cordless phone suggestions? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

nuggetman · 01-24-2004, 07:50 PM

So at school we're planning to build our own theater communications system... essentially it's a telephone jack connected to a power supply, which creates an always-live line that you can just pick up and talk on. Now if it works, we're gonna need about 6 or 7 cordless headset phones. Here's what I'm looking for.

1) Good range that I can go fairly far away from the base station (say the length of the gym plus out into the hallways of the school). Communication is critical on the stage and we can't have the phone crapping out cause we're not close enough to the base.

2) Cordless headset. A dedicated cordless headset is preferred (or headset w/ the small dial pad), but if I have to carry a phone handset and plug in a headset that's fine too). Either way there has to be a headset.

3) A mute button <~~ESSENTIAL (and I don't mean hold to mute, I mean press and it mutes, press and it unmutes)

4) Ability to stop the unit from beeping when you press a button or hang up/pick up. If it just beeps into the headphones, that's fine, but it can't be beeping out loud for everyone to hear.

5) Low cost. We need six so we cant be spending $150 per phone... maybe no more than $50 to $60

tinfoil · 01-24-2004, 07:52 PM

If you have or plan on getting wireless networking (either b or g) then you may want to stay away from 2.4Ghz phones as there can be some interferance. It's rare, but it's documented, and if you plan on having 6 or 7 phones, well, you're certainly increasing your chances.

nuggetman · 01-24-2004, 07:58 PM

we have wireless b/g throughout the building, but i don't think it's too prevalent in the gym (aka our theater)

tinfoil · 01-24-2004, 08:00 PM

900Mhz phones are cheap and many come with headset plugs on them. I think the last phone I bought was under $40US and has the plug for a standard headset. It may be worthwhile to vary the make / model of the phones as well, and make sure there is a way to change the channel on the phones.

shakran · 01-24-2004, 09:12 PM

why wouldn't you just get FRS radios with earpieces?

nuggetman · 01-25-2004, 06:37 AM

There's a few reasons. One is that we only actually own two of the radios we use, the rest we have to borrow from the office (approx 6). These ones aren't compatible with our VOX headsets, so we wind up w/ two people on VOX and the rest w/ headphones reaching to take the radio off their belt to talk.

Another is the common problem with radios that they aren't full duplex, as well as the fact that if one person is talking and a second tries to talk, you can't hear either.

This phone solution would give us a full duplex system, the ability to hard-wire two speakerphones/handset phones into our light and sound control booths, and make the units easy to replace.

01-24-2004, 07:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
nuggetman Upright	cordless phone suggestions? So at school we're planning to build our own theater communications system... essentially it's a telephone jack connected to a power supply, which creates an always-live line that you can just pick up and talk on. Now if it works, we're gonna need about 6 or 7 cordless headset phones. Here's what I'm looking for. 1) Good range that I can go fairly far away from the base station (say the length of the gym plus out into the hallways of the school). Communication is critical on the stage and we can't have the phone crapping out cause we're not close enough to the base. 2) Cordless headset. A dedicated cordless headset is preferred (or headset w/ the small dial pad), but if I have to carry a phone handset and plug in a headset that's fine too). Either way there has to be a headset. 3) A mute button <~~ESSENTIAL (and I don't mean hold to mute, I mean press and it mutes, press and it unmutes) 4) Ability to stop the unit from beeping when you press a button or hang up/pick up. If it just beeps into the headphones, that's fine, but it can't be beeping out loud for everyone to hear. 5) Low cost. We need six so we cant be spending $150 per phone... maybe no more than $50 to $60

01-24-2004, 07:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
tinfoil Fucking Hostile Location: Springford, ON, Canada	If you have or plan on getting wireless networking (either b or g) then you may want to stay away from 2.4Ghz phones as there can be some interferance. It's rare, but it's documented, and if you plan on having 6 or 7 phones, well, you're certainly increasing your chances. __________________ Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

01-24-2004, 08:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
tinfoil Fucking Hostile Location: Springford, ON, Canada	900Mhz phones are cheap and many come with headset plugs on them. I think the last phone I bought was under $40US and has the plug for a standard headset. It may be worthwhile to vary the make / model of the phones as well, and make sure there is a way to change the channel on the phones. __________________ Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

01-24-2004, 07:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
nuggetman Upright	we have wireless b/g throughout the building, but i don't think it's too prevalent in the gym (aka our theater)

01-24-2004, 09:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	why wouldn't you just get FRS radios with earpieces?

01-25-2004, 06:37 AM	#6 (permalink)
nuggetman Upright	There's a few reasons. One is that we only actually own two of the radios we use, the rest we have to borrow from the office (approx 6). These ones aren't compatible with our VOX headsets, so we wind up w/ two people on VOX and the rest w/ headphones reaching to take the radio off their belt to talk. Another is the common problem with radios that they aren't full duplex, as well as the fact that if one person is talking and a second tries to talk, you can't hear either. This phone solution would give us a full duplex system, the ability to hard-wire two speakerphones/handset phones into our light and sound control booths, and make the units easy to replace.