AboutSpencer Holcombe Expertise Hi, thanks for checking me out, I have several years in the telecom industry, working for Pacific Telephone,American Bell,AT&T,AT&T Communications,AT&T Information Systems, and Pacific Bell-SBC. I can answer most questions regarding Telephones,wiring,jacks,PBX, Local and Long Distance,Billing,Custom calling services, Customer Service,and Fraud. I can`t answer Cellular questions.
Question Hi Spencer, thank you in advance for volunteering your help. I have two cordless GE phones at home and have had them for several years, and one corded phone. At times -more frequently of late - all of them go dead - no dial tone - and I cannot receive calls or make them. I called Verizon on this once and they recommended I unplug the cordless phones for a while and then plug them back in. This worked and I have been doing this for several months now whenever the problem occurs. It's driving me nuts, because when it does happen I can't receive messages on my answering machine, and I don't know at times that people can't reach me unless I go to make a call myself and don't hear a dial tone. I've heard that some of the older cordless phones cannot handle the newer technology out there and can go south at times. If this is so, would I have to change out the cordless phones for newer ones? I would hate to give up the phones and get some other brand or model, as I like their design and the clarity is great. Does the REN have a bearing on all this? If the model number or age of the phones is a factor I can look those up and get back to you, as I am not writing from home right now. Again, thanks for any light you can shed on this.
Answer Al,
I'm not going to say flat out it's NOT your phones age, but I really doubt it.
1st let me tell you what's happening, -One of your cordless phones is either going "live" or (causing your answering machine to) and then your local telphone company's central office scanning equipment busys your line out and you end up with a "dead" or busy phone line.
(just as though you left a phone off the hook.)
My advice is CHECK the batterys in both cordless handsets and replace them. I think that will fix your problem.
In the future, DON'T leave your handsets on the base charging unit 24/7. It's fine to put them there at nite to charge or better yet charge one at nite while you sleep,
and have the other one next to but not on the base unit. In the morning, or when you get up, just reverse those two so one is charging and one is with you. This prevents whats known as "battery memory" (the batteies get used to being constenty charged and then "die" when they are off the charge unit, or fade out so fast, they affect the line itself). You can also get into the habit of unplugging one unit at a time from the power AND phone jack, turning the handset on, and place it next to the unplugged unit til the battery is drained (usually 8 hours) then plugging both power and phone cords back in and chage that unit again appox 8 hrs. This clears the batteries and keeps them working the way their supposed to. That should take care of your problem. By the way, If you need an alert to let you know your line is not working, you can buy a strobe light that plugs into your jack and will flash when the phone is off hook", an extension is in use, or your line goes dead. Most electronic stores sell this for a few dollars.
FYI: phones are designed to work with the telephone system and its rare that they ever get so old that the telephone system won't work with them. Just smile when whoever told you that asks you about your phones :-) Spencer
