Telephone tap

[Yellow Submarine]

I want to monitor what my teen kids are saying on the telephone from
time to time. I've set up an extension with an earphone to listen in,
but when I turn it on there's an audible click on the other phone that
my kids will hear. Eventually they will figure it out.

Are there any ways to minimize or eliminate the cues that an extension
has been picked up, short of using an automatic recording device?

 

[Mike Foss]

I want to monitor what my teen kids are saying on the telephone from
time to time. I've set up an extension with an earphone to listen in,
but when I turn it on there's an audible click on the other phone that
my kids will hear. Eventually they will figure it out.

Are there any ways to minimize or eliminate the cues that an extension
has been picked up, short of using an automatic recording device?

I'd save the money on automatic recording devices and spend it
on a good parenting class at your local community college. If
this is your idea of communication, your kids are in for a very
rough life.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

I'd save the money on automatic recording devices and spend it
on a good parenting class at your local community college. If
this is your idea of communication, your kids are in for a very
rough life.

Thank you so much for the cheap shot, but your assumptions are totally
innacurate.

Perhaps you don't have a clue as to how difficult it can be to monitor
what a kid is actually doing, as opposed to what they say they're doing.

I do.

 

[Mike Foss]

Thank you so much for the cheap shot, but your assumptions are totally
innacurate.

Perhaps you don't have a clue as to how difficult it can be to monitor
what a kid is actually doing, as opposed to what they say they're doing.

I do.

That's exactly why I suggested a parenting class. If lines of
communication were what they should be between you and
your kids, there would be no need to covertly monitor them.

And put yourself in their place. Eventually they will find out
what you're up to. Not trusting your own kids is about the
fastest way to steer them away from what it is you're trying
to steer them towards.

 

[Bart Bervoets]

I have a friend which has been spied on as a kid.
Total paranoia now.
Be warned

Bart Bervoets

 

[Mike Berger]

The best way to monitor your kids' phone conversations is to
have only one phone in the house, in a common area. You can
hear everything they say.

 

[N Cook]

I want to monitor what my teen kids are saying on the telephone from
time to time. I've set up an extension with an earphone to listen in,
but when I turn it on there's an audible click on the other phone that
my kids will hear. Eventually they will figure it out.

Are there any ways to minimize or eliminate the cues that an extension
has been picked up, short of using an automatic recording device?

2 early memories , as a small kid, obviously destined to go into electronics
1/ Unscrewing the cap off the drop cord light switch in my bedroom,
learnt with a shock that just because a switch is off it is still live if
touched in
the wrong place. I vaguely remember thinking that electricity was only
dangerous when it was being used and safe when it was not being used.
2/ Parental rows , could tell because of the elevated voices, but annoyingly
could not make out what they were about as through closed doors.
Out of a couple of long lengths of thin cotton covered wire , probably a
carbon granule microphone and a Xtal earpiece or ex-military high impedance
headphone made a crude bug. Unfortunately it worked but it didn't work that
well.

 

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I want to monitor what my teen kids are saying on the telephone from
time to time. I've set up an extension with an earphone to listen in,
but when I turn it on there's an audible click on the other phone that
my kids will hear. Eventually they will figure it out.

Are there any ways to minimize or eliminate the cues that an extension
has been picked up, short of using an automatic recording device?

Regardless of the ethics involved, you just need to use a higher impedance
ear piece. Something like 10k won't give an audible click. Sounds like
you're using a low impedance device designed for a walkman or computer,
etc.

 

[Guest]

: I want to monitor what my teen kids are saying on the telephone from
: time to time. I've set up an extension with an earphone to listen in,
: but when I turn it on there's an audible click on the other phone that
: my kids will hear. Eventually they will figure it out.

: Are there any ways to minimize or eliminate the cues that an extension
: has been picked up, short of using an automatic recording device?

: --
: YS


to radio shack's website (google it) and search for the words
"telephone recorder".

http://www.radioshack.com/category....=1&find=telephone recorder(keyword)&hp=search

b.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

Regardless of the ethics involved, you just need to use a higher
impedance ear piece. Something like 10k won't give an audible click.
Sounds like you're using a low impedance device designed for a
walkman or computer, etc.

Thank you very much for the advice and for not including a sermon.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

That's exactly why I suggested a parenting class. If lines of
communication were what they should be between you and
your kids, there would be no need to covertly monitor them.

So you say, and you are certainly entitled to express your opinion about
my parenting skills even though you know so little about this situation.
I have good quality communication with my children, but I also know that
even good kids lie to their parents about some things. And kids have an
annoying habit of thinking they can handle stuff or that they know
better.

I consider this to be no worse than checking their computers to see what
they've been up to. Maybe you wouldn't do that either, but I think it's
a parent's responsibility to check periodically to see that your kids
are telling you the truth, rather than just taking their word for it.

I have to check the computers because I tell my kids not to do certain
things while online and of course they still do stuff that endangers
them and me. I need to know what those things are so that I can deal
with them.

I'm not going to go into the reasons why I want to monitor a couple of
phone conversations, because it's no one's business but mine. Suffice to
say that I think it's necessary for the welfare of my children. I can
use any information I glean to make adjustments if necessary without
revealing exactly what I know or how I know it.

And put yourself in their place. Eventually they will find out
what you're up to.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. I'm trying to avoid that. Either way, I believe as
a parent I have a right and an obligation to monitor their behavior,
using whatever means I think are necessary. I've made it quite clear
that anything they do on their computer is subject to my control and
review, and if it comes up, I'm going to say the same thing about their
phone. They won't be traumatized by it.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

I have a friend which has been spied on as a kid.
Total paranoia now.
Be warned

Gee, thanks.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

The best way to monitor your kids' phone conversations is to
have only one phone in the house, in a common area. You can
hear everything they say.

And that would quickly become quite tiresome.

 

[Mike Foss]

So you say, and you are certainly entitled to express your opinion about
my parenting skills even though you know so little about this situation.
I have good quality communication with my children, but I also know that
even good kids lie to their parents about some things. And kids have an
annoying habit of thinking they can handle stuff or that they know
better.

Annoying habit? You're either utterly clueless about child
development or a pathetic control freak. Or maybe both.

The fact remains, if you had a decent relationship with your
kids they wouldn't feel it necessary to lie to you -- about
anything. Learn how to be a friend instead of just a creep
who secretly monitors phone conversations and internet
habits, and you'll have much more influence over them.

 

[The Schneids]

Actually, I think what you are planning may be illegal. There are
federal laws about wiretapping and eavesdropping - and I'm sure there
are probly state laws about it too [depending on which state you live
in].

Heh - now being advised that it may be a crime - planning to commit a
crime is a FELONY - even if the crime you are planning is a misdemeanor.

Just thought I'd throw that out there...........

later.............

 

[Yellow Submarine]

Actually, I think what you are planning may be illegal.
Wrong.

There are
federal laws about wiretapping and eavesdropping - and I'm sure there
are probly state laws about it too [depending on which state you live
in].

Heh - now being advised that it may be a crime - planning to commit a
crime is a FELONY - even if the crime you are planning is a
misdemeanor.
Just thought I'd throw that out there...........

LOL

 

[Yellow Submarine]

Annoying habit? You're either utterly clueless about child
development or a pathetic control freak. Or maybe both.

The fact remains, if you had a decent relationship with your
kids they wouldn't feel it necessary to lie to you -- about
anything. Learn how to be a friend instead of just a creep
who secretly monitors phone conversations and internet
habits, and you'll have much more influence over them.

Typical

 

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

Wrong.

The U.S. law that makes wiretaping a Federal crime, has a specific exclusion
for "communications providers". It was intended to allow a telephone service
provider to monitor calls for quality assesment without a court order
or knowledege of the customer.

The courst have held a far more liberal view of the law and have extended
that to anyone who provides the communications services, such as the person
who pays the phone bill.

State and local laws may vary.

A long time ago, I knew someone that sold pairs of pagers that received
messages from the same number, mostly to people who wanted to see who
paged their spouses. This was before cell phones became popular.

Geoff.

 

[James Sweet]

You need an amplifier with a high impedence input so it doesn't load down
the phone line, actually just about any op-amp buffer circuit would do the
trick, you can leave it connected to the line all the time.

I've also seen inexpensive devices that will automatically record all phone
conversations on tape, both schematics to build yourself and commercial
products.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

You need an amplifier with a high impedence input so it doesn't load
down the phone line, actually just about any op-amp buffer circuit
would do the trick, you can leave it connected to the line all the
time.

I've also seen inexpensive devices that will automatically record all
phone conversations on tape, both schematics to build yourself and
commercial products.

Thank you.