Looking to get a wireless intercom for my house & barn. House to barn about 230 feet and my small workshop is the backside of barn. Barn is metal sided.
Would like master unit for house and monitored units in w/s and main part of barn. Monitored meaning wife in house could hear me call if fell off ladder or something.
I have a habit of leaving my phone in one area and going to other part of barn and not hearing when she calls/texts me. Sometimes I don't even take my phone with me. Just looking a unit works without spending too much and make my wife happy.
Any suggestions?

Audio only baby monitor is pretty much your best bet.

But, if you can't be bothered to bring your phone, you probably can't be bothered to turn on the baby monitor.

A traditional intercom, which requires push to talk, won't help you if you fall off a ladder.

I think some of the alexa/google systems do anniuncements.

If you have wifi, a smart speaker may fit the bill. The benefit over a baby monitor is that you don't have an open channel to the house the whole time so your wife doesn't need to hear you and your power tools.

I have Google Home Mini smart speakers all over the house, including in the garage. I can broadcast a message from any smart speaker to any other smart speaker, or to the whole house, using voice commands. We use this functionality to alert each other to when meals are ready, or if one needs help with the baby and hands are full.

Bonus is that you get other smart speaker functionality. In the garage, I use it often to play music, do simple math, convert from imperial to metric, and to set timers.

Lastly, if you are home alone and are injured, you can ask Google to compose text messages or dial calls. It won't dial 911 due to limitations surrounding Voice over IP, but you can easily program the local number for a fire department or police station to be dialed.

If you worry about Google listening in on you, you can disable the microphone on the unit that is inside your house using a hardware switch. The one in the garage can be set to listening, and the ones in the house can be broadcast only.

I have Apple HomePods--both the older more expensive version, and the new $100 mini version. All of them connect up on your network, and by saying "Hey Siri, Intercom" you then say what you want to say to the other speakers. I think you can select one speaker by name.
As I've said many times before, the Apple environment is far more secure than the Amazon and Google ones.

My thought process is that a powered intercom would be left on full time, wouldn't have worry about turning it on and off. Would also let me know if anything goes on my barn when I'm not out there.
Also, no wifi in the barn. Only internet out there is hotspot off my phone.

A wireless baby monitor with video would work too if you are keeping an eye out on the shop. Continuous open channel, two way talk, infrared night vision.

What are the odds your wife is going to carry the other monitor around with her everywhere she goes in the house? If your listening to music in the shop she will have to listen to a low quality version of the same song. I don’t think you can have an open 2-way channel where you can both talk and listen at the same time. So wife hears a thud on the monitor, she calls your phone but it’s in the house with her. She walks out to shed only to find you dropped a piece of wood. My wife would only allow that once.

I also think your pushing the distance limits of a wireless unit.

I use a small FRS radio clipped to my collar for an intercom like this from garage to house. works well, but have to keep the batteries on both ends charged.

mine are like this with rechargable batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/Motorol...%2Caps%2C441&sr=8-26

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
What are the odds your wife is going to carry the other monitor around with her everywhere she goes in the house? If your listening to music in the shop she will have to listen to a low quality version of the same song. I don’t think you can have an open 2-way channel where you can both talk and listen at the same time. So wife hears a thud on the monitor, she calls your phone but it’s in the house with her. She walks out to shed only to find you dropped a piece of wood. My wife would only allow that once.

I also think your pushing the distance limits of a wireless unit.

Most baby monitors now are an open channel from child to parent, but allows a push-to-talk from parent to child to shush them. Wifey would be able to communicate concern over the channel and OP could just speak normally in reply.

If it's a video baby monitor with a wide angle lens, wifey could just look to see if you are okay.

I think the advertised range of some baby monitors approach 400ft for video, and 1000+ feet for audio only.

Our video baby monitor will work in shop that is about 120ft away from house + 2 rooms (1ext wall, 1 int), as long as receiver is in the window.

Ok, let me try this again.
I would like a system that would allow me to turn on/off the monitor ability of the workshop/barn units. I may be hammering, grinding, using power tools, maybe even trying out some new reloads into my bullet trap, ect that my wife will NOT want to listen to.
But there are times I may need to get on a ladder, fix light, get stuff out of high storage area, ect. I, myself, would like to be able to turn on the monitor mode in case I should have a mishap. Then I could just call out that I need help or she might hear me come crashing down.
At my age I don't bounce so well anymore.
I DO NOT want a unit that is full time monitor like a baby type.

I think your best option might be a radio setup of some kind.

You could get this base station, and leave it on at all times in the house.

Match that with something like this for the shop that you can turn on and off as necessary. You may be able to use the radio in a voice activated mode that will only transmit when it hears sound. These are just examples, you can probably mix and match different GMRS/ FRS components.

Radios are not dependent on an internet signal, and with a setup similar to this you could probably make it work in the manner you desire.

ISTM your choices are a baby monitor--turn it on when you want if, off when you don't, or something like Apple HomePods--but things like those won't open-monitor. You have to be able to "call out" to them. If, for example, you crash off a ladder and are rendered unconscious they'll do you no good.

(That latter thing is why I recently upgraded my Apple Watch to one with fall detection.)

Personally, whenever I plan to do something with a reasonable expectation 911 might be required, I make certain I have somebody watching me full-time.

Why not just wear an Apple Watch with wireless, you can call without your phone, send and receive texts, it has a walkie talkie feature, has a fall detector, and will even call 911 if something more serious were to happen.

A blink Mini Cam might be the solution, and an Alexa screen unit or app on the phone.

Link to a Blink

Have to check but maybe run it over your phone hotspot for wifi when you are there, or put in a wifi mesh system with one of the units in or near your barn for wifi....

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
Ok, let me try this again.
I would like a system that would allow me to turn on/off the monitor ability of the workshop/barn units. I may be hammering, grinding, using power tools, maybe even trying out some new reloads into my bullet trap, ect that my wife will NOT want to listen to.
But there are times I may need to get on a ladder, fix light, get stuff out of high storage area, ect. I, myself, would like to be able to turn on the monitor mode in case I should have a mishap. Then I could just call out that I need help or she might hear me come crashing down.
At my age I don't bounce so well anymore.
I DO NOT want a unit that is full time monitor like a baby type.

Baby monitors have power switches on both ends.

But, if you can't be bothered to carry your phone, are you going to go through the trouble of turning on the intercom?

Two way radio? But then, why not just carry your phone?

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
I have Apple HomePods--both the older more expensive version, and the new $100 mini version. All of them connect up on your network, and by saying "Hey Siri, Intercom" you then say what you want to say to the other speakers. I think you can select one speaker by name.
As I've said many times before, the Apple environment is far more secure than the Amazon and Google ones.

Shut the front door!

I’ve had one in each room for years and never knew that!

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:



But, if you can't be bothered to carry your phone, are you going to go through the trouble of turning on the intercom?

In my second post I said I intended to leave the intercom turned on full time.

I have ordered a system.
Thanks to all that tried to help out.

Got my intercoms today. Works and sounds great!
No on/off switch, if it is plugged in, it's on.

Appears it is exactly what I wanted.