickly this thing scans frequencies (considering a radio station hit creates a pop or a ping), how could a signal perpetuate on the receiver? Cell phones, cordless and CB’s all operate at different and higher frequencies in order not to overlap radio stations.
The only drawback for believers is the price. Either you will pay handsomely for this device through the few manufacturers there are, or you will have to put some work into building one by yourself. Frank schematics are openly available at this site . Even though Frank never intended his creation to be used in the investigative fashion, I believe that very soon this device will be carried in just about every paranormal investigators bag.
Check out these YouTube links:
Franks Box:
Franks Box in use:
Written by Gary Popella - Gary@ghosttheory.com
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Gary,
I’ve never really given the “Ghost box” a second look. It really seems (to me) that this is just auditory pareidolia.
Meaning that people will hear what they want. They might want to hear something so bad, that they hear radio signals as ghostly communique.
I’ve seem Chris Moon and have read about what he does. He brings shame to the game. That’s all.
I hope people stay away from using this as a means of gathering scientific evidence.
Great post!
-Javier
Yeah, after watching the youtubes I’ve seen, I’m not toally convinced, but I think they are on to something with it. I’ve always had a soft spot for EVP’s. Why not make a device to pick up real-time EVP’s? I think these things will end up going big for investigators in years to come, the allure is all too ‘promising’. I really do think that it needs to be tweaked and experimented with further though. All the background noise kind of overloads the auditory senses, and yet you still have to play with knobs in the mean time? Yick.
pardon my French, but to me its just Franks Bollocks. The idea is laughable.
I’m no paranormal expert but wouldn’t it be easy to manipulate this device by using say, an external device like a 2 way CB radio, how could you tell whether you are picking up geniune EVP’s and not radio interference for example. This device looks more like a toy than a serious scientific device for ghost hunting
I’m normally open minded, but this clearly sounds like just snippets of voices and music from different radio stations. You are bound to hear phrases etc.
Franks Bollocks
LOL!
funny how this madhobbit guy is located in the UK, and all of the “ghosts” have british accents. same thing in the US when chris moon or anyone else gullible enough to shell out money for the thing uses it, the “ghosts” all have american accents.
you’d think if it were actually a “telephone to the dead”, there wouldn’t be any geographical boundaries involved. you can pick up a phone right now and call someone across the globe…
and fwiw, “very clear” evps my arse (in keeping with the brits and bullocks theme)
…perverted by Chris Moon, who was using the device for his own monetary gain by charging people to talk to the deceased…
exACTly.
there is a TON of information debunking this device available online – including input from at least one well-known skeptic who went to a chris moon/frank’s box event in person.
http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/01/telephone-to-the-dead/
(fwiw, someone claiming to be frank sumption posts in the article’s comment section)
also, see shermer’s article on “patternicity”.
I’ve actually used this type of device on investigations with what’s also referred to as a “Hack Box.” Works the same, only scans the FM dial instead. Apparently, there are tutorials on how to make a very portable (and cheap) hand-held one from modifying a Radio Shack tuner.
But I have become quite discouraged using it, mainly because of the high tendency to fall victim to auditory pareidolia like Javier brought up. It’s interesting to note that a lot of the “voices” tend to stop broadcasting at the end of an hour or half hour pretty much on the dot. If the device is scanning the radio signals, we should not forget that certain DJs also go off the air at certain times. Something to take into consideration while using the device…
But Gary definitely makes a good point being that it is about time we start developing devices to work more in a two-way spectrum so that we can start achieving real-time conversations.
Someone you should look into interviewing: Marcus Leader (of Leader Research).
Funny how none of you people have used it. Something comes along and changes the way we percieve things and people are ready to dismiss it so easily. I personally would like to experiment with one and make my own assessment. To all you other people that just want to dismiss it because it sounds like it won’t work..STFU! Don’t knock it till you have tried it! Sick of close minded people!
wilkenator,
Interesting point of view.
I tell you what, go to Chris Moon’s next public appearance. Pay him the few hundred bucks bucks for him to use this contraption to contact ghosts and report back to us if you made contact with spirits.
We will then publish your report.
Deal?
-Javier