Baby Monitors. Yep.

[Klay Anderson]

I've a client that needs something like an expandable Baby Monitor system. Like one base station and ten "parent units". It appears that they are only made with one base and maximum of 2 parent units I guess with digital encoding on the same frequency? It is for use in care homes during community meetings when a patient cannot come to the meeting. Anyone has ideas on this? Buhler?

Yours truly,
Mr. Klay Anderson, D.A.,Q.B.E.

[Tim R]

Sounds like an intercom rather than a baby monitor.

[Klay Anderson]

Yeabut it needs to be portable.

[Jon Elson]

Klay Anderson wrote:

> I've a client that needs something like an expandable Baby Monitor system.
> Like one base station and ten "parent units". It appears that they are
> only made with one base and maximum of 2 parent units I guess with digital
> encoding on the same frequency? It is for use in care homes during
> community meetings when a patient cannot come to the meeting. Anyone has
> ideas on this? Buhler?

They make these FM radio transmitters, that are generally illegal, but
people have them. They broadcast information for homes that are for sale,
and music for christmas displays, and such. They should be able to be tuned
in by any FM radio within a quarter mile or so. This ought to work, and it
only needs ONE unit, at the meeting. Then, everybody uses the radios they
most likely already have.

Jon

[Allodoxaphobia]

With the added benefit that there'll be no interruptions from the pesky
patients. :-)

[ssinzig]

FRS/GMRS radios all on the same channel?

https://www.cobra.com/products/walkie-talkies-two-way-radios

Simple COTS and relatively inexpensive too.

S.

[Klay Anderson]

>
> With the added benefit that there'll be no interruptions from the pesky
> patients. :-)

Right. They want one talk many listen. I'll investigate the FM idea.

[mrob...@att.net]

Klay Anderson <kl...@klay.com> wrote:
> I've a client that needs something like an expandable Baby Monitor
> system. Like one base station and ten "parent units".

Maybe a carrier current intercom? It plugs into AC power (mains) and
transmits its signal along the building wiring.

Advantages:

You'll never have to keep track of batteries.

As far as I know, you can add as many receivers as you like.

Disadvantages:

If different parts of the building are served by different phases of AC
power, the signal may not couple very well across phases.

These usually have a "push to talk" button. You may want to modify the
master unit with a toggle switch, so that the person speaking doesn't
have to keep their finger on the button.

As built, any listener can disrupt the "programming" by pushing the talk
button on their unit. You may want to disable the talk button on the
listening units.

These are examples of what I am talking about:

http://www.amazon.com/Intercom-Central%C2%AE-413-Channels-Power-line/dp/B003NY62QQ

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/powerline-intercom-system-n13qu

> It is for use in care homes during community meetings when a patient
> cannot come to the meeting.

A community meeting might not discuss information specific to one
patient, but you might think about any medical privacy laws that exist
in your jurisdiction, before you recommend something.

Standard disclaimers apply: I don't get money or other consideration
from any companies mentioned.

Matt Roberds

[Ron D.]

this really doesn;t seem like a baby monitor type of thing.

can you do it with a bunch of laptops and WIFI? Set the parental one to multicast using VLC (linux and Windows for sure) and the other laptops can receive the broadcast.

If you want, you could use an ATSC modulator (read expensive) and feed it to the TV's that already be in each room.

In terms of "talking back", I have no idea.

Or, find what kind of software those adult webcams use. It can essentially be two-way) with camera and possibly audio. Definitely typing works.