On Fri, 10 Jan 2014 15:22:06 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
wrote:

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).

I don't believe it. The phones look at least 8 years old. If the
NiMH batteries were that old and left on continuous charge, they
should be nearly dead by now. I have a discharge tester (West Mtn
Radio CBA-II) that can test them. Send me one cell and I'll run a
test (time permitting).

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.

Ok, the batteries are not totally dead.

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.

Dunno. I've used a few Panasonic handsets around the house. The one
with individual cells ate batteries about every 3-5 years.

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).

Offhand, I would say a bad battery or charger connection. The chrome
plated connections on both the handset and charger base don't make a
reliable connection and must be cleaned carefully. Same with the
internal battery contacts.

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.

Just buying some additional handsets for your existing base might
be a better and cheaper idea. The data sheets list the maximum number
of handsets a base will accomodate. I know of one system with 12
handsets. This might help:
http://cordless-phones-review.toptenreviews.com/
Oops. Looks like Panasonic is limited to 6 handsets.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558