Intercom

TOP WATER

New Member
I am looking for some help on purchasing a inexspensive hardwired intercom system for the garage. Are they still manufactured and where can they be purchased? I have not been able to find one.
 
I'm installing one of these in a few weeks for a customer:

OnQ CAT5 Intercom

~$600 gets you a 4-room intercom setup with door bell and door chime. The components can be purchased separetly to install a smaller or larger system.

It looks nice, but can't comment yet on how well it works...

Cheers,
Paul
 
I just piecemealed the greyfox system from three different suppliers to complete an install in our house. I wont be able to install it until November, when I return from deployment, but it looks like a very good system. If anyone has any tips or tricks on the install...I've got nothing but time to do all the planning.

Gunny Molvak sends
 
I'm installing this system in my house this weekend. I've been looking for intercoms for a while, and this is by far the most full featured setup I have found:

Honeywell Ademco UVS (Universal Voice Station)

It integrates nicely with your phone line and alarm system or can be used stand-alone. The controller board also has an auxillary audio input, so you can use the intercoms for your Automation Broadcasts (Homeseer, HAL, etc), music, etc.

You can designate up to 2 intecoms as "outdoor".

With the phone line attached, you can answer phone calls from any intercom station indoors.

You can find the controller with one intercom for about $140, additional intercom stations are about $40 each, maximum of 7 intercom stations. I picked up a used bundle on eBay for $75 (controller w/ 2 stations + other misc alarm parts).
 
Installed the Ademco UVS intercom system this weekend. The sound quality is excellent. Its already made me jump at least once because it sounds like the person is standing right there (when I knew I was the only one in the room). Using only 2 intercoms effectively covers about 1800 square feet on opposite ends of the house.

The phone features also work well (connected to the tip and ring out terminals on my alarm panel).

I hope to run the audio output from my HAL2000 PC to the intercom panel this week (after installing my Insteon Keypadlincs).

I'm also going to try and figure out a way to use the intercom microphones to speak to HAL. I just need to figure out how, with the intercom buttons, to trigger the intercom panel to connect to the phone line and send a "#" tone. Anyone have any ideas?
 
Russound came out w/a new intercom system. It was suppose to hit the market in December '05. It is suppose to integrate well w/their Whole house audio systems. but I have not seen any information or price on it. It was mentioned in Brave Sir's write-up's CES show

- Mike
 
Hi Mike,

I haven't seen the Russound intercom units in person, but did talk to the Russound employees about it during lunch when I was at training last week.

It looks like it will work well (and will even work with other DA systems), but I was dissapointed in how it actually "integrates".

It works by using a powered keypad (think A-Bus) which connects in the speaker wire between the amp (CAV/CAM, etc) and the speakers. When paging is enabled, the system will basically disrupt the local source using a relay that routes the audio from the intercoms built-in amp to the speakers instead.

Like I said... not the slick integration I was hoping for, but looks like it should work and because of how it connects it will work with other manufacturers systems too.

Cheers,
Paul
 
I have the UVS system as a standalone intercom. I think its pretty good as well. Each station needs a shielded quad cable homerun to the panel. You cannot call a specific station but after you do an all station call you can talk between the two only(BTW an all station call does not call the outsid units so your neighbors dont hear you yelling at your kids). It does answer the phone as well and can be hooked to about anyones alarm panel and used as a Voice Verifcation System (its original intention by Honeywell I think). You can also call in and listen to your own house. I probably have a spare control board around here and maybe an extra station or two but no CAN for it if anyone is interested. Its not the best system out there but its good for what it is.

I know that Honeywell (its so hard to call them that after all the years of ADEMCO) is making some minor changes to this product right now but I dont know what they are.
 
To follow-up... I installed the On-Q (Greyfox) intercom for a customer yesterday.

The system is really nice looking, but I'm disappointed that 2 of the 5 keypads are not working properly. This was traced down to an issue within the keypads... one won't go into monitor mode and another sticks in talk mode.

I'll request replacements tomorrow which will hopefully correct the issue.

Cheers,
Paul
 
I am looking for some help on purchasing a inexspensive hardwired intercom system for the garage. Are they still manufactured and where can they be purchased? I have not been able to find one.


The easiest way to go would be to install a wireless intercom system. By install I mean put batteries in and put them where you want. You won't have to go through the hassle of running a wire. The batteries last one year or you can AC power them. You can move them around to so if you're under the car you could have it setting right next to you so you don't have to get up and answer it. You can get them at .

I am in a situation where I need to install a Call Button system for my elderly mother. I was going to just wire buttons to M1 inputs but the reporter intercoms have some very thought provoking features:

Battery operation so I can put them in critical places like the shower as well as out on the porch or even in the garden.

Voice communication allows for a description of the help required (instead of panicing to run see what's wrong)

Battery also ensures operation during power failures.

I have to think it through but it sure looks like a promising alternative. Only negative I see is there is no way to remotely activate monitoring at a station... you have to go there to put it into monitoring mode.
 
Has anybody tried hooking a HA PC to a wireless intercom system for announcements and alerts? Any reason why this would not work?
 
Has anybody tried hooking a HA PC to a wireless intercom system for announcements and alerts? Any reason why this would not work?

It works perfectly for me. I have my HomeSeer PC audio output hooked up to my intercom Aux input and use is for announcements, music, etc.


Scott
 
It works perfectly for me. I have my HomeSeer PC audio output hooked up to my intercom Aux input and use is for announcements, music, etc.


Scott

What kind of intercom do you have? I am specifically interested in interfacing with a wireless system like the reporter units.
 
Back
Top