I hope you have as much fun with this as I do! Real Ghost can create the real time sensation of a ghostly touch. touch. It can also remotely remotely ring bells or move objects. It is comprised of a small remote control thread reel that quickly yanks off a very small sticky tab that has been secretly attached attached to an object or or a participant’s skin skin or shirt. It can be used in close-up, walkaround, parlour or stage. Cheers.
What’s in the box?: • Real Ghost remote control reel unit with a threaded spool and a sticky tab in place (battery not installed) • Transmitter with a range of up to 500 meters (battery not installed) • pack of 24 sticky-squares made made of a special special restickable double-sided double-sided adhesive tape. • pack (5) of 1 cm by 1 cm plastic tabs with holes punched • 2 batteries for the remote control reel (AAA). • 1 transmitter battery (23A 12 V)
Installing the Batteries Transmitter 1) Remove the cover from the back of the transmitter 2) insert the 23A 12 Volt being careful to observe the correct polarity: the flat, black, negative end of the battery goes against the spring (see photo below).
3) Replace cover. Note: a red LED will illuminate on the front of the transmitter when a signal is being transmitted. transmitted. Reel Unit Batteries 1) pop off the top cover. You may need to use a small flat-ended screw driver (see photo below).
2) insert two AAA batteries (supplied) into the battery holder, being careful to observe the correct polarity. 3) snap the top cover back into place.
Turning the Reel On/Off Simply snap the slide-switch slide-switch on the side of of the unit to “On”. Remember to turn the unit off when not in use to conserve battery life. NOTE: If the unit is left on over night, it is advisable to replace the reel’s AAA batteries.
: The restickable adhesive on the tab is very strong when fresh -- too strong to use. You MUST reduce some of the tackiness by sticking the tab to a piece of clothing and pulling it off again, several several times. Experiment to see. see. You will quickly learn to adjust the pressure you use to attach the tab to the participant’s shirt as the tackiness is reduced though repeated use. There are several ways to set up the Real Ghost unit. Which way you use depends on the type of performance you intend on. Generally, the distance you wish to be from the participant who feels the Ghost touch dictates the set up. Here we will cover only the standard “Long Range” set up for the Ghost Touch effect. The unit is in your top outside jacket pocket and the jacket is on the back of a chair which the the participant sits in. This is by far the most most powerful version as you can utilize the unit’s extreme range which is well over 100 yards!. Hang the jacket on a coat hanger or the back of a chair. Apply a 2 inch length of plastic tape under the collar in the centre. Now, unreel about a foot of thread from the unit and drop the Real Ghost Ghost unit into the top outside outside pocket pocket of your jacket. Pull the tab so that it reaches the tape under your collar and stick it firmly there. see photo below).
With the collar folded back into its usual position, this will serve as a handy place to keep the Ghost’s sticky tab until you are ready to secretly apply it to a participant.
With the Ghost unit turned on in your top outside jacket pocket and the tab in place under your collar, casually remove your jacket and drape it over the back of a chair. If you do not make a big deal of this, it will go unnoticed. At this point I like to sit down down in the chair and roll roll up my sleeves and/or perform some other effect before continuing with Ghost. Alternatively, you can position the coat on a chair and return to it at a later time when you are ready to perform with Ghost. At the right time, invite a suitable participant to take your seat while you get up and move another chair into position for the second participant. By “suitable participant” I mean one who’s hair will not not get in the way and who’s clothing forms only a single layer of cloth over their skin. Shirts and blouses blouses are good, suit jackets and sweaters sweaters are not.
Because of the extreme range of the Real Ghost transmitter, you can have your two participants a considerable distance apart, or even in different rooms! To ensure the likelihood that both participants are going to stand at exactly the same time, ensure that both participants are sitting well back with their hands in their laps and their feet flat on the floor with legs uncrossed. If one of them them has their legs crossed, there will be a delay while she uncrosses them to stand up. Without indicating which is which, inform the group that one of the participants is about to play the part of a kind of “psychic transmitter” and the other a receiver. But neither of them will know which role role they are playing until their friend tell them has happened because they will have their eyes closed. Ensure them both that they will not be harmed or embarrassed and have them close their eyes.
: Stand behind the participant who is sitting in the chair that has your jacket hanging on it. Check to make sure her eyes are closed by leaning over to the right and peering at her face. This is cover for you to retrieve the tab from the under the collar, sticking it to the left middle finger. Then, indicating her shoulder/upper back area, ask your seated participant to “be sensitive sensitive in this area”. Then touch touch the left shoulder shoulder saying, “from here,” pressing the tab into place with the left thumb, and then the other with my right thumb saying, “to here” (see photo below).
the tab is visible under the mentalist’s left thumb. The thread goes from the tab into the top jacket pocket. pocket. so that the reel will shirt (see diagram below)
the tab off the participant’s
Next walk to the participant who will be the “transmitter”. Even though you are not attaching a tab to her, you must duplicate your actions and instructions with her. Indicate now that the reason why they must bring their awareness to that area of their bodies is because they are about to feel a touch there. I say, “It may be a distinct touch -- like a tap -- or a light touch like a brush stroke. stroke. So please be sensitive”. sensitive”. I find these instructions instructions to be very effective in ensuring that the participant who receives the Ghost Touch actually responds properly.
Timing: There is a slight delay between when the transmitter button is pushed and when the tab is plucked off the shirt. So, if you want the both participants to respond at the same time, push the transmitter button one full second before you openly touch the participant. A bit of practice and you will have it.
The Adhesive Tape Squares You have received two dozen squares of double-sided tape. This tape is designed to be restickable, like a PostIt Note except much stronger. Each one of these these will last for several performances. performances. When the tack has been reduces through use to the point where it no longer has enough grip, you should replace it. Here’s how: 1) peel off the old piece of tape the plastic tab with your thumb nail. 2) remove the protective backing from one side of a tape square. 3) apply the tape square to the 1cm by 1cm tab plastic tab. 4) Remove the second backing to expose the adhesive. 5) Reduce the tack a bit by sticking it to a piece of cloth several several times. When you run out of adhesive squares, you can cut your own from a role of double-sided “Removable Poster Tape”.
The Tabs The 1cm by 1cm tab which you attach to the participant will not wear out. You will not need to replace it unless you want to rig up a special set up for your Ghost. You have received 5 extra for that purpose. Should you need more, you will find an endless supply of the correct kind of plastic in the tough, hard to open plastic packaging which so many store bought items now come in. Fastening a tab to the thread is simple; you will need a small piece of regular clear tape. The following diagrams shows you how: 1) Insert end of thread through hole in tab and tie a large knot.
2)Apply a piece of clear tape over the knotted thread and tab
3) Fold the ends of the tape over the edges of tab and press tight.
The Clutch Examine the face of the reel unit. Attached to the face of the reel’s box is a layer of stiff black felt under a layer of of soft felt. A vertical slot is cut into it. The thread thread emerges through this slot from the spool inside. This felt “clutch” serves two purposes: 1) it acts as a very effective break to keep tension on the thread and prevent it from snarling up and 2) it acts to dampen the reel’s sound as the thread is retracted.
The Thread The thread used is readily available “Invisible Sewing Thread”. This is available in clear or black. There is about 6 feet on the spool which you will find ample. Should you need to replace the thread: 1) Remove the old thread. The end is attached to the spool through a tiny hole bored through the spool. Snip off the knot with a pair of nail clippers. : The picture below shows the spool separate from the motor for clarity but
2) Cut a fresh 6’ length of the invisible sewing thread and pass one end through the hole in the spool. Tie a large knot in the end and trim off any excess. Should you find passing the thread through the spool difficult, simply tie a tight tig ht knot around the spool and wind some thread onto the spool by manually turning the spool with your finger. 3) Guide the thread through the slot at the top of the box. The thread passes through the plastic wall of the box and the felt “clutch” to the outside.
4) Turn the reel unit on with the switch on the side of the box. Keep tension on the thread with a FIRM grip on it with your fingers; anchor the box so that it is not pulled along the table and press the transmitter button. The reel will begin to wind the thread onto the spool (see the photo below).
5) While controlling the thread retraction with your fingers by pulling against the reel’s pull, allow the thread to be wound onto the spool until your fingers reach the clutch. Release the transmitter’s button, re-grip re-grip the thread and continue until the 6 feet of thread has been wound onto the spool.
