Wireless Monitor for Barn Advice needed

[horsinaround]

I need to put a monitor in the barn to hear what is going on. I don't want to run wire all the way from the house if I don't have to.... Does anyone have a good suggestion as to what monitor will do well. I only want audio (no video) and an intercom feature.

Thanks.

[Handyman]

Have you tried going to Radio Shack ?
Wireless monitoring isn't a big deal. In fact I just noticed Walmart has wireless motion activated video security camera's that hook up to your VCR.

[rbhollabaugh]

Baby monitors might work well and they can be found at yard sales cheap. Some newer monitors are 2-way.

[jimbrown]

Consider a couple of famlyradio service/gmr radios. Be sure to get them with the (VOX voice operated switch). You could just leave one in the barn in the VOX mode and it would transmit noise to the other one. Would work as intercom and for other purposes also.

[QRTRHRS]

Are you monitoring a mare due to foal? For that purpose, I think one of those monitors that secures to the mare and lets you know when they lie down is the way to go.

I tried some wireless video/sound cameras with little success. The barn was about 100 feet from my brick house. The house seemed to be what was killing the signal. That was six years ago and I have forgotten the frequency. Perhaps there are better systems now.

I then went to a wired system with black and white cameras. I had to use black lights to get enough lighting.

We were monitering three mares due to foal. We lost a lot of sleep listening to barn sounds and in the end, missed all three foalings.

[Pat]

http://www.x10.com

Lots of remote monitoring stuff.

If house walls stop reception put an antenna outside.

Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[RichZ]

I put in Radio Shack wireless intercoms in my barns and milkhouse. It uses the electrical wires of your buildings (assuming that they're all on the same electrical service) to run the signal. They also have a monitor button, that allows you to listen in to one intercom. I use that in my goat barn during kidding time. I can always hear when a doe goes into labor at night (usually in the middle of the night) and I can run into the barn to be there in case she needs help. They work great, and they're cheap. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[horsinaround]

Thanks for the information... I will monitor both ways... I need to hear activity in the barn.. and probably more important, have a way to see if there is activity in the house (the things kids get into!) when I am in the barn.