Monday, November 22, 2010

Hidden Voice Recorders

About Hidden Voice Recorders


Hidden voice recorders are very helpful if you want to know what somebody is talking about when you are not around. Whether the hidden voice recorder is meant for a cheating spouse in the bedroom, a ring of criminals at their meeting spot, or a shady businessperson in their office, a lot can be found out if the right recorder is put in the right place at the right time.


Function


The function of a hidden voice recorder is to record a conversation or some other sequence of sounds in a room or otherwise quiet outside area to learn about something that goes on when you are not there. Whether this is because the conversations are avoided when you are around, or because it would be dangerous for you to be around the people that you are recording, a hidden voice recorder is a very effective way of finding out otherwise unavailable information.


Size


Hidden voice recorders can vary in size somewhat, but they are almost always very small. The reason that hidden voice recorders have to be so small is because they don't work very well if they are found. If a voice recorder is found, it is usually destroyed or deactivated if the discoverers recognize it as a voice recorder, and they will certainly not continue the conversation that the recorder would have recorded if they have not destroyed or deactivated it first. Their small size also makes it possible to fit them inside books, pens or wristwatches.


How They Work


In most cases, a small microphone that picks up the sound is hooked up to a radio which transmits the audio to a listening station where the audio is recorded. Sometimes hidden voice recorders can also be attached to a motion sensing device so that it doesn't start transmitting audio to the recorder until it senses motion in the room or target area. This way, the battery is not drained as fast and the recorder isn't automatically recording dead air.


Placement


Since the most important factor when deciding where to place a hidden voice recorder is that the hidden voice recorder can't be found, some of the best places to hide it are behind a couch, on a bookshelf inside or behind a book, in a light fixture, or under a desk or chair. However, it is also important to make sure that the sound waves are not blocked by other objects before they reach the hidden voice recorder; otherwise the sound won't be audible when listening to the recording. If using a weaker microphone, it may be better to make sure it isn't blocked by something such as a couch or the pages of a book.








Warning


Though a person may be placing a hidden voice recorder somewhere with good intentions, it is important to remember that recording people without their permission is illegal in many places, including the United States. To record someone without their permission is a clear violation of privacy laws, and if someone is planning on using a hidden voice recorder without a person's permission, they should always be ready and able to defend their case on legal and moral grounds.

Tags: voice recorder, hidden voice recorder, hidden voice, voice recorders, destroyed deactivated, hidden voice