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42 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
Great value. NOTE: Undocumented registering information.
By Dan
This is my second set of Uniden cordless intercom phones. We really liked the previous set but after 5-6 years of heavy use the directional buttons stopped working on some of the handsets making it impossible to access the phone book or caller I.D. I tried Vtechs, Panasonic, Sony, AT&T, and Sony in the past, and the Unidens were the best...good sound volume, nice features, easy to use. The intercom feature is a family favorite. Great for tracking down your kids in a big house...or parents for that matter.Some features have changed...but the basics are similar.In the older set, each phone had it's own phone book. This was nice because the kids could store their own numbers. However, it meant you had to constantly transfer numbers from one phone to another if you wanted them on both phones...a bit of a PITA. On this set there is a single shared database of 100 numbers. This gives you less than 100 per phone, but it is probably plenty for most households. It also means it takes just a second or two longer to access the phone book, which transfers over the network from the base. Once you've accessed it, it seems to be just as fast searching.The phones are lighter and last much longer off the base. The added battery life is a godsend. We've gone through several sets of batteries when the kids forget to put their phones back on their bases.One really annoying feature, on the old Uniden phones was the intercom ringer. It rang the phone you were calling from as loud as the other phones. Can't recall how many times (too many) we'd hit the intercom only to be blasted in our own ears with the ringer. With the new set the ringer still rings on the phone you are calling from, but now it rings quietly, just loud enough to let you know you are calling the other phone. On the old set you hit the intercom button and then selected the handset you wanted. At this point you could hit the green connect button or the select button. On the new phones the green connect button bypasses the intercom and takes you back to the phone line. Instead, you now MUST hit the select/menu button only. No biggie once you learn this.The lit keypad and screen is, IMHO, a must for any home phone. Works great.The phones do not have jacks for earphones, but this is a feature I rarely used on previous phones.The waterproof phone is a nice bonus. These phones do get carried outside so it's nice to have one that can take a shower.Speaking of outside, I was a bit concerned with the range, as I've read of complaints with DECT 6.0 systems. However, the range is better than our old 5.8Ghz Uniden phones...considerably better. There is no place in our yard where we can't hold a conversation with the new phones which is more than I can say with the old ones.NOTE: Nothing in the documentation tells how to put the base in "registering mode." I also couldn't find it on the web looking through numerous different manuals. Normally, this isn't important because when you add a new phone you just put it on the base's charger and that puts it into registering mode. However, if you are registering a phone that doesn't fit in the base, like a 2nd waterproof phone, you need to put the base in registering mode. On other Uniden phones, this is done by holding down the "find handset" button while plugging in the AC power. On this phone that puts it into program mode which erases the phone book (ask me how I know!) Instead, on this base, hold the "find handset" button down (with the power already on) till you hear a beep. There is no indication other than the beep, that you are in registering mode (as opposed to other base's which flash.)To reiterate how to register a phone that does not fit the base.1. Press and hold the Find HS button (find handset) until you hear a beep then release it. Put the handset into registering mode (if it is already registered to another base you need to deregister it.) The phone will now find and lock onto the new base.NOTE #2: THE PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS PHONE SET IS INCORRECT. IT ONLY LETS YOU REGISTER 6 PHONES, NOT 10 LIKE IT SAYS ON THE BOX OR IN THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL. I bought two sets of these, with the purpose of using 7 handsets and having an 8th spare. After registering the 6th handset the base would not allow me to register the 7th. I tried everything, including deregistering handsets that were already registered and registering different handsets. Each time I was blocked after 6 handsets. Finally, I called Uniden. The first person I talked to didn't know what the problem was and walked me through the same unsuccessful process. The second level support informed me that the set would only work with 6 phones and the documentation was wrong.EDIT: Knocked down one notch to 4 starts because of disconnectsI've run into a problem with this phone that I have not had with previous Unidens. It will sometimes disconnect from the base station with the error message "Phone out of range" and then, "Searching for base." This can happen at any time, including when you are on a call. It seems to be an interference issue with certain wireless networks that operate on the same frequency. It happens in the same room we have a wireless access point...just few feet from the phone. There are some locations in that room, that need to be avoided, or a disconnect will likely happen.There is also the issue, I previously noted, that limits the phone to 6 handsets (not 10 like it says on the box), which Uniden still hasn't corrected on the box or product literature. This is only a problem for people who buy additional handsets.One other note, my "great value" title was based on purchasing the set for $70.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Best Brand
By MM
This is the only brand to buy. I purchased the Att and Panasonic brands and had to return them. The volume of the handsets were so low we could not hear our callers very well. On speaker phone the volume was not much better.(yes our hearing is just fine)I use a phone card for long distance and the way the address books worked it was hard to make calls. The wife was really aggravated with the performance of both these brands.The Uniden phones have great volume levels on both handset and speakerphone modes. We can even lower volume and still hear. The address book is so easy to use and when dialing 800 phone card # the address book sounds does not interup the call like the other brands.We live on 5 acres and the Unidens range will go any where on the property.Luckily we have not tried the waterproof feature of the fourth handset but it seems very well built with rubber cover on the outside and great range. This phone by itself costs up to $75.00 so it is a good deal in this package.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
The Uniden D1680 system is a downgrade from the Uniden 8885 system
By kelly
We had an Uniden 8885 system for many years. The set was getting old, plus my wife dropped a unit in water. So, she wanted a new set of Uniden phone.We have the new Uniden D1680-4 set for two weeks now. Here are the findings:The good:(1)Slick looking units with good voice quality. The water proof unit looks nice and feels solid.(2)The volume can be turned quite loud. This is a plus if you need to use speaker for a hand free call. We use the hand free feature very often. This is also a plus if you are talking to a person who speaks too softly or speaks bad English, such as customer service reps at remote locations.(2)The phone can be used for several days on one charge, so good battery design, better than 8885.The bad:(1)Drop calls easily. During the past two weeks, dropped calls at least 6 times out of a total of maybe 200 calls. That is very annoying especially if you are in the middle of a business conversation. The dropped calls mostly happened during a lengthy conversation. The error message shown is "phone out of range" while the callers have not even moved at all.(2)The answering machine/the main base is overly simplified. Only the number of messages is displayed. Guess I am used to the 8885. I would like to do more with the main base, such as with the main base of 8885.(3)The hand unit while slick looking is too light. Doesn't feel as solid as the 8885 hand unit, feels a bit cheap.(4)The bases of the units are too light and small compare to the 8885. The hand set can be tipped over and falls out of the base relatively easily. Uniden 8885 is much steadier.(5)The water proof hand set while good looking and solid, uses up the battery in a hurry. It will last only 40% as long as the non-water-proof units. By the way, the color of the water proof handset is not as vivid as shown in the picture. the real color is darker.In conclusion, this set is definitely a downgrade from the Uniden 8885. It is a buy only if the price is very attractive.
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