Cordless freedom

Remember the days when the home telephone had its own table and seat? Now cordless phones complement an increasingly busy lifestyle, allowing you to move through the house and garden while talking to family and friends. Cordless phones also now provide many features that mobile phone users take for granted, such as a phone book, caller ID and polyphonic ringtones. And theyre not expensive with it the top four models in this test cost less than $100, some much less. However, not all mobile phone features are finding favour among cordless phone users. SMS, so popular with mobile users, seems to be a feature cordless phone users are happy to do without, according to sources in the industry. However, this might simply be a reflection of the lack of widespread SMS support across the landline networks, which means your cordless phone may not be able to use an SMS facility even if it has it.

CORDLESS PHONES

Digital differences
The move from analogue to digital is all but complete, with the choices now more a matter of what style, features and digital signal will work best in your home. Phones marked as DECT run on the 1.81.9 GHz frequency, which no other appliances use, so this might be what to look for if your home is full of wireless gadgets. Only three of the 17 models in this test

IN A NUTSHELL

what to buy
UNIDEN DSS 3415 Price $99 Good points Enough reception coverage both outside and inside to satisfy most housing situations. Hearing aid compatible and has a headset connection, which makes it a good option for anyone hard of hearing. Very easy to use, with an excellent, user-friendly instruction manual. Bad points Not GAP compatible (it wont accept additional handsets from other manufacturers that support this protocol. See What to look for, page 51, for more on this).
While most of the 17 cordless phones work well, there are differences in reception range, ease of use and recharge times to consider when purchasing. Some of these phones wont support extra handsets, so think about what you might want in the future.
UNIDEN DECT 1825* Price $79 Good points The best overall battery score. Once in the cradle it fully charged in only two hours and delivered nearly 20 hours of talk time, which means youll rarely be caught out. Very good sound quality. Loud handset ringer. Easy to use. GAP compatible. Bad points No backlit keypad.
* Discontinued but may still be available in some shops.

48 / www.choice.com.au

Good phones with lots of features and theyre available at low prices.
arent DECT: the UNIDEN DSS 3415 and PANASONIC KX-TG2621, which use the 2.4 GHz spectrum, and the PANASONIC KX-TG5921 on 5.8 GHz. The UNIDEN uses Digital Spread Spectrum (DSS) and the two PANASONICs Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). These systems search through a range of frequencies to help reduce the chance of interference from other household appliances and also provide an added level of security against eavesdropping.

What about VoIP?

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) allows users with a fast broadband internet connection to enjoy cheap or
free phone calls both locally and overseas. However, until recently it needed a fair amount of computer knowledge, the handsets usually had to have a physical connection to a computer and you couldnt use them to make normal landline phone calls. Now dual-mode releases from companies such as PHILIPS, ORICOM, DORO and others are just starting to arrive, which allow you to use the landline like a normal cordless phone and switch back and forth to the VoIP setting when you can see that one of your online contacts is available to talk to via VoIP. CHOICE will be conducting a test of these new phones as soon as more models become widely available. >

PAUL SANTELMANN

If battery life is important to you, the
PHILIPS CD130 has both long talk and standby time, though it also takes comparatively long to recharge; its fairly easy to use. The DORO DD760X also has a long talk time, but is comparatively expensive at $130. The DORO DD640 is best for sound quality and could be worth considering if youll be using the phone in a particularly noisy environment. The PANASONIC KX-TG1701 and DORO DD610 scored comparatively well for range, though not as well as a couple of models in the What to buy list, and have good sound quality. Theyre also pretty cheap at $59 and $45 respectively. If youve got a particularly large garden or smallholding and want to use your phone outdoors, the PANASONIC KXTG5921s outdoor range is up to 1 km with no obstructions between the base and handset, though its only average inside. The models below these in the table (page 50) are just not quite as good for various reasons reflected in their scores you can do better for the price.

PANASONIC KX-TG1811 Price $59 Good points Very good overall range in both wood and brick homes. Fast recharge time. Bad points Base only supports one handset. No backlit keypad. Not GAP compatible.
PHILIPS CD230 Price $70 Good points Very good sound quality. Easy to use. GAP compatible. Bad points Relatively long battery recharge time and comparatively short standby time.

CONSUMER NZ

about the rest

CHOICE July 2007 / 49

SMS seems to be a feature cordless phone users are happy to do without. This might simply be a reflection of the lack of widespread SMS support across the landline networks, which means your cordless phone may not be able to use an SMS facility even if it has it.

PRODUCT

PERFORMANCE Range (outside / inside, brick / inside, wood, m) Ringer loudness (max dB)

FEATURES

Backlit keypad

Recharge time (hours)

Sound quality score (%)

Battery score (%)

Overall score (%)

Standby time (days)

Range score (%)

Ease of use score (%)

Brand / model (in rank order) Uniden DSS 3415 Uniden DECT 1825 (A) Panasonic KX-TG1811 Philips CD230 Doro DD640 Doro DD760X Panasonic KX-TG5921 Philips CD130 Panasonic KX-TG1701 (B) Doro DD610 Motorola ME4052-1 Oricom P70 Panasonic KX-TG2621 (A) Philips CD530 Philips SE630 Binatone iDECT X1 Oricom BB200

Talk time (hours)

7.5 19.5 14.5 12.0 16.0 18.0 6.5 16.5 16.0 12.0 9.5 18.0 5.5 15.5 17.5 10.5 10.5
12.5 6.0 7.5 6.0 5.5 6.0 12.0 14.0 7.5 6.0 5.0 6.0 8.5 3.0 8.0 3.5 5.0
8.5 2.0 3.0 8.5 8.5 5.5 2.0 13.5 10.5 9.5 6.5 10.0 1.5 13.0 15.0 4.5 8.5
600 / 60 / / 50 / / 60 / / 50 / / 45 / / 45 / / 45 / / 50 / / 50 / / 50 / / 60 / / 55 / / 50 / / 45 / / 30 / / 45 / / 45 / 75
USING THE TABLE Scores The overall score is made up of: Sound quality: 30% Range: 30% Ease of use: 20% Battery: 20% Range This is how far in metres we could still make intelligible calls from: Outside: Base station and handset outside, with no obstructions between them. Inside 1: Base station inside, handset outside, through an internal and external brick wall. Inside 2: Base station inside, handset outside, through two wooden walls and a dense hedge. REN (ringer equivalence number) This number shows how much of the phone lines capacity will be used by this phone its generally printed on the base. Phone lines generally support no more than a total of 3 REN connected at one time. If your connected equipment totals more than this some functions may not work for example, the phone may not ring. Digital system See Digital differences, page 48, for an explanation. Batteries Indicates whether the phone can use normal AAA or AA batteries in an emergency if the rechargeable batteries run flat. All the phones in this test come with NiMH rechargeable batteries. Price are recommended retail, as of May 2007.

50 / www.choice.com.au

HOW WE TESTED
To test range the testers took the phones outside
while they still had a direct line of sight to the base, to measure how far you could still have an intelligible conversation. Indoors they tested the phones range with the impact of walls and other obstructions to a range of 100 m the testers made calls through wood and brick walls. They assessed speech clarity, speech loudness, line noise and background noise reduction on each model, with a panel of three users making calls in a moderately noisy environment. To see how long the battery would last on one charge, testers set the phones to talk and then to standby and timed how long they ran. They also timed how long the phones took to recharge. For ease of use the testers considered factors such as how clear the instruction manual is, the feel and comfort of the handset, how easy it is to clean, if the LCD screen is easy to read and any other special features.

Handsets supported 4

SPECIFICATIONS Can use 2 or 3 AAA or AA batteries Two-way comm. between handsets Speed dial nos. memorised
Hearing aid compatibility claimed

Polyphonic ringtones

Headset connection

Ring tones

Digital system
< 0.1 < 0.1 0.< 0.5 0.5 0.0.1 < 0.5 < 0.5 < 0.5 0.< 0.5
DSS 2.4 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz FHSS 5.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz FHSS 2.4 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz DECT 1.9 GHz DECT 1.8 GHz
www.uniden.com.au www.uniden.com.au www.panasonic.com.au www.philips.com.au www.doro.com.au www.doro.com.au www.panasonic.com.au www.philips.com.au www.dse.com.au www.doro.com.au www.oricom.com.au/motocordless www.oricom.com.au www.panasonic.com.au www.philips.com.au www.philips.com.au www.binatone.com.au www.oricom.com.au

Price ($) 69

Contact
(A)Discontinued but may still be available in some shops. (B)Exclusive to Dick Smith Electronics stores.
Try the handset before you buy to make sure its not too small or
heavy and that its comfortable to hold and fits well to your face. If you live in a large house with multiple levels a phone that supports multiple handsets is useful, so you can have one on each floor. You can also look for a model that has a dial pad and speaker on its base so you can also make calls from there. However, more handsets wont give you wider coverage. The range is determined by the distance from the main base unit near the telephone socket, not from where the additional handsets are located. Some models allow you to communicate from handset to handset just like an intercom. Check the table for which models have this feature. If you tend to make long calls or need to take notes, a headset connection on the handset can be a handy feature. GAP: If a model supports GAP (Generic Access Protocol) you can use another handset that also supports GAP with your phone, from any other manufacturer. However, GAP compliancy extends only to the basic specification of the product, which means added features such as phonebooks may not work. Look for clearly labelled, large keys and a backlit keypad for good viewing in poor light.

what to look for

A phone with a long range is handy if you have a large garden.

CHOICE July 2007 / 51

paul santelmann

630_635__. 1 , 5, 2006 4:47

Welcome

Quick start guide

Connect Install Enjoy

630_635__. 2 , 5, 2006 4:47

Whats in the box

Handset

Base station

Power supply for base station

Line cord

2 AAA rechargeable batteries

Battery door

User Guide

Quick Start Guide

Warranty card
The line adaptor may not be attached to the line cord. In this case, you have to connect the line adaptor to the line cord first before plugging the line cord to the line socket. In multihandset packs, you will find one or more additional handsets, chargers with power supply units and additional rechargeable batteries.
WARNING Always use the cables and batteries that came with your phone.
630_635__. 3 , 5, 2006 4:47

Connect

Connect the base station
1. Place the base station in a central location near the telephone line socket and electricity sockets. 2. Connect the line cord and the power cable to proper connector at the back of the base station.
Connect the power supply A
Connect the line cord to the line socket B
3. Connect the other end of the line cord to the telephone line socket and the other end of the power cable to the electricity socket.

Install

Insert batteries and charge
Charge handset for 24 hours

Insert batteries

Set date and time

1. 2. 3. 4.

Press mMENU. Scroll : to Clock & Alarm and press mSELECT. Press mSELECT to enter Set Date/Time. Enter current time (HH:MM) and current date (DD/MM/YY) and press mSELECT.
Now, you are ready to use your phone.
630_635__. 4 , 5, 2006 4:47

Make a call

Enter the phone number and press r. OR Press r and enter the phone number.

Answer a call End a call

When the phone rings, press r key. Press e key.
Adjust earpiece volume during a call
Press : to select from <VOLUME 1> to <VOLUME 5>.
1. Press mMENU, scroll : to Personal Set and press mSELECT, press Handset Tones, scroll : to Ring Melody and press mSELECT. 2. Scroll : to your desired melody to play the melody. 3. Press mSELECT to set the ring melody. A confirmation beep is emitted and the screen returns to previous menu.

Set the ring melody

mSELECT to enter
1. Press mMENU, scroll : to Phonebook and press mSELECT, press mSELECT to enter New Entry. 2. Enter the name of the contact (maximum 12 characters) and press mOK. 3. Enter the number (maximum 24 digits) and press mOK. 4. Enter the SMS Box number and press mOK. (The default SMS Box is 0. To modify, press >CLEAR and then enter the number (0 to 9).) 5. Scroll : to choose a group (<No Group>, <Group A>, <Group B>, <Group C>) and press mSELECT to confirm. A long confirmation beep tone is emitted. 1. Press d in stand-by mode or press mMENU, scroll : to Phonebook and press mSELECT, scroll : to List Entry and press mSELECT. 2. Press : to browse the phonebook.
Store a contact in the phonebook

Access the phonebook

630_635__. 5 , 5, 2006 4:47
Switch the handset On/Off
Press and hold e key for 5 seconds to switch off the handset in stand-by mode. Short press e key to switch on the handset again.

Keypad lock/unlock Paging
Press and hold * key for 2 seconds to lock and unlock keypad in stand-by mode. 1. Press c key on the base until the handset starts to ring. 2. Once the handset is retrieved, press e to end the paging. Press To Enter the main menu from stand-by mode. Select the function displayed on the handset screen directly above it. Activate mute function during a call. Go to redial list from stand-by mode. Select the function displayed on the handset screen directly above it. Answer an incoming external or internal call. Insert R for operator services when on the line. Hang up a call. Long press from menu browing to return to stand-by mode, short press to return to previous menu. Long press in stand-by mode to switch off the handset, short press to switch on the handset again. Access call log from stand-by mode. Scroll up a menu list or go to the previous phonebook or call log record. Increase earpiece volume during a call. Go to the previous character in editing mode. Access phonebook from stand-by mode. Scroll down a menu list or go to the next phonebook or call log record. Decrease earpiece volume during a call. Go to the next character in editing mode. Initiate an internal call. Answer an incoming call in handsfree mode. Activate and deactivate the loudspeaker during a call. Dial # in stand-by mode. Long press to mute the ringer in stand-by mode. Insert a pause in dialling mode. Switch between upper and lower case in editing mode. Dial * in stand-by mode. Long press to activate and deactivate keypad lock.

> r e

630_635__. 6 , 5, 2006 4:47

Troubleshooting

For more information, please refer to p.51 of SE630 user manual and p.60 of SE635 user manual. Problem

No dialling tone

Solution
Check the connections Charge the batteries for at least 24 hours Use the line cable provided

Poor audio quality

Move closer to the base station Move the base station at least one metre away from
any electrical appliances

icon does not

Check connections Move closer to the base station Check your subscription with your network operator

appear

Caller Line Identification
(CLI) service does not work

Need help?

User Manual
Refer to the User Manual that is supplied with your SE630/635.

Online help

www.p4c.philips.com
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Trademarks are the property of Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. or their respective owners. 2006 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. All rights reserved.

www.philips.com