The Mel-8704 Meter Review

Introduction

As many know, not only do I build experimental equipment myself but I also like to test equipment built by others. I recently came across this new instrument called the Mel-8704. This meter is a dual purpose combination unit that measures both EMF and Temperature simultaneously. Skeptical as I am to devices that claim to be designed specifically for Paranormal Investigators and enthusiasts I decided this was something that I had to try out for myself. And, after several hours of evaluation, to my surprise this device really did live up to all of its claims.

First, I would like to provide a brief introduction. The Mel Meter was designed and developed by Gary Galka of DAS Distribution Inc. Gary is your typical devoted family man, married 28 years, with wife and kids. But, an unfortunate incident occurred in 2004 when Gary lost his oldest of three daughters, Melissa. After Melissa’s passing, some incredible things started to happen to Gary and his family. Gary’s words to me were “the veil that separated the hereafter and our world quickly unfolded before us” as Melissa began to make her presence known through numerous ADC’s (after death communications) to Gary and his family. Gary designed the Mel Meter as a way to communicate with his daughter whom Gary says helped with the healing process. The device is named after his daughter ‘Mel’ and the model number is her year of birth 87 and her year of passing 04 - “Mel-8704?. For a long time there have been theories that spirits can manipulate the energy fields that surround us. These theories go on to say that energy is heat so when it’s transferred from one location to another it leaves behind a cold spot.

Knowing this Gary built a device to not only register AC/DC EMF fluctuations but at the same time record variances in temperature on a single display. After Mel passed, Gary and his wife created a small grief support group for other bereaved parents who had experienced the same devastating loss. And, it was the need to reach out to more and more people that became the catalyst to produce the Mel-8704 and help fund additional support groups. Some of these groups include:

• The Compassionate Friends
http://www.compassionatefriends.org

• The Cove
http://www.covect.org

• Light beyond Loss
http://www.lightbeyondloss.org

Gary’s generosity doesn’t stop there, realizing that the paranormal community consists of men and woman that donate their spare time and services to help others, he initiated a program within his company that donates 10% of his Mel Meter production to various people, paranormal groups, auctions and charities. He believes that the Paranormal community in general in time, can and will make a huge difference in our every day lives, and in his words are the “Good Guys” and he simply wants to help these people however he can.I’ve personally be discussing new inventions with Gary and getting his input. We’ve discussed aspects of the Mel meter and even talked about possible upgrades or additions to the device.

Specifications and Review

The Mel Meter Model 8704 is an intelligent microprocessor based instrument specifically designed for Paranormal Investigators & Enthusiasts. The Mel Meter incorporates various different features that are combined into a durable unit designed to be operated with only one hand. First and foremost the Mel Meter is the only instrument on the market to be able to record EMF and Temperature simultaneously. As pointed out earlier there are many theories that surround the use of EMF meters and Thermometers one such theory being that with EMF fluctuations come what are referred to as ‘Cold Spots’ these colds spots are a result of heat (energy) being transferred from one location to another again theories dictate that this destination of energy transference is the point of manifestation, again just theory. In addition to this the unit features a large backlit display with numbers large enough to be viewed from several feet away again as an investigator myself this means no more fumbling for a flashlight to read the display. It will measure both mG and UT as well as both °F and °C along with the Minimum and Maximum measurements of both EMF and Temperature. The Thermometer uses what is called a Type K (chromel–alumel) general purpose thermocouple.

The thermocouple consists of two dissimilar metals joined together at one end. When the junction of the two metals is heated or cooled a voltage is produced that is linearized in the Mel’s micro-processor. It can then be correlated back to the temperature. They use a custom welded “bead” exposed type K thermocouple which is mass produced just for the Mel. To ensure temperature accuracy, the voltage generated between the thermocouple plug and the Mel’s circuit board is measured and the appropriate correction is applied. This is known as cold junction compensation. It is a great general purpose and very accurate technique for measuring temperature. Any industry standard type “K” thermocouple probe with mini plug can be substituted and plugged into the Mel.

The EMF feature can operate in a standard or “burst” high speed mode, and will measure extreme low frequency (ELF)as low as 30Hz this is 20Hz lower than the KII which measures only as low as 50Hz. 50Hz is not considered to be part of the ELF range. The theory again being that an entity may be present in the ELF range of the EMF spectrum which commonly registers between 2.0 and 7.0 mG in strength. Most teams use EMF meters to debunk claims of activity claiming that long exposure to high EMF can cause paranoia nausea even effect moods but I think its important to know that this may not be the ONLY use EMF meters remember that the field of Paranormal Investigation is fraught with theory after theory and until we can 100% dismiss a theory it remains as much part of the investigation as any other. As long as there is something to the theory I believe we should research and develop tools to test them. Other important observations worth mentioning is that the Mel meter circuit design combined with careful shielding and grounding techniques, is not susceptible to false positives created by Cell phones, Text messages, Walkie Talkies, and other RF transmitting interference devices.

Going back to the display as I said it’s a large display with large easy to read numbers. In fact, the actual EMF number size is 0.60? and 0.25” for the Ambient Temperature both displayed on the same 2” X 1” screen. The Backlight can be turned on or off manually and is bright enough to illuminate an object approx 8ft away it also aides the user in navigating stairs and such in total darkness.

Another neat feature with the unit is that it has a fold out stand and tripod mount in the back of the device this allows you to place the Mel Meter on a table and prop it up. This is good for recording a session with a camcorder.

Something I generally find particularly frustrating with these kinds of devices is battery drain with all that they do you find that half way through an investigation you need to replace your batteries. However, this is not the case with the Mel meter. In fact the Mel Meter will operate for 40 hours continuously without the backlight display and about 15 hours or so with the backlight on continuously. If you have the Mel-8704-ProNavigator with the flashlight, you’ll get 5 hours of constant flashlight and backlight display operation.

In my opinion this device is everything it claims to be and more. I personally own two of these meters both the Mel-8704 and the Pro-Nav version.

I’m known for coming down hard on new tools and I half expected this device to be a disappointment, I was happily wrong. The Mel-8704 Meter is one Instrument that I recommend to all groups, researchers and enthusiasts so much so that I’m now selling the meter in my own store (http://www.creepyhollowgear.com) .I encourage everyone to try this for themselves remembering that some of the proceeds from these sales also goes towards funding charities, support groups and the Paranormal community. Gary Galka is one of a few genuinely nice guys and it’s been a pleasure discussing additions and possible upgrades of the Mel Meter with him. One such addition that is coming soon will be a glow in the dark feature being added to the Mel-ProNav buttons. This will allow investigators to find or locate the meter in total darkness when the meter is not on. The button glow effect will last for 3-4 hours and can be recharged easily in 20 seconds using a standard Flashlight that we all keep in our pockets. Another nice little feature that will be included soon with the Mel ProNav is 10pcs, 4” glow in the dark lightning bolt reusable stickers for identifying EMF sources during an investigators baseline readings. These stickers help team members quickly spot “hot spots” in total darkness for debunking purposes. Again, it’s the small things about this meter that makes it so appealing.

If you have any questions concerning the Mel Meter you can contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if I don’t know the answer I’ll go find it for you

Paul

Reference sites:
https://www.pro-measure.com