Customer Reviews

The Home Workshop Spy: Spookware For The Serious Hobbyist

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is hard to categorise this book. On its own its 89 pages provide too few circuits to be useful (although those it provides are well developed) but if you read it after you study "The Basement Buggers Bible", it will be good value since it gives practical applications of circuit building blocks you will learn from the other book.

My dictionary suggests that the name "Chiaroscuro" is a pseudonym, but the author can be partially identified. His writing style is very distinctive. His circuit design style is also distinctive, although less so than his writing style. Considering these things together, I believe that the author of this book also wrote "The Basement Buggers Bible". Now I believe that book to be the best of this genre available, and this book, although published in 1997, is the one you should read after you read the "Bible", published in 1999.

Every circuit in this book consists of applications of the basic building blocks covered in "The Basement Buggers Bible". Applications include: a directional corner reflector for a microphone; infrared senders and receivers; ultrasonic senders and receivers; optical fibre and hardwire senders and receivers and a variety of analogue audio preprocessors and post-processors to dig audible sound out of inaudible noise. PCB templates are supplied, circuit schematics are clearly laid out and there is a brief but comprehensive explanation of the theory behind each circuit. A newcomer to electronics, however, would need more explanation to understand the circuits.

There is one error in the book, on page 56 where the optical fibre sender has been omitted and the optical fibre receiver circuit used instead. Otherwise the book is error-free.

The Parts Source section is only of use to readers in North America but the references are well chosen for further study.

Like the earlier book, this is old technology, but still very useful. Likewise, the circuits are not for beginners. They are well-designed but if a mistake was made in construction, or operation proved faulty, a novice would find it impossible to deal with. If you are an electronics professional and sometimes have to provide advice on the subject of eavesdropping technology, this book provides a useful reference, but only as a companion volume.

A word of caution here. Most governments have made illegal the construction, possession, distribution (by sale or otherwise), use or use of material obtained from eavesdropping devices except in special circumstances so you are advised to check your local laws if you want to do more than read this book.

On the other hand, successful prosecutions are rare and similar devices are openly advertised for sale. Detection of these devices is difficult. Any competent hobbyist could produce this equipment from readily available components or by disassembly of consumer items.

But before you go into business consider this advice. Whether your clients are cops, spies or gangsters, they are eavesdroppers and conspirators - they are inherently untrustworthy. They don't regard you as an electronic genius - you're just the hired help, some geek who is useful but expendable. Look after number one! The smartest player is often the one who does not join the game.

The Home Workshop spy is a excellent book on how to make bugging devices and equipment like it. It shows great schemeatics on how to build these items and a breif but good explination how to use them. Even though it has good instructions people who do not have knowledge of electronics will have a hard time with it. I think it's a great book and if you are good with electronics you should get it.

I did like the book, but the name tell's it all (For the serious HOBBYIST)

This book covers a handful of transmitters, recievers, and a fiber optic project or two. Nothing really interesting, and a bit of a let-down.