Many parents use baby safety monitors; these are communication devices which can be invaluable to parents of infants and toddlers. There are a lot of different baby monitors out there, making the choice a sometimes difficult one.
There are many different types of baby safety monitors to choose from and each with it own features. Parents who have used one in the past or are presently using a baby monitor are aware of the noise interference challenges in the beginning such as the microwave and even another baby monitor in the same neighborhood. The models today are more sophisticated, quiet and some also provide video in addition to sound.
All baby monitors do use radio signals to allow you to hear what’s going on in the nursery. While this is what makes baby monitors effective, these signals can be listened in on by people in the area. Many baby safety monitors essentially operate as electronic bugs! These devices are in use by thousands of households all over the world.
Unfortunately, this means that criminals are able to tap into these signals and find out when the best time is to invade your home.
Anyone with a pair of headphones and an inexpensive radio scanner can eavesdrop on the signals from a baby safety monitor and find out when no one will be at home. This presents a security risk to families.
Burglary is a risk that we all face and being the victim of this crime can leave you feeling helpless and violated. Burglars have it pretty easy when there are unsecured electronic communications devices like cordless phones and baby monitors in use in a home. They case homes, watching for the comings and goings of the occupants and may also listen in on baby monitors and phone conversations. Once they have found an easy target, they will strike.
We use a radio scanner at my company to monitor the radio dispatchers. While I was setting up the scanner to monitor these employees, I discovered that I could hear the conversations that neighbors were having on cordless phones and the sounds transmitted by their baby safety monitors as well!
They were no longer people I exchanged greetings and small conversation with, but I now knew them more intimately; very private and personal conversations I did not need to know and when they would be home or not and even making vacation plans.
With older and newer models of baby safety monitor, there is a risk of being eavesdropped on. Even at a distance of a few blocks, people are able to listen in on what’s going on near your baby monitor; but not using a baby monitor at all is not really an option, so what’s the best course of action for concerned parents? You should keep in mind that you may not really be alone – so don’t discuss anything which may be helpful to criminals within range of your baby monitor and don’t forget to turn it off when you are not using it.
One innovation which can give parents of infants and toddlers peace of mind while still protecting their privacy is to use a digital baby monitor. With these baby safety monitors, the signal is scrambled so that it can only be listened to on the receiver provided. Anyone else trying to listen in would find it nearly impossible to decode the signal and will move on to an easier target.
