The Real Ghostbusters

:See The Ghost Busters for the Filmation live-action children's television series that ran from 1975 to 1976.

Ghostbusters tools / equipment

The form of these devices varies much between the movies and the cartoons as well as the comics and the videogames. However, the overall archetypes and concepts for this equipment remains the same.

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Proton pack

The equipment used by the Ghostbusters to capture ghosts is the proton pack, which fires a positron ion stream that polarizes with the negatively charged energy of a ghost, allowing it to be held while the stream is active. According to Dr. Spenglar's calculations, each pack's energy cell has a half-life of five thousand years. Knobs on the main stock of the proton pack can perform various functions to customize the proton stream, including adjustments for stream intensity, length, and degrees of polarization. Alternately referred to by Dr. Venkman as a "positron glider."

Related Topics:
Proton pack - Positron - Half-life

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Ghost trap

This is a box with a split hinged lid, remote controlled by a simple foot-pedal switch, attached to the end of the box by a long cable. When a ghost is brought close to the trap (usually by means of the proton pack, though not necessary), the ghost trap is activated by the foot switch, its lid then opens, and a force field draws the ghost inside. For images, see:-

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: http://marksconventionphotos.co.uk/images/ghostbusters/Trap.jpg

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: http://home.freeuk.net/key-master/trap.htm

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PKE meter

A PKE meter is a handheld device, used is locating and measuring ghosts. PKE is an acronym for PsychoKinetic Energy, which is a unique environmental byproduct emitted by ghosts. For further images, see:--

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: http://marksconventionphotos.co.uk/images/ghostbusters/PK_Meter.jpg A replica PKE meter

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: http://home.freeuk.net/key-master/eqi.htm An image of a PKE meter is on this page

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Spectro-Visor

This is a special pair of goggles that visually traces PKE readings, and is particularly useful in helping its wearer see normally invisible ghosts. It can also be used to assist in tracking ghosts within a visible field of search. An image can be found here:--

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: http://home.freeuk.net/key-master/goggs.gif image.

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Ecto-Splat

Unique to the Ghostbusters comics, this is a flamethrower-like device with a backpack part and a handhend gun. It fires a hard jet of ectoplasm, which can damage or break up ghosts. As it fires it makes a noise spelt as "zzzax". It may be a fictionalized adaptation of some sort of real water-squirting device.

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Slime Blower

As seen and developed in the movie Ghostbusters II, this piece of equipment is a metal tank strapped to the back of its user, with an attached sprayer used to project streams of so-called "good slime," which is psychomaganatheric slime, (aka "mood slime"), that emotionally has been positively reinforced. Illustration can be found here:--

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: http://members.aol.com/gbtestsite/images/slime.jpg (hand drawing)

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Ecto-Containment Unit

Also referred to as the "Containment System." This is a big horizontal cylinder in the basement of the Ghostbusters' headquarters. It was developed after Dr. Spengler and Dr. Stantz, (along with Dr. Venkman), made their first actual contact with a ghost in the basement of the New York Public Library. According to data from that experience, they theorized that since a ghost's ionization rate is constant, then they could capture and hold it indefinitely. It is the heart of what makes the Ghostbuster business work.

Related Topics:
Ghost - New York Public Library

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The containment unit itself looks something like a large heater or industrial steam boiler. All captured ghosts are stored in it. The containment unit has an easy-access slot to put a ghost trap in; after two buttons are pressed in sequence, and a lever pulled, the ghost is pumped from the trap into the unit's containment field. After completing these steps, a green light attached to the containment system briefly turns on, denoting a successful containment. Thus the rule: "When the light is green, the trap is clean."

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It should be noted that the containment system seen in the cartoon is radically different than the one found in the original movie Ghostbusters. Initially in the movie the device was simply installed into a cramped basement area of the old firehouse, built into the concrete wall. However as seen in the cartoon, the basement is a sprawling, two-story warehouse-like space, with the large red, cylindrical containment unit given new prominance. The reason given in the cartoon series for these changes is that improvements were made to prevent any further complications like those which occurred in the movie, such as the system reaching maximum capacity, or Walter Peck's ordering the system powered down, re-releasing all contained ghosts into New York City. To this end, the basement of the Ghostbusters's headquarters was expanded, as well as the containment unit upgraded in size and technology, with a back-up power source to prevent sudden shut-downs. However at one time, the company once had to resort to a bicycle attached to an electrical turbine during a serious power loss to maintain the protection grid while the others struggle to restore power.

Related Topics:
Ghostbusters - New York City

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In addition, the Ghostbusters in the animated series are shown to be working on more permanent solutions to the disposal of ghosts such as devices that could open up portals which ghosts could be exiled in another dimension.

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