Recently I had the chance to try out a Micro Spy Bug - one of several versions on eBay designed by member alilon running $35 after shipping. This particular model runs off a 9V battery is very concealable, barely larger than the battery itself. The antenna is an extendable wire that is about two feet long. Rated at up to 1200 meters, it is an extremely well-made and durable device, and broadcasts anywhere from 80 - 115 MHz. Out of the box, it transmitters at around 92 (right around the public radio band of your FM dial). Running below 87MHz is extremely stealthy since it is a rare person who even bothers to scan in that region of the FM spectrum.
A trial run of the device went extremely well. I placed the transmitter behind a curtain of our office and left our radio running. The Optoelectronics Scout indicated it
was transmitting at 92.425. Interestingly enough, I couldn't capture the frequency until I touched the Scout's antenna against the transmitter. However, once I tuned my IC-R20 scanner to the frequency, the sound came in crystal clear and the signal was strong. The audio continued to be stellar in all areas of our house. Taking the scanner for a walk, I was able to receive extremely well within a two house radius. I walked to the street adjacent to ours, and amazingly, the signal was still readable - in some cases, an 8 out of 10 signal strength. I could hear everything that was happening in the room. That sort of performance exceeds all expectations that I would have for this device.The next step was to determine how easily the bug was detected. I use a modified device based on the P3 camera detector; i.e. the same electronics, but with an extended antenna and a silenced speaker. Though it normally detects wireless devices within 5 feet, it did not detect the micro bug even when touching the antenna. As mentioned above, the Optolectronics Scout also did not immediate capture the device, though if the filter was turned off, it knew that something was transmitting on that range. The only method that easily detected the bug was to:
- Remove my scanner antenna.
- Scan the general FM spectrum.
- The scanner would stop only on the bug frequency, since that is the only thing broadcasting nearby.
These results are surprising, since the bug is fairly undetectable unless a technical individual is using good equipment. I am extremely impressed with this device. It offers strong features for a very competitive price.
4 comments:
Yea.. if I spent $500.00 for an Icom R20.. I'd expect to pick up a 10mW junk transmitter a block away as well..
this is to big for a spy bug,it should be at least 5 times smaller and not using a cron but a 1.5 v from those small batteries,it doesnt have an active antenna,so its not stable.It is "crap"
Hi,
Information in this blog seems to be good and interesting.
There are spy equipment are also available in the market of different make and of the diferent sizes and they are also used by many people as cost is very less.
Optoelectronics Scout is for NBFM..YOUR BUG IS WIDE BAND WBFM. SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE ANTENNA OFF-THE SCOUT ISN'T FOR FINDING AND MEASURING WBFM JUNK, ITS THE WRONG TYPE FREQUENCY COUNTER. U SHOULD STUDY..
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