2+ years and counting...
Written: Apr 19 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Looks great, works well, thoughtful features and design, great price for what you get.
Cons: None!
The Bottom Line: A fully featured cordless phone with speakerphone. If that's all you want, this one's the one to get! Get the next model up if you need an answering machine...
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| nimhrat's Full Review: Panasonic KX TC1450 900 MHz 1-Line Cordless Phone |
I've had this phone for almost 3 years now. It had a different model number back then, but the only differences between that one and this one are some very slight cosmetic changes and the addition of a headphone jack on the handset. I always thought that my phone was perfect in every way except that it didn't have a headphone jack. Now that the newer model has one, it's perfect! The price hasn't changed much over the years (I bought my old phone for $99). It's actually a great value, since you're not paying for a lot of costly features like caller ID or a digital answering machine. (Panasonic makes similar phones with these features if you really want them.)
Phone reception is great. You sometimes get static if you have neighbors with similar phones (900 MHz), but there's a channel button that allows you to switch frequencies. I'm still amazed at how far I can go and still get a clear signal. I've been able to take the phone out of my apartment, down two stories into an underground parking garage, then out into the street -- talking all the while! (Your results may vary.)
Speakerphone works well (as well as speakerphones do). You can even activate and use the speakerphone through the buttons on the handset! Switching between using the speakerphone and using the handset is a snap. As with most cordless phones with speakerphone, you can also use it as an intercom, but I haven't found much use for that.
Ergonomically speaking, I have yet to see a better phone. The design of both the handset and the base is sleek. The handset is relatively light and is a good size for holding the phone comfortably. (As with most cordless handsets, it's difficult to hold the phone to your ear with your shoulder without accidentally pushing a bunch of buttons on the keypad.) The dialing keys on the handset lights briefly whenever you use it (great for dialing in the dark), as well as when the phone rings. Call me crazy, but I also like the way the keys on the base look. They're nice and round, and just the right size for me.
The base comes with a plastic support that you can clip on for mounting the base to a wall. The handset rests squarely in the base -- when you drop the handset into the cradle, you don't have to worry that electrical contacts aren't touching. Besides, there's a little green light that lights up to let you know the phone is charging. The ringing volume and ringing tone is adjustable. The handset won't ring if it's sitting on the base (only the base will ring), and when the phone rings, picking up the handset from the base automatically picks up (turns on) the handset. Pushing any button on the handset will also pick it up if it's ringing (convenient when you're fumbling around in the dark). The locator feature is a lifesaver, as I'm always leaving the handset all over the place. Pushing the locator button will cause the handset to beep until you find it and turn it on, or until you hit the locator button again to turn the beeping off.
Battery life is amazing. I've used it for days on end without recharging, and it never takes very long to recharge. There's a nifty warning tone that beeps every once in a while whenever you're running low on battery. My older model is almost 3 years old, and I have not noticed a decrease in its ability to hold charge.
Besides being well designed with thoughtful features, this phone is also very durable. I've dropped and banged the handset countless times, and there's barely a scratch on it. I've gotten used to tossing the phone to whoever needs it without worrying about it breaking if it is dropped. (Besides I think I've gotten my money's worth out of it.) The base has survived several liquid spills, as well as being accidentally knocked off my desk a couple of times. Note that if you unplug the base and then plug it back in, the handset won't work until you put it back on the base for a second. This is so they can "sync up" and agree on the same frequency and encoding.
Panasonic has a winning product with this phone, something so well made and designed that years later, it is still not outdated. I like this phone so much, I'm thinking about buying an extra one, just in case Panasonic decides to stop making it, or re-designs it into something less perfect!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
nimhrat
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Member: Raymond Chih
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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