Any recommendations (for or against) on cordless phone/answering machine?

[AndrewR]

We've been using a Kenwood phone in Japan which cannot work in the US (left for next tenants of the house), and I'm not sure what are the good brands these days. I don't even really know what the actual benefits of 5.8GHz versus the lower freqs are (I know it's longer range perhaps, but is it worth anything?).

Panasonic, Sony, GE, Uniden, AT&T, Motorola, SW Bell, V-Tech? IF you can recommend a specific model, here's what I want: Looking for a cordless with a base station that has speakerphone, and the handset must have caller ID. Answering machine should be included also. Price range is under $120 or so. Too many damn things to buy.

 

[GML3G0]

With Panasonics, the buttons tend to stop working about a year or two later. Also, there is poor contact between the battery and the electrodes. Hence, why their phones seem to suddenly die and need recharging all of a sudden. That's fixable with a minor mod however. Fold up a piece of paper and shove it in there in the battery compartment to make for better contact.

 

[AndrewR]

I'm leery of Panasonic from past experience and probably won't buy them (especially after hearing that they still have issues). Thanks.

Anyone else?

 

[daveymark]

Panasonic phones work great. the problem is the battery. The one that comes with the phone dies quickly and causes the phone to act funky. Get a good aftermarket battery, and the phone will be fine.

 

[IronWing]

Don't know about cordless models but our ATT phone has had no problems for the 12 years we've had it. Our ATT answering machine (digital) has been running for eight or nine years and going strong. Our Western Electric wall phone has been running for ~35 years with the only problem being that the handset volume control is a little funky.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

i havent had a phone in 5 years! i think my parents have one of those, maybe uniden? they probably got it FAR or something if I know my mother...

 

[Banana]

I wouldn't base a purchase decision on the frequency alone. AFAIK, my newest fancy schmancy cordless works as well as my old 900 MHz Uniden.

 

[JEDI]

get a cordless model that has encryption.

regular cordless can be picked up easily by a cheap scanner from radio shack.