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The Do It Yourself Detective
Micro Voice Recorders
The next item for your surveillance kit is very handy and generally does double, even triple duty and that is the micro cassette recorder or a miniature digital voice recorder. Our friends at Radio Shack have these units, but so do many other department stores with an electronics department. Many of these recorders have features that are nice to have, but not necessary. There are a few features that I do feel will be helpful on a stakeout as well as during an electronic surveillance. The features I like to see are voice activation, which means that the recorder will record when a voice is heard or the noise level reaches a certain decibel level.
Another feature I like to have on my micro recorders is the plug in for both a microphone and an earphone. Having multiple recording speeds is handy, but not necessary. These features have to do with length of record time, but with 90 minute tapes and VOX or voice activation, we can do very nicely.
These units usually will cost about $45.00 - $65.00 dollars with the features we want, which I don't think is too Outrageous, given the fact that you're not having to pay an investigator to sit on someone. You're gearing up to do it yourself.
The purpose of the recorder is primarily to document your stakeout. Date, time, location can be dictated more easily than you can make written notes. It's another way not to have to turn on the dome light. You can also dictate any TAG numbers you think might be useful later on. Of course, having someone that can run a tag number might be tricky. Law enforcement usually can't (at least not to a private citizen) but a local private investigator usually can.
The micro cassette recorder can also be used as a telephone recorder when connected to a suction cup pick up available from Radio Shack for less than $5.00. You plug this device into the microphone jack on your recorder, attach the pick up to the ear piece of your telephone and both sides of the conversation can be recorded. Caution must be used here due to laws regarding interception of conversation by electronic means. Please check your local laws regarding this.
Another device that can be used in conjunction with your micro recorder is a telephone recording switch also from Radio Shack. Actually, there are other sources for these devices and they can be found in the back of several popular magazines on the rack today. This device plugs into your modular phone jack and into your recorder. When any receiver is lifted in your home the machine begins recording both sides of the conversation, including the tones generated when the number was dialed.
One other way to use your micro recorder is to switch on the voice (VOX) activated switch and place it in an area where you hope to pick up any sounds that may be made there. Again, I caution you about recording conversations as it might be illegal, depending on where you live.
Another caution is indicated here as we're talking about leaving a device that needs to be concealed. First, you run the risk of being found out, so don't record anything on the recorder that could identify you as the spy who left it. Next, don't forget that you need to go back at some time to retrieve your equipment.
