Gate intercom
A gate intercom is used in situations where a security gate restricts access to a property, either commercial or residential. When visitors arrive at the gate, they can press a button that either calls a phone, contacts a base station intercom in the building, or activates an app on a smartphone or tablet PC. The person responding to the visitor can talk to them an then choose to remotely open the gate allowing the visitor to enter.
There are several wired and wireless technologies available as discussed below.
Wired Gate Intercom[edit]
Wired gate intercoms usually connect to a telephone line from the house or business. They require a landline telephone line so they are becoming less popular as people drop their landlines and just use cell phones.
Two-Way Radio Gate Intercom[edit]
These intercoms use two-way radio technology in the UHF or VHF business band frequencies. You can use these with existing two-way radios if you set the frequency of the intercom to that of your radios. If your existing radios have a button that can be programmed for 2-tone encoding then you can also activate a relay switch that can be connected to an electric gate opener so you can let people in remotely. There are also desktop base station intercoms available that work with the gate intercom.
These radios may require an FCC license to operate, however there are intercom call boxes that operate in the MURS license-free range.
These intercoms operate like a two way radio in that they are push-to-talk and release to listen.
Cell Phone Network Intercom[edit]
"The same technology that powers your cell phone has now been developed into an outdoor intercom that you can use at your gate. This essentially makes the range of these gate intercoms infinite as long as you have cell phone service at the driveway gate." [1] You purchase a cell phone plan for this intercom and it has its own phone number. When a visitor presses a button it dials a phone number. That number can be a landline phone or another cell phone. Most systems allow multiple phone numbers and will roll though them until it reaches someone.
One of the best features of these is that you can program phone numbers in it for family, friends, landscape people, or whoever, and when they call the gate phone number it will open based on their caller line ID so they don't even need to use a keypad to get in. There are also apps for your smart phone that can open the gate.
Video Gate Intercom[edit]
These are usually wired intercoms but the newer Wi-Fi intercoms can have video as well. They work just like any other gate intercom except you can talk and see the visitor.
Wi-Fi Gate Intercom[edit]
A Wi-Fi intercom uses Internet service to communicate and it usually includes both voice and video. They communicate to an app on a smartphone or tablet PC so like the Cell Phone Network Intercom you can be anywhere and talk to and see visitors as long as you have data service on your phone
These intercoms need a strong Wi-Fi signal at the gate and sufficient data speed to move the video signal. Wi-Fi extender antennas are available to extend the signal over long distances so as long as there is a clear path to the gate there is usually a way to get the Wi-Fi signal to the gate.
Digital Gate Intercom[edit]
These use spread spectrum digital technology to communicate back to a base station intercom in the home or business. They can have a range of up to 4000 feet in ideal conditions. Unlike the 2-way radio gate intercoms that are push-to-talk and release-to-listen, these are full duplex so both parties can talk simultaneously.
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- ↑ "Choosing the Best Wireless Gate Intercom Systems for Home or Business". www.intercomsonline.com. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
