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The P.K.E. Meter functioned just like in the movie, and was used all the time to track down ghosts, demons, and supernatural events. One bad side effect to it was it could explode if exposed to a very big supernatural event. In "Ghosts R Us" the P.K.E. Meter can tell how intelligent a ghost is. A specialty calibrated meter is kept on hand to keep a census on the ghosts in the Containment Unit.

History[]

The Real Ghostbusters[]

Over the years, the P.K.E. Meter was adjusted to do more than detect the paranormal. While on the hunt for the Boogieman, Ray suggested they adjust the P.K.E. Meter to detect potential vibrations given off by the entity's portals.[1] When they were in Hollywood, the Ghostbusters lost their Proton Packs. Egon Spengler adjusted the P.K.E. Meter and a spare to pick up the particle beam energy of the Proton Packs.[2]

Forced to venture into the New Jersey Parallelogram, the Meter's polarity was reversed so it could be set to detect reality and find the MS Applegon crew.[3] The polarity could also be reversed in order to send out a distress signal only ghosts could hear.[4] While searching for Janine Melnitz, who was kidnapped by henchmen of the Crimelord, Egon adjusted the Meter to pick up Janine's specific bio-rhythm.[5] In two instances, the P.K.E. Meter could adjusted while the Ghostbusters were in the Netherworld. Egon set it to high gain in order to detect the Shears of Fate.[6] In the second, Ray adjusted his P.K.E. Meter to focus on Egon's ethereal vibrations after he was shifted to the Netherworld.[7] In a similar fashion, the Meters were set to infinity to detect Marduk without getting false positives from psychic background noise and local specters.[8] While the meter could pick up ghosts, demons, and gods in its standard calibration, it would have to be adjusted to detect undead such as Vampires.[9] It could detect a corporeal being like the Boogieman, who registered negative readings with a valence of minus nine.[10][11] The Gingerbread House, also a solid manifestation, also gave off negative readings.[12][13]

In addition to detection, the P.K.E. Meter was also used as a deterrent. Egon adjusted the sound on the Meter to a frequency painful to human ears within a close proximity.[14] In a race against time, Egon adjusted four P.K.E. Meters to only pick up the energy field of the Makoveris Lotsabucks in order to locate her before Janine was changed for good.[15] As of the Tokyo case in the early 1990s, the P.K.E. Meter was able to detect psychomagnotheric residue.[16]

Extreme Ghostbusters[]

The Extreme Ghostbusters used the original P.K.E. Meters in their investigation of the ancient tunnel at the site of the Crosstown Subway. Due to the ghosts in New York getting stronger, the P.K.E. Meters had to be redesigned to be stronger like the rest of the equipment. The design was somewhat altered for the newer version. Rather than having an antenna on top that put out two side wings, the top has two smaller antennas that had a focused electric wave flowing between them. During the Lotan case, Egon attempted to study Maiikrob's vitals with a stethoscope-like extension hidden in the rear of his P.K.E. Meter. Maiikrob swatted the Meter away before it could be used. A Tilt Table P.K.E. Scanner also utilized a P.K.E. Meter for its full body scans, but was a silver color like the device itself.

Secondary History[]

IDW Comics[]

With the Giga meter broken during the Unknown Soldier Ghosts' escape from a police station in Paris, Ray Stantz retrieved a P.K.E. Meter, left behind by a version of the guys from a parallel dimension, from the Ghostbusters' hotel. The meter immediately detected the stolen Poveglian Artifact after they entered the Louvre Museum. Cait Banner used the meter to scan Jenny Moran during a lecture. Egon from Dimension 68-R and Roland from Dimension 68-E used both their P.K.E. Meters to help confirm Liberty Island was cleared of Connla's Army. After taking readings inside the Wander Hills Orphanage, Egon 68-R came to the conclusion that it and Ellen Gold, the ghost that conjured it, shared her P.K.E. signature and thus, had a weakness. He told the others to blast at the building with their Particle Throwers adjusted to the right frequency and proper power setting to disorient Ellen.

Development[]

Like most equipment shown in the pilot, the P.K.E. Meter was altered later. Interestingly enough, even in the storyboards to "Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood" the design was used.[17] The design was more of a box without a handle to hold it. There is one large dial on the front.[18]

Toys[]

Trivia[]

  • The P.K.E. Meter can register only ghosts up to a Class 10. If it detects a force beyond that, the Meter explodes.[19]
  • The P.K.E. Meter couldn't function properly during an intense thunder storm when the Ghostbusters faced the Indian Earth Spirit for the first time.[20]
  • The P.K.E. Meters used by the Extreme Ghostbusters can't function properly in a lead-lined tunnel.[21]
  • In Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions), The Real Ghostbusters' version of the P.K.E. Meter can be found on a desk in the Firehouse basement near the door to the sub-basement, next to several Stasis Mines modeled after the Extreme Ghostbusters traps.
  • On the subscription cover of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #16, the P.K.E. Meter makes a non-canon cameo with Egon.
  • In Ghostbusters International #4, Ray said he would have to switch to using a pocket sized P.K.E. Meter. Dan Schoening wanted to draw a P.K.E. Meter from The Real Ghostbusters instead. Erik Burnham didn't get the dialogue in Issue #4 changed in time.[22]
  • On page 21 of Ghostbusters Annual 2018, Egon has the P.K.E. Meter from The Real Ghostbusters.
  • On page 25 of Annual 2018, on a table, is a drawing of two The Real Ghostbusters P.K.E. Meters.
  • Egon from The Real Ghostbusters has his P.K.E. Meter on Cover A of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #2.
  • On page 18 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #4, in panel 1, on the monitor screens are:
  • On page 18 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #4, in panel 3, above Cait's head is the P.K.E. Meter screen when Winston's detects Wyatt Earp in The Real Ghostbusters episode "Ghost Fight at the O.K. Corral".
  • On page 18 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #4, in panel 4, on the screen is the display of Zonk on the P.K.E. Meter from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Ghosts R Us".
  • On page 18 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #4, in panel 5, on the far right is the P.K.E. Meter screen when it overloaded at Lewiston Girls Academy in The Real Ghostbusters episode "If I Were a Witch Man".
  • Egon has the P.K.E. Meter of 68-R in the lower right side of Cover B of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #6.
  • A P.K.E. Meter appears on all 3 covers of 35th Anniversary: The Real Ghostbusters.
  • On January 31, 2023, a new gear shell was added in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed for the P.K.E. Meter on the version seen on The Real Ghostbusters.
  • On April 20, 2023, a new gear shell was added in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed for the P.K.E. Meter on the version seen on Extreme Ghostbusters.

Appearances[]

Secondary Canon[]

IDW Comics

References[]

  1. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "The Boogieman Cometh" (1986) (DVD ts. 10:14-10:17). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "We can adjust the P.K.E. Meters to pick up potential vibrations."
  2. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Take Two" (1986) (DVD ts. 12:47-12:51). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "I've adjusted my P.K.E. and the spare to pick up the particle beam energy of our Proton Packs."
  3. "Venkman's Ghost Repellers"
  4. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Lights! Camera! Haunting!" (1987) (DVD ts. 18:40-18:44). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "If I can just reverse the polarity, it'll send signals to ghosts instead of receiving them."
  5. Egon Spengler (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "Ghost Busted" (1986) (DVD ts. 13:27-13:29). Time Life Entertainment.
  6. Egon Spengler (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "Hanging By a Thread" (1986) (DVD ts. 15:07-15:09). Time Life Entertainment.
  7. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 12:42-12:45). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "Don't worry. The meter is tuned to his ethereal vibrations."
  8. Egon Spengler (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "I Am the City" (1986) (DVD ts. 13:13-13:18). Time Life Entertainment.
  9. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Transylvanian Homesick Blues" (1987) (DVD ts. 08:20-08:22). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "My P.K.E. Meter is not calibrated for the undead."
  10. Jason (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "The Bogeyman Is Back" (1987) (DVD ts. 11:07-11:10). Time Life Entertainment. Jason says: "Egon, I'm getting negative readings on this P.K.E. Meter with a valence of negative nine."
  11. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "The Bogeyman Is Back" (1987) (DVD ts. 11:13-11:15). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "Negative nine?! That's the reading for the Boogieman!"
  12. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Once Upon a Slime" (1987) (DVD ts. 05:39-05:40). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "Readings are negative."
  13. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Once Upon a Slime" (1987) (DVD ts. 08:46-08:47). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "It's solid matter!"
  14. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Transylvanian Homesick Blues" (1987) (DVD ts. 15:47-15:50). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "I can adjust the sound on this meter to a frequency painful to human hearing."
  15. Egon Spengler (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "Janine, You've Changed" (1990) (DVD ts. 15:46-15:48). Time Life Entertainment.
  16. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Attack of the B-Movie Monsters" (1991) (DVD ts. 10:27-10:30). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "That's odd. Now there's no trace of psychomagnotheric residue."
  17. Storyboards from "Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood"
  18. Screen caps and Storyboards from "The Real Ghostbusters Pilot"
  19. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Slimer Streak" (1989) (DVD ts. 16:55-16:59). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "Incredible. This meter can register any ghosts up to a Class 10."
  20. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Follow That Hearse" (1988) (DVD ts. 08:44-08:47). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "The air is too ionized to get a reading."
  21. Egon Spengler (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- Heart of Darkness (1997) (DVD ts. 12:50-12:57). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Egon says: "These are lead-lined tunnels designed to be impervious to nuclear fallout. In much the same way, they're blocking our P.K.E. readings."
  22. TheCrossrip Tweet 6/16/16 Erik Burnham says: "...And Dan decided he didn't want to draw the PKE meter pocket sized. He wanted to draw the RGB meter. I didn't get the dialogue changed in time! Haha!"
  23. Ray Stantz (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #4" (2016) (Comic p.18). Ray Stantz says: "And I think we might still have a coupe back at the hotel...with that pocket-sized PKE Meter, which it turns out we will also need."

Gallery[]

The Real Ghostbusters Pilot Design[]

The Real Ghostbusters Design[]

The Real Ghostbusters Secondary Canon Images[]

The Real Ghostbusters Tertiary Canon Images[]

The Real Ghostbusters Behind the Scenes Images[]

Extreme Ghostbusters Design[]

Extreme Ghostbusters Design Collages[]

Extreme Ghostbusters Secondary Canon Images[]

Extreme Ghostbusters Tertiary Canon Images[]

Extreme Ghostbusters Behind The Scenes Images[]

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