Rik,

Most cordless phone sets have an easy system of internal comms between the handsets (as long as you don't lose the instructions – DAMHIKT). Make very handy phones as well.

David

Rik.

Isn't the point of a 'man shed', that the other half can't get at you any more?

Get her some different coloured flags that she can wave from a safe distance to indicate when dinner's ready, or when she's cracked open a tinnie for you etc.

Martin.

I suppose that, if comms are to be one way, a wireless baby alarm would do the trick. She has the baby's end (transmit) and you have the receiver. That means you can't answer back, though.

As David says, cordless phones with 2+ handsets usually have an intercom button on the base station (the one that sits next to your master socket) which will ring the outlying set(s), whereupon you can pick up in your workshop and explain that you are in the middle of something really complicated and can't help just now. Something like a "Panasonic KX-TG6481 Twin" (a "Which" Best Buy) will set you back about £53, with a handset on the base station and another one for the workshop. Also means you can make/answer ordinary phone calls from within the workshop. I have a 3-handset BT job, one in the traditional place in the hall, one by the bed and one in the garage. Also have another two hard-wired extensions in kitchen and living room.

Andy

Rik,

The device in your link won't work in your situation, where the external wiring is very sensibly not part of the ring main.

Our cordless land-line phone with mutiple handsets has an Intercom facility. That's the easiest way.

But I thought also the point of the shed was to be out of reach. Although mine is just outside the back door, I have a "shop door" alarm to let me know of intrusion into the special little world in the shed.

In a previous life (and wife) I had a battery powered two way intercom. These are probably still available.

Phil

Rik,

Having a think (THINK I said), there are cordless doorbell intercoms, but I think your 15 metres would be a bit too far for them. I have tried something similar, and the signal was easily blocked by walls etc.

How is the wiring to the workshop arranged? If there is a return to the fuseway, ie 2 cables, one out/one back in, then you could break into it in the house and fit a single socket just for the comms device. That would work.

If its just a single buried cable up the garden, as it usually is, then breaking into it in the house with a socket MAY work, but depends on the device, and what the maker regards as a ring main. Obviously, in fact, it is a cable that starts and finishes at the same terminal, so current can be drawn either way, from any point on the ring. In the house, no problem, it's easy to find sockets on the same ring, but in my house this wouldn't work between bedroom and sitting room, because the upstairs and downstairs have separate ring mains.

Further enquiry from the vendor or maker as to whether comms between 2 points on a single cable is possible seems indicated. But as described, as I said, it won't work.

We need Ted Fletcher to give his opinion, a wizard with electrics.

Phil

My workshop is in the cellar under the lounge so like ALLO ALLO she uses one of her sticks to bang the floor and I pop my head out of the trap door. It is usually "can I have a cup of tea"…
Rik you wait untill you have been married over 40 years like me…. There are loads of comms stuff on the market now try all the usual offendors Maplins, Ebay Tesco……
Bob

Earplugs

Neil

I got one of those mains intercom sets at a garage sale, but it didn't work, so I went to Dick Smiths, and got a kit set inter com, its very basic, took about an hour to solder up and assemble. Have not used it since Mum died in 2005, but while I was looking after her it was very handy.

Funny story about it. I was home alone one evening, I'd locked up the workshop, and was watching TV, when the inter com buzzed, went out to see why, opened the door, and just about got bowled over by the neighbours cat as it made a hasty exit, clever cat! Ian S C

Interesting description of the devices, "Same phase same ring" Could you get different phase and same ring?? Assuming single phase that is.

As others have said, use the cordless phone – it has other uses besides being a pager.

Slightly different, but I use wifi connection in the w/shop to get internet radio here in France.

I'm with AndyF on this.

I have a Tomy baby alarm – two units, plugged into mains, one in living room one in workshop. One-way speech comms (SWMBO to me) and response is via a 'Click' transmit button – one for yes and two for no. The sound pickup is remarkable and means I can monitor for phone calls when she's out. Got mine on the Bay – good value!

Rgds

Bill

I'd wondered about the point Michael raises as well. These things usually work by injecting their signal back into the mains wiring to be picked up by the other unit. So long as there is a connection they should work, and in a domestic situation, all on one phase, all circuits are connected together unless a fuse has blown or a breaker has tripped.

Mind you the information os from the same site that Stub had problems with over 6mm being the same as 1/4 inch so …………….

Keith