Digital cordless phone for home use

sj_koova · 6th December 2008, 14:00

Hello experts,
I am looking to buy a digital cordless phone for my home use.

Looks like Panasonic is leading brand in this area, but I could not find many reviews on the net. Not in T-BHP also.

Main purpose is to attend office conference calls from home. Everyday from 1 to 3 hours use. So speaker phone and microphone clarity is very much important.

Here are other criteria

1. Caller ID display
2. Loud and clear speaker phone
3. Dial pad on both base unit and headset
4. 2 Lines operation (can I use Airtel and BSNL landline on same phone?)
5. Memory for call logging
6. Battery backup for base unit also. My call should not be disconnected if power goes

My budget is up to 5000/-, flexible though.

What other things are important when I look out for cordless?

Can someone suggest me the best brand and model available out there

Thanks in advance

amohit · 6th December 2008, 18:26

If your aim is to attend conf calls from home, you dont need a cordless phone. You need a phone with speaker phone and mute button.
Panasonic cordless phones are good, but do remember that they require electricity to run. With frequent power cuts, I dont think youwould want to drop of the call midway.

IMO, buy a good panasonic corded phone.

P.S: Dont buy a cordless phone from US. They run on 110V and are extremely sensitive to voltage fluctuations.
They get damaged easily and are not repaired by panasonic service centers in India(personal experience).

Regards,

msvg · 6th December 2008, 18:33

Panasonic is the best in this segment.
I have seen alot of Sony phones not used after sometime due to various reason..

shyamhegde · 6th December 2008, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by amohit

...., but do remember that they require electricity to run. With frequent power cuts, I dont think youwould want to drop of the call midway.

If you have an UPS already, connecting it to UPS might give you some backups.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amohit

P.S: Dont buy a cordless phone from US. They run on 110V and are extremely sensitive to voltage fluctuations.
They get damaged easily and are not repaired by panasonic service centers in India(personal experience).

True. Also some of them are not compatible with "our" caller ID protocols. One of the examples is Uniden.

sam003 · 6th December 2008, 19:18

Brother you need something like this and you can order here too Electronics - Office Automation - Panasonic Corded Phone Kx-Ts3282Bx

I guess this is one of the best model as per your requirement. I won't suggest cordless as other.

tarunmadhok · 6th December 2008, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by shyamhegde

If you have an UPS already, connecting it to UPS might give you some backups.

True. Also some of them are not compatible with "our" caller ID protocols. One of the examples is Uniden.

I got a Panasonic KX-TGA101S Dect Cordless from US, with 2 handsets. It has call id, answer m/c Spk phone (hand free), intercom etc etc. 1st when I got it for me, the caller ID was not working here as it was set only for US. But then i found out that there was a converter by which the caller ID will work, so i bought that converter for for some 300rs and its working great.
I got the set for some 3k only and i say if you could get a set from some friend from US, would be a good option.

sj_koova · 6th December 2008, 23:02

Thanks for your suggestions friends.

Conf calls are just part of the use. For conf calls, I need a crisp clear speaker phone and microphone. For other regular personal use, I would prefer cordless headset with at least 30m range.

So the phone I am looking for should have cordless headset and speaker on the base unit with battery backup.

I have an inverter at home, but I am apprehensive that call could drop during the power source switch over.

My BSNL DSL modem drops internet connection during this switch over, but Airtel modem does not. So I am not sure how a cordless phone may behave in this case.

I heard that there are cordless phones with batter backup for the base unit also.

I went to METRO today to check their collections. They did not have Panasonic with base battery backup.

Will check at Panasonic brand shop tomorrow.

Raccoon · 7th December 2008, 00:17

Which inverter do you have? If the inverter can work as UPS for a comp, then its probably unlikely that your call will drop. We have a Sukam inverter and and old Sanyo cordless... and it has never dropped a call on switchover.

But yes, my BSNL Huawei ADSL modem does reboot! :(

Btw, the Sanyo cordless does have a battery backup feature... and I tried it twice - the batts drain off VERY rapidly if used! So I never found that feature useful. Using rechargable batts might be a better idea tho... but it needs 5 or 6 pencil sized ones, which I didn't want to spend on. Dunno if current Pansonic models fare better in this regard.

sj_koova · 7th December 2008, 10:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Which inverter do you have?

I have a local brand inverter provided by my builder.
I have both BSNL and Airtel connections. BSNL drops as modem reboots, but Airtel stays up.

I guess it will be difficult to get a demo of the cordless at the shop. So user reviews are more important for me.

I find below model meets most of my criteria, but no clue if it has got battery backup.
KX-TG2338BX | 2.4 GHz | Communications | Panasonic India

Most likely I will go with one of the Panasonic model.

I use a laptop, so separate UPS at home.

tarunmadhok · 7th December 2008, 11:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by sj_koova

I have a local brand inverter provided by my builder.
I have both BSNL and Airtel connections. BSNL drops as modem reboots, but Airtel stays up.

I guess it will be difficult to get a demo of the cordless at the shop. So user reviews are more important for me.

I find below model meets most of my criteria, but no clue if it has got battery backup.
KX-TG2338BX | 2.4 GHz | Communications | Panasonic India

Most likely I will go with one of the Panasonic model.

I use a laptop, so separate UPS at home.

2.4 GHz is way far a old model, I was useing a 5.8GHz some 1 year back and right now I am useing Dect 6.0 which is latest in US.

I again say, you should trying getiing a set from US if you can as here in india you will not get all these features.

KX-TG1032S - DECT 6.0 Phones - Shop and Compare at Panasonic

shyamhegde · 7th December 2008, 12:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarunmadhok

I got a Panasonic KX-TGA101S Dect Cordless from US, with 2 handsets. It has call id, answer m/c Spk phone (hand free), intercom etc etc. 1st when I got it for me, the caller ID was not working here as it was set only for US. But then i found out that there was a converter by which the caller ID will work, so i bought that converter for for some 300rs and its working great.
I got the set for some 3k only and i say if you could get a set from some friend from US, would be a good option.

Interesting! Would you please give some more information on that 'coverter'. I would also need to buy one for my Uniden. If it is available for sub 500Rs and all the cities, shouldn't matter if you buy cordless phone from US. They cast half the price of our market. Singapore also is a good shop though (Other than Mustafa?)

Corded phones discussed previously in this thread are mostly for office use with multiple phone lines. Without multiple phone lines, they will be rendered as any other household phones.

NetfreakBombay · 7th December 2008, 16:12

This converter is called DTMF->FSK converter (for FSK->DTMF, not sure).

I use Panasonic cordless that I got from US, called ID works after adding this converter.

kb100 · 7th December 2008, 16:51

About the Battery

One thing people forget with these phones is good recharging habits. The battery is generally an Ni-cd or an Ni-mh one. People leave it on the cradle unnecessarily. This kills the battery in no time. People should put it on the cradle ONLY for charging - and REMOVE the phone only once fully charged. Care should also be taken NOT to overcharge it. Else memory effect will kick in and the battery will soon be useless!

jat · 7th December 2008, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb100

About the Battery
One thing people forget with these phones is good recharging habits. ... ...useless!

Yes, you are right. And it has been a tough job to explain this to many people.

I have used one Sanyo (don't remember the model exactly - seems some XT-TC1185BXB, but not sure) about 4~5 years before. It had independent base unit with phone book, alarm, speaker phone etc and 4 cordless unit again with independent phone book, etc. The main advantage was intercom, and call transfer between phones etc. The main disadvantage was that the cordless units didn't have speaker phone and no battery back up (we used the computer UPS). The sound quality was although not excellent but was still very good. It seems that this is matching with your requirements. It had some DATA port also but never used it. Analong or Digital, I don't know.

The product was made in India and hence guaranteed only in India.

sj_koova · 7th December 2008, 19:42

To those who are using the phones bought in US,

Do you use a step down transformer or does the phone support 110-220V?

I too can get it from from US, may be in Jan. Since many of you suggested to bring it from US, I need to figure out what our surprises are expected in terms to compatibility in India

What advanced features I should be looking for in addition to the expectations I already have?

6th December 2008, 14:00	#1
sj_koova BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 673 Thanked: 620 Times View My Garage	Digital cordless phone for home use Hello experts, I am looking to buy a digital cordless phone for my home use. Looks like Panasonic is leading brand in this area, but I could not find many reviews on the net. Not in T-BHP also. Main purpose is to attend office conference calls from home. Everyday from 1 to 3 hours use. So speaker phone and microphone clarity is very much important. Here are other criteria 1. Caller ID display 2. Loud and clear speaker phone 3. Dial pad on both base unit and headset 4. 2 Lines operation (can I use Airtel and BSNL landline on same phone?) 5. Memory for call logging 6. Battery backup for base unit also. My call should not be disconnected if power goes My budget is up to 5000/-, flexible though. What other things are important when I look out for cordless? Can someone suggest me the best brand and model available out there Thanks in advance
	() Thanks

6th December 2008, 18:26	#2
amohit BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 451 Thanked: 52 Times	If your aim is to attend conf calls from home, you dont need a cordless phone. You need a phone with speaker phone and mute button. Panasonic cordless phones are good, but do remember that they require electricity to run. With frequent power cuts, I dont think youwould want to drop of the call midway. IMO, buy a good panasonic corded phone. P.S: Dont buy a cordless phone from US. They run on 110V and are extremely sensitive to voltage fluctuations. They get damaged easily and are not repaired by panasonic service centers in India(personal experience). Regards,
	() Thanks

6th December 2008, 18:33	#3
msvg BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: USA / Bangalore Posts: 209 Thanked: 23 Times	Panasonic is the best in this segment. I have seen alot of Sony phones not used after sometime due to various reason..
	() Thanks

6th December 2008, 19:18	#5
sam003 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 533 Thanked: 67 Times	Brother you need something like this and you can order here too Electronics - Office Automation - Panasonic Corded Phone Kx-Ts3282Bx I guess this is one of the best model as per your requirement. I won't suggest cordless as other.
	() Thanks

6th December 2008, 23:02	#7
sj_koova BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 673 Thanked: 620 Times View My Garage	Thanks for your suggestions friends. Conf calls are just part of the use. For conf calls, I need a crisp clear speaker phone and microphone. For other regular personal use, I would prefer cordless headset with at least 30m range. So the phone I am looking for should have cordless headset and speaker on the base unit with battery backup. I have an inverter at home, but I am apprehensive that call could drop during the power source switch over. My BSNL DSL modem drops internet connection during this switch over, but Airtel modem does not. So I am not sure how a cordless phone may behave in this case. I heard that there are cordless phones with batter backup for the base unit also. I went to METRO today to check their collections. They did not have Panasonic with base battery backup. Will check at Panasonic brand shop tomorrow.
	() Thanks

7th December 2008, 00:17	#8
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	Which inverter do you have? If the inverter can work as UPS for a comp, then its probably unlikely that your call will drop. We have a Sukam inverter and and old Sanyo cordless... and it has never dropped a call on switchover. But yes, my BSNL Huawei ADSL modem does reboot! :( Btw, the Sanyo cordless does have a battery backup feature... and I tried it twice - the batts drain off VERY rapidly if used! So I never found that feature useful. Using rechargable batts might be a better idea tho... but it needs 5 or 6 pencil sized ones, which I didn't want to spend on. Dunno if current Pansonic models fare better in this regard.
	() Thanks

7th December 2008, 16:12	#12
NetfreakBombay Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,466 Thanked: 1,021 Times	This converter is called DTMF->FSK converter (for FSK->DTMF, not sure). I use Panasonic cordless that I got from US, called ID works after adding this converter.
	() Thanks

7th December 2008, 16:51	#13
kb100 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bangy Boy! Posts: 1,555 Thanked: 21 Times	About the Battery One thing people forget with these phones is good recharging habits. The battery is generally an Ni-cd or an Ni-mh one. People leave it on the cradle unnecessarily. This kills the battery in no time. People should put it on the cradle ONLY for charging - and REMOVE the phone only once fully charged. Care should also be taken NOT to overcharge it. Else memory effect will kick in and the battery will soon be useless!
	() Thanks

7th December 2008, 19:42	#15
sj_koova BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 673 Thanked: 620 Times View My Garage	To those who are using the phones bought in US, Do you use a step down transformer or does the phone support 110-220V? I too can get it from from US, may be in Jan. Since many of you suggested to bring it from US, I need to figure out what our surprises are expected in terms to compatibility in India What advanced features I should be looking for in addition to the expectations I already have?
	() Thanks