Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MiniBox? How does it differ from Frank's Ghost Box?
As you are probably aware, Frank Sumption doesn't sell the boxes he makes. He will give them to selected persons, but there are still less than thirty in existence, and your chance of obtaining one is remote. Frank has published his findings and methods publicly on the web. I have studied them closely and have created a design which performs like his but uses much different circuitry to acomplish the job. The MiniBox is not a duplicate of Frank's Ghost Box, nor does it use his design; my intention was to provide an affordable version that would allow people to experience this penomenon directly.
It works in the same way, by scanning the AM radio band at a selectable rate. The signals received form portions of words and phrases that, under the right circumstances, combine to make intelligible responses to questions asked in the presence of the box. Many clips recorded from Franks Ghost Box are on the web and I invite you to listen to them, and compare them with this sample from our prototype. You will quickly see that the MiniBox provides clear and interference-free audio.
The MiniBox is a portable device that can be used anywhere and has its own internal rechargeable battery pack. Detailed specs and further information are available in the MiniBox section.
How does it differ from the Radio Shack 'Shack Hack'?
The 'Shack Hack' is a modification that can be applied to certain models of Radio Shack portable radios and was created by Sum Duc and popularized by Mike Coletta. For many persons this is an excellent way to get a feel for the ITC process and many persons report success using this method.
It does require cutting, modifying and assembly - disassembly of a small device and requires good eyesight and considerable dexterity. There is also the possibility of destroying the radio in the process.
The completed product scans at a slow rate and will spend more time on strong stations than weak ones so it not the optimal solution for serious work. However it is a place to start and is an excellent introduction to ITC for the beginner. If you find that ITC research is of interest you may consider adding a MiniBox to your equipment because it is designed and built expressly for ITC work and is not a compormise.
The MiniBox is a portable device that can be used anywhere and has its own internal rechargeable battery pack. Detailed specs and further information are available in the MiniBox section.
Is the MiniBox an electronic Ouija board? Can I be harmed by it?
No, the MiniBox is NOT an electronic Ouija board. The Ouija board is powered by a combination of the user's mental energy plus the energy of entities wishing to communicate. In essence, the Ouija board is an open invitation to enter a persons home, to any and all things - good or bad.
The MiniBox is different in that the person using it is not providing any form of 'psychic' energy. It is quite the reverse. The MiniBox provides the energy and 'voice power' so that any entity wishing to communicate must use the energy provided by the MiniBox. The user provides nothing but questions. There is no direct link, as in the use of a Ouija board, so no harm can come to the user. The worst you can expect is bad language, which happens sometimes. Once you switch off the box, the link, as such, is gone. No residual energy remains. The Box has been tested by many persons of all ages, sexes, and abilities. Nobody has reported any unpleasant experiences, either during or after a session.
I have heard that to use a ghost box, you have to be one of 30 in the world, or have psychic powers. Is this true?
This particular comment originated with a follower of Frank Sumption, who charges $250 or more for a half-hour telephone session with his 'Franks Box', which was given to him for nothing. If everyone who wanted one could have a Box, it would cut into his income severely. I believe this statement is negative and self-serving - and untrue. Frank Sumption, the creator and foremost authority on ghost boxes, believes that anyone should be able to gain access or own a box. And more importantly, no special talents are needed to get full use from the Box.
Our goal is to get past these gatekeepers and allow any researcher who wants to experience ITC to have full access. We encourage responsible adult use and experimentation. The persons who have used the MiniBox have all had excellent results, and the majority of there persons were NOT psychics, clairvoyants, or one of the selected 30.
The MiniBox was designed for use by everyone, not just a chosen few.
I would like to have a MiniBox but am on a budget. Do you have payment plans?
We realize that the MiniBox may not be within an individual person's budget. Many of our customers are paranormal investigation groups that pool their money and buy one jointly. If you have several friends who are interested, then a group purchase would be the best choice.
We also have a lay-away plan where for a $100 deposit we will reserve a unit for you and provide you with its serial number. You have six months to pay the balance and the unit will be shipped immediately on receipt of the final payment.
Do you have a rental or leasing plan?
No, we do not rent or lease any of our devices. The principal reason is that, like a newborn child, the MiniBox will imprint with the first person, or persons, that have sessions with it. We were not aware of this effect until one of our chief testers and demonstrators pointed out that she preferred using 'her' MiniBox, prototype #3, even though all the prototypes were essentially identical. It seemed to work better for her than the others. It turned out that she was the first multi-session user on that Box, although several others had used it before her. Although there is no scientific reason we can provide, it does seem that a MiniBox will seem to work the best with the first person that has a series of sessions with it.
This is a very unscientific explanation, but the only one that appears to explain what we have observed. This is a new area of exploration and we learn something new every day.
I am a long time paranormal researcher heading up a group and would like a MiniBox for evaluation. Can you send me one at no charge?
The MiniBox is a sophisticated electronic device that is expensive to manufacture. Since our goal is to place it into as many hands as possible for the purposes of research, we build and distribute them as a price close to our actual costs. For that reason we do not give or loan them out. They are priced well within the budget of any paranormal group.
Should any person or foundation wish to donate funds in order to place these units in selected groups at no charge, we will be happy to work out such an arrangement.
Why should I modify my K-II? It seems to work just fine!
For the purpose it was designed for, it does. But it was designed to test for high levels of EMF in the home and at the workplace. Nowhere on the K-II website does it imply it is useful for paranormal investigation. Much of what you are detecting in the field is 60Hz from power lines, RFI from motors and electrical devices, down-conversion mixer products from nearby AM radio stations and so on. We are immersed in a warm bath of radiation from these sources at all times, and so are our instruments. The only true test of possible paranormal activity when using an unmodified K-II is somewhere in the country, far away from sources of EMF generated by mechanical means.
What will be the difference in my K-II after upgrading?
With the basic upgrade, several things. First, it will be much more user-friendly in the field. The new enclosure allows placement in front of video cameras for unattended operation. The black case is highly contrasting to the LED indicators so they show up well on video. The on-off switch eliminates hand fatigue totally, and the dreaded problem of false indications by inconsistent pressure on the power switch. Finally, the battery capacity of the power pack using 6 AA Duracells is at least 10 times longer in duration, even with worst-case usage.
The advanced upgrade has everything in the basic upgrade plus a different enclosure - made of black anodized cast aluminum, which shields the internal circuitry against stray RF end EMF signals. The internal antenna on the circuit board is disabled and the board is rewired to use an external loop antenna. This allows greater sensitivity with less opportunity for false signals. Also, additional external antennas aer available for different purposes. Finally, because of the increased sensitivity, a gain control is added to allow balancing out background EMF so only new signals will be shown on the indicator panel.
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