Wireless Intercom work for Detached Shop?

[Ken Vaughn]

I need to install some form of communication between my shop and house which are only about 25 feet apart. I have been using a two line wall phone in my shop, but for various reasons that is no longer possible. Anyone have experience with the $35 to $40 wireless intercom systems? I assume these use a radio frequency to communicate. Both the house and shop are connected to a common electrical system (shop has a sub panel connected to house main panel) if that makes any difference.

[Doug Winterburn]

You might have to try different outlets to make sure both units are on the same hot/phase. If you need to, you could reverse the hot leads to the sub panel to accomplish this.

- Doug

[Eric Johnson]

Oh c'mon just say Daddy want's the new cool intercom for Xmas! If you care about what is being said the wirless intercom can easily be picked up on a scanner. I do it the old fashun'd method. She comes out and patiently waits till I finish doing what ever I'm doing.... And she gets a little more exercise than 25' Hell must at least 40 ;-)

[Pounds on Wood]

We have a cordless phone in the home, and it has additional optional handsets available. The handsets include a small battery charger cradle. The system includes local intercom between the handsets. My shop is detached, and it's about 80 feet or so between the base station and the shop handset. It works okay. We don't use the intercom much, SWMBO prefers to just wander out to the shop, but the system might be good for. The phone was about $100 and each handset about $40 IIRC.

--

[Kenneth]

Howdy,

We have used two such systems both from Radio Shack.

The first was so terrible that we returned it. The second is remarkably good. There is little if any background noise and the fidelity is remarkably good. The cost was in your price range.

Please let me know if you would like the specifics.

All the best,

[Ba r r y]

Some do, they use Family Radio Service frequencies that should work fine. Just assume that someone is probably listening, so no reading the credit card info over the intercom. I like these much better than the units below, and you get the added bonus of using a handheld to communicate with them, if desired.

Other units use AC wiring, and in my experience, they suck. Others can hear them, as well, if they have similar units and are on the same primary electric feed as you. Mine would start giving off random noise as noise came down the power lines.

Barry

[Ba r r y]

"Dinner's Ready!" is a big secret?

Barry

[GARY]

Ken, I had the same situation 2 years ago. What I did was buy two FRS radio base stations off eBay. Are you are familiar with FRS? They have a range of 2 miles. The base stations have an electrical plug in adapter so you won't worry about batteries. They also have a weather channel. You can also get the walkie-talkie type if you want to carry one around. I Paid about $20 each.

Gary

[Greg O]

I have a Radio Shack intercom for the house and garage, works fine. My neighbor bought on too. Found out the funny way that he bought the same frequency! He was testing it, except he was talking to my wife, while his listened in! He took his back and got a differant frequency. Greg

[John W. Fawcett]

I have an almost identical setup for my shop and house. I purchased a

900MHz wireless intercoms that are AT&T branded. They work great. When she wants me, she hits the talk button, which plays a sound on my end.

I'd say the house is 50-60 feet from the shop. We placed the inside intercom in the kitchen which is on the wall facing the shop.

Of course, if she sets something down on top of the intercom, I get

*lots* of calls. That > I need to install some form of communication between my shop and house which

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[Groggy]

Hi Ken, I use a wireless doorbell. It gets my attention when needed.

[RampRat]

Ken,

Smarthome has all kind of gadgets including intercoms.

this helps. Rick

[Ken Vaughn]

Actually that was my initial thinking on the matter, but I would have to buy one, so I think I will look at the wireless intercom while I'm at it.

Ken Vaughn Visit My Workshop:

[Charley]

I've had one in my shop for about 8 years now. My shop is in a detached building that's about 100 ft from my house. It's been a real time saver for both the wife and me, except when she tries to call me while I'm using one of the bigger power tools. She's now learned that if I don't answer her, she needs to wait a minute or so and then try again. They will work anywhere that you have a power connection to plug them into by sending a radio signal through the power line, even as far as the neighbor's house, but they won't work beyond the power transformer that supplies power your house, or group of houses, and your shop. If your shop has a separate electric service running to it and it's fed from a different power transformer, then these intercoms won't work for you.

[Sweet Sawdust]

I have three of these units, FRS freq and ac plug in. Great for intercom system in house/shop or with hand held anywhere on our place, even mowing yard. I put a set of speakers on the one in the shop and it sounds like the person talking is right there with you.

[Pat Barber]

Those little hand held radios are awful cheap now Ken... I bought a pair for $25. Most of the intercoms are MUCH more.

Ken Vaughn wrote:

[Edwin Pawlowski]

My grandson gave me a wireless intercom for Christmas lat year. Works well enough. One in the garage, the other in the family room. You just have to remember to turn it on and it works even better.

[Bob]

Ken,

In this day and age, almost everyone uses cordless phones in their household. Most all of these phones have a built in intercom. I always just grab one of the units on my way out the door to my shop and the wife can reach me (any time I want her to) :~)

[Bob G.]

========================= I gave up using intercoms.... When running a machine in the shop I just could not hear it calling... lol ...which PISSED the wife off to no end...

I now just use my telephone...the house intercom feature adds 2 bucks a month to the phone bill...BUT my wife can pick up any phone in the house and call me in the shop using our own phone number...

I still can not hear the phone ring in the shop

BUT I have shop phone hooked up to a Radio Shack Strobe light ...gets my attention...damn fast !

Bob Griffiths

Works...

Bob Griffiths. ..BUT I have Radio Shack STROBE

[Knothead]

We have the house the shop and everything pretty well wired for sound,TV and internet. With some help from a computer savvy kid down the road we set up both my shop PC and my wifes PC with web cams and used the video conferencing software that came with them. It's got an attention signal and chat line so it works really well. If I'm not busy or have a tool running I walk right over to the PC and camera and we video conference right over the home network... No internet involved. If I don't hear the attention signal she just assumes I'm busy and types in a chat message that remains there until I answer it. I thought this was a little over the top but it's really simple and it cost $45 for a 2 webcam bundle including the software. I sent the kid that set it up for me down the road with $50.

Knothead