I am considering buying some new cordless phones with the caller-ID and answering features. Besides Consumerrrs Reports, does anyone here have any experience repairing cordless phones, and which brand(s) do they consider most reliable and/or repairable?
TIA,
Bob Hofmann
I doubt any are made to be repaired these days. I would suggest you go for a model that uses individual NiMH batteries as opposed to a custom made battery pack. The batteries not holding a charge are the most frequent problem after a couple of years and the custom battery packs are often nearly the price of a replacement handset. I have had good luck with the Panasonic DECT 6.0 models. You can often get a set of 4 with base answering machine for about $80 on sale. A couple of nice features: talking caller ID for when you can't get to the phone immediately; new message alert flashing light on all the handsets and the ability to actually listen to the message from any handset. Good battery life too unlike a Philips model I tried.
I suggest you look at the Siemens DECT phones. DECT phones use the 1.8gHz cellular band (it overlaps the US 1.9gHz one, so it is legal there) and are designed to be used in a shared environment. In plain English, they listen before using a frequency and skip ones in use. This prevents them from being interfered with and interfering with other things.
The common 2.4 gHz phones use the same band as microwave ovens and WiFi networks, so there is a lot of interference and fighting for bandwidth.
5.7 gHz phones, which are legal in the US, but not EU/Africa/Asia, are shorter range than the others. If that is ok with you (the phones is going to be used in the same room as the base) then it may be a good choice.Siemens has a good reputation, and in models I have seen advertised in the UK (I hope simliar ones sold elsewhere too) have Bluetooth support.
While using a Bluteooth headset with a cordless phone does not appeal to me, some people may like it. It also allows you to use a PC to synchronize the directory in the phone with the one from your cell phone.
I don't know about you, but I can't be bothered to put 100 (or even 10) numbers or so into a cordless phone via the keypad. Since I already have them on a computer and synced to my cell phone, if I had a Bluetooth cordless phone I could just pop them into it. Now I have to either look them up on the computer or my cell phone. :-(
There are many versions of DECT phones depending upon what you pay for. The cheapest support one line and one base station. You can have 4 phones registered (using) one base station and call between them. More expensive phones may have the option to use more than one base station and "roam" between them if you have a large place, or have multiple phone lines.
You can even buy DECT phones with 2 "lines" one of them being a telephone line for regular service and one being a USB port for connecting to your computer and using SKYPE.
Geoff.
-- Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM
If I were to recommend one brand it would be Panasonic. Not only more reliable IMHO but better made and nicer to use. If you were in the UK I'd also say avoid anything branded BT.
--
*Prepositions are not words to end sentences with *
Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
"British Trash"?
-- Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM
Heh heh. That's a new one. But British Telecom - the once state owned company that had a monopoly. At one time they designed their own phones which were if nothing else well made. Now they seem to allow their name on any old junk.
--
*I have a degree in liberal arts -- do you want fries with that
Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
**I've owned a few different brands and three Panasonics. ALL the Panas still work. None of the others have survived. I only changed them to new features and better performance. And the latest one is a Hell of a decent performer. I'm looking at the workshop 'phone now. It's in pretty bad cosmetic shape, but the damned thing still works perfectly. It's three years old now and time to upgrade.
-- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au
There are other considerations.
More than a year ago, I bought a Uniden system, which immediately irritated me with its poor design and confusing operation. I replaced it with a GE (Thomson) DECT 6.0 system, which was much better thought-out. The controls on the base unit are well-grouped and have different shapes. I never have to refer to the instruction book.
The hand units have an excellent speakerphone. Unfortunately, they use shrink-wrapped AAA cells. However, making up a new pack is not out of the question.
Don't buy a model where the "base unit" is a hand unit sitting in the charger. There are times when you have to tuck the receiver between your head and neck.
You should look for a unit whose base station provides basic functions when the power goes out. "But I have a cell phone." Not if the transmitter also goes down.
Other thing is to phone a knowledgeable friend and ask how your phone sounds to them. Some can be OK at 'your' end but sound horrid to others. Of course difficult to do until you've bought it...
--
*Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?
Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
I have had Panasonic, Sony, GE and Siemens cordless phones in the past, and to me, the best of all them are the Panasonic ones, followed by Siemens. Both brands have good features and a very clear sound.
Hi!
I'd cast my vote for Panasonic.
I still have an old 49MHz "Easa-Phone" cordless phone that works as well as the day it was made. It's had several new batteries over the years, and one new antenna for the handset. Other than that, it has required no repair.
I also have some of their newer cordless phones, covering all of
900MHz, 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz. The 900MHz phones are kitchen phones and see the most use of any of them. They've been dropped, one was rained on overnight and other Bad Things have doubtlessly happened to both of them. Both handsets look slightly rough and one is missing its battery cover, but they're *still* working flawlessly.William
I like Panasonic DECT 6.0 phones:
I have one of these (forgot the model numbers) and a mix of older Panasonic 2.4 and 900Mhz phones and fax/answering/cordless phone conglomerations. They work well and much to my amazement, are generally not battery killers.
Most of the cordless phone repair I've done is for myself on my thrift shop aquisitions and for friends and neighbors. The phones are cheap enough that repair is not an economical option. Parts are difficult or impossible to find on any of the cordless phones (except batteries, wall warts, and possibly antennas). Also, check into the availability and price of additional handsets. Most bases have a limit of 4 handsets maximum, so be careful when building a large system.
The problems are roughly the same with all the phones I've seen. People spit into the keyboard while talking. The saliva eventually migrates into the contact area and makes a mess. Add some dirt and dust to the mix, and the keypad stops working. I open up the handset, clean up the elastometric keypad, clean the contact board, reassemble and it's ready for another few years of use.
A good clue on repairability is the presence of case screws. Remove the handset battery and check for screws. If there are none, you may have a unit that is difficult to disassemble and repair.
-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
I can use my Panasonic 5.8 GHZ DECT phones well over 100 feet, and that is with a metal building between me and the base. My old V-tec 900 MHz had a similar range, but with some static.
-- You can\'t have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!
I'd cast my vote for Panasonic.
I still have an old 49MHz "Easa-Phone" cordless phone that works as well as the day it was made. It's had several new batteries over the years, and one new antenna for the handset. Other than that, it has required no repair.
I also have some of their newer cordless phones, covering all of
900MHz, 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz. The 900MHz phones are kitchen phones and see the most use of any of them. They've been dropped, one was rained on overnight and other Bad Things have doubtlessly happened to both of them. Both handsets look slightly rough and one is missing its battery cover, but they're *still* working flawlessly.William
(Windoze mail not quoting properly...)
*************************************************************************Although I'm not a great fan of Sanyo products generally, I have always been impressed with their cordless phones.
I'm now using a 900 mHz model over 10 years old. Never had a glitch; the battery is even still as good as it ever was.
I can take it outside and go several hundred feet before it loses communication with the base unit.
Mark Z.
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I'm into around the second year of use of a Panasonic DECT 6.0. Separate NiMH cells in the handsets. Works fine. Decent range. Decent sound. Good, fast VOX switch on hands-free speaker use. I'd buy another... but hope not to have to! Cheers, Roger
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please to here if u want to buy phone
Ok, a bit late in the thread, but:
We also have Panasonic DECT now. Good workmanship, long battery life. However, I have drop-outs from handset to base (not the other way around) in my office which is very annoying. Also, they completely screwed up the intercom function. You have to press a three-digit code number, then select the handset you want to call. That's pathetic. Other than that they seem ok but the drop-outs are a problem.
The best phone ever was a Cincinnatti Microwave Spread Spectrum phone but unfortunately they quit making them.
Does anyone else have such drop-outs in locations with lots of RF reflectors, and maybe an easy fix/hack?
-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
I don't but two of my customers have the problem. They're located directly opposite a downtown Santa Cruz CA rooftop loaded with cellular antennas. When the handsets are anywhere near the window facing the cell site, they drop out. Range is irrelevent as the base unit is in the same office as the handset user. I don't recall the exact models, but one is a 4 phone Panasonic, while the other is a 4 phone Uniden (as probably sold by Costco).
The problem is that in the US, the DECT 6.0 phones operate on
1920-1930MHz. PCS cellular base to mobile is next door at 1930-1990Mhz.It's the sheer power of the PCS cell site that rips on the DECT 6.0 phones. There's just not enough receiver selectivity and overload tolerance available in the average DECT 6.0 handset to coexist in such an RF environment. The receiver either blocks or hears PCS crud, and it drops out. The best you can do is position yourself away from your local cell sites or switch to 5.7GHz cordless phones.
-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Aha, thanks, now we are getting closer. We have a Panasonic set of three, from BestBuy but similar to the ones they now sell at Costco. I can't imagine them not using the same chip set.
It's the comm from handset to base that drops out, base to handset never drops out. The next cell tower is about a mile away though but we are on top of a knoll.
I would assume the base could also be fooled by a signal from a cell phone itself if close enough. Why did they screw up the chip sets so badly? I mean, I can stand right next to a guy with another cell phone at the airport or even inside the metal fuselage of an airplane (after landing) and nothing interferes. Did the DECT guys screw it up?
5.7GHz doesn't stand a chance in this location. Not enough oomph up there.-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
The means the base receiver might be getting clobbered by a cell site. Move the base away from the window and put something substantial (like a wall) in between it and the cell site. Experiments with reflectors.
Probably not. DECT 6.0 phones operate on 1920-1930MHz. US PCS cellular base to mobile is at 1930-1990Mhz. US PCS cellular mobile to base is at 1850-1910MHz.
The handset is at least 20 Mhz away from the PCS receiver, which is sufficiently far away so that a cheap SAW or ceramic filter would work. That's in contrast to the PCS base, which is literally adjacent to the DECT 6.0 frequencies.
The chipsets are fine. It's the lack of RF filtering that's the problem. I haven't looked inside the phone, but my guess is that the RF filtering is fairly minimal.
Actually, it does interfere. For GSM, the cell site synchronizes frequencies and TDMA slot times so that they don't directly interfere. With CDMA (spread spectrum), it's not so nice as additional handsets raise the base line noise level. With sufficient noise generated by other handsets, a marginal signal could cause a session disconnect. The good news is that you won't hear any beat notes, intermod, crosstalk, or garble. All that will happen is a dropped call.
-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
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