DECT phone fault - any ideas?

[TikkiRo]

Have had a problem since our recent beautiful but quite severe lightening/thunderstorm on Wed past with my NTL DECT 4100 answerphone handset. Had a poor NTL guy chasing all round the boxes trying to locate a fault which I'm only now realising is the handset!! :D

Basically I can sort of make/receive calls i.e. by connection BUT nobody can hear me although I can hear them. I thought perhaps I'd accidentally put on the Privacy or something but that's not it. I've now managed through all my messing around to switch the handset off and can't get it back on again (despite following the instructions) but am leaving it recharging a bit more in case that's all that one is down to. But it's the issue of call making that's more important - I'm disabled and not well at the minute and totally missed a call from my GP who no doubt figured my phone wasn't working and didn't call back (I've 2 other extensions I can use but this is my primary phone) - and I can't afford to not be able to take calls easily at the minute. I know - you're all going to say why not take one of my other phones downstairs and stick it in instead - probably will have to anyway, but want this sorted as it's my answering machine as well. Not sure whether it's working or not, as I've been trying to take the calls.

You can pity my poor home help though - after getting the guts of 13 calls where all I could hear was heavy breathing and was about to report the number to BT I then took her 14th on the ordinary phone upstairs and realised it had been her all along - she said she was just getting dead air hence hadn't said Hello or anything.

I tried phoning it tonight from my mobile and was getting an echo back when I spoke into it.

Just wondering if anyone else with these types of phone have had anything like this happen to them and whether it's simply a setting error on my part, or has the storm perhaps fried it somehow - I was using it (or trying to) in the middle of the thing and again, at that time, couldn't be heard either. :mad:

It was a cheapie off Ebay a year ago, so not the worst if I've gotta go and buy a new one but still......

Thanks for any input.
TR:spin:

[grum1978]

If you ring the number that is on the 2nd post on this thread they should be able to help you :)

http://www.nthellworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1167

[TikkiRo]

If its anything like the number I have they don't work at the weekend, :( but I'll try it anyway. Had read that post okay but wasn't sure whether I might just hit lucky on getting a speedier response than having to try phoning and/or waiting until Monday now.

But thanks for your speedy response!
:D :D

[grum1978]

I think they do work weekends as i posted that number at a weekend before and the bloke rang that day i think :)

[TikkiRo]

Nah - as I thought - it's the same number in my book and says Mon-Fri - their msg confirmed it - 8-6 Mon-Thurs 8-4 on a Friday.

Oh BOG!

Now I'm going to end up in tons more pain trying to get one of my other extensions unplugged to use, but fortunate I have any to use at all I suppose! See if they then turn round on Mon and tell me they can't help - I'll blow - by then I'll have missed out on 2 dirt cheap Ebay replacements - don't want to jump in if I equally don't need to, but suppose they'll come up again sometime!

So there you go - now you know. :D :D

[chambece]

OK, I might be able to help, but I don't think you'll like it, or you might have tried it, and it's only an idea......


I have NTL Dect phones and they do seem fairly similar to a binatone one that I had. - I don't think NTL will actually *make* these, so it's probably rebadged

Now that binatone went in a similar way to yours, but the other way, If I recall correctly - I could hear them, but only just.
The first time it happened the phone was under guarantee, the second time it wasn't.


Basically it needed a reset... so that'd be all the batteries out and leave it for quite a while if I recall. You will loose all your numbers, and when it did it again, that was the way I told, if you get wat I mean.
'm sure there was some other way of doing it - you know, like hold a key down, but I can't remember - sorry


As the phone is pretty useless at the moment, it's probably worth a try, but it might just be the mics broke...

Hopefully this might be some help, let us know....

[Undisputedtruth]

No disrespect to the above postees but if you buy a product from NTL you are asking for trouble.

I have the BT freestyle 2010, an absolutely wonderful phone I had for a year and still no problems. A very stylish device.
My previous phone was a BT DECT phone Diverse 2010 - not exactly brilliant but it did lasted several years, even taken some huge knocks.

I think the BT freestyle 2100 is a model worth considering.

I hope this helps.

[TikkiRo]

Thanks people - wasn't a purchase of choice so much as price - happened to just be the cheapest at the time on Ebay for what I was after and it's done pretty well for a year. I've actually got a 2nd set that's useless (possibly) as well so you're probably right in your views regarding the type of phone.

On the resetting idea - so far its not done much but that's probably cos I can't get the stupid thing to come on again - have to say that their manual is zilch use in that direction - tells you how to switch off the handset but not how to put it back on again - presumed it was just the reverse but so far no go.

At any rate, the battery's a likely culprit indeed - suspect I may have had a power surge during the storm perhaps as my PC reset itself and I just never thought to disconnect the phone at the time (too busy ringing round friends discussing the storm - sad lives we live over here - eh :))

Thanks for the thoughts on it anyway :D

[chambece]

Originally posted by Undisputedtruth

No disrespect to the above postees but if you buy a product from NTL you are asking for trouble.

I have the BT freestyle 2010, an absolutely wonderful phone I had for a year and still no problems. A very stylish device.
My previous phone was a BT DECT phone Diverse 2010 - not exactly brilliant but it did lasted several years, even taken some huge knocks.

I think the BT freestyle 2100 is a model worth considering.

I hope this helps.



In all heonesty, I'd be really surprised if either of these comanies actually *made* these phones They're probably just rebadged phones, perhaps even made by the same people... I had a if I recall a BT Synergy phone before the NTL ones (we have 4) and the binatone which is by far the best... Answerphone, Speakerphone, Caller ID, the lot, and if I recall it was only about £50 - They've stopped making them now, and anything similar was about £70. Again, the NTL phones were very full featured...

[TikkiRo]

Basically it needed a reset... so that'd be all the batteries out and leave it for quite a while if I recall.

Wayhay - you were right indeed after all that. Left the battery out for an hour or more and at least now the phone's live again if nothing else - still not working for calls as such but happy to have at least got this far as that's bound to save me some time/hassles when talking to the service guys on Monday - so ta for that suggestion. Wouldn't have thought of waiting quite so long perhaps on it which was why it wasn't working last few times I tried it. :D :D

[Undisputedtruth]

Originally posted by chambece
In all heonesty, I'd be really surprised if either of these comanies actually *made* these phones They're probably just rebadged phones, perhaps even made by the same people... I had a if I recall a BT Synergy phone before the NTL ones (we have 4) and the binatone which is by far the best... Answerphone, Speakerphone, Caller ID, the lot, and if I recall it was only about £50 - They've stopped making them now, and anything similar was about £70. Again, the NTL phones were very full featured...

The Diverse 2010 was made by Siemens. At that time Siemens were making some of the best DECT phones around.

The freestyle 2010 is made by the French mobile makers SAGEM.

Also both phones were best buy from Which magazine.

Personally, I wouldn't but NTL products unless they gave it to me free!

[Pritch]

Originally posted by chambece
In all heonesty, I'd be really surprised if either of these comanies actually *made* these phones They're probably just rebadged phones, perhaps even made by the same people... I had a if I recall a BT Synergy phone before the NTL ones (we have 4) and the binatone which is by far the best... Answerphone, Speakerphone, Caller ID, the lot, and if I recall it was only about £50 - They've stopped making them now, and anything similar was about £70. Again, the NTL phones were very full featured...

Leaving aside the wisdom being offered by Undisputedtruth, and the huge amount of experience he's had with the product being discussed... :rolleyes:

I believe the NTL branded phones are actually manufactured by Amstrad.

[Undisputedtruth]

Originally posted by Pritch
Leaving aside the wisdom being offered by Undisputedtruth, and the huge amount of experience he's had with the product being discussed... :rolleyes:

I believe the NTL branded phones are actually manufactured by Amstrad.

Well I wouldn't have an Amstrad, even if it was shoved in my hand for free.

[Lord Nikon]

I personally have a BT Synergy 1500 DECT and my only complaint is I can't seem to locate a second handset for it.....

The phone itself is EXCELLENT, even has a headset port (which is useful while typing) and the battery life is pretty good, programming numbers into the phone book on the phone is a pain though lol...

[Pritch]

Originally posted by Lord Nikon
I personally have a BT Synergy 1500 DECT and my only complaint is I can't seem to locate a second handset for it.....

If the phone is GAP compatible, any GAP handset (even from other manufacturers) should work.

The phone itself is EXCELLENT, even has a headset port (which is useful while typing) and the battery life is pretty good, programming numbers into the phone book on the phone is a pain though lol...

I'm pretty sure this is common amongst all cordless phones. I never used one where the method for doing this was immediately obvious, especially given my tendency to buy ex-demo stuff where the manual has long since gone walkies. :shrug:

[Lord Nikon]

GAP?

[Pritch]

GAP = General Access Profile.

Basically, it's a standard for DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications, seeing as I've got this list of acronyms here :D ) cordless phones. Basically it's a standard to allow one type of handset to work with a different type of base station.

[TikkiRo]

Okay - just in case anyone in the future reads this and wonders if I got it sorted - I did - as I think had been mentioned but with a slight difference. Total reset of the base unit as well as the handset. I'd only done the latter. So, you unplug EVERYTHING completely (inc the phone battery) - leave all for an hour++ then reconnect in a particular sequence - battery into phone first, then reconnect base unit THEN wait for 2 mins - then reconnect phone and keep the handset away from all other electrical equipment until you've done that. Wait another few mins and then test. AND IT WORKS!!! :) :) :) Thanks everyone for pointing me in the right direction and think I'll stick with this for a shade longer now its functional again.

[duff@beanbag.plu]

Hi

Just to say that I have a syngery 1500 (bought from e-bay) My friend wanted to buy it from me but when she got it home the damm thing refused to ring. (had been working perfectly well beforehand). Tried re-setting to factory settings etc, but no luck. Have now taken out battery to see if what worked for your phone also works for mine. Fingers crossed and thanks for the information in your final post.:handshake

[Nemesis]

Is this an NTL phone line .... If so which platform ... Langley or Bromley ?

[duff@beanbag.plu]

Hi
Sorry I wasn't clear - is actually a bt line - but have got to the point where anything is worth a try! Just put synergy 1500 into google and this forum came up.
The only other option is to sling the phone out the window - tempting.....
:tired: