Wireless intercom for house

[gort]

We recently moved in to a bigger place and from certain parts of the house you can't hear someone if they shout for you.
This might sound lazy but anyone actually use wireless intercoms or similar?
Something that just plugs in and you push a button and it buzzes the other one/s and you can have a conversation.

It'd be handy for when a workshop or garden room is built down the end if the garden too.

Ta

 

[rubberduck]

Google home has a broadcast function... Good for passing messages but not great for a full conversation.

 

[Simon42]

We had a similar issue and decided to get a couple of extra handsets when buying new Panasonic DECT phones (6 in total) which have a good intercom facility that allows broadcast or calling a specific handset. Handsets can also be set to auto answer which can be useful, for example my other half uses this to just tell me lunch is ready when I am in the she or garage and I am busy working on something.

Like most people we don't use our landline much these days but having so many handsets is also useful when someone needs to get hold of us at home and we've left our mobiles out of earshot.

Edit: I should add that as someone working in IT I have my fair share home automation kit and a house full of CCTV but am still too paranoid to allow devices on a VLAN with internet access to listen to audio (or record video) hence the solution above.

 

[Pho]

Could you not use your phone? Either atart a Whatsapp voice call, or you can send an audio message now as well - it's basically a walkie talkie built into WhatsApp.

I'm assuming most people keep their phones on them most of the time nowadays

 

[xb8browney]

We use Google home mini for this

 

[gort]

Thanks.
Looking in to it, some if the options aren't cheap are they?
Mobile phone is a no go really as we don't carry them round with us much really and I have a habit of leaving it permanently in silent mode!
I forgot about the land line option, which might be the cheapest and easiest.
Haven't a clue what Google mini is. Gotta do more reading!
Cheers!

Chers

 

[DampCat]

Mrs DampCat uses "screaming", i dont think she paid anything for it but i certainly do.

 

[Simon42]

Our old school intercom approach with the DECT phone works even without a land line although we have since added one for backup broadband.

I bought mine 4 years ago they're still around what we paid at £200 for 6 phones (top of the range at the time). We also bought a booster to allow us to get through 3 double brick walls and 2 internal.

If I did it again (and assuming still paranoid about using Alexa/Google audio etc) I would probably use something connected to our Wifi (internal VLAN only) as we now have excellent WiFi everywhere thanks to 4 Ubiquiti APs, however I am in no rush as the current system just works.

 

[Kemik]

Amazon Alexa / Google Home both have transmit features.

 

[BigT]

I use the Echo's drop in feature too. Very useful since I have echos in most rooms already and I think you can use the Alexa app on your phone as an extra 'intercom' as well.

 

[monkey_boy]

The sonos voice app is decent if you already have sonos setup. It's not 2-way though.

 

[pepp77]

If you have cordless phones then the intercom functionality on those would do. We used to use them instead of shouting even in our small house.