Phone Recorder Guide

So, you're thinking of purchasing a phone recorder...?

They are very useful little gadgets to have, but it can be kind of frustrating trying to decide which one you need - with all of the different kinds of technological recorders available today. Below, you will find some great information about them and how to decide which type fits your specific need.

First, some of the use for such devices.

There are many reasons that people utilize phone recorders...

-Sometimes business is done on the phone and it can be hard to remember each detail of the conversation. In cases like this, phone recorders allow us to play back the entire conversation so we don't miss any details.

-You may also need to utilize a phone recorder if you are suspicious of your spouse cheating on you. Many a wife and husband has gotten the truth from a voice recorder. Sometimes proof like this is needed in court and to confront your spouse. Lots of husbands and wives use these for evidence rather than hiring an expensive private investigator.

-Think the baby sitter is making long distance calls and getting more than a day's worth of baby sitting in calls on your phone? If you are finding strange telephone call charges on your phone, a recorder is a great way to learn what is going on. Find out by recording the calls and keep her from talking you dry!

The different types of phone recorders

Digital voice recorder:

This is a tiny recorder that stores files, on a memory chip. Works great with cell phones.

These are easily transferred to a computer via a usb cable for later review. These can be plugged into a phone jack and used to record phone calls. They are really great because a lot of them are voice activated, so they only start recording when the phone is picked up and someone begins talking. However, this can be a bad thing if you have children or animals. Some of them can become activated with just a dog's bark or child's cry.

Things to look for:
-Depending on the model, recording time can vary from a few hours to 60+ hours. So pick a model that fit your requirements.

-Not all model records date and time of each call. If it's important to you, make your the unit you pick does this.

Standard and cheap mini tape recorder type:

This is probably what most people think about when they think of a phone recorder. A small recorder which records voice onto a mini cassette tape. They can be plugged into a phone jack to record telephone calls as well. These are good because they are portable, and they cost very little money. However, the quality of them usually isn't as great as a digital recorder. Like the expensive types of recorders (more on this later), it can be difficult to go back and locate the exact portion of the recording that you want.

If you want a really high tech phone recorder, there is the...

Expensive 'investigator' type:

This is the kind that a private investigator would use. It is really great because it comes with date information, time, caller ID, and other features. However, this will cost you a good chunk of money. It's really not very practical for someone who is purchasing a recorder for one specific event, such as catching a cheating spouse. More the kind that you would purchase to keep track of many conversations for many different people.

Telephone recording software:

This one allows you to utilize the computer for your recording needs.

The big advantage here is a computer allows you to record an enormous amount of conversations without "running out of memory".

This kind of software allows you to automatically record the incoming calls that you want to record, and not the ones that you don't have need for. You're able to organize the phone calls under different folders, and keep everything just where you can find it when you need it. You are also able to keep track of the time and date like you can with the expensive voice recorder.

Another big "plus" is that since it looks normal to have a telephone plugged into the computer, no one who sees it will suspect that you are recording telephone calls.

With all the different kinds available, it's easy to find a phone recorder that is perfect for your needs and budget. Use the information in the article above to help you find the one that is perfect for you.