Multiple 5.8GHz Phone Systems in the same house?

[Matt Meiser]

Our Motorola 5.8GHz phone system has developed some problems and I need to replace it. I'm looking at both 5.8GHz and DECT 6.0 systems from Uniden since the 5.8GHz Uniden I have on my office line works great. I'm wondering though if having two different Uniden 5.8GHz systems in the same house will cause a problem?

[Jim Becker]

Somewhere there was a note I read that two of the Uniden systems could be installed and the handsets could be "dual homed". I can't find it again right now, however. That's a different situation than you speak of. Since the handsets are associated with a specific base, you SHOULD be able to have two systems working with no problem. You might email Uniden to confirm. Of course, you'll need to get out the labeler to avoid confusion about what line a handset is on since they don't have a DECT two line system yet as far as I know.... (the Uniden 5.8ghz system I had previously in place was two line and worked well in that respect, but I bagged the second line since I've been using a VPN-enabled IP phone for my office and have an excellent wireless headset that goes anywhere in the house as well as all the way to the mailbox on most days...)

But as to the system, I've been pleased with it so far after two months or so of use. I'll add the sixth handset after the addition is done.

[Mark Rios]

Matt, your situation wouldn't be any different than two families in neighboring apartments having the same phones. Since the handsets pair to their respective bases, there wouldn't be any overlap, especially with todays technology.

[Matt Meiser]

Duh! I never thought about it that way.:o

[Matt Meiser]

We got the Uniden DECT6.0 system with 5 handsets tonight at Costco for $120. What a difference. It is CRYSTAL clear in my shop, even far away from the door where the old system would almost completely drop out.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Jim,

Does anyone out there make a good two-line system? My wife works out of our house so we need the second line. I have a Sony system, but it is starting to show signs of aging and, as dumb as it sounds, four handsets aren't enough for a family of six spread out throughout the house. I was hoping to find a good two-line system that I could get six or seven handsets for.

Jack

[Jim Becker]

Jack, the Uniden 5.8 ghz two line system I had in previously worked fine except for the 2' thick stone walls with wire lath under the plaster it had trouble penetrating through....If you want to try it out, PM me and I'll send it to you. You like it, you can make an offer. But the limit is 6 handsets. It's also setup for use with phone company voice mail...no local answering system, but lots of nice features for intercom, transfer, address book, etc.

[Jim Becker]

We got the Uniden DECT6.0 system with 5 handsets tonight at Costco for $120. What a difference. It is CRYSTAL clear in my shop, even far away from the door where the old system would almost completely drop out.

My experience, too, when I switched to the DECT setup.

[Matt Meiser]

Jack, I work from home and just have two different phones. The work phones are just in the office unless I carry one out with me to check the mail or whatever. Until tonight if the home phone rang I just went out to the other room to get a handset but now I have a second handset in my office. Theres a lot more limited selection on the multi-line models--I looked when I first took this job. I'd bet the 5.8 system Jim offered is the 2-line version of the one I have in my office. One issue I see running into for me with a multiline system would be the voicemail issue. For home we use an answering machine. Work pays for phone company voicemail. The Uniden 5.8 system I have on that line recognizes that there is new VM and flashes a light so I know which is the biggest reason I selected it. More importantly, I don't want every phone in the house ringing if I get an after-hours work phone call.

As Jim mentioned above, the Uniden 6.0 system I just got can have the handsets talk to multiple bases (sounds like we have the same system), and according to the manual you can configure it to automatically connect to one of the bases or select the base. Not sure how that works, but you might be able to use two of the bases to get multi-line capability. Uniden sells this system with 1, 2, or 5 handsets and it supports up to 6.

[Jim Becker]

Matt, I don't think that two systems with handset roaming will necessarily solve the two line system based on how I read those notes.

[Matt Meiser]

I'm not sure either. I know it says you can use a handset with multiple bases and have it either automatically select the base or you can select the base, which I would assume you would be able to do with each call? If you put each base on a separate line, it seems like that would effectively give you a 2-line handset. It takes about 3 menu clicks options to change the home base though so that might not be a great option if you need to constantly switch. And of course the handset is only going to ring for the base it is currently connected to. Definitely not as good of a solution as the 5.8GHz system that has line buttons right on the handset.

[Tom Godley]

So the new DECT can work through thicker walls?

In my house in NJ I have many concrete walls and a great amount of metal studs - I have a very hard time with wifi and cordless phones in that house. Thankfully I wired (read over-wired) the house for a phone system -- but the two wireless "nodes" for the couple of multi line cordless phones on the system are still limited.

I was also concerned about "privacy" while using the cordless -- I understand that the newer phones are much better. How much better?

[Jim Becker]

So far, so good here, Tom. I don't experience the drops I used to get as I wandered around the house, especially at this end which is a circa 1750s stone structure. Today's cordless devices are a bit more secure than the old ones, but I don't know the details, thereof.