What about an intercom???

[Harv]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
a cordless extension phone setup that has a second "hangar" and "charger" for it so THAT unit stays in the shop and just sympathetically rings when the base unit does?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yep, that's pretty much it. Hmmm... now that you got me thinking about it, I'm not sure the base unit rings at all. I think it's just the (up to 3) handsets that ring. I'd have to check on that. Of course, what I'm calling the "base unit" is an answering machine, pager (to locate the handsets), intercom and charger for one of the handsets. It's the part you plug into your phone outlet, but it's not actually a phone itself.

Take a look this (the system I have) . Might give you a better picture. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[herbenus]

I want one. Do you know the range? Will it work if I'm out in my metal barn?

[Harv]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Do you know the range?

[/ QUOTE ] The specs don't seem to include a range, but that's probably 'cuz there are a number of variables which can affect the usable distance. It uses the 2.4GHz transmission band, so it is much less prone to interference than earlier cordless phones, but I don't think the actual range is improved over the old 900 MHz phones. It performs great here around the house and in the yards, but we're probably never more than maybe 75 feet from the base.

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Will it work if I'm out in my metal barn?

[/ QUOTE ]I would guess that a metal structure would inhibit the signal, but I certainly don't know that for a fact. Nor do I know how far your barn is from where your base unit will be. My suggestion is to pick up the system from a place that has a good return policy and try it out at your place. That's the only way you'll know for sure. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Bird]

I don't know what the range is either, but we liked ours well enough that we bought our youngest daughter one last Christmas, and now that we've moved next door to her, she just carries one of her handsets with her when she comes over here so she doesn't miss any calls, we don't get any interference between hers and ours, and it works just fine through the walls of two closed up and air-conditioned homes.

[Pat]

There are "wireless" intercoms that use the phone lines without interfering with phone service. The standard wireless intercoms that communicate over the power wires work fine as long as all units are on the same transformer. If you have a separate transformer feeding one location then all bets are off as to function.

We use the 450 MHz band handy talkies FRS (Family Radio Service) and have a base station in my mom's house and the shop. We routinely talk 1/2 mile but comms are poor when the doors are down in the shop (all metal building).

Pat

[donh]

If you have the service available, the answer is one word - Nextel. Everyone in my family, and most of our friends, and virtually all of the ag businesses and contractors use Nextel. The Direct Connect 2-way feature is great! When you push the button for talk, it "chirps", so we call it "chirping" each other. Since all of us are carrying around our phone as well as our 2-way intercom, we're thinking seriously of not even having a land line phone in our new house. The only reason our kids have a phone is dial-up internet (no cable or DSL available); I plan to network a DirectPC Satellite internet hookup so we'll share our connection with our kids (next door), and they'll probably cancel their land line phone at that time.

It doesn't matter whether the person you "chirp" is on the other side of a locked door ("Chirp - hey let me in! It's raining!) or across the country ("Chirp - Where are you?" "Chirp - Looking at that boat on Long Island." "Chirp - Oh, guess you won't be coming to dinner tonight.") It's really great for tractor use ("Chirp - can you come out here? The tractor's on top of me." (hasn't happened yet)).

If you don't have the service yet, then equip everyone with family radios. I've seen them as cheap as $15 each.

[Molerj]

I am using an intercom that I bought at Lowes. I actually have three intercoms. One in the kitchen, one in the den &amp; one in the metal sided barn that is about 75' or so away from the house. It just plugs into an outlet. No phone lines or anything to worry about. It works perfectly. There is a button you push that gives a signal. Push another button &amp; speak. I originally bought just two, but added the one for the den/computer room a few months ago. We got tired of yelling for the teenage daughters when we needed them. I don't know about any of you, but these kids are obsessed with the Instant messaging. Oh, btw, I believe the name of the unit is Westinghouse. I can provide more info if you would like.

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Yeah.....I WOULD like the specifics on those intercoms. We have a Lowes in a big city not TOO far away, and another Lowes under construction in a city that is about 25 miles away. Thanks for the tip. I'll be checking this thread from time to time. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Molerj]

Here's a picture of what I bought. They are both the exact same thing. The first time I bought them they had Novi as the company, second time it was Westinghouse.

[Molerj]

Ok, here is the picture [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]