Columbus, I like how you flattened out your clapboard with the wedge of wood. I have to use that idea for my back porch/sun room, which is clapboards, where I want to attach some old plant holders. I kind of thought out how you would mechanize your doorbell. You're lucky, It's way more straightforward than mine. Mine has a lever that is pulled once, it springs back to the original position and you pull it again to re-ring the bell. I am in the middle of building a screen door for the front of the house and MAY incorporate the bell into that. The door is already about 70 pounds and I havent added any hardware (I know it's not 100% authentic ... I wanted something "secure" so I built it 1.75 inches thick like a regular door. Since the screen will be removable, Ill be able to swap in a sheet of plexi for winter, too. It looks like it's old if you dont consider how much thicker it is. Hey, then again, the neighborhood isnt as authentic as it was 120 years ago, either.)

I have tried wireless in the past and the range was not good for the 2 models I tried and returned. I don't know how much money you want to spend, but I purchased for about $300, a system where you have one doorbell, and 2 TV monitors. CAT5 cable was run to each area. Each tv monitor needs a transformer. We put a 'hidden' spot in the garage where all the transformers plug into a double duplex using a plug in strip to give them more room since transformers are wider than a plug size. We basically got some 18g 2-wire and ran that from each tv monitor location to where the 2gang duplex would be in the garage. Then after drywall went up, the transformers were cut and spliced into the 2-wire that went to the tv monitors. Each monitor needs a separate transformer according to the Lone Star people. since you would use 4 locations, they might have something where you just use a couple tv monitors (expensive) and a cpl locations that can just do 2-way audio. This system is also available in a 4 monitor. It was a Genway brand which is sold by a company in Houston, TX. They have real live phone support and were nice. They also have a store on Ebay, but if you buy direct from them like I did, they gave me a discount since they didn't lose money through their ebay fees. They are called Lonestar Group. but there are other companies (google video door intercom). See link. I liked the look and feel of the DNS7 doorbell/camera. If feels heavy in your hand and I have gotten a lot of compliments on it and I live in San Francisco where people are very style conscious. Both the plumbing inspector and the Glass Installer asked me where I got my doorbell. However the angle of the camera is not very wide so if people are not standing right in front of it I can't see them. There is 2-way audio so you can ask them to step back. My system was $300, but they are able to give you a package with more monitors. Just call them on the phone to ask. Their tech support can even explain about how to cut the transformer wire and splice it so you can run it longer through the walls. But it's really simple. We did not do any splicing in the wall. We did it outside in the garage where it is accessible. Here is a link that might be useful: Lone Star Video Door Intercom

Ditto what Arapaho said. I love your entry. Why wouldn't one of those radio controlled bells work? I have one just "pasted" to the side of the door and the bell itself is in the kitchen. They certainly have a low profile at the front door. I'm sure there is a reason you don't want that since you surely would have thought of it by now.

Disclaimer: I know zilch about these fancy computerized doorbells. In fact I'm a crusty guy who won't have "smart" electronic stuff in my house because I don't want it getting smarter than I am. And you young whippersnappers better stay off my lawn, too. :) However, in your place I'd put the old button back and see if the doorbell makes noise again. IMO the doorbell should work (for some values of "work") on 24 volts. There's a tiny chance that the excessive voltage would cause too much current to flow through the doorbell and damage it. However, you don't normally lean on a doorbell button for minutes at a time, so the tiny chance is tiny. More likely the higher voltage would just make the doorbell's solenoid strike the chimes too hard and negatively affect their tone. Unless the 24 volts actually did burn out the chime already, it should not go silent. If it works (even poorly) with the ordinary button reinstalled, the cause is obvious. In that case I'd just return the darn Ring Thing to the store so it can outsmart someone else, but that's me. :)