Making a spy device with your own hands using improvised materials
There are many different ways to spy. Surely each of you has heard about listening using a laser, or through heating radiators, or using microphones built into the walls of a building. And all this is shrouded in some kind of mystical meaning, although in fact it is simple and accessible for everyone to understand and repeat. And most importantly, everything is assembled from improvised means.
Once upon a time in the shaggy years, I wrote a similar article in one popular IT publication, but probably did not really reveal the essence of how exactly it works and how to use such devices. And let’s be honest, the option that I presented in the article looked cool, but was not very workable.
"Spy" device of that time
As a result, I decided to make it myself and demonstrate how it works.
Compass button
Who would have thought that ordinary buttons on pants could become a compass at the right moment? It was enough to connect them together to determine the desired direction: two points pointed to the north, and one to the south.
Do you think any of this arsenal is used today? We think it’s unlikely, because now the equipment has become much smaller. Perhaps these are some kind of electronic chips... We can only guess! In the meantime, share this article with others and let them take a look at spy gadgets from the past.
Source
Getting the iron ready
The device that we will make is called a trite contact microphone. It is not prohibited in any way, there are a lot of instructions on how to make it on the Internet, but few people know that it can be used to secretly obtain information. To make it we will need: a piezo speaker for voice frequencies (any one operating in the range between 300 and 3400 Hz), a matching resistor, some wires and maybe even a soldering iron, but at first I did without it. Everything was purchased from a well-known boutique for radio amateurs.
I wanted to use a mobile phone as a recording device. But, as it turned out, it identifies the headset by its resistance. I didn’t have these resistors, and I was too lazy to go to the fashion boutique the second time. However, I will tell you how to do this, you never know who wants to record mystical sounds - it is completely legal. We need to assemble an equivalent circuit for the headset.
Electrical circuit of a telephone headset
Thus, in order for the phone to detect our contact microphone, we need to solder 30 Ohm resistors in place of the speakers, and in place of the microphone, a 1.5 kOhm resistor parallel to the piezodynamics. I’ll tell you why this is a little later.
For my experiments, I chose an old cassette recorder, which by chance I dug up on the mezzanine. We will connect our contact microphone instead of the audio head of one of the cassettes. Despite all the absurdity of this solution, it has one huge advantage: very high sensitivity, because the head must register barely noticeable magnetic pulsations of the audio cassette. And we get a finished amplifier.
To record audio, with great difficulty, we managed to buy an audio cassette in the center of Moscow. Blank cassettes cost as much as a cast iron bridge; I had to buy them with a recording.
I honestly listened to both sides of this tape, wiping nostalgic tears from my face and blood from my ears. As a result, I concluded that the future generation will not lose anything if I erase it.
I disassemble the tape recorder and inside I see how three heads (one for recording) come to the motherboard of the tape recorder. Playback heads have three contacts: left, right and ground (usually a braid). I combine the left and right channels, and throw the ground onto the braid in the same way. The wires must be shielded, otherwise there will be a very strong hum of interference (we have a highly sensitive amplifier).
Head connector
From scrap materials I make a connector instead of the standard head of the right cassette player and install it in place.
Now let's talk about the sensor. A little school-level physics theory. The magnetic head, as you might guess from its name, is an inductance coil of very low resistance
. When the tape is pulled, a very small EMF is induced in it and hits the amplifier. In fact, the magnetic head can be thought of as a voltage source in series with a resistance. A piezodynamic is essentially a capacitor with a very large ohmic resistance (can be considered equal to infinity), which is a source of current and produces current regardless of resistance. By the way, this is why piezoelectric elements have found application in lighters: they will give a strictly low current, regardless of air resistance, while the voltage can grow to enormous sizes.
I got distracted. My task was to make an equivalent circuit of a magnetic head (read EMF + resistance) from a current source. Those who know the Theoretical Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering well understand what I mean. And for those who don’t understand, see the diagram below.
Thus, it is enough to solder an equivalent resistance in parallel with the piezoelectric sensor and the job is done. In my case it was about 50 ohms. But I'll be honest, I soldered the first resistor I found in the house, but it worked.
Our ready-made contact microphone
Everything is ready for evil experiments!
Demonstration of work
It’s better to see and hear how it works once than to read it a thousand times. Therefore, here is a video, and then we will look at how it all works.
In this video I went over the basic principles of espionage. All of them are based on the fact that bodies vibrate due to sound vibrations. Of course, vibration occurs at the natural frequency, but if you remove it with a mathematical filter or analog filter and normalize the signal, you can get the original voice signal. This principle is the basis for espionage using communications or microphones built into walls, espionage through laser recording of glass vibrations, recording vibrations of lighting lamps, and even the famous spy device at the US Embassy. Let's take a closer look at all these methods.
Spying with laser and window
The method is legendary and old. But it is very simple and accessible to any student. We take the same device as in the previous chapter. Only instead of a telescope we have a laser.
A man is in a room, talking, and the glass in the window echoes his speech at the frequency of its own vibrations. We irradiate the glass with a laser beam and receive it back. Next, you know the algorithm. The problem with this method is obvious: there is not always room for the correct placement of the laser source and receiver. Therefore, it is not very actively used and is used only where the terrain allows.
Listening by intercepting lamp vibrations
There is an excellent article (English) that describes the principle of operation and shows a video of such espionage.
Screenshot from video demonstration
In my video I already described the principle of operation. You can use the same microphone, just replace the piezo sensor with a resistor with a phototransistor or photoresistor (additional power may be needed), or just a solar battery. Perhaps I would repeat this experiment, but there is no optics. Therefore, I will tell you purely theoretically.
The lampshade of any lamp has a frequency of its own vibrations. When we speak near him, we excite his vibrations. We can’t see them visually, but from the street it’s quite possible to record these vibrations using a telescope, illuminate any optical sensor with it, and digitize them. The camera could be adjusted, but it must shoot at least 22,000 frames per second. Therefore, we simply take any photocell. Then we digitize this data. filter, normalize, remove noise and get the original. The filtering method is suitable for all other methods of secretly obtaining information. In any case, I recommend everyone to read the article in more detail.
Method of listening through communications
In general, without any technical means, put your ear to your battery on a weekday, when the neighbors’ children are screaming, dogs are barking, etc. And it turns out that the pipes, even when embedded in the wall, transmit sound perfectly.
The battery begins to resonate at its own frequency, and the metal perfectly transmits sound waves over very long distances. Next you need to secure the sensor well. By the way, my method of attaching using a magnet is not the best. It is necessary that the piezoelectric sensor has a mass pressure so that it is well deformed from vibrations; and in such a way that its contact area is maximum. In my case, it contacted a small area with both the lamp and the battery. I think that's why the sound wasn't very good.
Spyware and protection against them
1) Protection of information from leakage via an optical channel.
2) Technical means of information security, detectors of radio emissions and radio waves to detect activated channels of information leakage, radio monitoring and many others.
3) Collection “Protection of telephone sets and communication lines” Bell circuit protection schemes. Integrated phone protection schemes. Microphone circuit protection circuits. Telephone line light analyzer. Protecting your phone from listening to a conversation, even if the handset is not lifted off the hook.
4) “Phone protection” - this scheme will protect your telephone line from illegal connections, especially necessary if you have free access to long-distance communications.
5) “Scrambler” - cryptographic methods and means of protection against eavesdropping, auto-encryption of telephone conversations from listening devices.
6) “Stethoscope” is a unique listening device. Indeed, information transmitted over telephone and electrical channels can be encoded and scrambled, which makes it practically impossible to decipher. A stethoscope can easily recognize simple human speech reflected from window glass, walls, doors and even water pipes. In addition, it can be used to troubleshoot a car's engine.
7) How to make a radio frequency detector for listening devices and methods for searching and locating listening devices - “bugs”.
9) Intercom over a 220 V network.
10) Power amplifier for portable radios - allows your radio to operate in multi-channel mode and increases the range to 30-50 kilometers.
11) Schemes of devices for automatic recording of telephone conversations.
12) Telephone amplifier - will ensure good audibility of the conversation.
13) “Two telephones on one line” - a diagram for installing a 2nd telephone in the next room.
14) Automatic answering machine from an old audio cassette.
15) Parallel telephone blocker circuit, or how to protect yourself from illegal connection to your telephone line.
16) Microradio receiver in a wristwatch.
17) “Radio microphone-microtransmitter” Can be heard through any VHF receiver up to 150 m.
18) The simplest microtransmitter for wiretapping premises and cars within a radius of 100 m.
19) Super-book “Technical Espionage” - It is clear to everyone that information is the most expensive commodity. Nowadays there is a very large selection of all kinds of devices (electronic, optical, laser, etc.) for reading secret information, and many do not even suspect that with the help of such devices it is possible to listen, from a decent distance, even in a tightly closed room. This book has two sections: Section I provides diagrams and descriptions of how to independently make listening devices, bugs, etc., and Section II provides methods of protection against such devices.
20) “Telephone radio repeaters” - diagrams of various devices for intercepting telephone messages, methods of connecting to a telephone line and recording conversations powered by a telephone line - allow you to listen not only to a telephone conversation, but also to a conversation in a room, even if the telephone receiver is on the hook.
Collection “Spy things and protection against them” —
Removing vibrations of objects using radio waves
It may seem like something out of science fiction. But nevertheless, in this way, the famous espionage of the US Embassy was carried out, when the pioneers presented the ambassador with a coat of arms and he hung it in his office. And in this coat of arms there was a bug that did not have any electronic devices.
The famous spy coat of arms
There was already an article on Habré about this bug, but there was very little information about the principles of its action. It is designed very simply.
Essentially, the membrane picks up sound vibrations and changes the geometry of the antenna! In the house opposite there is a transmitting device that broadcasts at a frequency of 330 MHz. It simply generates pure sine. The receiving antenna is irradiated by this field, changes its geometric dimensions and re-radiates a modulated echo. All you have to do is accept it. This principle is called “high frequency imposition”. The best way to see how this spy device works is in the video below.
Thus, even a knitting needle, if properly secured and of a certain length, can be a spy device. And this is not irony or an attempt to intimidate, but a harsh reality.
Homework
Do you want to feel like a real spy without leaving your couch? I have a game for you. I recorded a speech especially for you, with a contact sensor attached to the lamp.
Sound file and program for experiments
The task is to figure out what I'm saying there. There is no need to send a transcript; you can simply name in the comments the work that I am reading. The file itself is here.
It seems to me that any sound engineer can do this easily. At the very beginning, I specifically click on the lamp (in the overload screen at the beginning) so that you can determine the natural frequencies of the lamp, and then highlight my voice. Good luck!
Simple eavesdropping
It is clear that just by being nearby you have the opportunity to hear something that was not intended for you. However, if they don’t want to talk too much in front of you, then sometimes you can, for example, hide or go around a corner. If the question is serious, then you can try to listen from behind the door or from the next room if there is a hole in the wall. For example, in panel houses, sockets are often made double-sided, which sometimes allows wiretapping through the wall without any special devices. Put your ear to the socket and feel like a spy... And sometimes you can make a hole in the wall in advance, into which you can then listen or stick a microphone.
Spy equipment prohibited in the Russian Federation from Aliexpress (selection No. 89)
Hello, dear readers of the site Uspei.com. Before we start an issue about spy stuff, we ask you to familiarize yourself with the laws of your country, since in Russia you can be fined or locked up for several days for buying a pen with a voice recorder.
Just look at the judicial practice and you will understand everything... We would even advise you not to buy anything, but just check out the interesting prohibited goods from Aliexpress.
Panoramic camera in a light bulb
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/pHn7zdm — 1169 RUR / 642 orders
A very unusual hidden camera, because no one will look for a bug in a light bulb , and even if there is, it will blind him. The viewing angle is an incredible 360 degrees , the spy function and several other shooting modes are available thanks to the built-in module.
This light bulb also contains a microphone and speaker , which make it possible to record and play back sounds. Connects via Wi-Fi and thus you can monitor your home from anywhere in the world.
The light bulb is controlled using an application on your phone. Supports a memory card of 64 gigabytes , which will last you for 20 days. Several of these light bulbs can replace a whole set of video surveillance.
Well, as you understand, they work directly from the network without any batteries.
Hard drive with data encryption and password
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cO0wegBm — 6200 RUR / 2 orders
Spies are information gatherers who have incredible power, so they need to make sure that the data they collect does not fall into the wrong hands. And it was precisely to save information and security that this hard drive was created.
It is protected with a password that will be impossible to hack . But even if someone manages to find out the password, for example, you said it yourself by mistake, they still won’t find out anything, since all information is automatically encrypted.
The memory capacity of this hard drive is one terabyte, which is quite a lot. For comfortable operation, it is equipped with two types of connections, namely USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 , which are very compactly located on the side panel of the disk.
Headset with voice changing capability
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bx1ccwUo — 2900 rub.
another option - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/MkIIhXE - 795 rubles / 48 orders
Headphones with a sound card, specially designed for online communication. They have a 3.5 millimeter jack, which allows them to work with most mobile phones, computers, laptops or tablets.
The trick of this headset is that you can change your voice with four types of effects : electronic music, children's voice, rough voice and even minion-style.
See also: 20 very useful tools from Aliexpress
Supports reverb adjustment and dodge function to speak with a more outstanding voice. The essence of the function is that the background music fades during a conversation.
This device has a 380 milliamp-hour battery, which ensures long operating time, and is charged from a regular USB cable.
GPS tracker
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/BhgYu6c — 1135 RUR / 439 orders
A GPS tracker is a small device that is capable of tracking its coordinates using a SIM card, but this device has advanced functionality.
Using messages sent to the GPS tracker SIM card, you can give different types of commands. For example, if you write 3 units, the tracker will record an audio file lasting 10 minutes and save it on the memory card.
There are also many more functions that you can look at in the product description.
On Aliexpress, the seller has two types of this device with a large battery and a small one. If you don't need to keep an eye on someone 24/7, then better get the small version, otherwise the large one will be the size of a grown man's thumb.
Hydrocyanic acid gun
A similar pistol was used by Soviet agent Bogdan Stashinsky to eliminate ideologists and leaders of Ukrainian nationalists. This is how Lev Rebet and Stepan Bandera were eliminated in the late 1950s. The gun fired explosive capsules of acid into the victim's face, which inevitably led to cardiac arrest.
Bug in the heel
This is an invention of Romanian intelligence officers who were spying on American diplomats. Americans did not buy anything in local stores; they were sent parcels that were carefully intercepted. And then it’s a matter of technology. Diplomats sometimes could not understand where the information was leaking from, because there were no bugs anywhere.
Making a spy phone
Many people love various spy devices that allow them to listen in, view conversations and meetings without others noticing. If you also consider yourself a fan of spy things and dream of having your own spy phone, then this material will be useful for you as we will look at a method for making a spy phone at home.
We suggest that you first watch a video that shows the manufacturing process of such a phone.
So, what do we need: - a push-button telephone; — transistor BS440-4, KT315V, KT203A or other analogue; - screwdriver; - electrical tape;
The author uses 4 different transistors. The author has one of them manufactured in the Middle Kingdom and removed from the monitor’s power supply, the other is imported BS440-4, and the remaining two are made in the USSR - KT315V, KT203A. What do you need to know before you start making a spy phone? You need to know which terminal of the transistors the collector is on, which the base is on and which the emitter is on. This will be quite enough to make such a device. You can start working.
Before starting work, it should be noted that for the bug to work, you must enable the automatic call answering function.
First you need to completely disassemble the phone.
Next, you need to cover the central button with electrical tape. This is necessary because we will solder two wires to the central button on the board and there is no need for it to have a contact. It should be specifically noted that the center button should only be used on those phones that use it to answer calls. On relatively new models, a separate button in the form of a green tube is provided for this. In such cases, it is clear that the same procedure must be done with this button.
The next thing we need to do is remove the speaker that plays the melody during a call, a motor with an offset shaft, or, more simply, a vibrator.
We need to make sure that our phone cannot be exposed. Therefore, you can also remove the button illumination LEDs. In fact, we only need SIM card contacts, power, antenna and microphone. Thus, we do not subject the phone to any visible upgrades.
We also seal the contacts of the display so that it does not display any information, the contact of the earpiece.
We take the transistor BS440-4. The transistor collector is soldered in the middle of the central button, the emitter is on the round part that circles the button, and the base output is to one of the speaker contacts. There is no specific option, which means that you need to try one at a time.
According to the author, it was the first transistor, BS440-4, that showed itself best. In order for the bug to work, you just need to call the phone. The auto-answer function will turn on the connection and on the other end you will hear everything that is happening on the spy phone.
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Stethoscope - a device for listening through the wall
This is not a medical tube, but the principle of operation is the same. First of all, this method eliminates the need to drill into the wall. You are on the other side of the speaker, placing the vibration sensor close to the wall. Next, the device amplifies the read signals several tens of thousands of times and you can clearly hear a conversation on the opposite side of a wall less than a meter thick... This is a simplified operation scheme. It is clear that the matriel of the wall plays an important role. It’s clear that you don’t have to sit in your room, but place a repeater there and calmly record the results at home in your slippers using the Internet.
