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From: Jack.Winslade@f666.n285.z1.fidonet.org (Jack Winslade)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Answering Machine as Room Bug?
Message-ID: <11388@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 26 Aug 90 04:35:21 GMT
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In a message of <22 Aug 90 07:21:14>, Tom Neff (1:30102/2) writes:

>I turned on the shortwave receiver in my apartment this morning and
>was flipping past the 5-6 MHz neighborhood when I distinctly a voice
>coming from the speaker.  It was my friend in the other room!  I
>couldn't believe it.  Throwing on headphones I told her "keep talking"
>(nothing surprises her at this point :-) while I fine tuned the messy
>signal.  Something was broadcasting from my living room!  (Nobody was
>on the phone, and there's no intentional transmitter in the apartment
> - not even a walkie-talkie.)

I dunno if this is the answer to your particular problem, but tape
machines use what's known as a 'bias oscillator' when in recording.
If for some reason the thing were recording, it may have been
radiating.

I know that some tape machines, when recording, will radiate at
harmonics of the bias frequency (125kHz or so) and can sometimes be
picked up on general coverage receivers.  You'll only see this if the
bias signal is 'dirty' and it will most likely appear several places
on the dial -- like even in the normal AM radio band.
 
Good Day!        JSW

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