I have been thinking about Wired Comms today, and what technology can bring to the local AoO. A few have suggested the old WWII sound powered Field Phones, connected to a single pair of wires, as a way to setup local Comms, between fixed locations. These certainly will work, and have ranges out to 10-15K wire-feet. Todays technology can bring some interesting advances to this type of setup. Consider this: Once you have strung your wire, either thru the trees or buried, (If it were "Me" I would be using ethernet wire, because it is cheap ($100US/1000 Ft) and has very good transmission characteristics, and 4 Copper Pairs in one cable) you can use each pair of Copper Dry wires for a Phone Circuit. How much would it be worth to also be able to move Data over the same Pair, the field phones are using, at the SAME time. Data like WebCam pictures, from a Remote Site, that looks back at your HQ, or allow you to move other Data information between your Main Place, and a Backup Location, elsewhere on, or around your AoO. There ARE simple little DSL boxes that can accomplish this available, cheap on eBay. I use this technology to communicate with a series of Remote WebCams, that are strategically placed around the AoO, and this gives me the ability to see things that I can't see from the cabin. These all sit on my Network, and are ALL IP (Internet Protocol) Based systems. They do required some small amount of power, like 5-6 watts. (.5 Amp @ 12 Vdc) but the capabilities are endless. So you could be talking on your field phone while also watching from a WebCam at the same time, or using VoIP software computers, on each end, to do your talking, or even Video Conferencing, with total Encryption Security on the wires. You could even use Wifi Wireless Links, to backup your wired Comm Links, should the OPForce, find the wire and cut it. Another use would to be to remote your RF Transmitters, to a site away from your Main Place, to give you some DF Security. This is an very good use of OTS (Off the Shelf) Technology, that can be had cheaply, and is available today. .... YMMV....
Need to know more like what type cameras and one might find. remember some of us are Rednecks and only made through the 5th grade !! LOL
OR....buy 6PR CAT 5(or 6) and have 6prs for almost the same as 4pr. Don't forget to bury separatly another on for power to cameras!
I have been using used TV-IP400Ws From TrendNet for Cams... These are Pan/Tilt Cams, with a digital zoom that is worthless. They run on 5Vdc, and I usually use a POE (Power over Ethernet) setup to power them, remotely. I can give you more information on that, if anyone actually gets one. I have purchased all mine off eBay for less than $50US each. TrendNet makes some NightVision versions, but they are more expensive, and I haven't ever used them. You can read my Blog for information about the little DSL Boxes. http://www.survivalmonkey.com/threads/communications-do-dads.33822/ and then of you have questions, Post them, PM "Me", or fall down the Rabbit Hole (Flashchat) some time when you see "Me " Logged in there..... ... YMMV....
Analog phones and Ethernet don't play well together in one Cat5 or 6 cable. Cross talk from the analog wires or from power cables shortens your effective distance for full-speed Ethernet which is already limited to about 90 meters on copper (fiber is an entirely different question, and very do-able for a longer point to point run, but has some extra costs associated.) Field phones do pretty well on field wire, but the smaller diameter of a Cat 5 wire would limit your distance too, due to higher resistance. Check this out for a cheaper field expedient phone. Mil-spec field phones are pretty hard to find in operable condition for a reasonable price: http://hackaday.com/2012/06/08/usin...m-in-your-vw-bus-or-anywhere-else/#more-76553 Commercial or residential intercom systems do the same thing, if you're wiring up your bug-in or bug-out location, can be integrated into alarm systems, radio, loudspeaker, and CCTV systems, and have the added advantage of zonal partitioning on higher end systems.
