Intercom

M&S DMC1 nice b/g sound from tiny speakers kinda amazing actually. The 6CD changer is a tad pricey but nice setup.

Hi Bill,

Happy 10th anniversary!

I've used Aiphone intercoms for many of my own installations. The audio is crystal clear and the systems last forever. Their video intercoms are among the best I've found anywhere.

If you want 5 inside stations and 1 door station, audio only, consider the LEF-5. It can be all masters (every room can talk to every other room), 1 master and all subs (1 room talks to all other rooms) or a combination thereof. The most common residential setup is a master in the kitchen and subs everywhere else. Some families like to have a second master in the master bedroom.

Here's a typical all-sub layout with door release:

1 LEF-5C 5-CALL SEMI-FLUSH MOUNT MASTER 4 LE-A SURFACE/DESK MOUNT SUB 1 LE-D SURFACE MOUNT DOOR STATION 1 RY-PA DOOR RELEASE RELAY 1 PS-1225UL 12V DC, 2.5A POWER SUPPLY (110 VAC)

If you don't need door release, strike the RY-PA module.

Another option is to install one of the CAT5 intercoms such as OnQ/Legrand's Inquire series. There are kits that include a master station, a door station and several subs. Here's a link:

I've sold around 50 of the LeGrand CAT5 intercoms and the response has been pretty positive. I've sold more Aiphone systems by far though. They're about as good as it gets. Aiphone has an extensive line covering everything from 2-station boxed sets to campus-wide systems capable of servicing a large, military or industrial compound.

Aiphone has a convenient on-line tool that allows you to specify an appropriate system including even the back boxes. I use it when designing their GF series apartment intercoms (one of our most popular lines). Here's a link:

I have most of the Aiphone and many of the OnQ/Legrand products listed on my website. Since you're a dealer you can order them from your distributor. My site is for retail customers. However, the prices will give you a measure of relative cost since the markup is similar on almost all major products.

If you're into multi-room music you might also want to look at Russound's intercom system. It can stand alone or tie directly into their music systems. I haven't tried the system yet but I've installed tons of Russound systems and sold even more of them online. They're an excellent brand -- very popular with security dealers.

Best of luck with the project.

If you're looking for a way to just answer the door, you should look at the DoorBellFone.

I prefer a phone/intercom system. Clean, quick and very functional.

We use an older Panasonic "hybrid" analog system, which can be found fairly inexpensively online. Provides some nice phone features, an excellent hands-free intercom (with proprietary speakerphones), doorphone capability, and will also function with standard telephones.

With some creative relay & timer wiring, you could have your front doorphone trigger RT CCTV recording and/or modulate a camera to automatically display on your TV when someone rings the doorphone.

I've done a few DMC retros as well...they really thought it out well this time. Back in the mid 80's they (M&S & Broan) really screwed us when they changed designs and nothing was retrofittable without drywall repair...the DMC retro is sweeeeet, and a nice money maker too.

6CD | > changer is a tad pricey but nice setup. | >

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I've found that people really don't want intercoms much anymore. Video intercoms sell and does well (Not all, but) most don't really want to see who's at the door at that price.

When people ask me for intercoms now days, I tell them to look into getting a satellite telephone system, with intercom and speakerphone capability. Uniden is one of the companys who makes them. You can page all stations, call a particular station, block page ..... do just about anything that an intercom can do except play music though it. One advantage over an intercom is that the phone is portable. Then you can add a Door Fon device at the front door that (unique) rings your phone when someone rings the doorbell , so you can talk to whoever's at the door from any phone. Most people who want music throughout their home will have a whole house audio system installed that will range from just speakers powered from your entertainment system to a system controled at various locations such a Russound. If you want to listen to music throughout your home, there's no sense listening to it coming out of a 4 inch intercom speaker. Playing music certainly shouldn't be a reason to install an intercom.

Stay away from Nutone. The equipment is crap, and they don't like to honor their "warranty" js

When people ask me for intercoms now days, I tell them to look into getting a satellite telephone system, with intercom and speakerphone capability. Uniden is one of the companys who makes them. You can page all stations, call a particular station, block page ..... do just about anything that an intercom can do except play music though it. One advantage over an intercom is that the phone is portable. Then you can add a Door Fon device at the front door that (unique) rings your phone when someone rings the doorbell , so you can talk to whoever's at the door from any phone. Most people who want music throughout their home will have a whole house audio system installed that will range from just speakers powered from your entertainment system to a system controled at various locations such a Russound. If you want to listen to music throughout your home, there's no sense listening to it coming out of a 4 inch intercom speaker. Playing music certainly shouldn't be a reason to install an intercom.

Our Panasonic KX-T123211D phone system plays "music on hold"- we have a small Walkman-type am/fm receiver hooked up to the audio input. This is not only for music on hold, but I have a button programmed at each station (2 actually- 1 "music on" and 1 "music off") to play music (or talk radio news, which is what I usually have it programmed to) through the speakephones.

...and their answer to service is, "Sure, buy a new system from us and totally replace the old one."

I appreciate the help guys. And I know intercom is old hat (looked into doing the matrix door cams an intercoming off that) but I am using it as a way to have my wife happy (pricelss in and of itself) and I am also using it to teach my kids practicle stuff about electronics and construction etc. But this goes to show why this community is so cool, we all have opinions and are more than willing to share them :)