Intercom from two phones

[Dieselman 63]

I have two phones. I have a workshop and a house, and I’m wondering how I can install a wireless intercom between the two. The phones are rotary dial gpo types. Anyone have any ideas how to do this, if it can even be done? I can post pics of the phones if needed.

 

[Browser]

Wireless? For an electronic dunce like me it'd be easier to buy a twin handset cordless telephone as our has intercom built-in. Wired might be easier to achieve but (obviously) you've got to, ahem, 'lay a cable'

 

[frank horton]

No help with that but we just use “WhatsApp “
Good for bigger distances....

 

[Dieselman 63]

Wireless? For an electronic dunce like me it'd be easier to buy a twin handset cordless telephone as our has intercom built-in. Wired might be easier to achieve but (obviously) you've got to, ahem, 'lay a cable'

Of course it would be easier to buy!

But I would like to use the phones I have the lathe is sucking up all the money atm

Err yes... I have a plethora of messaging apps on my iPhone...

 

[RonA]

Bin the rotary phones. I have 4 Panasonic hansets in my house, all are linked as intercoms as well as normal extensions. Approx £25 a handset & as far as I’m aware no limit on how many handsets you can have linked.
RonA

 

[Dieselman 63]

Bin the rotary phones. I have 4 Panasonic hansets in my house, all are linked as intercoms as well as normal extensions. Approx £25 a handset & as far as I’m aware no limit on how many handsets you can have linked.
RonA

Won’t be binning them.

As others will know, you can make an attractive lamp out of an old vintage telephone

Or they’re quite sought after as just phones.

But besides from that, there must be a way to do it if existing products are on the market!

 

[RonA]

Won’t be binning them.

As others will know, you can make an attractive lamp out of an old vintage telephone

Or they’re quite sought after as just phones.

But besides from that, there must be a way to do it if existing products are on the market!

Anything is possible if you throw enough money & time at it but you’re trying to link analogue technology by wireless. The old analogue cordless phones weren’t a patch on modern Dect digital cordless phones.
RonA

 

[Barlidge]

If your exchange still accepts pulse dialling there used to be a test number with a ringback feature, as long as your local calls are free it might work albeit a bit clunky. Cordless would be much better. Wiring up a transformer and push button and passing down the ringer cable (pin 3) might just also work.

 

[Rig Pig]

The old phones may be worth something, it's possible to get them converted to work on the modern network.

As an aside I have the phone from my parent's house when I was born, when it was replaced it became one of my toys, I recently rediscovered it and have found a man who rebuilds and converts then.

Excuse the unfinished walls and stuff, the utility room is currently the storehouse for my build!

 

[Dieselman 63]

The old phones may be worth something, it's possible to get them converted to work on the modern network.

As an aside I have the phone from my parent's house when I was born, when it was replaced it became one of my toys, I recently rediscovered it and have found a man who rebuilds and converts then.

Excuse the unfinished walls and stuff, the utility room is currently the storehouse for my build!
View attachment 176509

Blimey that’s an old one!

I’ve got a 74 space-saver, and another which idk what it is. I’ll upload a few pics.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Not sure which colour is worse

 

[rtbcomp]

You may be able to get a pair of walkie-talkies and fit their microphones/earphones into the GPO handsets and hide the rest of the W/Ts in the body of the phone.

 

[Rig Pig]

I quite like the gray one.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I have two phones. I have a workshop and a house, and I’m wondering how I can install a wireless intercom between the two. The phones are rotary dial gpo types. Anyone have any ideas how to do this, if it can even be done? I can post pics of the phones if needed.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=111

 

[Dieselman 63]

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=111

Quality link, thanks for that

 

[armalites]

I have two phones. I have a workshop and a house, and I’m wondering how I can install a wireless intercom between the two. The phones are rotary dial gpo types. Anyone have any ideas how to do this, if it can even be done? I can post pics of the phones if needed.

Plug them both into the phone line then when you want to talk to someone pop into the house and tell them to pick the phone up

All joking aside, most modern cordless phone sets have this feature already built in.

 

[bigegg]

effectively, if you ignore the dial, your phone is a microphone and a loudspeaker in a handset.

so plug them into a pc,(might need some form of amplifier to change signal level?) and use skype.

or a couple of (raspberry pi?) micro computers with wifi/bluetooth/458ghz capability?

 

[rtbcomp]

effectively, if you ignore the dial, your phone is a microphone and a loudspeaker in a handset.

so plug them into a pc,(might need some form of amplifier to change signal level?) and use skype.

or a couple of (raspberry pi?) micro computers with wifi/bluetooth/458ghz capability?

Telephones use a carbon microphone, so you'd need to fit one compatible with your PC.

You may be able to get a pair of walkie-talkies and fit their microphones/earphones into the GPO handsets and hide the rest of the W/Ts in the body of the phone.

Or maybe incorporate a 2-way baby alarm into the phone?

 

[brewdexta]

You may be to use this in conjunction with VOIP. It would be slow but very cheap

 

[Screwdriver]

I would have thought you'd be looking at a custom Arduino module. It's probably a first year project for a ten year old but completely unfathomable for the rest of us. On the other hand it will sort out the VOIP and WiFi issue with a built in routine and you could make it "dial" whichever "extension" you want. Also, if you ever get it working you could sell it as a product.