Shop to house communication

[Zachary Hoyt]

I'm wondering if anyone here has any advice about house-shop communication. The buildings are only about 16 feet apart, but it rains or snows or is icy here enough of the time that it would be convenient if my mother (who turned 70 this summer) could reach me without having to come outside. I have a phone but don't always notice it on vibrate if I am using machinery, and can't hear it a lot of the time. I'm thinking about possibilities ranging from a wire between buildings with a flag on a pivot in the shop so she could pull a handle and raise the flag up, to some kind of electronic solution like an intercom or something. I've also wondered about a doorbell for people with hearing difficulties, which I have heard can be a kind of strobe light sort of thing that is activated by pushing a button in another place. If anyone has tried any of these or any other means of notifying the person in the shop that they are wanted elsewhere I'd like to hear about it and how it worked for you. Thank you very much.

[Aaron Inami]

Interesting concept. Googling around, I found something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Wuloo-Interco...dp/B07PG82TK7/

No idea how well it works, but it comes with two transmitter "ringers" and two receivers. You could put one transmitter/ringer on your front door and one transmitter/ringer inside the house. Then have a receiver in your shop and a receiver inside your house (in case someone on the front door uses this instead of the doorbell). Someone inside the house could hit the transmitter/ringer and alert your receiver in the shop.

[Bill Dufour]

They make a bluetooth unit for your cellphone. Drop it in and it connects to the home land line phones. So they all ring at once and you can pick up the cell call from any land line phone connected to the wires. I do not think you have to have land line service just the wires inside the house.
Radio shack used to sell a strobe light that lit up when the phone rang. Lumber yard had a big school bell that rang with the phone in the yard.
Bill D.
https://www.oldphoneshop.com/product...furbished.html

https://www.wheelock-products.com/ph...-flashers.aspx

[roger wiegand]

A bell and flashing light hooked up to a wireless doorbell button should do the trick. Plus an intercom if you want to talk rather than walk over.

I've got an antique fire alarm bell that would wake the dead that I got with the intention of using as my shop doorbell. Never installed it because I figured it would scare the bejeezus out of me at a bad moment.

[Tom Bain]

I understand your reasoning for wanting a solution for your Mom, but I can tell you the last thing I want is an easy way for my wife to contact me in the shop!

[Tom M King]

My Mother lived with us a bit more than her 105th, 106th, and 107th years. She was clear headed, continent, but paralyzed on one side from a stroke. I had to stay within two minutes of the house so I could transfer her when needed. We used an alarm system by the company linked below from Amazon. She had a button near her at all times. The alarm was loud enough and adjustable. It never once failed to work.

They should have something that will work.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought a fast lawnmower, and wore the cellphone in front of me so I could see when I got a call to come to the house. I couldn't hear it or feel it on the mower.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

[Ken Fitzgerald]

We are on our 2nd portable phone system that has enough handsets to put one in the shop. They work well for answering the phone and using the intercom system there too.

[George Yetka]

paper-cups-feature.jpg

Honestly I think cell phones may be better. I would link your phone to bluetooth speaker so it stops whatever music and rings. If your mother has an issue where she cant reach the intercom shed be better to call.
Unless you can find a wireless remote she can have that alarms a strobe/horn in the garage.

[John Lifer]

I bought a Hosmart system, amazon link https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Inte...s%2C338&sr=1-6
It works, but my wife just uses my cell phone. If you don't hear the cellphone, this is louder in my opinion, and it sounds different.

[Alan Rutherford]

I don't have a specific suggestion but I'd be leery of any push-to-talk sort of intercom or anything with much more than one button unless you're sure your mother can handle it. I've known otherwise-intelligent people much younger than her who had a lot of trouble with any device more complicated than picking up a telephone handset.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have ordered a strobe light doorbell device and will give that a try. I don't need to worry about my mother needing immediate medical help yet as she's quite spry, but she doesn't like to go out in the rain and I get nervous if she's out on the ice when there is ice. We're thinking to put the button just inside the kitchen door of the house, which lines up with the shop door. The signal will have to pass through two walls instead of just one, but the total distance isn't that far. I can easily run over there when I'm wanted, so the need for long conversations from building to building is not likely, and the strobe seems most likely to get my attention when I'm wearing earmuffs. Thank you all very much.

[glenn bradley]

I have this . . .

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

I put both receivers in the shop at opposite ends. I set it on a long and rambling melody (it has several to choose from) . This is my call for meals or anything else that someone in the house (45 feet away) may need me for. I prefer this to people walking in or knocking and startling me while my hand is near a cutter.

The button is in the kitchen and the receivers are inside the shop, 2x6 insulated walls, machines, infrastructure, etc. and works every time. Wall powered receivers.

[andy bessette]

... I have a phone but don't always notice it on vibrate...

Fix this phone issue.

[Dave Fitzgerald]

We've got a cordless phone system with an intercom feature. The handset in my shop is usually behind too much stuff to actually pick up, but when the intercom rings I know I'm supposed to go in the house for something.

[Wes Grass]

paper-cups-feature.jpg

Honestly I think cell phones may be better. I would link your phone to bluetooth speaker so it stops whatever music and rings. If your mother has an issue where she cant reach the intercom shed be better to call.
Unless you can find a wireless remote she can have that alarms a strobe/horn in the garage.

Before even getting to this post and picture, I was already thinking of a Bob Newhart bit about a budget airline. Pilot came on the intercom ... 'well, it was more like 2 Dixie cups and a string' ...