The Cordless Telephone Buyer's Guide: Important Tips on buying a cordless phone that is right for you

This guide will talk about different phone features available; about how to choose a  phone that gives you enhance security and clarity with exceptional range; about cordless phone batteries.

1. Choose the features that are right for you

You want to choose a phone that has everything you need.

Answering system: A digital answering system records messages on an IC chip inside the phone. Recording time varies from about 14 minutes to 30 minutes. With a digital answering system, your messages are easily accessible, and can be selectively skipped, repeated or deleted.

Caller ID: Caller ID displays the name and number of the person calling on an LCD screen. Some caller ID systems let you see who's calling while you're on the phone (call-waiting caller ID) or "speak" the name of the caller (talking caller ID).

Speakerphone/ intercom: Many cordless phones have a speakerphone built-into the base, allowing you to talk hands-free. Some phones, like the panasonic cordless phones, allow you to use the base and phone as an intercom system.

Dual Keypad: A keypad is offered on both the handset and the phone base. When used in conjunction with speakerphone, it allows you to use the phone while the handset is charging.

Paging/ Handset Locator: Paging allows you  ring the handset from the base station, making it easier to find a misplaced phone.

2. Great Sound Quality, Good Reception and Secure Calling

You want to choose a phone that gives enhanced security, and clarity with exceptional range.

Phone formats:

• Analog: While they are a less expensive option, analog phones can have additional noise on the line and your conversation can be picked up by radios and other devices easily.
• Digital: A digital phone offers clearer reception and enhanced security than an analog phone. The digital format makes it much more difficult for anyone to listen in on your conversation.

Frequencies:

• 2.4 GHz: This frequency offers great range and substantial security from eavesdropping.
• 5.8 GHz: This frequency is less crowded than 2.4 GHz, so calls have less interference and are clearer. So if you have wireless internet connection, look for a 5.8 GHz phone to minimize interference.

Security:

The phone industry has come up with several technologies to prevent eavesdropping on cordless phones:

• Range: Cordless telephones are really just small radio transmitters and receivers, so if you use a cordless phone with poor security, then anyone with a radio scanner can tune in and hear you entire conversation. However, most radio snners cna only access frequencies of 512 MHz or the 900 MHz frequency. So if security is a concern, you definitely want to et a cordless phone with a 2.4 GHz or a 5.8 GHz frequency range.                                                                            
• Digital Spread Spectrum (DSS): The signal is divided into little pieces of digital data of different frequencies. Since most radio scanners only use narrow fequency bands, it's much harder for anyone to receive the enitre content of hte phone's digital transmission.
• Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS): Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum offers the most secure calling. It randomly switches the frequency, improving security & protecting against phone tapping. This technology is offered i Panasonic's 5.8 GHz & 2.4 GHz Giga range Cordless phones. Since signals hop, FHSS performs better tahn DSS on the point of interference such as wall reflection. FHSS consumes less energy than DSS. In addition, FHSS's performance in noise reduction is unsurpassed.  

3. Everything you need to know about cordless phone batteries

Cordless phones rely on rechargeable batteries to operate. There are two types of batteries on the market: Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries.

Regular NiCad batteries only last about seven days before they need recharging. Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries are also subject to battery memory problems if not used and recharged properly. If you do have a phone with a NiCad battery, only recharge you battery when the phone's low battery indicator light is on. This is because NiCad batteries have "battery memory" problems. If a battery is repeatedly recharged after only two hours of use, the battery will start to "remember" only being used for two hours. That being the case, even if the original battery charge capacity was four hours, it eventually will only contain 120 minutes of charge.

If you are buying a new cordless phone, you may want to consider phones with the newer NiMH batteries such as Panasonic cordless phones that last longer, have greater capacity, and do not have "battery memory" problems.