On Wed, 08 Jan 2014 10:26:04 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Ummm... was the phone designed to use NiMH or NiCd batteries? I'm too
lazy to check.

Hi Jeff,
The batteries are the original, and, they're all Ni-MH batteries.
I noticed a set (white paint) was of a different amperage, so,
I reassembled all the sets with like-amperage batteries (to
prevent reverse voltage situations).


NiMH batteries can be a problem due to high self discharge and
possible overcharging. I suggest that you charge a few of the
batteries in the phones for a day and then remove the batteries.
Measure the voltage which should be about 1.2V when fully charged.
Just let them sit outside the handset for at least 12 hrs (or more).
Then measure the voltage again. 1.1V to 1.2V is fairly normal. 1.0V
is borderline.

I ran that from yesterday, Jeff, and they came back at 1.2 volts.
So, I must tentatively conclude that the phone itself has a
summative charging icon, where it might be "timed" in the charger,
rather than checked at the battery.

All five handsets, with the same batteries that read nearly dead
after charging, now read full. I haven't extensively tested yet,
but, all seems well now (tentative assessment).

With 5 (US) channels to use, you're chances are 1 in 5 of having
a collision. Unplug one base and see if the probleem goes away.

This might be the reason for the intermittence!

What I *should* do is buy a DECT system with 9 handsets instead
of two DECT systems for a total of 9 handsets.