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Self Contained Telephone System

sauced07

sauced07

Well-known member
Brass Subscriber
#1
#1
http://www.softbaugh.com/fieldphone/
A totally self contained telephone system that uses regular telephones and telephone wire. It will run off of outlet power, solar power, car battery or other 12 volt source and also the supplied rechargeable battery. The system is designed with one main telephone ( 2 line preferred but not necessary) and up to 4 " perimeter" phones.
the main unit and the perimeter units are supplied with buzzers and an LED light to allow you to ring the main unit. The buzzer can be silenced if stealth is needed with the LED letting you know someone is buzzing you. The buzzer system can be used to sent Morse Code messages for quiet communication. The main unit is the size of a smart phone while the perimeter units are even smaller.
I will put pictures up of how I have my units stored. The system has been FCC tested at 1/4 mile but it will reach much farther then that. Using a car battery versus the supplied rechargeable battery will boost it's performance.
It is a great comms system for home or bugout location allowing secure communication at a reasonable price.
 
sauced07

sauced07

Well-known member
Brass Subscriber
#5
#5
Sacajawea said:
This looks super interesting! Thanks sauced.
Click to expand...
Thanks. It was an interesting collaboration. I was at a get together for like minded folks and just brought up a question as to why no one has built a newer version of the field phone as most field phones are now old and brittle. One guy in the group is a tech guy and he pulled me aside with another gentleman and we started spitballing ideas. The reason for regular phone usage is for supply. Regular phones are available and cheap, the same being true with phone wire. Also a regular phone just blends in.
Military wire that comes in spools can be used as well. Some folks had the idea of burying conduit for permanent setups. The system is portable though. I keep the main phone with the perimeter phones ( they are simple trimline phones in small Plano ammo cases) with wire in a large ruck sack. The system can be used for other than home and perimeter situations as well. 4-5 people on a hilltop providing 360 overwatch can talk with each other all day long without the worry of being listened in on. With a Ham radio and a Yagi antenna they cam communicate with people down below who they are keeping watch for with minimal risk from eavesdroppers.
 
sarco2000

sarco2000

Beyond the Grid
#9
#9
Back40 said:
Sauced, is there a particular solar and battery setup that you recommend to go along with this system?

Also, is there a "right" type of phone wire for this?
Click to expand...
I don't have experience with this exact setup, but I used to install and repair phone lines as my job. I've also spliced tens of thousands of pairs.

Phones generally don't use a whole lot of power, and typically only use power when talking. A motorcycle battery or small tractor battery might last a good long while. (I picked those because they're easier to carry around than a car battery.) Obviously, how long they last will depend on how much your talking, so it could vary greatly.

If you want to pick a battery and need a plan for solar charging requirements for it, start a thread in Solar and we'll work it up. It's always a good exercise. I don't think the parts would cost that much.

Phone circuits usually use two conductors. So any 2 conductor cable should work. Most phone wire is 24 gauge solid copper wire, which should get you out a good long ways, possibly miles, depending on power. For longer distances you'd need heavier wire. But you're not going to go miles so you might even get by with 26 gauge, but that's less durable and easier to break.
 
Last edited:
sauced07

sauced07

Well-known member
Brass Subscriber
#10
#10
Back40 said:
Sauced, is there a particular solar and battery setup that you recommend to go along with this system?

Also, is there a "right" type of phone wire for this?
Click to expand...
Sorry I didn’t see your comment earlier. I haven’t really messed around to much with batteries for this. I had it set up with a 10 watt solar panel and took the rechargeable battery completely out and it ran fine right off the panel. I plan on getting a decent battery for the phone and other items like radios and cell phone chargers. I got the regulator that goes with solar panels that keeps everything on an even keel, I just have to get the right battery and hook everything up.
As far as wire goes, any four wire phone line wire will work. Military wire will work but will have to be ran twice as it’s only two wires.
 
sauced07

sauced07

Well-known member
Brass Subscriber
#11
#11
I have wired the system to the house phone lines once to see if it worked. I unhooked the wires coming from the street and replaced with one of the lines from the main system. It worked. That would allow me to run three lines out into my neighborhood and also be able to ring the house. With my situation room in the basement that would actually work out well. Theoretically, if a perimeter guard warned of a situation I could ring my wife upstairs and let her take appropriate measures or something similar.
 
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