P.K.E. Meter
Ghostbusters - Spirit Halloween
The third and final Ghostbusters costume/prop from Spirit Halloween arrived in my mail last week: the PKE meter. I had ordered it sometime back with the trap, but from what I gather online, there was a bigger demand for this one. Mattel's $60 version is hard to come by this days (especially for that price), so Spirit has made another decent quality prop that will fill that void nicely. 
Like the goggles and trap, you don't get all the bells and whistles you would from the higher dollar Mattel replicas. You don't get to switch GB1/GB2 light patterns and there is no speed-control wheel this time. However, you still get a decent light and sound show for $35. The two silver button sets at the bottom activate the opening wings, blinks, and blips. One button activates a continuing cycle from calm to extreme ghost detection that you can shut down by pressing it again. The other offers the same cycle, no repeat, and then shuts down after it finishes. At least, that's what I think it's supposed to do. It came on a blister card with no real instructions, and some users have reported wing malfunctions and inactive lights.
It sizes up pretty closely to the Matty release, but is a little more rounded here and there in it's general shape. Like the Spirit trap, it has a plastic clip on the back for quick belt access. For the purists, I have seen pictures online of how to take it apart and remove the clip from the inside. There are a handful of great PKE holster ideas out there that can be purchased at most hardware or home goods stores.
I find it odd that both the Matty and Spirit PKE Meters do not replicate the sounds from the movie accurately. Rights issue? Not sure. The substitute sounds aren't terrible, just not the same. The Spirit one does have a kind of annoying "ambient sound" with its sfx.
Even with it's detractors, I wouldn't pass up the Spirit PKE meter if you don't already have a different model. (Hell, even if you do have one, can you really have enough GB gear?) It's a great "close-enough" prop, especially at the price point.
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