- Expandable 5.8 GHz Digital Spread Spectrum cordless system with corded handset base
- Call Waiting Caller ID with 100-station memory; 100-station phone book allows two numbers per name
- IntegriSound digital answering system with memo recording
- DirectLink 2-way radio; 20 ring tone options
- Includes one corded and one cordless handset; One-year warranty
Pros:
1. Renaming handsets to location, e.g., Bedroom, Cellar, 1st Floor.
2. Can turn main ringer off on base or handset (in the bedroom, for instance), but still use Transfer Call and Intercom features to that hanset. VERY HANDY FOR LARGE OR MULTIFLOOR HOMES. (Ring is also adjustable.)
3. Phone book. Set it up on the base and send to all the handsets.
4. Adds a "1" to long distance numbers from Caller ID just by pushing the */tone key.
5. Listen to messages from any handset.
6. Audible "Message Indicator." Can turn on or off.
7. Lighted keys (on handsets) and displays.
8. Easy to find the instructions for all the features in the manual. (The PDF manual from Uniden has hyperlinks from the Table of Contents and Index.)
9. Can set handset to "Answer" when picked up from charge base. Handy for the "transfer call" feature so there is only one button to push when you pick up. (Otherwise you have to push green button twice if it's a transferred call, not just an Intercom call--kind of clumsy for the technophobes in the house--see Cons.)
10. Range is excellent (just under .1 mile at my house in the country), great for those with large yards.
11. Two or more handsets can be used at one time. You don't have to "Transfer" the call, you can pick up and join the call, just like in the old days. (Some systems don't allow this!)
12. Corded (for power outages) and cordless combination.
Cons (non deal-breakers, in my opinion):
1. Ringers could be louder on "high" setting. If you listen to your stereo on the loud side the phone is difficult to hear.
2. No different ring tones on the base.
3. If you have any technophobes in the house it may be difficult to get them to utilize all the features with you, because of the menus and such. (That is probably more of a personal con than that of the phone!)
4. One or two too many buttons to push to delete a Caller ID number. (Do you really need an "Are you sure?" message for such a simple decision?)
5. Can't delete the Caller ID numbers from all the phones at once. (Although before I got this system that was the case anyway.)
6. Not wall mountable. (Not an issue for me, but I wouldn't let it be a deal-breaker. Why does the corded base HAVE to be on the kitchen wall, for instance.)
I have already recommended this system to friends. Wish I had gotten to my mother before she got the VTech IA5874, which doesn't allow multiple handset use and calls have to be transferred from one handset to the next (plus, no corded base).I feel I owe readers this assessment, given how much wasted energy went into trying to find a suitable digital answering machine w/caller ID at a price under $80. I'm very happy with this machine and feel it has only a few flaws.
PRO: Clear sound, nicely-spaced touchtones (even for big fingers), easy set-up, nice look. Ringer tone is gentle on the ears. Answering machine can be set up to silently record the messages, which is good for privacy in the room. Handset on base is not too heavy, as so many are nowadays.
CON: To me, the biggest flaw is that the remote access code is merely two digits. Not much security there!!! Anyone determined to hear your messages can get access fairly quickly. Most phones offer just two or three digits, unfortunately, and I've found none that offer four. Also, only 12 minutes of recording time for messages. One would think they'd expand it to at least 20 minutes. A few blabbers can eat up 12 minutes easily. A solution is to limit the per-message duration. Unfortunately, this phone only gives you the option of one minute or four minutes. What happened to two minutes? To me, that's a flaw.
Another flaw: While you're on the line, you can see the minutes you're using up on the LCD screen (nice!), but you can't see the number of who you are talking with! That number quickly vanishes when the call connects. (You can, of course, retrieve it with the Redial button, which shows your last 3 calls -but only after you hang up.)
Final flaw: You cannot retrieve your messages off the base phone by using the base handset. So that means that people in the room will hear you retreiving the messages through the base speaker. The only solution is to always retreive messages thorugh the extra cordless handset, which can be a pain if it's in another room. A Uniden rep tells me that this is standard on all digital answering machines. Too bad, if true. It seems that issues of privacy and security are not foremost for the makers of these phones.
Again, I love this phone. Other that the cons listed above, I couldn't be happier with everything else about it.I thought about giving it 5 stars, but settled on 4. Maybe 4.5 stars.
Cons: I cannot figure out how to keep the answering machine from beeping when a new message is has been received. This makes it difficult to sleep in the same room when the machine is beeping. And I'm not quite sure why phone manufacturers refuse to use cords between the handset and base that can be easily extended by simply removing the cord and replacing it with a longer cord. So many phones seem to have at least one end permanently connected, and I'm not about to start deconstructing phones to replace cords.
Pros: Range and batter life is pretty good, for how much we use it. Love the ability to intercom and check messages from any remote handset. I feel comfortable using the remote handsets even when giving personal info out since it's all digital. Both the base handset and the remote handsets feel good in my hands and against my ears. I'd buy another and I recommend this product.After returning two other phones that didn't do what they were supposed to do (or did it poorly), I was pleasantly surprised to find that this phone does everything advertised, and more. It is an excellent phone system.
However, I have a comment or two about some of the reviews here. Every "problem" posed here is covered in the owner's manual. I've checked. This includes wall mounting (it does) and message indicator muting (it will). However, you are required to actually READ parts of the manual. The index in the manual is very well laid out and every one of the answers I needed for the few potential problems I encountered was referenced in the index, and completely covered in the referenced page/pages. In fact, it is one of the easiest to read manuals I have come across in a long time. We're dealing with electronics here, boys and girls. This ain't a fast food drive-through. A fairly modest amount of thinking is required.
1. Caller ID doesn't use the phonebook for its information. This is just ridiculous!
2. The phone doesn't offer Talking Caller ID. Although this is offered by competitor phones, they use a computer generated program to pronounce the names. This could be comical with some names. Uniden offers distinctive ring for phonebook entries, but the rings are annoying and requires you to remember which caller has what ring.
The old Siemens had a feature where the user could program the caller's identifying information into the phonebook and record their name. When a caller called and was already in the phonebook, the phone would ring once, announce the recorded name, and then continue ringing. It was a real handy feature for those of us who are too busy to look at the phone to see who is calling. Obviously, the Talking Caller ID feature I'm referring to would require Uniden to actually refer to the phonebook. Based on other reviews of their phones, this is just beyond their capabilities.
Neither of these features mentioned prevented me from buying the phone and the overall quality seems to be great. The phone does have some handy features the Siemens didn't, i.e.: 2 numbers per 100 phonebook entries, 2 way radio communication between handsets, well lit displays and keypads on the handsets, and backward and forward compatible handsets. The latter actually swayed me towards Uniden for two reasons: the handsets are the first to go, and I can then buy the ELX500 and pair it with my Bluetooth headset.
Therefore, I rate this phone with 4 stars instead of 5.
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