recording phone conversations

[Peter N. Spotts]

On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:08:35 -0800
Robert Persson <ireneshusband at gmail.com> wrote:

> Is there a simple and reliable way to record phone conversations? I
> have a very important reason for needing to do this and I desperately
> want to avoid finding that I am in the middle of a call and the
> recording tool doesn't work.
> 
> Also, is it possible to record conversations that are not taking place
> via the modem? For instance could I answer a call on a normal phone
> handset and then start recording it through a modem connected to the
> same phone line?
> 
> Many thanks
> Robert
> 

If you live in the US, Radio Shack sells a small switch unit that
connects easily between the phone and the handset. The little switch
box has an extra wire coming out if it that plugs into the microphone
jack of a cassette recorder or digital voice recorder. It does a very
nice job. I've also plugged the wire into the microphone jack on my
laptop, then used Audacity to record the sound. Unfortunately, this
approach leaves too much AC hum in the audio to be useful. 

And another poster is right; be sure you're up to speed on the legality
of recording phone calls and the need to notify the person on the
other end of the line. In the US, the law varies by state. If you
live in the US, check out:

http://www.rcfp.org/taping/

With best regards,

Pete

-- 
Peter N. Spotts | Science reporter
The Christian Science Monitor
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