Steel garage intercom suggestions please

[MIDLIFE]

Good Evening,
Ok, I've been a lurker long enough. Thanks everyone for all the help and ideas I've gotten from this forum. Now, I need some help on a topic that I haven't seen anything written about for quite some time.

Yesterday all but put me over the top. My wife and I have been married over 30 years and she knows how upset I get when I'm startled while working on something. Ok, I know after 55 years of life that I should be able to work and think about my surroundings at the same time, I wish I could but I haven't been successful thus far. What was a great start to my Saturday went down hill very quickly when she did it once again. Of course she didn't mean to and the apologies flow.

My garage is lined in metal and the house is cement block. I need some sort of communication system that she can get ahold of me or at least warn me she's coming before she stops my heart yet once again. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

 

[6768rogues]

I used to have one where all you did is plug each unit into a wall outlet. It used the wiring to send messages. As long as the two units were on the same utility transformer, they worked. I don't know if they are still made.

 

[ard]

A cell phone?



Do you have any wires between the two buildings? Ie CAT4,5,6? Or any open conduits?

 

[danbuff]

I use Panasonic cordless phones with a Panasonic range extender. My barn is about 35-40 feet from the house.. Steel siding. I put the phone in the barn next to a window.. So its a phone and intercom.

Dan

 

[joseywales]

An On Air light is what you need. A motion sensor to trip a soft red light won't startle you, where as a noise from any intercom or phone might.

 

[Sychotix57]

I know you're new at communicating here and I mean nothing much by this except I am not understanding how you don't know a million solutions to this.

Cell phone
Knock on the door
A distant holler
Door bell
Dinner gong

If he's like me then none of the noise making alarms will work. My wife startles the hell out of me all the time when working on something. She'll call my phone, yell from a distance, and etc. Won't work until she walks into my field of vision.

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[joseywales]

If he's like me then none of the noise making alarms will work. My wife startles the hell out of me all the time when working on something. She'll call my phone, yell from a distance, and etc. Won't work until she walks into my field of vision.

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Exactly why I'm suggesting a light solution.

 

[Sychotix57]

An On Air light is what you need. A motion sensor to trip a soft red light won't startle you, where as a noise from any intercom or phone might.

That I would consider. Now only if I would pay attention to said light.

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[joseywales]

That I would consider. Now only if I would pay attention to said light.

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Well, get creative. It could be a rope light around the bench. Maybe a flashing light or strobe light that fills the room. Watch Marvel comics or agents of shield episodes. you'll get some ideas. In fact, you me thinking as well.

I was working in the garage and my wife hit garage door opener from outside. That'd be fun with a circular saw!

 

[Sychotix57]

Well, get creative. It could be a rope light around the bench. Maybe a flashing light or strobe light that fills the room. Watch Marvel comics or agents of shield episodes. you'll get some ideas. In fact, you me thinking as well.

I was working in the garage and my wife hit garage door opener from outside. That'd be fun with a circular saw!

I like the idea of the strobe. Like one of those fire alarm ones.

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[joseywales]

I like the idea of the strobe. Like one of those fire alarm ones.

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I'm starting to like it myself. Also, if you can take it, having a radio playing while you work helps. When my wife opened that door, it was dead quiet in there. Some ambient noise would have helped lessen the startle of the door opening...I think.

 

[coljar]

I don't like to be surprised, because you never know if some crackhead wandered in from off the street. I have one of those motion sensor driveway alarms just outside the garage doors which covers the man door, too. I think it was $10 at Rural King and give a door bell signal to the unit inside the garage.

 

[jeffmoss26]

if you want an actual wired intercom, I recommend Aiphone.

 

[Texsun]

Poking around on Amazon, came across Rodann products. Can mix/match doorway sensor, wireless chime and strobe receivers.

https://www.amazon.com/Rodann-Electronics-Alarm-Accessory-Strobe/dp/B008HBNB8C/ref=pd_sim_60_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B008HBNB8C&pd_rd_r=ER2KBYQ8QKWF6FD6AEQX&pd_rd_w=vTjnA&pd_rd_wg=b6aXK&psc=1&refRID=ER2KBYQ8QKWF6FD6AEQX

 

[gnpenning]

When my kids were younger I used a wireless one from radio shack. Worked great. Just plug it in and turn on. It had 3 stations. Saw one still in a box at a yard sale not long ago.

The biggest question is will your wife use whatever you go with? ??

 

[APEowner]

My bride will often get so absorbed in her thoughts that my approach will startle her. While not fool proof we've found that if I just toggle the room lights to get her attention it minimizes the number of times that she jumps out of her skin at my approach.

 

[Mongo68]

Bell around her neck?

 

[killahog]

I wouldn't have one it would really cut down on the barn ***.

 

[Sychotix57]

I wouldn't have one it would really cut down on the barn ***.

It will help you from getting caught.

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[FJ 432]

I use Panasonic cordless phones with a Panasonic range extender. My barn is about 35-40 feet from the house.. Steel siding. I put the phone in the barn next to a window.. So its a phone and intercom.

Dan

I second this idea. I'm a jumpy ******* so now she uses the phone and "calls me" using the intercom mode.

 

[zmotorsports]

I used to have one where all you did is plug each unit into a wall outlet. It used the wiring to send messages. As long as the two units were on the same utility transformer, they worked. I don't know if they are still made.

This is what I had at my last shop/home and loved it. Can't remember the brand but it plugged into standard electrical outlet and worked very well. Would like to get another one for new home and shop but haven't starting looking into it yet.

Mike

 

[MIDLIFE]

I appreciate everyone's responses. I don't have any CAT or phone wires running from the house to the garage. However, the electric is fed to the garage from the house so I'm thinking the plug in intercoms would be the easiest. I wish I could fix how easily startled I am. It's hard at times not to get a little upset with her but I know she really doesn't mean to.

 

[Boilerhouse]

This is what I had at my last shop/home and loved it. Can't remember the brand but it plugged into standard electrical outlet and worked very well. Would like to get another one for new home and shop but haven't starting looking into it yet.

Mike

It is also what I use and have been for the past 10 years. Mine is a Radio Shack FM wireless intercom.

 

[junkyardwarrior]

I didn't put in any cat5 or anything when I had mine built. Why? Because I go to the shop to get away from her. No cell signal once the doors are closed, either, but I realize that since I'm home alone quite a bit that I should really have some signal out there for that just in case moment.

Next thing I do out there is to put an antenna on the roof for TV. Picked up a cheapie 37" flat screen at Goodwill for $100; works flawlessly. Be nice to have it hooked to the stereo's aux port so I can hear the weather alerts when it gets nasty-which this year has been too often.

 

[crewchief888]

When my kids were younger I used a wireless one from radio shack. Worked great. Just plug it in and turn on. It had 3 stations. Saw one still in a box at a yard sale not long ago.

The biggest question is will your wife use whatever you go with? ??

my parents had one of these when i was growing up. one unit in the garage the other was mounted to the wall next to the phone, lock the intercom on in the house, and you could hear the phone ring out in the garage.
you still had to run to try to answer, no caller ID or answering machine's back then.

yanno, like back in the day when there was 1 phone in the house, usually mounted on the kitchen wall... and it had a rotary dial...... and waaaayyyy before cell phones.