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Can I put a hardwired spy camera in a smoke detector?

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  • Connection
  • Cameras
  • Security
Last response: in Other Consumer Electronics
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October 12, 2014 3:58:46 AM

Can I put a spy cam in a smoke detector? (Security reasons) I am not talking about smoke detectors that already have cameras inside. I want to use my own spy cam but can I connect it to the wires in the ceiling as an energy source if it doesn't run on batteries? Because i don't want the wires to be visible on the outside.. And can the receiver be in a nearby building?

More about : put hardwired spy camera smoke detector

a b w Digital camera
a b 8 Security
October 12, 2014 4:09:00 AM

Maybe.

How big is the camera? How much free space is inside the smoke detector (that you don't seem to own).
What is the existing power source? What voltage does the camera require?
How will you get the data signal to the 'nearby building'?
Why does it need to be hidden in the smoke detector?

Be careful here....you may be skirting the edge of 'legal'.
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October 12, 2014 4:12:16 AM

Is this your own house if not I'm not too sure we should be discussing this
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a b 8 Security
October 12, 2014 4:17:48 AM

My creepy meter went to 10 on this one.
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October 12, 2014 4:20:15 AM

USAFRet said:
Maybe.

How big is the camera? How much free space is inside the smoke detector (that you don't seem to own).
What is the existing power source? What voltage does the camera require?
How will you get the data signal to the 'nearby building'?
Why does it need to be hidden in the smoke detector?

Be careful here....you may be skirting the edge of 'legal'.



I have no idea, I asked this in hope to get an explanation. I used to live in a university dorm and I want to know if it is an easy thing to do because i am afraid someone who lived there before me could have hidden a camera. I read an article about cameras in smoke detectors recently and it made me so scared. I remember there were no wires coming out from the smoke detector. I can't go back to the room to check myself, someone else would be living there right now? So you say it is possible? Someone could have just put a camera in there and it doesn't need batteries!
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October 12, 2014 4:21:34 AM

Sure you can, you just legally have to own the property, ensure the occupants of the property know its there. If its a security surveillance camera on your property its legal but if your using it to spy on someone who doesnt know its there and owns the property its really not legal no matter what they are doing.
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a b w Digital camera
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October 12, 2014 4:24:04 AM

Given sufficient DIY skills, sure, someone could do that.
The only way to know is to take it apart.

There are many, many other places a camera could be hidden.

But what you asked:
"Can I put a hardwired spy camera in a smoke detector?"
(emphasis on the *I*)

...is not what the problem seems to be.
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October 12, 2014 4:24:14 AM

Sort of feasible, but not easy.

If there were no wires coming from it, then it's unlikely there was one in there - it would massively increase battery drain.

If you wanted to hide a camera, there are so many better places than a smoke detector...
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October 12, 2014 4:29:30 AM

Someone Somewhere said:
Sort of feasible, but not easy.

If there were no wires coming from it, then it's unlikely there was one in there - it would massively increase battery drain.

If you wanted to hide a camera, there are so many better places than a smoke detector...



That's exactly my point, if there were no wires coming out, could it be connected to wires in the ceiling, you know the same way the smoke detector is connected? Because that's the only way a camera could be in there and last long enough, no one had access to my room to come and change betteries.
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a b w Digital camera
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October 12, 2014 4:31:57 AM

Search said:
Someone Somewhere said:
Sort of feasible, but not easy.

If there were no wires coming from it, then it's unlikely there was one in there - it would massively increase battery drain.

If you wanted to hide a camera, there are so many better places than a smoke detector...



That's exactly my point, if there were no wires coming out, could it be connected to wires in the ceiling, you know the same way the smoke detector is connected? Because that's the only way a camera could be in there and last long enough, no one had access to my room to come and change betteries.


Well, yes. Many smoke detectors are hardwired for power.
It is impossible to know, unless you take the object apart.

Why do you suspect there might have been a camera in there?
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October 12, 2014 4:32:49 AM

USAFRet said:
Given sufficient DIY skills, sure, someone could do that.
The only way to know is to take it apart.

There are many, many other places a camera could be hidden.

But what you asked:
"Can I put a hardwired spy camera in a smoke detector?"
(emphasis on the *I*)

...is not what the problem seems to be.


I know, sorry my bad, didn't want to write a long explanation in the question,should have explained
No im pretty sure it couldn't be somewhere else other than in the smoke detector, they'd need an energy source, and there were no wires at all in the room
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a b w Digital camera
a b 8 Security
October 12, 2014 4:34:43 AM

Search said:
USAFRet said:
Given sufficient DIY skills, sure, someone could do that.
The only way to know is to take it apart.

There are many, many other places a camera could be hidden.

But what you asked:
"Can I put a hardwired spy camera in a smoke detector?"
(emphasis on the *I*)

...is not what the problem seems to be.


I know, sorry my bad, didn't want to write a long explanation in the question,should have explained
No im pretty sure it couldn't be somewhere else other than in the smoke detector, they'd need an energy source, and there were no wires at all in the room


There are wires in the walls....:) 
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October 12, 2014 4:37:28 AM

USAFRet said:
Search said:
USAFRet said:
Given sufficient DIY skills, sure, someone could do that.
The only way to know is to take it apart.

There are many, many other places a camera could be hidden.

But what you asked:
"Can I put a hardwired spy camera in a smoke detector?"
(emphasis on the *I*)

...is not what the problem seems to be.


I know, sorry my bad, didn't want to write a long explanation in the question,should have explained
No im pretty sure it couldn't be somewhere else other than in the smoke detector, they'd need an energy source, and there were no wires at all in the room


There are wires in the walls....:) 


But that would be very hard to do, no? I am talking about a university dorm room not an apartment owned by someone
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October 12, 2014 4:37:49 AM

Search said:
Someone Somewhere said:
Sort of feasible, but not easy.

If there were no wires coming from it, then it's unlikely there was one in there - it would massively increase battery drain.

If you wanted to hide a camera, there are so many better places than a smoke detector...



That's exactly my point, if there were no wires coming out, could it be connected to wires in the ceiling, you know the same way the smoke detector is connected? Because that's the only way a camera could be in there and last long enough, no one had access to my room to come and change betteries.


It would be lots of work to do it, to wire it up and to make it neat so someone would not notice. Seems like a lot of work to be creepy but the answer is yes, it could be done but its lots of work.
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October 12, 2014 4:41:31 AM

Search said:
USAFRet said:
Search said:
USAFRet said:
Given sufficient DIY skills, sure, someone could do that.
The only way to know is to take it apart.

There are many, many other places a camera could be hidden.

But what you asked:
"Can I put a hardwired spy camera in a smoke detector?"
(emphasis on the *I*)

...is not what the problem seems to be.


I know, sorry my bad, didn't want to write a long explanation in the question,should have explained
No im pretty sure it couldn't be somewhere else other than in the smoke detector, they'd need an energy source, and there were no wires at all in the room


There are wires in the walls....:) 


But that would be very hard to do, no? I am talking about a university dorm room not an apartment owned by someone


if someone had the skills it would be possible to hide something in a power outlet or ventilation system. There are many many places where something can be hidden. Small cameras dont use that much power anyway, but unless you have reason to suspect surveillance your fears are unfounded.
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a b w Digital camera
a b 8 Security
October 12, 2014 4:43:43 AM

Search said:


But that would be very hard to do, no? I am talking about a university dorm room not an apartment owned by someone


I can visualize several ways to do that. 'Hard to do' is relative.

Again...why do you suspect there was a camera in there?
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October 12, 2014 5:01:05 AM

USAFRet said:
Search said:


But that would be very hard to do, no? I am talking about a university dorm room not an apartment owned by someone


I can visualize several ways to do that. 'Hard to do' is relative.

Again...why do you suspect there was a camera in there?


No specific reason, I read an article about it, then i searched online there were many stories about landlords hiding cameras in smoke detectors. Idk, the thought of it made me so sick literally. I used to live in a dorm where other people lived there before me and I wanted to know if it is possible for anyone to just hide a camera. And anyone who placed a camera could still be living in the dorms but in another building so it wouldn't be hard to receive signals from the camera
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October 12, 2014 5:04:00 AM

Unless they were very close by at the time it would also have to have been connected to the internet and the hardware to connect it would also have to be hidden around
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a b w Digital camera
a b 8 Security
October 12, 2014 5:04:03 AM

There is about a 0.0003% chance that actually happened.
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October 12, 2014 5:11:18 AM

USAFRet said:
There is about a 0.0003% chance that actually happened.

Thats oddly specific... but anyway its very unlikely and don't believe everything you read, the media will do anything for a story on a slow day. Unless you were doing anything illegal you have nothing to worry about
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a b w Digital camera
a b 8 Security
October 12, 2014 5:12:59 AM

'oddly specific' ? No, just a random tiny number...:D 
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October 12, 2014 5:14:17 AM

Quote:
Unless you were doing anything illegal you have nothing to worry about

While it's very very unlikely that anything of the sort was actually happening, I hate that response. 'The innocent have nothing to fear' is bad news...

But let's not get into politics.
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October 12, 2014 5:29:12 AM

USAFRet said:
There is about a 0.0003% chance that actually happened.


Alright, yea I know it is a low chance but the idea of it was really scary. Thank you so much for your help and your time, I really appreciate it. :) 
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October 12, 2014 5:33:25 AM

smackers_12 said:
USAFRet said:
There is about a 0.0003% chance that actually happened.

Thats oddly specific... but anyway its very unlikely and don't believe everything you read, the media will do anything for a story on a slow day. Unless you were doing anything illegal you have nothing to worry about


No nothing illegal, but thinking that some creepy person could be watching me all the time made me sick. Thank you for your help and your time, I really appreciate it. :) 
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October 12, 2014 5:35:46 AM

ccampy said:
Unless they were very close by at the time it would also have to have been connected to the internet and the hardware to connect it would also have to be hidden around


Yea all students live in the university dorms, he could have been very close by.
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