Wife Aggro Solutions

[TerryMcK]

Get her to do as BA does.

[legenddc]

Smart watch so when you get a text you can see/feel it on your wrist? I like the idea of turning on a different color light from the house. 

[Chris H]

10 hours ago, Beechwood Chip said:

Assuming that your shop will be powered off of a sub-panel from your house, I'd use Insteon controllers.  Your wife could have a wireless remote or a wall switch which controlled a light, bell, buzzer or all of the above.  The signal travels over electrical wires, so no additional wiring is necessary and the range won't be a problem.  The remote would talk to a wireless receiver in the house (short range).

Of course, that assumes that you actually want to solve the problem

Unfortunately it is not a sub panel from the house.  It was cheaper to bring in new service than to trench and bury wire that distance.  

8 hours ago, Mike. said:

My wife just texts me.   Seems simple enough.  

I think 1) you need to get better about checking your phone and 2) your wife needs to learn you are not always immediately available  

I tend not to go into the shop unless I know I have at least a free hour.  My kids are 11, 9 and 3.   But my wife doesn't bother me unless something is super urgent, like maybe a broken bone.  We are both pretty independent.  I guess traveling for work all the time does that.  We sometimes go days without talking. 

 

Our little ones are 4 and 7 months, so when the stuff hits the fan, she may need backup quickly.  I agree, a perfect solution would be only to work when I have allotted time, but that just doesn't happen much these days.  Life is too crazy, and kids are very unpredictable.  

[Eric.]

I pity da foo.

[Guest]

I hear you.  I hardly got into the shop at all for a year after my youngest was born.  Once she was on a good sleep schedule I had a lot more time.   

[midtnwoodworker]

Get a nest cam to watch over your shop when your not there. She can go online and yell at you through the camera. Assuming you have wifi in the shop you could also buy a wifi outlet and plug a light into it. She can control that with her phone as well.

[Pwk5017]

Coming from someone who has been in the midst of a rip cut at the TS when my wife shut the lights off, I wouldnt hand over control to her! In my case, she came home from work and instinctively reached for the light switch to turn the lights on despite them being on already. It left me perplexed for a split second thinking, "how is the saw still running when I must have tripped a breaker by using the saw? Furthermore, my lights are wired to the main panel and my saw is run off the subpanel, how did using the saw trip the main before the sub?"

 

I would go with the lowest cost option available and change the way you use your phone. If you dont feel your phone vibrate, prop it up on a work surface facing you and make a habit of looking at it. If it is charging, the home screen will constantly give you message/call status.

 

The bat signal ideas are cool, but they arent incredibly practical. If she flashes the dedicated light two times does that mean the british are coming by land or by sea?

[Tpt life]

1 hour ago, Pwk5017 said:

The bat signal ideas are cool, but they arent incredibly practical. If she flashes the dedicated light two times does that mean the british are coming by land or by sea?

Not sure what you are after. First, I agree. Never give someone control of your lights. I would never hesitate to throw some LED around though. I would not put them in my eye during a delicate operation, but around the periphery. Colored LED will pop if they don't match the color scheme. In that way she would be controlling a circuit of little consequence. 

[Pwk5017]

5 minutes ago, C Shaffer said:

Not sure what you are after. First, I agree. Never give someone control of your lights. I would never hesitate to throw some LED around though. I would not put them in my eye during a delicate operation, but around the periphery. Colored LED will pop if they don't match the color scheme. In that way she would be controlling a circuit of little consequence. 

Just joking about how arbitrary a flickering light is compared to a telecommunication device that we all already have. Im not saying the light isnt an interesting idea, but he already has a device in his possession that allows immediate and accurate communication. My joke compared the LEDs to paul revere's midnight ride--1 if by land, 2 if by sea. 

[Tpt life]

Pretty sure this is about not hearing the device with machinery on. Then again, I have driven through some cell dead zones recently. I certainly know what you mean now. I guess 700 feet of capability just bumps one too high on the license chart from the FCC? 

[Woodenskye]

Technology is great, but you had kids just for a moment like this, if your wife needs you, she sends the 4 year old to get you.  Kid gets some exposure to shop with dad, then you can go help the wife.  Win win.  

Seriously, how many times when we were growing up did one parent send you to get the other or tell them something?  

[mat60]

My thought has been..Who takes care of the kids when you or your wife is gone ?.Why cant you make a deal with her that you get some time for yourself and she has her time also..Thats fair..

[Beechwood Chip]

I use hearing protection headphones that are plugged into my phone.  I find the "dead" sound of hearing protection annoying, but with music it's fine.  That way, if I get a call the ring tone blasts straight into my ears through the headphones.  If you prefer silence when you work, you can do the same thing without the music.

[Minnesota Steve]

I found this... It's a wireless doorbell kit with strobe light intended for use in a warehouse.   Says the range is 2500'. 

http://www.1800doorbell.com/warehouse-doorbell-kit-strobe.htm

I'm sure there are other vendors of something similar.

[Tpt life]

14 minutes ago, Minnesota Steve said:

I found this... It's a wireless doorbell kit with strobe light intended for use in a warehouse.   Says the range is 2500'. 

http://www.1800doorbell.com/warehouse-doorbell-kit-strobe.htm

I'm sure there are other vendors of something similar.

I think that's a winner. 

[Coop]

4 hours ago, Woodenskye said:

Technology is great, but you had kids just for a moment like this, if your wife needs you, she sends the 4 year old to get you.  Kid gets some exposure to shop with dad, then you can go help the wife.  Win win.  

Seriously, how many times when we were growing up did one parent send you to get the other or tell them something?  

"Son, go out to the garage and tell your dad, that's I said that's enough beer and to get his ass to bed"!

Ok mom.

"Dad, mom wants ya".

[Tpt life]

If that was my property, this would be the situation after my kids were in bed. She'd be up doing school prep and I'd be out having fun. I doubt she'd go 50 feet in mid winter. If she could flip a switch and turn on the light when she is done working for the night, I understand the goal. 

[gee-dub]

Having family members that are hearing impaired I am familiar with DreamZon.

 

Video here.  No association.

[Keggers]

My shop is about 100 feet from my house. My wife will either just text me or call my cell phone if she needs me.  I'm in the habit of checking it regularly. It's worked fine for me.

[ncfowler]

https://www.diapers.com/p/motorola-digital-audio-baby-monitor-mbp16-158791?noappbanner=true&utm_source=Diapers_SG&utm_medium=PDP_SG&utm_campaign=di-sg-to-mobile&utm_term=long distance baby monitor

[RichardA]

My shop is 110 feet from the house, and our phone system has a built in intercom. The only time it's a problem hearing the phone is when I'm running the planer or table saw. Since it's right next to my bench, all I need to do is look and see if I missed a call, then I can call and find out if I'm needed or not!

[krtwood]

Add a murphy bed, fridge, and microwave to the shop.

[pkinneb]

I have a strobe light that is tied into the phone and flashes when the phone rings. Its like the one on my dust collector only white instead of blue.

[Ronn W]

On 8/2/2016 at 9:51 PM, wdwerker said:

Can she hear you scream from the house?

I thought that my wife was becoming hard of hearing...

From upstairs i called, "Honey, what's for dinner?" No answer.

From the top of the stairs, "Honey, what's for dinner?" No answer.

From half way down the stairs, * "Honey, what's for dinner?" No answer.

From the bottom of the stairs, "Honey, what's for dinner?" No answer. 

From right behind her, "Honey, what's for dinner?"  "For the fifth time, Ronn, Meatloaf"

 

[prov163]

On 8/2/2016 at 9:50 PM, mat60 said:

Tell hur...500ft isnt that far of a walk and the exercise would be good for you hun..

Then duck!

Get one of those $20 bluetooth speakers and connect your phone.  Just a thought.