Two Way Intercom
Approx construction cost US$32
How to create your own local two-way chat zone.
Intercom projects used to be part of the staple diet of electronic construction enthusiasts, with at least one appearing somewhere in publication every year. Over time they seem to have become less common, perhaps because they can be bought quite cheaply nowadays, so when a reader asked if EPE had recently published one, Editorial eyebrows rose at the discovery that some eight years had passed since the last one appeared. It seemed timely, therefore, to present a new intercom design.
It might be asked why anyone would build an intercom when they can be bought cheaply. In fact, there are several reasons. A home-built design can be customised, built into other projects, modified and used in ways its original designer never intended. Parts of the circuit might be adapted for use in other projects. The constructor can easily repair it if it goes wrong and an intercom is a good starter project for those seeking electronics experience. Last, but by no means least, constructors with children will probably find that an intercom’s entertainment potential will earn them lots of brownie points with the kids! Given all this, a new design seems well worthwhile.
More details on this construction project can be found in the January 2001 issue of EPE Online, the world's first web-delivered electronics and computing hobbyist magazine.
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