Long-range doorbell/intercom to gate?

[plarkinjr]

If all goes well, I'll close on a home on acreage this month. Problem is: the distance from the house to the front gate is about 1000ft straightline, thru the woods, or about 1500ft along the private road. There is no power at the gate.

I'm looking for something to attach to the gate post that visitors can use to ring me, preferably to talk to me in the house. Wireless would be nice with the ability to put a receiver in the shop about 300ft from the house.

Cash flow will be tight the first year. Most of the options I've seen start at $500, require power, and adding solar adds cost too. I'm
currently pondering some surplus army field telephones, Maybe rig the gate unit into a waterproof utility box. But I don't know what their power requirements are. Can some be powered remotely? I don't need to drive a ringer on the gate end. Do I need power at all?

What are some other ideas? Surely I'm not the first to need a budget long range intercom!

[littlebitfarm]

How about a pair of walkie talkies. Some are good for a couple miles. Make a little box for the one at the gate. Leave the one at the house on so it works if someone calls. Use rechargeable batteries. Might need to find a way to attach the walkie talkie to something so it doesn't walk away.

Kathie

[chronic66]

If it were me, and I know it's not, I would get what I have. A remote driveway alarm. This would alert you to friend or foe that might be at the end of your drive way. I have a rather inexpensive one that was about $70. I know of ones that are much more powerful that are maybe 2 or 3 hundred. Just a thought.

[Raeven]

Agree with Eldonator, a remote driveway alarm. Cheapies can be had at Radio Shack. I don't use one myself, but my friends that do love having the early warning.

The power at my gate is solar but it's just to control opening and closing of the gate. To add a formal intercom system was crazy expensive. I've had my system in place for over 5 years, and it's been fine. The system essentially is, if I'm not expecting you, you're not getting in. Call first, please.

[Ozarks Tom]

The Dakota MURS alert system has hand held devices that work on the same frequency as their alarms sensors. We've had the system for several years now with very little aggravation. I'd put a transceiver at the gate, in a weathertite/tamperproof box with a sign telling people what to do. The systems has a nearly inifinite number of frequencies to choose from, and around a 3 mile range.

[Cabin Fever]

How about a small sign with your phone number? Most people driving around nowadays have a cell phone, including delivery services. Of course, if you do not have cell phone service in your area, disregard my suggestion.

[plarkinjr]

Great ideas, thanks!

So far I'm thinking driveway alert plus sign to call me is the way to go: I rarely pick up the phone on unexpected calls from unknown numbers.

Thinking start with this:
BS-KIT Dakota Alert MURS Long Range Alert System Driveway Alarm

Then if prices come down add this:
RoveTec MURS Multi-Mile Wireless Communication System

But I keep coming back to the notion that there's got to be some simple 2-wire intercom/doorphone solution. Something like this (though they say range is 590ft w/ 18ga wire):
Aiphone CCS-1A Chime Intercom | Business Phones and Accessories

Heck, maybe just a door bell button on a quarter mile of wire and be done with it.

[danielsumner]

The remote driveway alarms only have a range of about 400 feet. Cabin Fever has the right idea. We have a keypad and remote driveway alarm at our gate, however I didn't put in a intercom. Pressing the button is the same as knocking at my door. No offense intended to anyone, but my gate has been the best thing I've ever done. I got so tired of people banging on my door wanting to talk to me about Jesus.

[Warwalk]

Cabin Fever beat me to the punch lol! Put your number on a fence post... if it's not a cell number perhaps give a land line number? I've thought, if and when I have my piece of shangri-la, I'll have a rolling gate to the front of the property with fencing to both sides. I'll have an intercom as well, and a sign asking to not cross onto the property if contact hasn't been made. That way, if anyone hops the gate and comes walking down the driveway... eeesh... they'd better have a good reason!

[Nimrod]

Hang a nice big bell by the gate high enough that they can't steal it. Tie a rope to the clapper so they can ring it.

[nancy237]

I agree that a cell number or walkie talkies could work..
If you do the cell you could know when someone was there even if you are
away from your place..

[TnAndy]

Originally Posted by danielsumner

The remote driveway alarms only have a range of about 400 feet.

Not really.....The Dakota Alert MURS system has a range of several miles. Mine is 1500' from the house, and I put one in for a buddy that is well over a 1/2 mile.

And you can run up to four different alert locations to a single base receiver.

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by TnAndy

Not really.....The Dakota Alert MURS system has a range of several miles. Mine is 1500' from the house, and I put one in for a buddy that is well over a 1/2 mile.

And you can run up to four different alert locations to a single base receiver.

How often to you have to change batteries?

[meanwhile]

Neighbors have a gadget they call a "ding dong" and they got it from Radio Shack. It has a motor triggered ringer and the motion part is down by their driveway end. The ringer part is in their living room. I am not sure how far it is but I would say about 1 city block long. The ringer "ding dongs" when a car passes it. The ringer end plugs into the wall electric outlet inside the house. The motion trigger part has batteries. They like it and say it works. Only time there is annoyance is when someone just drives down the wrong road to turn around.

I like the idea about the sign on the post with a phone number.

[suitcase_sally]

Originally Posted by nancy237

I agree that a cell number or walkie talkies could work..
If you do the cell you could know when someone was there even if you are
away from your place..

...and if you're not home, they would know that also.

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by suitcase_sally

...and if you're not home, they would know that also.

Since when does not answering your phone mean you're not home?

[plarkinjr]

I posted a reply earlier, but it doesnt show up....

I often do not answer my phone if I'm not expecting a call, and I don't recognize the number. Right now I'm leaning toward a MURS driveway alert (I worry about batteries tho) and a sign saying to call me. This way at least I know if I hear the driveway alarm, and the phone rings, I should probably answer it.

But, I'm still thinking there's got to be some way with wires and a cheap intercom to not need power out at the gate. I mean telephones operate for miles with only line voltage. Just need to figure out how to energize it from the house, and ring when someone presses a button or something out at the voicebox by the gate.

[sirquack]

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

Since when does not answering your phone mean you're not home?

And they would not know if you are answering the phone from home or elsewhere regardless. If someone were to call and you were away, you could always tell them you can't have company since you are cleaning your hand cannon in the nude and your wash is all hanging so it could be awhile before you could get decent for visitors.
In my case, I am never decent to visitors unless they are people I invite over. Everone else is just an annoyance.

[Lizza]

Not cheap but we put in a powered gate with a key pad control, you can get them with solar (we had it hard wired).

You pick a 4 digit code, if they had the code they could open our gate, if not, no entry. In 10 years we were never sorry we had a locked gate.

[solidwoods]

Dakota Alert, Wireless Alarms and Security