I want to get one of those ear microphone to used when recording cell phone conversations. I noticed on Amazon that one can get the Olympus TP-8 at a decent price. But from the reviews on Amazon, it seems like there is something called "phantom power" meaning (if I understood it correctly) that the microphone needs power from the audio recorder to work. Apparently some audio recorders can supply this power and some can't. From Amazon I can't figure out which recorders have this power.
Is there a way to figure this out? What should one look for in the description?
I do already have an old RCA (RP5120-A) recorder, but it was very cheap and is old. I am guessing that this would not have "phantom power". Is that right?
Does one of the following audio recorders have this "phantom power"?
- Olympus VN-702
- Olympus WS-801
Which other cheaper ($60 or less) recorders can be recommend that would have this "phantom power"?