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From: voder!wlbr!pete@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Pete Lyall)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Cordless Phone Questions
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Date: 27 Sep 89 21:31:42 GMT
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X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 414, message 2 of 10

Hello! I am a cordless phone neophyte with a question or two that I
hope the group(s) can help me with.

We gave my daughter our old kitchen phone last week (her first
apartment), and went off in search of a cordless phone. We ended up at
Sears because of a sales flyer. Experience has taught me never to buy
the cheapest of anything (at least not in the techno-toys department),
so I steered clear of the $52 special, and bought the $80 AT&T 4200.

I took it home and found that while I could still hear, there was a
bit of audible static & distortion when I went around a wall or two,
and also when I went outside.

I talked with a friend who was blissfully happy with his AT&T 5320, so
I went back to Sears and took the 4200 back. They didn't have a 5320..
only a 5310 @ $175 or so. I compared features on the box with the 5200
(next model down that they carried) and it appeared on the surface
that the 5310 was just a feature-fat version of the 5200. Since the
latter was $134, I opted for it.

Well - we still get some buzzing and static, sometimes even in close
proximity to the base unit. Now what I'm wondering is:

o - Is this just the nature of cordless phones, and should I just get
used to it?

o - Is the 5310 really worth the extra $40 or so ?

o - Is there another make that I should check into?

o - Is 'compression' a valued feature or a marketing gimmick?

o - What are other folks' experiences and what are they using?

Thanks for any and all help. Please mail replies vice posting them
if possible..

Thanks!

Pete Lyall                                                   Contel Corporation
Compuserve: 76703,4230             OS9_Net: (805) 375-1401 (24hr 300/1200/2400)
Internet: pete@wlbr.imsd.contel.com    UUCP: {hacgate,jplgodo,voder}!wlbr!pete