September 30–October 7, 1999

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The Science Guys

Have Philly ghost hunters created the specter detector of the future?

Lew Gerew hasn’t gotten around to seeing The Sixth Sense yet. As president of the Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance, he’s too busy chasing the real thing. Gerew explains how PGHA takes a "scientific" approach to recording the goings-on of dead folk. They prefer to work with technology over unclassifiable senses and flimsy hunch.

PGHA uses the standard technology available to all ghost researchers: thermal scanners, infrared camcorders, digital thermometers, night vision scopes (Soviet surplus), electromagnetic field detectors and 35 mm Nikons. But whereas any Joe can obtain most of this stuff at Radio Shack, PGHA is also thinking outside the box. Traditional ghostbusting technology just hasn’t proven the existence of ghosts beyond a shadow of a doubt. "That’s what we’re searching for," says Gerew, "evidence that’s gonna push things beyond that point."

The thing that’s going to take Gerew and his crew to that point beyond, they hope, is called the Orbwatcher 2000. Brainchild of the group’s electrical engineer, known only as Bob R., the Orbwatcher 2000 is one highly classified piece of ghostbusting technology. Patent pending, the name is about the only thing Gerew will volunteer.

	The Orbwatcher 2000 is one highly classified piece of ghostbusting technology. Patent pending, the name is about the only thing Gerew will volunteer.

"I really can’t go into too much detail."

Gerew is understandably skittish. With something like 300 ghost clubs on the Web, they don’t want to get beaten to the punch. He would only say that the Orbwatcher modifies "pre-existing equipment, but not equipment ever used for ghost hunting."

Besides, PGHA is still in the process of analyzing evidence. According to Gerew, the results are looking good. "If you want to compare success ratios, this has proven more worthy than other devices that are traditionally accepted [EMF detectors, etc.] where readings are usually far and few between." PGHA members hope to have conclusive evidence within a year.

What’s it look like?

Gerew laughs nervously. His wife, Sharon, vice president, hovers in the background for the duration of this phone interview, warning him to keep his trap shut. "I can’t go into much detail," Gerew says.

Is it more likely to show up on the shelves of Radio Shack or The Sharper Image?

"We don’t have any plans for marketing it now. What we have to do first is either prove or disprove it. If it’s something that works, we would announce the discovery, describe in detail how it was made, the theories behind it and the results that we’re getting."

Like most ghost hunters, the Gerews do not charge for investigations. All operating expenses are out of pocket. Whereas the prototype costs approximately $3,000, the full-scale Orbwatcher 2000 will cost more like $10,000. But compared to other equipment PGHA has its eye on, the Orbwatcher will cost peanuts.

Like what sort of other equipment?

"I don’t want to disclose that information either."

Lew, with Sharon, founded PGHA in 1997. Their Web site takes, on average, 3,000 hits weekly. In 1998 they received the International Ghost Hunters Society’s highest kudos, the Floating Orb Award for exceptional photographic evidence of life after death.

PGHA will host several seminars at the haunted Bolton Mansion in Levittown, PA, on Oct. 2, 16 and 30. Each seminar runs from 7-11 p.m., and will cover theory of modern ghostbusting, with hands-on training. Participants will conduct their first investigation, or "ghostwatch," in the Bolton mansion, using real ghost hunting equipment. (Sorry, demonstrations of the Orbwatcher 2000 not included.) To find out more, call 215-332-8206 or check out http://members.aol.com/Rayd8em/index.html — that’s PGHA’s Web site.

—Jay Kirk