The VTech IP 5850 Dual Handset Cordless Phone System: disappointing

(09/10/06 UPDATE: I had to return this phone because it was getting way too hot while sitting in the charger/holder. Not sure if we got a "lemon", but decided we were better off with something else.)


Our old telephone and answer machine at home finally bit the dust, so we had to go out and get a new one. We looked at all of the options and finally decided on the VTech ip 5850 Dual Handset Cordless Phone System with caller ID and digital answering system. So far, so good.


This phone comes with 5.8 GHz digital spread spectrum frequency hopping technology. We put one of the phone with its own base upstairs and one of them downstairs. The main one is downstairs and it is the phone with the answer machine.

The first thing we did is plug it in for 14-16 hours to charge up the battery in the phone. This, we were told, is essential for future battery life.


We tried it out once we had completed that step. I was at work and my guys called me and put me on speaker phone. It sounded great, none of that tinny or echo-y sound you sometimes get with being on a speaker phone.


I recorded a message on the answer machine and it also sounded good when I played it back. With our old machine, it sounded like an ancient gramophone. This is a huge improvement in sound quality. We're getting used to the sound of its ring, since it is so different from the old phone. We don't actually get too many calls on our land line anymore, with most people calling on our cell phones. (I had thought about doing away with the land line altogether, but don't think I'm quite ready to do that, especially not now that we have this nifty new phone.)


The one thing I wondered about though is the button of the phone when sitting in the base gets pretty warm. I was not sure if that was right, so I wrote to an email contact at VTech to ask them about it. They said that it is normal for the bottom of the phone to be warm since it is near the battery, but to be hot is, of course, abnormal.


The color of the new phone is dark gray and I like the fact that it is small and compact, even the base unit. Again comparing it with our old phone, the base unit was pretty large and took up quite a bit of space on our telephone table. It’s nice to have a little more room now. The measurements are: 6-1/2 inches long, 4 inches deep, and 2-1/2 inches high


The smaller (upstairs) phone has a base that is even smaller, so it fits on the nightstand nicely.


The features of this set include:

*Enhanced 5.8 GHz Digital Spread Spectrum Frequency Hopping Technology
*Digital Answering System with 3 mailboxes and 15 minutes recording time
*Caller ID Call Waiting - Stores 50 calls
*Handset to Handset Operation - Page and Talk between Handsets
*Includes two handsets with only one phone Jack
*SUPERPLEX Hands Free Speakerphone in Both Handsets
*V MODE - Transfer calls to the other handset using the page function to enable convenient 3-way conversations
*50 name and number phonebook directory
*Tri-lingual prompts (English, French or Spanish)
*Backlit keypad
*Headset compatible (2.5mm) with Belt Clip included.

The VTech IP 5850 is compatible with hearing aids and either pulse or tone telephone systems.

The box contains:
IP 5850 (2 cordless handsets, charging Base, and spare charger)
2 AC Adapters
2 Belt clips
2 battery packs
Telephone line cord
2 wall mount brackets
one users manual

Manufactured in China by VTECH Communications LTD
Distributed in Canada by VTECH Communications Canada LTD
Richmond B.C.
FCC Registered, DOC Certified

One year limited warranty.

We paid approximately $85.00 for the entire set - not bad for two phones and phone answering system!

www.vtechphones.com


~thanks for reading~


©gkm.