Spirit Boxly
Compare the names
Spirit box vs ghost box vs SB7 — same idea, different radios.
People use the words interchangeably. The hardware is not interchangeable with a phone. If you know which channel you are listening to, the session gets better.
What each name usually means
| Name | What it usually is | Audio source |
|---|---|---|
| Frank’s Box | Early DIY sweeper by Frank Sumption | Modified radio that never locks a station |
| Spirit box | Generic term for a sweeper or an app | Radio, stream, or generated audio — ask |
| Ghost box | Marketing synonym for spirit box | Same as above |
| SB7 / SB7i | A specific commercial radio sweeper | AM/FM scan with sweep speed controls |
| Spirit box app | iPhone or Android software | Streams, banks, or on-device generation |
Read the longer primer on what a spirit box app is if you want the ITC history. This page is the shopping-and-language version.
When you actually want hardware
Buy an SB7-class unit if the experiment you care about is broadcast radio chopped in real time. That is a different claim than “the phone said a word.” You will also buy batteries, headphones for Estes, and a separate recorder if you want clean EVP.
You do not need hardware if your goal is a documented night: magnetometer, tape, questions, and a log you can reopen. That is an app job.
Where Spirit Boxly sits
Spirit Boxly does not pretend to be an SB7. It generates a seeded sweep, hides fragments in blind review, and files the run next to EMF and microphone audio. If a competitor streams live radio, that is a valid other category — see the buyer’s guide — not a more “real” haunting.
None of these devices confirm spirits. They produce a noisy channel and a human interpretation. The honest difference is whether you can say where the sound came from tomorrow.
Name FAQ
Is a ghost box the same as a spirit box?
In conversation, yes. SB7 is a brand of sweeper. Frank’s Box is the ancestor.
Can an iPhone replace an SB7?
Not as a tuner. It can replace a pile of unlabeled novelty apps if you want a case file.