Baby monitor spying ???

[chocolatepuppy]

It has been brought to my attention by someone that my neighbor, a druggie, has a baby monitor and is listening to my phone calls on my cordless phone. Our houses are about 35 ft apart. Any high tech people out there? Can this be possible? I googled baby monitors and some are 900mz and can range up to 1,500 ft. Could she hear us talk when we're not on the phone?
Now I don't care that she knows that I call the police on her. I don't care that she hears me and possibly another neighbor talk about her(she may be in range also). I DO care if she hears my private conversations and if she can hear us talking in our own home? Any thoughts?

[Cookiebaker]

Yes, I do think its possible, and this is a huge fear that I have.

When my Mom-in-law was very sick, they set up an intercom system (very similar to a baby monitor) so that she could talk to my dad-in-law when he was working in the basement (he's a tailor). They would often get interference with the Dr's office next door, be able to hear the nurses talking etc etc. Also the dr. told them that he could hear their conversations and thought it was cute that they said "I love you" so much over the monitor.

I am very careful with our baby monitor. I "tested" it out by walking down the road and I got very clear reception all the way over at the neighbor's house (nearly an acre away). So I only use it when Lydia is asleep, am very careful what I say when it is on, and turn it off as soon as she wakes up or I don't need it anymore.

[Lady's Human]

Unless you are using the phone, it is impossible for someone to hear what's going on in the house.

Baby monitors pick up transmissions from radio, (A mike and transmitter in a baby's room) not plain voice.

To listen in on a phone call, a baby monitor would have to be using the exact same frequency and be using the same transmission format as the phone.

[lizbud]

Unless you are using the phone, it is impossible for someone to hear what's going on in the house.

Baby monitors pick up transmissions from radio, (A mike and transmitter in a baby's room) not plain voice.

To listen in on a phone call, a baby monitor would have to be using the exact same frequency and be using the same transmission format as the phone.

So, are you saying that it's highly unlikely? I wouldn't think it possible, but
I don't know for sure.

[Lady's Human]

It''s possible, but unlikely.

Even more unlikely if you use a spread-spectrum (civilian for frequency hopping) phone.

[chocolatepuppy]

Thank you all for the replies. I guess I was being silly thinking she could hear us talk in the house, I was a bit panicky after just hearing the news. Although my phone is a cheap one , it does have some kind of security code, I suppose all of them do nowadays.
With having to be on the same frequency, I suppose she may just get bits and pieces of conversation, if indeed it is even me she is listening to and not my other neighbor.

[crow_noir]

Just play it safe and talk on a corded phone.

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My dad's police scanner used to also pick up cordless phones. ...that could get interesting. o.0

[Twisterdog]

I'm certainly not a high tech person, but it seems to me if you just changed the frequency (or whatever it's called) on your phone with every phone call, you would throw it off.

My cell phone has a button to change channels, frequency, whatever if the reception is bad.

Try it. Couldn't hurt.

[chocolatepuppy]

Just play it safe and talk on a corded phone.

That's fine sometimes, like for business type calls where I might be giving out important information. But just to be able to walk around the house or take the phone outside, well I need my cordless.

if you just changed the frequency

I'll try that. Thing is, I'll never know what she can or can't hear.
I feel violated by the fact that now everytime I talk on the phone, she may be listening. I think I'd feel better if I mention to anyone I talk to on the phone that 'she' may be listening in, so she knows I know.

[Laura's Babies]

It is not impossiable! Also some walking talkies and other airway frequencies can pick it up... Our park manager listens to the cordless phone call over his CB radio (so I have been told) just to make sure there is no drug dealings going on in here.

I have known for years that cordless phone conversations can be picked up and am very careful what I say when on mine.. All regular corded phone can not b picked up.

I know an apartment manage that use to use a hand held scanner to listen to cordless phone conversations, also to minotor and drug stuff that might come into the apartment complex.

NOW, you could use that to your advantage if you ever need to... Like saying "Someone told me the law is watching their house really close and getting the tag numbers of people who come over...."

[Lady's Human]

Our park manager listens to the cordless phone call over his CB radio (so I have been told) just to make sure there is no drug dealings going on in here.

CB radios operate on a frequency of 26.9-27.4 Mhz.

Cordless phones operate in the 46-49Mhz bands (1st generation), 902-927 Mhz (second generation), 2.4 Ghz (3rd Generation), and 5.8 Ghz (4th Generation)

Listening to private conversations on a hand held scanner (or a base mount scanner) for any reason is illegal in many areas. Most police scanners can pick up calls from second gen portable phones, but they aren't capable of picking up the 2.4Ghz and 5.8Ghz signals. 1st and second gen cell phones also operate in frequency ranges (800-900Mhz) that a police scanner can pick up, but 99% of those phones have been recycled by now.

[chocolatepuppy]

NOW, you could use that to your advantage if you ever need to... Like saying "Someone told me the law is watching their house really close and getting the tag numbers of people who come over...."

Laura, I've already told her years ago to her face on her front porch that we can't wait until the whole bunch goes to jail (some are in jail,again ) I also told her I'd do what I could to help her along. She knows a few neighbors call the police regular and we have given license numbers. While the selling of drugs has died down, they are still druggies.
I'm sure she's gotton an earful of me and my good neighbor slamming her more than once. The information I got was she was listening to her neighbors, could it be us or another neighbor or more.

[chocolatepuppy]

Ladys Human, my cordless is 2.4 ghz and is 900mhz. How safe is that? Would a higher ghz or mhz be safer?
Also, I don't know how accurate the story I got was, the info was that it was a baby monitor. Or could it be a scanner of some sort? I can't imagine someone calling it a baby monitor unless it was one.

[Lady's Human]

Police scanners don't pick up 2.4 Ghz, and many phones operating on 2.4 Ghz and higher use spread-spectrum, so it would be highly improbable that someone outside of the NSA could pick up the signal.

BTW, a quick definition of terms:

Radio frequencies are expressed in terms of Hertz, or Cycles per Second.

House current is 60 Hz, or 60 cycles per second.

AM radio stations broadcast in Kilohertz, or thousands of cycles per second. (Khz)

FM radio stations broadcast in Megahertz, or millions of cycles per second. (Mhz)

Devices operating in the Gigahertz bands are broadcasting in billions of cycles per second. (Ghz)

[chocolatepuppy]

From all of the info I'm getting, here and elsewhere, it seems highly unlikely she is sitting over there and listening to a complete conversation. Could have been a freak thing she picked something up at one point or picks something up occasionally.
I had to wonder though tonight. She came home(my dogs let me know) and I was talking to dear old mom on the phone. She got back in her car and left. We must be too boring.