You will need black sunglasses, preferably the type that wraps around your eyes and can accommodate a mini camera on its side. The darker the sunglasses, the better to conceal the hidden spy camera.
You will also need a mini spy camera, which you can get online or from auction houses. If possible, secure a mini spy camera with color capabilities and audio-recording capacities. This way, you will have higher quality video and audio footages.
You also have to look for a mini camcorder for recording the video and audio footages. Opt for a gadget that fits easily into your pocket. With some types of camcorders, you might have to use cargo pants for its wide pockets.
You also need to buy 24-gauge black wire to extend the wires on the hidden spy camera. Also purchase a 9-volt battery for its power source.
The tools necessary for this type of do-it-yourself project are your trusty wire snips for cutting wires, your soldering gun to solder wires, shrink tubing to protect the wire connections, and a hot glue gun to attach the spy camera to the sunglasses. If you have all these and a little patience, then you are set to make your very own homemade hidden spy camera.
Modify the Mini Spy Camera
First, expose the separate wiring in the camera by peeling off the protective one-wire casing. Using your wire snips, trim the exposed wires on the spy camera to about 3-4 inches from the camera itself. You should see 4 exposed wires - power, audio, video, and ground. All these should converge into three connectors only - power, audio and video - since the ground wire is connected to all three.
Get your black wire and cut four lengths of about 4 feet. Using your soldering gun, you will then solder each length into the exposed spy camera wires. After this, you have to add heat shrink tubing to protect the new connections. You will then put finishing touches on your ready-to-be-mounted hidden spy camera by soldering the other wire ends to the appropriate connector end. You can apply more shrink tubing as necessary to produce an all-black wire, which will blend with your black sunglasses.
After thoroughly cleaning the sunglasses, you can then mount your modified mini spy camera on the sunglasses' arm. Choose the side which fits you more comfortably.
You then connect the audio and video wires of the mini spy camera to your camcorder. Add the 9 volt battery to the power line and you are set to go. Just hide the wires inside your shirt and on to your pants pocket.
Enjoy! You can now shoot video and audio footages with your homemade hidden spy camera! Imagine the endless possibilities of this gadget. Just be very careful as laws and ethics can be very different from your own purpose.
Build A Spy Camera
I bet you are frustrated by the lack of information about spy cameras available on the internet. I sure was. There seams like there are just a few big companies who have blown their entire advertising budget to make a big splash. (This includes the X10 camera of the late 90s fame). Spy cameras can come in very handy to anyone who wants one (provided, of course, that they aren't used for nefarious activities). Spy cameras have tons of legitimate uses, and can come in especially useful for home security measures.
Here's how I use the internet to shop for a new spy camera.
1) Use multiple search engines to do your shopping. Just because something is featured on Yahoo doesn't mean that it is featured on Google and vice versa. A lot of the time, advertising bidders are very different on Yahoo and Google for the same keywords. Search different search engines to see different vendors selling on different sites.
2) Use specific shopping search engines like Froogle. Froogle is great because it allows the shopper to select among multiple different vendors who are selling similar products. Froogle is a shopping specific search engine that you can use specifically for your shopping needs. I've used Froogle on multiple occasions to compare and contrast the different product I'm looking for. If you can think it up, it's probably on Froogle somewhere. Spy cameras are certainly no exception.
3) Learn about the ins and outs of spy cameras. Spy cameras come in as many different forms as flavors of ice creams. You can find spy cameras that are basically disposable and spy camera systems that can cost over $1000. Learn all about them and the mistakes that people make when buying them. Points 1 and 2 above definitely can help you make a decision, however getting the real knowledge is what you will use to ensure that you get the best deal possible. Learn all about spy cameras and save yourself a bundle.
Both Nahshon Roberts & Roger Wembley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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