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IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Recommendation on Cordless phones

In the last few years, I have been through many cordless phones. I have had Uniden and RadioShack phones. I am always replacing them because they are always going bad. They don't make them like they used to. I am thinking that one that I have bought within the last two years is starting to go bad. I am wondering if anyone has any advice on cordless phones that are built to last.

signmeuptoo94
Bless you Howie
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join:2001-11-22
NanoParticle

signmeuptoo94

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I used to work for Radio Shack, and my advice today is the same as it was then to customers: One item WORTH getting extended store warranty on IS the cordless phone. At least at the store I worked at, we took them back and they were replaced no questions asked, but that was almost 10 years ago.

Personally, I think AT&T phones, the DECT 6.0 stuff, is some of the best there is on the affordable scale. Some now offer bluetooth. Last time I checked, they were one of the few companies to offer phones with a headset jack, but YMMV, so check first.

Uniden I don't care for as much. RS store brand can be good, but it has been years and I don't know how quality is today.
Ostracus
join:2011-09-05
Henderson, KY

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Panasonic, especially some of their older stuff.

W7PSK
Just Me
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join:2000-12-04
Everett, WA

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I bought these and Im very happy with them

»www.bestbuy.com/site/Pan ··· =2174037

lugnut
@look.ca

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Another vote for Panasonic phones. I wouldn't own anything else since I switched a few years ago.

These ones at Costco are similar to the ones I bought.

»www.costco.com/Browse/Pr ··· ng=en-US

If you have caller ID service enabled on your line these things are a must have. The talking caller ID is a fantastic nuisance killer.

Now when some idiot telemarketer calls while I'm up to my elbows in cooking grease I don't even have to look at the phone to know whether or not the call is worth taking. The phones will audibly recite the name listed as the caller or lacking that info recite the number calling itself.

I bought these phones two and half years ago when I declared war on telemarketers and I haven't regretted it once since.

And build quality on these phones is superb and the batteries are easily replaceable NiMH AAA's. Great range, good clarity and good battery life to boot. And personal directory is up to 50 numbers and updating the directory on a single phone automatically updates all the handsets on the system. Try that on a cheap phone. Also it can be programmed to politely block specific numbers at the expense of an entry in the dial directory.

Really I don't think you can go wrong with any Panasonic phone, but if you use Caller ID then it's definitely a must have feature.

Crash Gordon
Zero Tolerance For Stupid
join:2004-06-08
Smyrna, GA

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I got a set of these Vtech »www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 76123083 about a year ago or so. Haven't had any issues with them. Good range, clear sound. I also picked up 2 more extensions for it.

EDIT: @lugnut: My set doesn't have talking CID, but it's easy enough to glance over at it, besides that, isn't that what a answering machine/voice mail is for? The do not call list (national and local) helps with the junk calls.

My "cheap ass" phones do all the rest, "And personal directory is up to 50 numbers and updating the directory on a single phone automatically updates all the handsets on the system", including setting the time/date on it (them). Do it for one, all the the other handsets are updated.

mm
I Did It My Way
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join:2001-04-07
Summerville, SC

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I bought the Panasonic KX-TG7644 about 3 months ago. I am very pleased with the set. I find the Bluetooth very handy to connect to my cell phone. I can receive and make cell calls via my Pany handsets. The CID announcements was a nice surprise also, it does a good job of pronouncing most names correctly.

The Bluetooth also has a feature to download your cell phone book into your Pany handsets. I use my iPhone 4 with it. I use the speaker phone a lot on the Pany and it's excellent, nobody complains about the voice quality and when I ask they are surprised they are on the speaker phone.

Most of the keys are back-lit on the handsets. The only keys not back-lit are the arrows and 3 soft buttons. The display is easy to read and well laid out. The handsets also come with belt clips which I find very handy. Battery life is excellent.

»www2.panasonic.com/consu ··· 00005702

nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

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Panasonic and yes the higher end Uniden phones.

ATT phones are VTech and VTech has a wide range of quality and reliability issues. Some of their stuff is ok some is garbage.

Grumpy4
Premium Member
join:2001-07-28
NW CT

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I've had the same experience as folks above - Panasonic for superb audio, and Uniden for unbelievable reliability. We had a 2 line Uniden in an industrial application that fell from belt height / waist level to concrete at least 100 times - no exaggeration. It worked like new, despite some chips & cracks here & there.

The AT&T's I've owned were barely listenable.

CNET often reviews items like cordless phones. I find the reader's reviews more accurate than the editor's reviews.

Yet even more unsolicited advice - modern phones should have a decent quality surge suppressor on both the AC and telephone wires. I would recommend Tripp Lite as opposed to the office supply or hardware store off name brands.

signmeuptoo94
Bless you Howie
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
NanoParticle

signmeuptoo94

Premium Member

Panasonic for superb audio...

I inherited my brother's DECT 6.0 phones, Panasonic, and the sound is terrible, I can't make out what my wife overseas says. Compared to my VTEC, the Panasonic is horrible, the VTEC has a volume control, too, and it is much cheaper.

lugnut
@look.ca

lugnut

Anon

Who knows how your brother abused those phones before you got them. For all you know his kids used them as hockey pucks on weekday mornings.

My panasonics are clear as a bell and fantastic to use. They never drop a signal and I never get any static on them.

signmeuptoo94
Bless you Howie
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join:2001-11-22
NanoParticle

signmeuptoo94

Premium Member

My nephews are a very very mature 8 year old that behaves like an angel and isn't allowed there the phones, and a rambunxious 4 year old that has cancer and cannot walk on his own. I don't think children abused the phones, and neither did my brother. The sound is low volume and muddy. It's just fact. Abusing a phone won't make it sound muddy.

I never said mine drop a signal. DECT 6.0, no matter what brand, won't drop a signal within a large range.

The phones have no volume on them, and they are expensive phones (they only buy more expensive products).

They sound terrible, all three handsets.

lugnut
@look.ca

lugnut

Anon

My panasonics have volume adjustment for both ringer and talk functions. 5 levels.

As for dropping a phone borking the sound, I beg to differ. Both the piezo microphone and the speaker are sensitive mechanical devices which deteriorate with age, vibration and impact. Also the tuning slugs on the internal antenna can go out of adjustment causing poor signal quality or loss of signal entirely.

Believe me, after a good solid whack, pretty much any phone, cordless or not is pretty much only fit for the scrap heap.

And finally regardless how angelic your 8 yr old nephew is, he grew up with those phones and I'm certain that at some point in his growth explorations he probably used the phones as a hammer or a hockey puck. That's probably why your brother gave them to you in the first place.

signmeuptoo94
Bless you Howie
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
NanoParticle

signmeuptoo94

Premium Member

Ok, you know and I don't.

But I did study electronics friend. And the phones have always been out of the reach of the children. And it is THREE handsets, all the same.

but you know what I don't.

Why do I even bother thinking.

lugnut
@look.ca

lugnut

Anon

How OLD are the phones?
Ostracus
join:2011-09-05
Henderson, KY

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*shrug* I think both of you are right. I've had several Panasonic's over the years and overall they've been great BUT (and you knew there was going to be a but) I had a four handset Panasonic I bought a year or two ago, and initially it worked fine but then it started acting up, and like most I tried various things. Eventually I got fed up with them, and bought a new Panasonic set (not gun-shy here) and so far it's performed up to Panasonic's normal standards. So the reality is that even the best companies produce a lemon now and then.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

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Overall Panasonic has a better line and quality of phones than Vteck\h. Each individual line may have quirks but overall Panasonic still makes better phones overall than Vtech.

bbchris2nd
Joke Factory
join:2010-09-03
Australia

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First thing I consider before buying a cordless phone is the frequency that won't interfere my wireless device at home and brand will be the next.

backeast
@wideopenwest.com

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Panasonic, they cant be beat for sound and reliability.