I recommend this $50 anti-spy camera finder and bug detector to every traveler

As cameras and listening devices become smaller and cheaper, there is growing concern that this technology could be used to spy on us and our families. This fear, fueled by loud press reports, created a market for anti-spyware devices.

I recently noticed that social media is full of ads for this type of thing. But do anti-spyware devices work and are they needed? The only way to answer this question is to try one.

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There are many different anti-spyware gadgets available on the market, but many of them are the same gadget that has been renamed by different companies. I bought one of the most popular options I could find, which is three-in-one camera viewfinder., RF detector scanner and magnetic field scanner for less than $50. The goal was to see if it would do anything.

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This gadget claims to do many things. It can detect 1.2G/2.4G/5.8G wireless cameras, miniature stealth cameras, wireless audio bugs, GSM/CDMA/DECT cellular audio and video eavesdropping devices, unwanted GPS trackers and other bug devices and transmitters. The specifications say it can receive RF signals ranging from 1MHz to 8GHz.

The first thing that interested me was how the camera’s finder worked. It turns out that you’ll need an eye in addition to the detector – because the device relies on a ring of red LEDs that glow, and the lens you look through sees the camera lenses as bright red dots.

Here is the LED ring:

Here’s what the camera lenses look like. I’ve tried this on multiple cameras and it seems to work well:

In fact, the lenses will reflect and give away their position much better than the image above can capture. From a distance – and I’m talking about 12 to 5 feet away – you see a red dot. As you get closer, you will see a ring of LEDs in the lens.

The disadvantage of this device is that to see it clearly, you have to look at the lens within a cone about 15 degrees from the center of the lens. This problem means that if the camera lens is well hidden, you have to move around a lot. But when you see that flash of red, you can investigate further.

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Another disadvantage of this device is that you have to rely on your eyes and look for cameras. There is nothing magical or automatic about this detector. But the device works really well.

I then tested the device’s ability to detect magnetic fields. This feature is sometimes called “GPS detector” – and the idea is that GPS trackers will be attached to vehicles using magnets. I tested it again with different types of magnets, from very strong to fridge magnets, and it detects them.

That said, I’m not sure how useful this device would be for detecting something attached to a vehicle. There are many places to hide a transmitter in a vehicle, but the detection range of this tracker is not that great, and sticking the probe into cracks gives a lot of false positives.

Finally, an RF – radio frequency detector.

I’ve tested this feature extensively on regular, real-world devices like routers and smartphones with “hidden transmitters” and signal generators, and found that it works well and has a pretty decent range, but I’m not sure how useful it is .

Unfortunately, there is a lot of electrical interference around us every day. As a result, you get many false positives. If you are aware of this problem, you can look for it wisely and minimize the impact of false positives.

Plus, “sweeping the room” isn’t like in the movies. This will take a few minutes and you will still get false alarms due to charger bricks, wires in the walls, and many other random pulses.

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However, there is a problem that monitoring devices do not necessarily transmit a signal all the time. In fact, to save power, most either record locally or turn on.

So the RF detector is a feature that works, but I’m not sure how useful or effective it would be.

Now let’s get to the bottom of this – do you need one of these devices?

I really don’t want to fan the flames of paranoia here. This is a solution to a very rare problem. It also takes some time to become proficient in using this detector, and apart from the camera viewfinder, the value of this tool is of little value in my opinion.

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However, the camera finder is really good, and the gadget itself is interesting and actually does what it promises. With this in mind and the fact that it can be purchased for less than $50, there is nothing wrong with purchasing one anti-spy camera finder and bug detector.

Is it a professional counter-surveillance device? No, definitely not (if you want a professional tool, you need something like DiscoverIt DefCon DD1206). Does this 100% guarantee detection of cameras and bugs? NO. Is this something that can reassure travelers? Yes. Is this an interesting gadget for hobbyists or educators? Yes.