Cat5 Home intercom systems in the UK ?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • flipside
    Automated Home Jr Member
    • Aug 2007
    • 26

    Cat5 Home intercom systems in the UK ?

    Hi does anyone know of a system along the lines of this http://www.home-technology-store.com...593WH-KIT.aspx thats available in Europe/UK. Ive been googling and cant find anything but i am hung over right now so i may just be being rubbish.

    Matt


    OH found this http://www.ukhomeideas.co.uk/ideas/h...-speaking-tube but thats pure amusement ratehr than partical for me
    Last edited by flipside; 14 March 2008, 11:08 AM.
  • toscal
    Moderator
    • Oct 2005
    • 2061

    #2
    There is the Barix system www.barix.com and available at www.laser.com in the uk
    I will check later this week as one of the audio system we install may be able to be connected via CAT 5 cable but will need to check, and this has intercom functions.
    ONQ is made by Legrand so it might be worth talking to your local Legrand dealer. www.onqlegrand.com/home/home.php

    Hope this helps.
    IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
    Renovation Spain Blog

    Comment

    • flipside
      Automated Home Jr Member
      • Aug 2007
      • 26

      #3
      Cheers Toscal,

      I have emailed both the legrand US and UK arms and awaiting the response i still find it odd that there seems to be nothing like this in the UK but then i guess we are a bit behind the US .

      Matt

      Comment

      • TimH
        Automated Home Legend
        • Feb 2004
        • 509

        #4
        Originally posted by flipside View Post
        ... i guess we are a bit behind the US .

        Matt

        Maybe because our houses are (generally) smaller there's less need for an intercom?
        My mate once joked that "whole house audio" meant turning the amplifier up a couple of notches...

        Cheers,

        Tim.
        My Flickr Photos

        Comment

        • flipside
          Automated Home Jr Member
          • Aug 2007
          • 26

          #5
          I think thats to do with the thinness of our walls rather than size , but yes until i had the loft conversion i would have agreed .

          Cheers

          Matt

          Originally posted by TimH View Post
          Maybe because our houses are (generally) smaller there's less need for an intercom?
          My mate once joked that "whole house audio" meant turning the amplifier up a couple of notches...

          Cheers,

          Tim.

          Comment

          • TimH
            Automated Home Legend
            • Feb 2004
            • 509

            #6
            Asterisk (http://www.asterisk.org/), of course, is the other means to accomplish this (or indeed any other PBX). Even though Asterisk is free, I bet you're looking at more than $520 (+shipping & import duty) once you start including IP phones. Very flexible though, and there are hooks into/out of Asterisk for xAP etc. so it is a viable "HA" application

            But perhaps your $520 with Asterisk buys you more functionality than just a plain intercom?

            At a pinch, a set of DECT phones allow you make calls between handsets thus giving *some* intercom features.

            HTH,

            Tim.
            My Flickr Photos

            Comment

            • toscal
              Moderator
              • Oct 2005
              • 2061

              #7
              Came across this, http://www.cepro.com/article/channel...ouse_intercom/
              Are you looking for a system that uses cat5 cable or an actual IP based intercom system?
              Get IP intercoms and pagers with voice-quality sound over LANs and WANs. These units are flexible and scaleable for needs today and the future. Desktop and surface mount models available. Bundles are available for gate to door or for PC to gate or door.
              IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
              Renovation Spain Blog

              Comment

              • TimH
                Automated Home Legend
                • Feb 2004
                • 509

                #8
                And another one... Idratek's MFP-002, http://www.idratek.com/HWInput.htm#MFP002

                Probably best to ask any detailed questions over on the Idratek forum.

                Cheers,

                Tim.
                My Flickr Photos

                Comment

                • flipside
                  Automated Home Jr Member
                  • Aug 2007
                  • 26

                  #9
                  Cheers guys good hunting, ive had a reply from legrand and they don't sell in Europe and id need a power convector so any ideas happily received, and Toscal as long as it uses Cat5 im happy.

                  Matt

                  Comment

                  • toscal
                    Moderator
                    • Oct 2005
                    • 2061

                    #10
                    Just been looking at the wiring specs for one of the systems we install. The audio and signal cables require a cable of .25 square mm (AWG 23) and the power requires a cable of 1 square mm (AWG 17). The AWG sizes are approximate and are the closest. AWG 23 is actually 0.258 like wise AWG 17 1.04.
                    In a CAT5 cable the wires are AWG24 which is 0.205 square mm. So as long as the cable runs are less than 40m you could probably get away with it.The power is going to be the problem. You could I suppose have 2 CAT5 cables one for 0v and the other for the +16V supply. The other way to do this is to have local power supplies for each intercom unit, not ideal especially if you can't hide them. Then you will need a CAT5 cable running from one intercom location to another, this is for the Zone call.
                    The units themselves are quite small. 45mm square and 27mm thick. The speakers are of a similar size or you can get ceiling mounted ones. The modules can be used side by side so making a rather neat looking unit, either mounted in wall, desktop or surface mounts. A basic mono system uses 3 modules, 1 speaker module, 1 amplifier unit and 1 zone module. The zone module can call 5 other zones, either individually or all together.
                    While it could be done using CAT5 I think its going to get messy very quickly. I wouldn't recommend it, but then again I do like a challenge. I could email you a wiring diagram for a 2 zone system so you could get a basic idea if you like.
                    Another option would be a mini pabx system I'm sure you could pick these up from ebay quite cheaply.
                    Hope this helps.
                    Last edited by toscal; 18 March 2008, 12:00 AM.
                    IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
                    Renovation Spain Blog

                    Comment

                    • nickgale
                      Automated Home Jr Member
                      • Jun 2005
                      • 38

                      #11
                      How about the Orchid 308 Analogue PABX ? Around £140 for a 3 line 8 extension PABX, more than just an intercom, it's a complete phone system. Uses normal phones, simple to program, plugs into BT jacks and can be wired in Cat 5 or phone cable.

                      cheers

                      Nick

                      Comment

                      • flipside
                        Automated Home Jr Member
                        • Aug 2007
                        • 26

                        #12
                        I am thinking about the pbx route in the future but what i like about the sytems i posted is that it runs both the connection and power over ethernet and id rather have a system in which the phones dont ring when the door bells go in case one is left in the baby's room

                        Matt

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X