Bug Guide

• 'Parallel' Telephone Transmitter

  

  Depending on the intervening terrain and the quality of the receiver, a quality parallel telephone transmitter can transmit both sides of any phone conversation to a receiver up to 1,500 feet away. It typically requires external battery power, but in rare cases may be wired directly to an AC source. Unit remains continuously on and, consequently, is somewhat easier to detect than devices with dormant modes. If battery powered, unit requires regular replacement of batteries. It is occasionally supplied with alligator clips for ease of connection. Approximate size is 1" x 2"; battery pack is usually pre-attached to unit. It is connected directly across the red and green telephone wires and does not require the disconnection of any phone wires. May also have an antenna lead.

• 'Series' Telephone Transmitter

  

  Transmits both sides of a telephone conversation to a receiver up to 1000 feet distant, depending on the intervening terrain and the quality of the receiver. They are 'parasitic' devices, meaning that they actually draw power from the phone line. Consequently, no type of battery or electric power is necessary. The unit is only active when the telephone is in use and usually loads the line very little when not in use, thus considerably lessening the possibility of inadvertent detection by the phone company. Its approximate size is 1" x 1" with two wires leaving the unit and one additional wire for an antenna. Connected in 'series' anywhere along the telephone line. Red or green wire must be disconnected at some point and the device is connected across the open wires. May also be installed in the telephone itself, though this limits transmission range considerably.

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• Miniature 'Spy-Cam'

  

  A relatively recent development as a mass-produced consumer item, miniature full-motion spy-cams take a myriad of forms. There exist color as well as black and white versions; wireless units as well as units requiring direct connections to a receiver; and some will operate on a 9V battery while others require a constant power source. The best are color, wireless, operate on either 9V or AC power, and do not broadcast directly on a UHF televison frequency (often channel 59), but have a simple receiver that plugs into a televison's input jacks. This makes accidental discovery virutally impossible. Top quality spy-cams have been known to broadcast at ranges approaching 500 feet. While poor versions meeting some of these criteria are relatively cheap, quality versions are rarely found for less than $300. The lens of a quality spy-cam can be hidden in the cross-hairs of a Phillips screw and, when concealed in a wall except for the protruding screwhead, is extremely difficult to detect without the assistance of electronic counter-surveillance equipment.

• Automatic Telephone Recording Device

  

  Available from a number of firms due to its many legitimate uses, this simple device is popular with the less sophisticated eavesdropper. It automatically starts a recorder whenever the telephone is picked up, records both sides of the conversation, and then automatically stops the recorder when the telephone is hung up. Devices vary in complexity from simple 'drop-out' relays to completely transistorized circuitry and combinations of both. Approximate size varies from 1" x 1" to 2" x 3". Most units have four wires leaving the unit with two wires going to the mike (or aux) input of the recorder and two wires going to the red and green telephone wires. It is connected in parallel across the wires; no disconnecting of the phone line is necessary. Also available with a modular plug for direct connection into the phone jack.

• Modular Jack Telephone Transmitter

  

  This ingenious device has been manufactured and sold nationally in kit form (by dealers obviously completely ignorant of the strict federal laws that bar not only the sale, but also the mere possession, of eavesdropping 'components'). It has also been offered completely assembled. Its transmission range is surprisingly good because some units are internally wired to utilize a third telephone wire as an antenna. Range can exceed 1,000 feet with a good receiver. Unit is simply inserted in existing telephone jack and rarely is the extra jack (the 'splitter') noticed.

Continue on to read about the most dangerous bug of all, the Infinity Transmitter!