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Automatic bug finder
The Scanlock Mark VB is one of the first bug finders developed and built
by Audiotel in the UK, shortly after the company was established
in the early 1970s.
It's a fully analog receiver that can automatically search for
hidden bugs within a room.
The Scanlock Mark VB was followed in the early 1980s by the improved
Scanlock 2000 that had a digital read-out.
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Update: 15 February 2011:
We justs received a scanned version of the Scanlock Mark VB user manual,
which we've made available for download below. We will soon update this
page to give more details about this fascinating bug finder.
This page is a stub
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In the early 1980s, a number of additional devices for the Scanlock Mark VB
were developed by Glenn Whidden, Chief of the Technical Services Division
of the CIA. He created the so-called Compuscan and
the Spectrum Monitor (see below),
both of which were built and marketed by Technical Services Agency Inc. (TSA).
These devices are described below.
Glenn Whidden was featured in the BBC series The Walls Have Ears [5].
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In order to visually inspect the radio signals and their signatures,
Glenn developed the Spectrum Monitor. It takes the IF signal directly
from the Scanlock's IF output and displays it Resolution Bandwidth (RSB)
on a small monitor. This allows signals to be inspected and identified.
The first model was called the Spectrum Monitor SM-1. It was sold for
approx. US$ 2800. It was soon followed by the improved SM-2.
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The image on the right shows the SM-2 Spectrum Monitor.
It consists of a sturdy black aluminium case with a small Cathode Ray
Tube (CRT) screen and some controls at the front.
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The Compuscan is a device that is used in tandem with the Scanlock VB.
The operator would take the Scanlock and the Compuscan out to a safe zone,
say, a mile away from the target site. He would then record the activity
on all frequecies with the assumption that there are no bugs in the safe area.
He would then return to the target site and scan only the frequencies that
were not recorded by the Compuscan. This way, one could look only at the
signals that were different.
The theory behind Compuscan eventually evolved into Glenn's Eagle.
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- Audiotel Ltd, Scanlock Mark VB Handbook
- Technical Services Agency, Inc., Compuscan - Operating Instructions
The TSA Compuscan for use with Mk Vb Scanlock. December 1983.
- Technical Services Agency, Inc., Spectrum Monitor SM-1 Operating Manual
The TSA Spectrum Monitor for use with the Mk Vb Scanlock. 1980.
- Glenn H Whidden, CCP, Counter-Eavesdropping Defence
Description of the use of the TSA Spectrum Monitor with the Scanlock VB.
Assets Protection, Volume 5, Number 4, 1980. p.20-23.
- YouTube, The Walls Have Ears
Fascinating BBC show about The Spying Game - The Walls have Ears.
Interviews with former CIA agent Glenn Whidden and others.
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© Copyright 2009-2011, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Mon,05 Dec 2011.07:57:12
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