I am looking for an expandable phone system with one base and two
extensions. I have been reading different opinions on so many
different web sites my head is spinning. Has anyone had a good
experience with a particular phone system that they could recomend?

Hope I'm not off topic. I love this newsgroup.

Thanks,

TM

Seimens gigaset is good but range is very poor maybe 40ft. Check
Hammacher Shlemmer they test what they sell and try to sell only the
best. But best of all offer a lifetime warranty. They replaced my unit
no questions asked.

"TM" wrote in message
...
I am looking for an expandable phone system with one base and two
extensions. I have been reading different opinions on so many
different web sites my head is spinning. Has anyone had a good
experience with a particular phone system that they could recomend?

Hope I'm not off topic. I love this newsgroup.

I have the Panasonic MultiTalk, 2 extensions in my 2800 sq ft home, one up
and one down.

It works great, but the known flaw is that the phones must be kept on the
base between calls because the battery isn't great at holding a charge.

I've only had the battery die on me once in the 3 months I've had the phone,
and that's a way better record than my previous cordless sets. I suppose
it all depends on how much use the phone gets, ours would be considered
moderate.

I really like the system, it was the best I found after doing a lot of
research, but then again technology is changing by the minute so who knows?

Another plug is that I have the phone system to support a voice over IP
phone service, and I'm loving the reduction in cost, which is far more of
an improvement than the slight inferiority of the service, which actually
seems to be getting better all the time.

If anyone is interested in that they can email me at Do
not reply to this mail because it's an anti-spam address.

And no, this is not a commercial message or an MLM!! There is a perk for
users of my phone service though, should we refer customers, which both the
new and existing customer benefit from.

I'm using the Motorola 2.4 ghz system. Allows up to 4 handsets.
Range is adequate, it just barely covers my 1 acre. To me, it beats out the
Seimens gigaset on sound quality. Could improve on battery life. it cannot
be out of the cradle for more than a day. The worst flaw it has is deleting
messages and the caller ID log. There is no way to blanket erase all
messages from the answering machine. The caller ID log must be cleared from
each handset and the base seperately. A big pain.

Beware of phones that beep on power failure. I threw a Vtech out the window
for that. Could not sleep at night. THe Motorola has a battery backup so it
will operate during power failure.

Motorola private labels this phone. Someone else actually makes it for them.

It has a private and shared directory. THe difference is one is stored in
the base for all to use and the other is stored in the handset. The
scrolling speed on the shared directory is not so pretty good so I don't use
it. Each can hold 50 numbers.

"TM" wrote in message
...
I am looking for an expandable phone system with one base and two
extensions. I have been reading different opinions on so many
different web sites my head is spinning. Has anyone had a good
experience with a particular phone system that they could recomend?

Hope I'm not off topic. I love this newsgroup.

Thanks,

TM

TM wrote:
I am looking for an expandable phone system with one base and two
extensions. I have been reading different opinions on so many
different web sites my head is spinning. Has anyone had a good
experience with a particular phone system that they could recomend?

Hope I'm not off topic. I love this newsgroup.

Thanks,

TM

I just got the Panasonic KX-TG5110M 8.5 gig single line system. It
comes with two headsets. I have not had a problem with it and it seems to
have a very good assortment of features. I like the large displays and easy
of use. Not cheap however Just over 200 US including the two extensions
(note, the base will function as a speaker phone, as do the extensions, and
the charger for one extension is on the base. Add about $70 for each
additional extension.

Any specific questions?

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

I just got the Panasonic KX-TG5110M 8.5 gig single line system. It
comes with two headsets. I have not had a problem with it and it seems to
have a very good assortment of features. I like the large displays and easy
of use. Not cheap however Just over 200 US including the two extensions
(note, the base will function as a speaker phone, as do the extensions, and
the charger for one extension is on the base. Add about $70 for each
additional extension.

Any specific questions?

Not the OP (sorry to hijack thread), but I am also in the market. I
currently have a Siemens gigaset (not sure of model offhand, but it
handles two lines and is a year or more old) with two cordless
handsets (the base has a wired handset). It has built in digital
answering machine with 4 mailboxes. It can handle up to 4 or more
handsets.

I really like the voice announcement of caller when it recognises the
caller ID (main reason I bought it), but there are lots of things I
don't like about it. My biggest gripe is that the caller ID is only
displayed for a few seconds. If you don't get to a handset quick
enough, you miss it. Also, answering an incoming call from a cordless
handset is a pain. It's hard to describe, but you can't just grab the
handset and press a button. Sometimes that works, but often it
doesn't. It requires different actions depending on whether or not
the handset is in the charger or not, and whether or not the answering
machine has picked up or not, and also seems dependent on the phase
of the moon. Another gripe is that picking up the handset after the
answering machine has picked up (remember, it's built in) doesn't stop
the recording. One more minor beef: it won't let you delete a saved
message until it starts playing it. If you press delete while it is
announcing the message number or time or date, it just beeps at you.

So:

1. Is the caller ID displayed until you answer the call?
2. Does grabbing the handset and pressing the same single button
always reliably answer the call?
3. Does the answering machine stop when you answer with a handset?
4. Can you program voice announcements for common incoming phone
numbers so it voice announces them?
5. Does it handle distinctive ring? (my fax shares line but has it's
own number)

The siemens unit I have was expensive, and it works very well with
excellent range and sound quality, but it usability is really, really
poor. So poor, if I found another brand or model that worked the way
I wanted it to, I'd switch. Unfortunately, details like the questions
above are never printed on the box. So I appreciate hearing from
those that like their systems better!

Paul Franklin

you know what to leave out.

Joe i didnt know phones were out in the 8.5 ghz range yet .
Hammacher Schlemmer offers several systems . One for 269 also has a
fax and copier and up to i beleive 8 cordless units , of course these
units are made and keep the label of the mnfg.
The point of Hammacher Schlemmer is Everything they sell they give a
lifetime warranty to. , from bread makers to DVDs to Telephones, to
Vcrs.
Many a time ive purchased equipment that blew at the 13th month on a
12mo warranty, and yes once i was so ****ed i bought a new unit and
returned the old .
I got the original Gigaset, but after the warranty was expired it
didnt record right. I called Hammacher Schlemmer they sent me a NEW
unit WITHOUT receiving the old one and gave me 30 days to do so ...

Thats My kind of Company H. S.

Lifetime warranty on what they sell and NO BS....

Another idea for you folks.... NIMH batteries have 30 - 45% greater
Capacity than NiCads, In other words your equipment runs 30 - 45 %
longer. Radioshack and others now carry NiMh replacement Packs for most
phones. Mine is great.
Check out Hammacher Schlemmers deal first I think you will find the
life time Warranty is worth it . From A to Z they have a few things
but all things best and warranteed for LIFE

Paul Franklin wrote:
I just got the Panasonic KX-TG5110M 8.5 gig single line system.
It comes with two headsets. I have not had a problem with it and it
seems to have a very good assortment of features. I like the large
displays and easy of use. Not cheap however Just over 200 US
including the two extensions (note, the base will function as a
speaker phone, as do the extensions, and the charger for one
extension is on the base. Add about $70 for each additional
extension.

Any specific questions?

Not the OP (sorry to hijack thread), but I am also in the market. I
currently have a Siemens gigaset (not sure of model offhand, but it
handles two lines

Panasonic has a two line model, I am not sure of all the other features.

and is a year or more old) with two cordless
handsets (the base has a wired handset). It has built in digital
answering machine with 4 mailboxes.

Mine has three mailboxes

It can handle up to 4 or more
handsets.

Mine can handle up to 8 headsets total.


I really like the voice announcement of caller when it recognises the
caller ID (main reason I bought it),

No announcement, well maybe I should check on that, I can't remember for
sure. I have seen some with that feature, but and I was looking at that
feature, but with the phone close to me I can read it on the remote, which
has a nice size three line display. The base unit is even larger.

but there are lots of things I
don't like about it. My biggest gripe is that the caller ID is only
displayed for a few seconds. If you don't get to a handset quick
enough, you miss it.

I have not missed one yet, I believe it stays on until answered.

Also, answering an incoming call from a cordless
handset is a pain. It's hard to describe, but you can't just grab the
handset and press a button.

I have mine set that way. It can also be programmed to answer when it
is removed from the cradle without pushing a button, like a corded phone.

Sometimes that works, but often it
doesn't. It requires different actions depending on whether or not
the handset is in the charger or not, and whether or not the answering
machine has picked up or not,

Mine will interrupt the answering machine, even after the caller is
leaving a message. It seems to cut off the announcement, but I am not yet
sure, I have not had enough experience yet.

and also seems dependent on the phase
of the moon. Another gripe is that picking up the handset after the
answering machine has picked up (remember, it's built in) doesn't stop
the recording. One more minor beef: it won't let you delete a saved
message until it starts playing it. If you press delete while it is
announcing the message number or time or date, it just beeps at you.

Right now I am not sure, but if I remember correctly, mine does allow a
delete anytime the message is playing.


So:

1. Is the caller ID displayed until you answer the call?
2. Does grabbing the handset and pressing the same single button
always reliably answer the call?
3. Does the answering machine stop when you answer with a handset?
4. Can you program voice announcements for common incoming phone
numbers so it voice announces them?
5. Does it handle distinctive ring? (my fax shares line but has it's
own number)

I don't remember, I think it listed that feature. It does offer
different rings, but that is a different feature.


The siemens unit I have was expensive, and it works very well with
excellent range and sound quality, but it usability is really, really
poor. So poor, if I found another brand or model that worked the way
I wanted it to, I'd switch. Unfortunately, details like the questions
above are never printed on the box. So I appreciate hearing from
those that like their systems better!

The Panasonic web site has a great interactive video instruction for
this model. I went through it and it will answer most of your questions.
It was that video that helped me decide on this unit. As you say they don't
list many of the questions you, and I had, on the box on the specification
list.


Paul Franklin

you know what to leave out.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

We have the Vtech 2.4ghz base and 2 extensions and have had good luck
with them. They are a couple years old now, so I can't give any info
on the latest model.

(m Ransley) wrote in message ...
Joe i didnt know phones were out in the 8.5 ghz range yet .
Hammacher Schlemmer offers several systems . One for 269 also has a
fax and copier and up to i beleive 8 cordless units , of course these
units are made and keep the label of the mnfg.
The point of Hammacher Schlemmer is Everything they sell they give a
lifetime warranty to. , from bread makers to DVDs to Telephones, to
Vcrs.
Many a time ive purchased equipment that blew at the 13th month on a
12mo warranty, and yes once i was so ****ed i bought a new unit and
returned the old .
I got the original Gigaset, but after the warranty was expired it
didnt record right. I called Hammacher Schlemmer they sent me a NEW
unit WITHOUT receiving the old one and gave me 30 days to do so ...

Thats My kind of Company H. S.

Lifetime warranty on what they sell and NO BS....

Another idea for you folks.... NIMH batteries have 30 - 45% greater
Capacity than NiCads, In other words your equipment runs 30 - 45 %
longer. Radioshack and others now carry NiMh replacement Packs for most
phones. Mine is great.
Check out Hammacher Schlemmers deal first I think you will find the
life time Warranty is worth it . From A to Z they have a few things
but all things best and warranteed for LIFE