A spy camera is a device that is very useful for frequently and discreetly monitoring what is happening in a home or any other area. The best of all is that you can make your own hidden camera and in this post, we will tell you how to do it.
Even though there are many surveillance camera options on the current market that you can opt for, if you prefer homemade devices you should know everything related to it.
What components do I need to make a spy camera?
Before creating this equipment, the first thing you need to know is what components you need to achieve the objective. They stand out among them:
The lens
Even though many people believe that a micro spy camera only has a lens as they usually see in some films, this is not the case, since it is an important component but not the only one, since the technology has not yet reached these levels of advancement. Therefore, a good quality lens is required, small and as discreet as possible.
Motherboard
The base plate is the piece to which the lens is attached, as it is the main element that makes the camera work. Other elements are also attached to it such as the microphone that captures sound, the infrared that allows night vision, some sensors, a memory or memory card with a slot to insert it, and a battery that provides considerable autonomy.
Among the different alternatives that exist for motherboards, one of the best is the Raspberry Pi Zero, which has a very compact size, allowing the camera to be installed anywhere it can go unnoticed.
Memory to store videos
The memory is placed on the motherboard and is the component in which all the recordings made by the device are saved. In the case of this type of camera, it is better to opt for a micro SD memory, the size of which is ideal because it is very discreet. They are placed through a small slot that the device has.
These cards can be obtained with different capacities ranging from 8 to 512GB and more. Therefore, opt for the one that gives you enough capacity, according to the amount of time in which you want to make the recordings.
Some cameras today have the ability to send recordings directly to the internet cloud, instead of using memory for it. These devices work connected by Wi-Fi and allow the user to observe what is happening live or enter later to see the recordings.
A rechargeable battery
This is one of the most important elements that spy cameras have since the time during which the equipment works wirelessly depends on it. In that case, the best alternative is to buy a rechargeable lithium battery with a capacity of 300 to 500 milliamps, whose charge lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.
This is the right capacity for spy cameras. However, if you want to obtain greater autonomy you can buy a battery with more power which will take up a little more space on the device’s board.
High range microphone
The vast majority of hidden cameras have a microphone built into their motherboard with which they can capture the ambient sound of the area they record. For this reason, it is better to buy a microphone that is small in size, but with a fairly high range, which provides us with as clear a sound as possible.
Now, if audio is a higher priority than images for you, we recommend installing a spy microphone, as they are equipment specially manufactured to provide you with good quality sound, a little better than that of cameras.
Infrared for night vision
These are elements in high demand by people who want to make their own hidden cameras since they are responsible for ensuring that they have the ability to continue recording at night or in places where there is little or no light.
The more infrared you install, the more powerful the night vision will be, so the images are much better. There are infrared that are totally invisible and others that can be easily captured. Of course, for a hidden video recorder, the first ones will always be better, as they go completely unnoticed.
Ports for connections
The connections that this type of spy device has are other components of great importance since the battery charge and the transfer of the captured images depend on them.
Most of these ports are USB or micro USB, although you can also install a mini jack, with which you can connect headphones to listen to everything that the home digital camera has recorded.
You can buy these types of electronic components in a specialized store, but they are generally sold wholesale; That is, it is not possible to purchase only one item per type. Therefore, if it seems too cumbersome, you have the alternative of buying a webcam or spy camera that has all of these devices built-in.
In addition to this, you will also need hardware like iSpy, which is a free software program that allows you to install it on a Gnu/Linux distribution; In the case of Android devices, an app known as iCamSpy is used. With this, you can even remotely control the software you have installed.
How to make a homemade wireless spy camera?
Creating a DIY spy camera can be surprisingly straightforward. One practical method involves repurposing an old smartphone with ample memory capacity and concealing it within a discreet casing. This clever approach allows you to seamlessly blend the camera into various household objects or surroundings, providing covert surveillance capabilities.
The beauty of this approach is the flexibility to choose a smartphone of your preference, equipped with the necessary hardware and software features for video recording and storage. You can conveniently view the footage on a tablet or another mobile device. However, it’s crucial to maintain a nearby Wi-Fi connection, as using cellular data for this purpose can lead to SIM card issues.
For beginners, this smartphone-based method offers simplicity and effectiveness.
Alternatively, you can opt for a PiCam camera compatible with Raspberry boards. This tiny device connects to the GPIO port and can be discreetly placed on various gadgets, remaining hidden from the naked eye. It’s well-regarded for its compatibility with free software and hardware, making it a popular choice for monitoring different locations.
Another option is to repurpose a computer’s webcam, configuring it to record when motion is detected and storing the data in the cloud or its internal memory. You can even set it up for real-time monitoring of a specific room.
However, keep in mind that designing and building a spy camera can become complex. For those seeking a hassle-free solution, pre-built equipment with all the necessary features for discreet monitoring is readily available on the market.
Also Learn: How to create my own app?
Hide the camera in every object
Hiding a camera in everyday objects is something that directly depends on the place in which this monitoring equipment is used. Therefore, you may find camouflage cumbersome and if that happens to you, then choose to look for a spy camera that is already inside any element and has been designed for that.
In the current market, there are many camera options that are already hidden in simple objects such as pens, ashtrays, mirrors, watches, power strips, books, and others. All of them have different memory, battery, and infrared capacities, so it is necessary to define the time required to record and the lighting conditions available to purchase one or another model.