THE FACTOTUM SPIRIT PENDULUM USER MANUAL Vn 1.1 MAY 2011
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“The distance that the dead have gone Does not at first appear -Their coming back seems possible For many an ardent year.” - Emily Dickinson
!bversive "irc!its #td. $s deeply indebted to %ichard #avengood for sharing his vision for &hat became the Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m.
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1 ' + ) *
#icence (greement.....................................................................................................) $ntrod!ction...................................................................................................................* etting ,p the Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m................................................................ (bo!t the Pend!l!m $tself.......................................................................................... ,sing the Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m......................................................................... ,sing /o!r 0&n Pend!l!m.......................................................................................1 "!stom Finishes...........................................................................................................11
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1 1.1
Licence Agreement Sttement !" C!#$%e"t
2ith this statement3 !bversive "irc!its #imited hereby releases this doc!ment into the p!blic domain for free redistrib!tion to &hoever may benefit from the information it contains. /o! are free to copy3 share and other&ise transmit or distrib!te this doc!ment &itho!t restriction provided that yo! leave the entire contents intact incl!ding this paragraph. 1.2
Rti!n%e
2hereas copyright adds restrictions to a prod!ced &ork3 "opyleft removes restrictions. $ &ant this man!al to be read by &hoever can benefit from it. 0b4ectively3 the Factot!m spirit pend!l!m is an e5pensive piece of e6!ipment3 and &e &ant yo! to see e5actly &hat yo!7re getting for yo!r money. This man!al is designed to give yo! the best indication of &hether it is for yo!. 1.&
C'nge L!g
Dte 18)811 18)811
Ver(i!n 1. 1.1
N!te(
$nitial version (dded s!btleties section and more pict!res
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Intr!)*cti!n
2e &o!ld like yo! to read this man!al all the &ay thro!gh before !sing yo!r Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m for the first time. 2e have spent considerable time collating val!able information abo!t the behavio!r of the device3 and it &ill save yo! ho!rs of disappointment and fr!stration. $t &ill also save yo! the embarrassment of emailing !bversive "irc!its &ith a problem only to be directed to a section in this doc!ment.
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Regi(tering Y!*r Fct!t*m S#irit Pen)*%*m
,nder the base plate of yo!r Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m is a serial code. This consists of a se6!ence of n!mbers and a letter and is globally !ni6!e to yo!r !nit. /o! &ill need to 6!ote this code to register yo!r Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m so that yo! can receive s!pport. 2hen yo! contact !bversive "irc!its for help or advice3 al&ays 6!ote yo!r !nits serial code.
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De(ign +c,gr!*n)
The Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m is designed to replicate the kinds of devices !sed in the first half of the ' th cent!ry as serio!s parapsychology research tools. There &ere many designs3 mostly b!ilt by their !sers3 and o!r research indicates that beca!se of this3 the basic designs &ere more f!nctional than fancy. Pend!l!ms are still !sed in a variety of &ays in the s9ance room3 incl!ding e5ploring the ideometer response and e5periments in spirit possession. :eing easily dist!rbed3 they are also considered ideal for enabling &eaker spirits to interact &ith the corporeal &orld.
The Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m consists of five parts. These are; the pend!l!m itself3 the brass stand !pon &hich it s&ings3 the base into &hich the stand is inserted3 and a secret3 removable base plate that allo&s yo! to change the batteries and reconfig!re the electronics for different lengths of pend!l!m.
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+tterie(
The Factot!m Pend!l!m takes a single3 standard PP+ battery. ( good battery is essential3 so &e recommend that yo! !se a type and brand designed for prolonged heavy-d!ty !se3 s!ch as D!racell Pl!s. To inset the battery3 t!rn the base on its side so that the hole for the stand is at the top and place it on a hard s!rface.
Rem!-ing t'e (e #%te $ #*('ing 'r) !n t'e (e !" t'e (tn).
2hen yo! hit resistance3 grip the stand near &here it enters the base and p!sh hard !ntil the base plate opens and falls to the table. The base plate is designed to fit very sn!gly indeed3 so yo! may need to p!sh 6!ite hard. Do not be afraid to !se force. The constr!ction is very solid and yo! cannot damage the stand3 base or base plate like this. $t helps sometimes if yo! t&ist as yo! p!sh. %emove the stand from the hole3 remove the base plate3 and t!rn the base !pside do&n to reveal the circ!lar void inside. Pl!g the battery in. $t sho!ld rest on the &hite padding strips provided to one side of the circ!it board. To replace the base plate3 yo!7ll see t&o arro&s on the base and on the inside of the base plate. #ine these !p and make s!re that the base plate is
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s6!are &ith the base. #o&er the base plate into the void and press do&n !ntil it is completely inserted. $f yo! notice that the base plate is at a slight angle33 remove it again and reseat it. Do not try to s&ivel the base plate as this may res!lt in b!ckling the plate.
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A!*t t'e Pen)*%*m It(e%"
The e5cl!sive3 hand made3 specially aged t!lip&ood pend!l!m consists of three parts. First is the &ooden bob meas!ring *cm from top to bottom.
A c%!(e *# !" t'e (*##%ie) #en)*%*m
Tho!gh designed to look old and &orn3 the s!pplied pend!l!m is3 in fact3 very highly t!ned. The knot at the top and a short section of string belo& has been stiffened to ens!re that the pivot point is an e5act distance a&ay from the bottom of the bob. This stiff section is 6!ite rob!st3 b!t please be caref!l &hen handling the pend!l!m so as not to damage it.
To s&itch on the Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m3 simply insert the stand into the base. This is all that7s re6!ired. There7s no traditional s&itch that needs activating. 2hen yo! &ant to s&itch the device off again3 simply remove the stand. This means that yo!7ll only ever have to change the battery &hen yo! notice the s&ings of the pend!l!m beginning to get smaller &ith repeated !se. This &ill happen grad!ally. 2hen !sed as part of a longer s9ance performance3 even if yo! begin &ith a battery that is beginning to fade3 the pend!l!m &ill still s&ing.
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Centring t'e Pen)*%*m
Place the pend!l!m on the stand and position it so that the pointed tip of the pend!l!m is as central to the middle of the base as possible. This ens!res that the infl!ence of both coils is as e6!al as can be3 and &ill res!lt in the best control being e5erted over the pend!l!m. To help yo!3 the stand can t!rn3 and the top of the stand &here the knot rests forms t&o “r!nners” along &hich yo! can slide the knot. This freedom is important in sit!ations &here the s!rface !pon &hich yo! m!st place the pend!l!m is not level. For some applications3 yo! may find it better to have the pend!l!m7s resting point as near to the dead centre of the base as possible. 2e have not marked the dead centre beca!se some people prefer to mark it themselves. To find the dead centre3 meas!re half &ay along one edge of the top face of the base. Place a small pencil mark there. Do the same on the opposite edge. Place a r!ler on the marks and place a very faint line across the centre inch or so of the span. Do the same &ith the other t&o opposite edges and yo! &ill end !p &ith a very faint pencil “cross” on the very centre of the base. /o! can then s!btly mark it by very gently r!bbing the eraser tip of a pencil very lightly on the centre of the cross3 This very slightly marks the &ood and serves as a very good dead centre marker.
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Pr!)*cing Liner M!ti!n
2ith the pend!l!m at rest3 press the triangle b!tton on the s!pplied keyfob. The pend!l!m &ill begin to s&ing left to right. (fter ten s&ings the pend!l!m is left to s&ing freely and can be stopped !sing yo!r hand. For other methods3 see section *.. Press the circ!lar b!tton and the pend!l!m &ill s&ing back and forth. (s before3 after ten s&ings3 the pend!l!m is free to be bro!ght back to rest.
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Pre-enting Unnte) O-% M!ti!n
The pend!l!m may have a tendency to move in an oval &hen yo! &ant linear motion. To overcome this3 lift3 rotate and reseat the knot at the top of the string and try again. The &eave of the string can coil and !ncoil slightly &hen at certain angle and this ind!ces the oval movement. 0nce yo! overcome the problem of !n&anted oval movement be s!re to make a mental note of the angle for the knot.
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Circ*%r M!ti!n
The Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m can prod!ce both clock&ise and co!nterclock&ise motion3 perhaps to indicate “maybe yes”3 “maybe no” or even “don7t kno&” ans&ers. To initiate co!nter-clock&ise motion3 &ith the pend!l!m at rest3 press the triangle b!tton and the first s&ing3 press the triangle b!tton. The pend!l!m sho!ld begin to describe a co!nter-clock&ise circle. To initiate clock&ise motion3 press the triangle b!tton3 and then press the circle b!tton &ithin the same s&ing. (s &ith basic operation3 after ten circles3 the pend!l!m is free to man!ally be bro!ght back to rest again.
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This b!siness of pressing one b!tton then the other takes a fe& moments to practice. Delaying the second key press &ill res!lt in oval or even diagonal motion rather than circ!lar.
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D$nmic +r,ing
0nce s&inging3 the pend!l!m can be instr!cted to red!ce the length of its arc to a very small amo!nt3 as if a spirit has left it3 or the spirit is angry. To initiate braking3 &ait for three or fo!r s&ings after starting the pend!l!m s&inging3 and then press the red b!tton. (fter the !s!al initial ten s&ings3 the pend!l!m &ill begin to lessen the &idth of its s&ing. 2hen it is noticeably more stationary3 press the red b!tton again to stop the braking action. The pend!l!m can no& be bro!ght man!ally to a complete halt ready to pose the ne5t 6!estion to the spirits. The reason yo! m!st press the red b!tton a second time is beca!se the process of decelerating the pend!l!m is designed to take into acco!nt pend!l!ms yo! might &ant to !se and &hich may &eigh more or less than the s!pplied &ooden one. >eavier pend!l!ms &ill take more s&ings to come to decelerate? lighter ones fe&er s&ings. :eca!se of this3 the deceleration phase !ses a ma5im!m of ' s&ings3 &hich yo! c!t short by pressing the red b!tton the second time. Practice for a fe& min!tes to become comfortable that yo! can bring the pend!l!m to a halt or near halt. $t is not !s!ally necessary to bring it to a dead stop as the dramatic drop in speed is !s!ally eno!gh to impress most s9ance goers.
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Mn*%%$ Ste)$ing t'e Pen)*%*m
2hile yo! can bring the pend!l!m to a halt !sing yo!r fingers3 if yo! are nervo!s3 it may take a fe& seconds to steady it. /o! co!ld have the 6!estioner steady the pend!l!m3 b!t another !sef!l techni6!e is to !se a long feather. This has the advantage that its to!ch is very soft3 so its infl!ence on the pend!l!m is 6!ite s!btle.
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S'!ing t'e +(e T! +e S!%i)
The base is deliberately large and heavy. This is partly so that yo!r movements &hen holding it &ill reflect the &eight. >o&ever3 it also enables yo! to demonstrate that the base is apparently solid. 2ith the stand removed3 pick !p the base and rap yo!r kn!ckles along a side3 near a corner. The so!nd is the so!nd of solid &ood.
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S*t%etie(
ince &e originally released this man!al several people have emailed to tell !s abo!t interesting s!btleties that can heighten the e5perience of !sing the !nit. elina 2hite &as a beta tester for the Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m and says that she stands behind the sitters in her s9ances3 partly so that she can operate the pend!l!m !nseen3 and partly to have them place their fingertips on the
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edge of the base from all aro!nd the table. he then calls !pon a spirit to make its presence kno&n3 “$t7s important to !se the same kinds of &ords that yo!7ll !se &hen yo! ask a spirit to make its presence felt &hen !sing a planchette or glass &ith a o!i4a board later3” she says. “The con4!nction of their fingers feeling the solidity of the base and the movement of the pend!l!m 4!st inches a&ay really cranks !p the involvement and &onder at &hat7s happening.” (lec :!rns is a :iAarre magician &ho has this great tip for !se &ith e5citable or s!ggestible sitters; “$f the performer &ere to place his8her fingers on the board in demonstration first b!t then &ith a s!dden high pitched yelp3 6!ickly &ithdra&3 this &o!ld shred the nerves of those present. 2hilst recoiling3 perhaps say something like BDid anyone see thatC Did yo! see that flash &hen my fingers to!chedC !ys3 &e dont have to do this if yo! dont &ant.7” "reepy st!ff
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U(ing Y!*r On Pen)*%*m
/o! can !se yo!r o&n design of pend!l!m in place of the one s!pplied. To do so3 it m!st be gaffed &ith a neodymi!m magnet &ith the o!th Pole facing do&n. This &ill give it the right polarity to be attracted rather than repelled &ith every s&ing3 &hich is more efficient and &ill res!lt in the biggest movement. The pend!l!m s!pplied is gaffed &ith t&o =mm 5 *mm neodymi!m magnets. The s!n is al&ays in the so!th aro!nd abo!t l!nchtime3 so if yo! let the magnets come together then place them on a dinner plate3 they &ill be able to t!rn aro!nd to align themselves to the Earth7s north and so!th magnetic poles3 thereby indicating &hich end is so!th. The length of the pend!l!m yo! !se is vital. /o!r Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m is calibrated to !se the s!pplied pend!l!m. $f yo! simply !se a pend!l!m of a different length &itho!t correctly setting the electronics in the base3 the ne& pend!l!m &ill behave erratically. $t may simply s&ing &ildly3 or alternately s&ing and come to a halt at random. $t &ill not obey the braking signal properly either. To set !p the Factot!m pirit Pend!l!m base to !se a pend!l!m of yo!r o&n3 send an email to infoGs!bversivecirc!its.co.!k stating yo!r !nit7s serial n!mber and the length of yo!r pend!l!m form f!lcr!m to tip. 2e &ill reply &ith the internal s&itch settings yo!r pend!l!m &ill re6!ire for correct operation.
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C*(t!m Fini('e(
!bversive "irc!its provides a c!stomisation service to personalise the base and pend!l!m to yo!r re6!irements. 2e can provide a range of finishes and other c!stomisations. 2e can add feet to the base3 a high gloss finish to the &ood3 and so on.
Depending on yo!r needs and b!dget3 &e can create any finish yo! desire. Drop !s an email &ith yo!r re6!irements for a s&ift response.