Anytime you are performing a TSCM inspection always pull the cover
off of the circuit breaker panel that services the area which you are
inspecting, and visually check the inside box for any kind of
eavesdropping device, but also check the box for any kind of RF,
Video, or Carrier Current riding on any of the wiring (do this
extremely carefully).
Then, take your thermal viewer and look at the front of each breaker,
and then the side of each breaker where the wire goes into the
breaker and is secured. Also check the main lug where all of the
power panel, the neutral rail, and finally the ground connection.
Finish the inspection by viewing the first few feet of electrical as
it leaves the box as well.
If you do not have a full-fledged thermal viewer/camera then at least
use a small digital thermometer to see if you have any hot breakers.
Since you have to get into the breaker panels to inspect for bugs, or
at least SHOULD be getting into the breaker panels to look for bugs
you have a responsibility to the client to observe safety related
problems in regards to the things that you touch during your
inspection. If you touch the breaker panel, and you end up being the
last person to touch the breakers just prior to their house/office
going up in flame you are going to have some issues.
ALWAYS, check the client breakers with a some kind of thermal imaging
device if you touch the breaker panel at all. However, this assumes
that the client has engaged you for enough time to perform a proper
TSCM inspection and that they don't have you scheduled for a day or
less for the whole building.
Also, use an ultrasonic stethoscope to listen for any arcing from the
breakers, but don't get too close to the breakers as most ultrasonic
probes are conductive or quasi-conductive you don't want to use the
probe to create a path to ground for 240 volts or more. If you do
have also breakers you will clearly hear then in the headphones of
the ultrasonic stethoscope. On a related note, it is pretty easy to
build an ultrasonic probe for the CPM-700, so if your technically
gifted and don't mind spending $25 in parts you can build your own.
[Hint, for optimal performance take the output the ultrasonic probe,
and use it to modulate a 50 MHz carrier, which you then feed into the
CPM-700 antenna jack].
Should you observe any fault wiring or breakers you are duty bound to
inform the customer of this, and of the safety implications of the problem.
You should also keep a record in the form of some kind of hard-copy
of the video of what you find and attach it to the report, and if
possible see if the electrician left his label/card/sticker on the
panel so you know to be extra suspicion of his/their work in the future.
-jma
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World Class, Professional, Ethical, and Competent Bug Sweeps, and
Wiretap Detection using Sophisticated Laboratory Grade Test Equipment.
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James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 546-3803
Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467
127 Eastern Avenue #291 Web:
http://www.tscm.com/
Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 E-mail: mailto:jm..._at_tscm.com
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We perform bug sweeps like it's a contact sport; we don't play fair, we
take no prisoners, and we give no quarter. Our goal is to stop the spy.
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Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:26 CST