shop intercom?

Tom Baugues

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2,790
Location
Lafayette, Indiana
I've finally been able to spend some good time out in my shop lately. It's been great (photos to come later). However it has caused an "issue" here at home. When I'm needed inside the house my wife has to come out to the shop to get me. Does anyone use an intercom system for communication between the house and shop. I'm detecting a little "issue" with this. Especially when it raining, so I think I need something to make it easier to communicate without her having to go outside. I'm thinking of a simple wireless doorbell system.
 
I use a wireless system Tom, just plug one in the house and one in the shop.....just as long as your shop is wired to the household wiring. Cell phones work also:)
 
Tom in keeping with keeping the cost down and the aspect of noise causing any audible thing to not be heard adding to the aggravation of the person trying to get your attention, If you can why not simply mount a bulb of some sort of color go with blue like the cops :) and then route a few feet of flex cord into the house to a switch which can be used to turn the blue light on or off.

That way the blue light can be set on and left on and when you look up or around or whatever you see its on call. When you go back inside reset the switch to off and you good to go next time.

Cost is minimal and no sophistication to go wrong. Pretty clear when light is on get ass in gear and come inside. Mount it at a height that takes into consideration small kids playing fool with you or alternatively if they aint an issue in your house mount it low so one could get to it in an emergency.
 
When I'm needed inside the house my wife has to come out to the shop to get me. Does anyone use an intercom system for communication between the house and shop.

As for myself, I would welcome the isolation as I noticed that my wife has a different idea of "needed" than I do. You may live to regret getting that intercom!
 
We have a four station wireless model, from Radio Shack.

1. in shop
2. in her sewing studio
3. in home office, and
4. in living room.

They work quite well. We've had them for about five years. They were around $59.95 when we bought them. Probably more now (like everything else is...).
 
Tom...we bought a Uniden cordless phone. It wasn't expensive and we bought it at Costco. It came with the base station, 3 phones and 2 remote charging base stations. It has a built in intercom system. I have one charger and phone in my standalone shop. I can answer the phone and my wife can use the intercom between the shop phone and either of the other two cordless phones in the house.
 
OH BOY! Now don't go find an easy simple solution to this. :huh: My wife has been after me for years to put an intercom in the workshop in basement and one in our garage. I've argued I would ab very expensive and I'd have to tear out walls do run wires, and all sorts of things, including if I work and concentrating on something and all of a sudden there is a voice speaking, I will JUMP and wreck something or get hurt!:eek: . Do you really want to interrupt your good shop time that easy?? I say if they have to come and get you, it well be for something important.
 
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You know guys...my biggest concern is I might miss dinner.....and that would be bad. :rofl: :rofl:
I had thought about the cordless phone intercom system like Ken suggested and even thought I had an older system tucked away in a drawer from years ago that had that feature but when I dug it out it did not. I like Rob's idea of using a light as a signal also but running wire to the house would not be very easy now. If I had thought of this when I ran all the electrical out in the first place I could have added an extra wire. I think I will go look at systems like Steve has. That seems like it might work. Reviews from other buyers are sketchy but I suppose it depends on how you plan on using them.

Paul, I be sure to let you know if it is simple, cheap and no wires. :rofl:
 
We have a cordless phone system that was not very expensive. The one in the house plugs into the land line. The one in the shop does not. This kills 2 birds with one stone: I have a cordless phone in the shop, without having to wire it to the house, and we have an intercom for calling in and out. Way better than a baby monitor, IMO.
 
Typically my wife texts or calls my cell phone, but I've got a set of those 2 mile walkie talkies that have a page button on them. I keep one on the base and take another to the shop and swap them once a week so the other can charge on the base. If it's more important/urgent than usual she'll use it to get my attention.
 
Typically my wife texts or calls my cell phone, but I've got a set of those 2 mile walkie talkies that have a page button on them. I keep one on the base and take another to the shop and swap them once a week so the other can charge on the base. If it's more important/urgent than usual she'll use it to get my attention.

That's a good idea. We've been using them lately for when I go hiking behind the house, just in case.

Generally, for household communication, we use the good old fashioned YELL method...
 
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