Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) file 80-HQ-760, Ultrasonic Listening Devices / Wiretapping, 1945 - 1989Description of document: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) File 80-HQ-760, Ultrasonic Listening Devices / Wiretapping, 1945 - 1989
Released date: 14-October-2011 Posted date: 24-June-2013 Source of document: Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Subject: FILE NUMBER 80-HQ-760 FOIPA No. 1145568- 000
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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) File No. 80-HQ-760, Ultrasonic Listening Devices / Wiretapping
Section 1
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FROM .•
SUBJEcr:
• UNITE:O ..
J,ffi. E. P.
MR. D. J.
DATE: September 13, +945 V.r. Tolson,.__ __ Mr •• E. A. 1'w:r.i Mr. Clelll?:. - ---.
A ) ~ /,,1 J - ~ -- - # /) ' +_ J" :: g~~~~~ .. - - . RESF.ARCH' u ~ ~~<-.<~"1--~'-V~: :ft~gois -
SOlJrID DEVICES I ~: ~~~~,_-::::::;= TEtEPllONE MICROPHONE UNIT ~u::..£; ~~ ~~o=-n __ .-.,...._-_------
Mr. Hemon · . · - Mr; Penn1ngton
1here is attached hereto two suggestions of Special Agent J.. J • Hill 0£:, the Electrical Section proposing research projects in con­ n,ection wi ~cal surveillances. Also. attached is a memorandum of lfq:. P.fafman E\Xpressii;ig his belief that both suggestions are meri"t!orious·.
Mr. Qulnn T~-- · 'l'ele. Rooi::i ._,,........_ : lli:;l~:~l:i"'"::i _ _,, __ ---- I M1SS Gandy _______ I
The first.suggestion concerns the use of house wiring.and using. a poi-7er line to carry microphone. impulses to be picked up elsewhere in the. building or on the same power. line thus eliminating the necessity of stringing wires ~or " np.crophone coverage •
. _ Although t)lis sugges.~ion is not new, it is very ·worth wpi1:e and coul9- be (1f :tremendous value. to Bureau _investigation if developed to a usable stag¢. We. h~v~ previously ha~ a research project in this category which was deferred because <;>!-'the pressure of other business when but very little investigation had been c9n~ugted into this possibility. Conceivably this could be. an extended project .lilnd 'although neither Messrs. Hiil .nor Pfafman e~timate the ·time to .be ~pent, I
~ ·fe~'J; that it would be very wo:r;th while to spend an iaj.. tial twe11ty man.:..days a:tt¢f' ~ e .. il~qQ. a 'sunnnary r~port could qe written ou~lining 1;'he pc)ssi:ble. ;approaches to the­ ·~·~· ,pr9plem and what p~omise of success it holds! After this, £urt~e~· ~oµsideration ~,£ t -j/(?'4d .be given as to whether :the project shquld be continued.
~~'¥' ~'Jt .. Mr• Hill'' s second suggestion concerns a n~ approach to -t~e utiiizing ,,j..,- qf .standard telephone instruments with a single pair of wires .for both t~-;l,epho.µe :.i {{. · · ?.il.d ·microphone coverage. We are presently working on a project wh,ereby a --~ '.:1"' 11 -;r~sistance-relay system is being utilized for this. Mr. Hill proposes the. siinple -..-
eddition of a capacitor to the telephone instrument and the imposing of a radio :t:requency on the microphone which ·would be ·modulated by the solµld in tP.e TOo.m for microphone coverage. This proposed met~od of T-Y cover,age ~a~ severai advantages· ov~r our present a,pproach and ·certainly worth some, experimentation -t;o determ:i,.he· the feasibility. I think that this initial test should not requir,e more than ten IJlB.n-days since there is a possibility of developing something veiy. worth while.at th:i,s time.
L
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ur. QUlr.n Ta=___;;_
The Conference on October 8, 1945, consisting of Messrs. i:!"ile~~~ · · ·. E A T C ff
.· ' ../-
I. The first proje9t proposes the development of e. microphon~ ·wit~: .accessories in one unit small enough to be inserted in an electric light. ~ixture. This unit would convert microphone pickup into radio impulses: . I which would then be transmitted over the regular house electrical ·circu:tt· ,,,.. . ...-.. ---­ and could be picked off and amplified at a convenient place.having access to the same house electrical current. The principles involved in this roj eat are already well establis,hed and they are _put to ctimmercial use in ,_ he form of ships' telephone. systems, certain :µiteroffice communic~tion
systems, so-called electric.baby nurse, etc~ The new angle proposed here is the development or the u~it using tiny tubes so that it is so small fllld · compact as to be inconsp;i.cuously inserted in a standard electric f~ur~r--· ... ~~
::::,.-. Mr. Coffey advised· that an initial expenditure or t~n man; days work~ 1,ts · ·:"· _. _ ~! ~ ~ ~ dev:lopment would be sufficient to indicate the' pr. acticability of tlif~'. • j· .
7J proJect and that the ten days work would be· done as current wo;i:-k per.ini'.ts.~ · . 1JJ He ~lso advised that the project has been cons~d~;red ati,d approved l;>y~the -- ·.
V Research Committee consisting of Messrs. Ladd, Glavin, and ~Coffey. The·~ .• ,_,_..,_ r-t_ ~ Conference unanimously recommended the approval of ten days work on this ,': _~,.../·
' ,.. project. · ! : ':. ,~ {. r' , \ ~ j, II. . The -~econd .. Proj_ect proposes the developlJlent of a mi~ropho~e ~o1;., .. .J,
cealed in a telephone instrument in such a ~er that a ·cons~t radio£•·•,.~,:;:'•. '~ frequency or c~rrier courd be fed through thi¢ microplJ.o:t?-~. from th~ list~niµ,);;,
•
~~ frequency so itBfi.t t,he. modulated form cquld be. ~icked up and ampli~?-ed a}:~.~µe. ·· 1 ~ n plant. Essentially the same thing ;is pre~ently done suc~~spruiiy by- th~· ...
.... ~ ~ Bureau by utiliz~g an elec:trical c~cui t thr9ugh. ~)le :lt~~e~hone co. ':ldu~tof"~t!.. : ~ This proposed.:s'!lbsti'!i)!tion of' a radio freque~<?Y: .T[p.uld "~.ll.lll:i,nate e~st~~,,_~gi:~~
advantages of' line no~~e·~~' The re~h coID!d~ttee.1,of:::Messrs. Coffey,. La~q, ~~nd!­ Glavin have already copsidered tpis project and .app~~ved th~ ~ame· for.- an_ expenditure of> • .t..en man -4j{ys. The"Oonf erence unailiinou~lr,: ,r~9.o1Thhends appf gt41-
('_ ' ~of this proj ec't'i r Respectful1Y,, \ -:, OA '7 / A J, ·~~f • . '· For the Coiiterence 6 l/ - / 1?7V q~~
af" AJ, I ,(,'\ /. ~~~'" r~-&~4d ~· :s,;' ..
\P" ~oif ~~"" 1 .. ~ -=.v.c:• -~?~~" ·- y "'-.! 'I ~ .!p:: 't ~
.. l · ~ ~_rT ,, 5 1945. ~.;~~.,:: .. ;.. : "' W'.)'
~-
Memorandum for Mr. Harbo
_ Due to -the range limitations of thil:j type of equip.ze n~ arid_ to the .f;act :t.hat :ii; is necessary that material be installed wi.thin the telephon~ instruinerit proper, it is btlieved that the RF microphone is not a practical piece of technical ~quipment for-Bilreau use at this time.
' ~ECOMMBNDATIOl~: ;:': 11 ~ -
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J C1r~Q1t u~c.J l''r' R.r. M1~rf 11a.
frojr..tl Exf41"';'M.Nt
DATE: Ju~ 28, i95o
IC:'. Tolson Mr. E• A. Ta:m- ·~: gi:~n - IC:'. La4d -­ IC:'. Nlch·""ol'='"s -. -
,, -.. ,,• / llr. Tracy--l ·Mr. Rosen -
• T\.;'\oo'" 11.r. F.gan ·(l. llr. Gurne:=&-- ·~
~ have carried n research lo ine toward using the Ji::: =0-=== · ~ te],.ephone as a microphone by means of sending a radio .frequency signal ::: ~~~i~.;....;.. ~ onto the telephone line at. som~ point betwee·n the telephone and the central i:!ene:g:i-= · ~ lit office. O\ll'.'. efforts i this egard were suqcessful on 'a limited scale in , "'~ ~ ~ thc,i.t it was necessary to ce a small eondenser across the telephone fc ~! \ij .. _ ~+. tch and, further, i at coverage was limited to a few feet from the /, . ,. · ··-·' ~ 1 ~ t'e'.!ephone. (Jbuhtern1 eas M.re?... .r>"> sTtv))a ... :r1ohS ~ \~ \!J • rs·~;)e1>hv1ic C.ou. nle.r. >-n e~ ll""' e.s .f' ") For further v~. :.c on this project several possiDilities a·re open, includ-
in~ the following, ea , ·which rtill be followed to a logical conclusion. .
·~ ~ -~ ~.
\ .....
2. Using telephone bell vibr~tor as tpe microphone'elemen~.
3. ~ Feeding ·an al tern.ate current signal into the phone of s u<;:h freque:q.~y as to be resonant with the line and telephone instrument in question.·
-~· ~
ium . UNITED S GOVERI'r.Ml!:NT l ""' ..
b6 .,~.,,./b7C .....
:g::~~ny -- Ill'. Glav1n __ _
:g:: lfig?.,.....,i::;--- ~= =----------Ill'. carson
• ' • :g:: :'=a'=.=.=.=.= Reference is ·made to my memorandum of July 2S, 1950 relciti ve1 to ~= ~~,~-. _
the,.: al?:c?ve entitled matter reporting. on the progress of ~ research project- T•l•. Roo= -. -. -
1 kiri · · Ill'. Nease • ,<?9 : ~g toward using the telephone as a microphone. by means of sending a ~mr&h:i:~.-.. --
. ·r8~o .. frequez.icy signal._onto the telephone lin~. As you know, this ~s ... <?P.~_gpe .of several methods of using the tel~phone as a· microphone, some A /'""---~- '-' ~~t::-:t.h~:~·~:ther methods involving the use. of altered-.·telephone switches, resistors · ~ across;~he telephone switch, etc.
·.One of the possible, directio~s .fo*' further work outlined in rny memo~8:l}qum· . . <?£~:~u+! .,2S~ 1950 'has result~d ir:i ~ v~'!r ~~p_stapt~al ~pr9vement in the r~s~~ts·
· ;~p~i~~d bY the i:adio .freque_ncy, met!'iod; to the.extent ~hat it is-n~ p~ssible . lA .,:wi:t_J:!-.tµe· laboratory equipment to.dispense with the small condenser"heretof~re ~. v.J.... r~q3Ji~ed across ~he teleph9ne switch~ and ~9 secure coverage over a conside~ably
t}) larger· area such as an average room. ~ . .
\ · Practically, this means. that it is possible t.o utiliz~ ~ existing ... ~; ·t~~rep~~ne ~nstallation _for microphone, coverage without entering ,the. pr.emi~:s of
th~ .su,~ject or vd.thout modifying the- telephone instrument in any way. ·It is ~ stiiLhecessary, how.ever, to have access to the subject ts 'telephone '1ll:es at. ,s·o~e point remote from the subjectts location. .
~ . '_.:In addition t~ the I.ilbora tory. work on this proje c::t, it ha~ been knowri. ... . . . l Q) .th~t. ~'l!hleast two commercial companies yrere conducti~g parallel researcl).; ~m,e~:;· ,~ Re~~a~c~ Products Incorporated, Danbury-, Connecticut, ,and the ·American Inst~~~t~,
~· ,~~ of Ra<;iia~~n, Belmont; California. You will recall that ~orm~r .S~tj.C:-1 ~gen~; -~: · · ·E-?gen~ J ;~:ronin is ~e.s7arch Director o.f the latter orga!lizat~on •. ·Cr_onin. . . ':'.. ._,
. .Previ~u~IY has e_:_~n. ~nvited informally to. demon~trat7 h.is equi.P1jlert.bu~.:~h:'fs·-£a:~·-~,. .'. :· .· . -~~~-~ .. ~de no ?rrangements to do so. ·Accordingly, .it is not k!).own ho)!· J~r: ~s. : ··:,,,.,~/[~'. .. ~ . \J. \'Y~~f·~as ~ror:sr.::· :o:v:,, arrangements t:or, demonstra_tion .o~ th~ ·~q~d;_P~~n~r: . · ·~t · J".· ~ -~~:vel?~d by__ __ ~-~-J of Research Products Incorpor~ted· '\Vere· copip~~~~9:·,. · f ·- · ., •• v
·., ~ and tQ._e de}llons ra on e in the Radio anp Elec:dcal Sectio_n· on ~!le' mor.n;9~-:~f · .... ~.·,_ ':7 July ~9.t 1950. The equipment developed byj __ !Performs in a higQ.Jy sati~f'.~.2to~ , ' ~ ·~~er:, permitting coverage of a substantial porion of the roo!Jl ~~th?ut -mg~i;-~~~, . ,_- l .~ .ca~ion of the. telepho!le instr;ument used for such ~overag:· In ~ew: of -~~e,_}f~~'t-.1 :;_ · :•': ' ~°" tha~ 1 is attempting to arrange .for the sa~e .of ri~t~. to his·· equ;i.pm~_!l~.f;.. ~ . , -~ ;l~~UJ.-~y rela'tive to the details of the radio circ_uits. used ."JY him·~a~:~spe_c~-~~:~~-~ .. -"
0 "l av9!d~d.,_ pa_rticularly in viei'f of the parallel researcn proJ,ect .curr~nt~y be=!;?}~' , CS:fri~d' on in the Laboratory. · ·
____ _.r..,.n..,this connection, it -is noted th~t neither· the e_qµ,~p~nt_;.:,c\~JUOP~·~~a~e<:f·. - !t
o/ I I nor the equi ment developed by the·Flf_~ratory .~~- ye·t·.~~~J.; ~~c~~~f>9,~~~F · -. • . ~;:. l?DEo -119 Ra-:7~0 ~0 ~: .... ~-s-
~ /Nnc:~ · /f '1~ ~ _.,., . x:~ ,,__ ~ ~ vi..J\ED j:iili {L~:Z.;;,bn. s;\;~: : .. J .. ·-"--;, ~-
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Effective countermeasures against the use of such equipment are, of co~~e, available; for exa~ple, the use of suitable condensers to prevent the radio frequency from entering the telephone instrument is entirely feasible. However, until knowledge of this -technique becomes more widely known, it i~ felt tha~ this technique will be of material value to the Bureau, particularly in cases where access to the subjectrs premises is difficult or impossible.
ACTION:
I I is knmm to be negotiating with the Military for sale of his equipment. This phase of the matter is being covered' in a separate memorandum.
i llvras requested, however, to furnish the Bureau with a cost. est~mat~ts manufactured by him in quantities of the order of 50 to 100. He'~dvised that such an estimate would be furnished and indicated tentatively tha~ it would probabfy be in the. order of$209 to $250 per unit. If it deyelops thatl lwill sell the uni~s to the Bur.eau at a reasonable price, it is contemplated that a recommendation vdll be submitted for the purchase of ·such
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equipment fro~ I since he already has been through the engineering yroblems inv9lved. In the event such equipment. i,S not avai.lable for purchase from_ I co~ideration will be given to the construction in the laboratory of equipment t"or(:use by the Bureau, or possibly the manufacture 0£ sucll units by some reputable company. In the meantime we are proceeding to construct a few of these uni ts for pos~ible emergency use.
ALL FBI INFOP.MATIOM COMTAIMED
' .
Referral/Consult Re: Wire Tapping 'S Memorandum to l!1•. Harb·o ~
or any of the repre~entatives of the Ee art e~ Eefense that the FBI had been thrown into hysteria by this depelopment.
. Oolonel Sidney~ubenstein, who ,is now .Executii/e Security Coard· ting Ofticer in the Office of the Secretary of »e/ense, accompanied
.----to the Bureau for the. demonstration. Aside from the others,
1 Ru~.enstein tol'l:l me that his superiors were quite e:.cbited about this and were disc~e pqssibility of buying the exclusive rights to this
· idea from bu-b he felt ha t BI the one to be the ur- chdsin an coor inatin a enc
W01fld not under any circumstances pay 'hush money" ta I or anyone .I told ~nstein we
l} el~e for ·bhe idea, and llr. Conrad and I later told I at we were not interested in buying the idea. We did tell him that we had been wor.king on a· device which achieved the same thing ·and we knew others were wor.king along similar lines. Yfe also advised him that we knew it was ROisible to detect the radio /requeno~ in a telephone instrument and it
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to give us a quotation on the manufacture -'of these units in lots 0 5 , ' 100 and 200 reg_ardless o.f whether they were constructed. from his design or from ours. I I told us he could do this and would be glad to give
J)' us an estimate when he returned to Washington later thifJ .wee'k. He tenta­ ti vel11 estimated they would cost in the, neighborhood of {p'225 each •.
CURRENT EEVELOP:Ul!,'NTS w
. ' · I received a phone call this morning from former Agent Pa*oyne:
l !l(who is now with the National Security Council and ~e came ouer in connec-~ J tion with a request that Admiral Souers had received from the President.
Coyne was rather disgusted that there should haue been such fanfare and e:cc,itement over this development and asked what the· Bureau's knowledge !
and position were with regard to it. I told JJr. Coyne about the demonstra~
JI tipn of the equipm~nt last Saturday here at the Bureau; which he was 1, already familiar wt.th, and I also told him confidentially that we had ~ been working on the same thing and had a .successful laboratory model. I. also told him I had advised Rubfnstein jnd I I that the Bureau would n:ot pay any 11hush money" to_ _or anyone else because:
working on this' idea and it would of time before somebody…