Uniden TRU9485-2 5.8 GHz Digital Cordless Answering System with Dual Keypad and Extra Handset
by Uniden
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Our Price: $152.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Uniden TRU9485-2 5.8 GHz Digital Cordless Answering System with Dual Keypad and Extra Handset
Customer Review: Superb Features Matched by Superb Performance
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this set after owning the Uniden TRU-448 2.4gHz system with dual handsets - which was the best cordless phone set I ever owned. When shopping for a new set, I based my research on this older system. What I came up with was the Uniden TRU-9485 5.8 gHz system which pretty much features everything that older system did and then some.
I have owned the TRU-9485 for 6 months now and it is a solid performer across the board. Even the speakerphone mode works really well, which is often not the case - words don't get cut off and it's very intelligible. The programming abilities may be a bit deep for some folks but for me, the level of user customization is superb given the fact that this set costs under $100. Here's a rundown of what I found to be good (and bad):
What's Cool:
Nice Display and Backlighting - even with 10 levels of contrast control. Very easy to see and read when using phone.
Speakerphone in handsets.
2 numbers per phonebook entry.
Each handset can have a custom name - no more guessing of which handset goes where.
Allows for 4-way conferencing.
Backwards compatibility with some older Uniden handsets.
Can copy entire phonebook directories from one handset to another.
Six levels of audio volume - on everything.
Up to 10 handsets can be used in this system.
Can make calls from base.
Assignable ring tones for callers.
Can update global settings from any station - for the entire system.
Soft keys for more flexible onscreen programmability.
Can make calls from Caller ID list.
Handsets can stand upright on tables, etc.
Battery power indicator.
Handsets light up fully when a call comes in, making it easy to notice, even when the ringer is muted.
Superb audio and respectable speakerphone cutoff.
Virtually noise free, even in bad transmission conditions, and also secure as this system operates in digital spread spectrum mode.
No interference (RFI) from or to a 2.4gHz wireless network.
Base set's display lights up and stays lit up when there is a new message waiting - and it's easily noticeable from clear across the room.
All handsets also have a red blinking LED indicator when there is a new message waiting.
Good signal range - even when I'm in the garage (which is clear over on the other side of the house) or outside, it works flawlessly.
What's Lame:
No ability to change frequencies (channels) manually while on phone calls.
Power outages render the entire system unusable - including the base.
The circular "shuttle" button that has the caller ID, phonebook and up/down arrow keys is somewhat flimsy and unresponsive to keystrokes, especially on the base.
Answering machine time is pretty skimpy and has limited choices for maximum length of message.
Remote access to answering machine only has 2-digit security code protection.
Yearnings:
Multiple mailboxes.
Signal strength indicator.
Battery power left displayed in percentages rather than an arbitrary icon.
Selectable backlight colors.
The Bottom Line:
The TRU-9485 simply rocks. The expandability and programmability this system offers is not only cool, but also useful. Given the price, there's not much I can fault this system for. The audio is clean and so is the signal - quite possibly the most noise free cordless phone system I've used yet. In light of its over all performance and features - it gets a solid 5 stars.
Customer Review: OWNER REVIEW UNIDEN 9485-2 CORDLESS PHONE SET
Summary: 5 Stars
THIS PHONE SET IS AWESOME!! I just bought mine. It's refurbished, and it works GREAT! Everything works well, and the phone itself "walks you through" each set in entering all of your information. It's easy. The phone set is stylish, every feature works well, and you will enjoy the sound and use of the phones, no doubt. The phones have a real "meaty" feel in your hand. You actually feel the phone, and the numbers and windows are lighted and easy to read. This is a good phone for mom or pop. I bought two other phones, at&t and another brand, name escapes me, at $60 each, and sent them back!! No feel, no style, features, ease of use, sound, no good, AND NO SPEED DIALING!! I think UNIDEN is the only company with SPEED DIALING!!! This set is awesome, and I bought it instead of the newer model replacing it because I wanted Speed Dialing!!
NOW, THE ONLY FAULT: "Look not to the stars, O Brutus! For the FAULT LIES WITHIN THE OWNERS MANUAL!!!" Yes, the owner's manual has print so small that you really need to view it with magnifying lenses, AND, THE DESCRIPTION FOR SPEED DIALING IS TWO SENTENCES. (I HAD A SHORT DISAGREEMENT WITH THE UNIDEN REP ABOUT THIS GLARING OMISSION IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL!!).
TO SAVE FUTURE BUYERS THREE HOURS OF TIME, OR MORE, TRYING TO MAKE SPEED DIALING WORK, I OFFER THE SOLUTION: The owner's manual says you can load your speed dial numbers into a HANDSET, and THEN COPY the numbers to the other handset and base unit. LET ME SAVE YOU A TON OF TIME. 1. Load each speed dial number into each handset, and into the base unit. Just don't worry about copying from one phone to another, unless you like to tinker with phones for hours; 2. IF YOU USE A PHONE CARD...put the phone card number in, say, the number one slot, and then use the other speed dial numbers as you like, for friends, etc.; 3. After you have loaded your speed dial numbers in the base unit and handsets, seperately, THEN, PRESS 1, HOLD IT, AND UP COMES YOUR PHONE CARD NUMBER. NOW, push the speaker or flash button to connect with the phone card company. When you do, you will be asked to enter the speed dial number, say, like, number 5, BUT, THE PHONE SPEED DIAL NUMBER DOES NOT CONNECT TO THE PHONE CARD CARRIER!!!! WHY NOT? BECAUSE, WITH SOME PHONE CARD CARRIERS, YOU WILL HAVE TO ENTER YOUR SPEED DIAL NUMBERS (THE TEN DIGIT ONES IN YOUR PHONE)AGAIN INTO YOUR PHONE CARD CARRIER'S SYSTEM!!! THEN, YOU WILL HAVE QUICK, PUSH BUTTON, SPEED DIALING!!
4. FINALLY, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PHONE CARD TO USE IN THE SPEED DIALING SYSTEM, CONTACT YOUR LONG DISTANCE CARRIER to see what they require, if anything, to make the COMPLETE CONNECTION TO YOUR PHONES. (Please note: I supply this information because I am not pleased with any of the phone manufacturers support personnel, or the lack of information on websites. It's a sign of the times.)
ALL OF THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, BUT IT IS NOT!!
SO, FOR $45.00, I received a GREAT PHONE SET, with lots of neat features, good looks, easy to use and read, sound and reception great, and, with all things considered, it was a good deal. And, I didn't worry a bit because the phones were REFURBISHED. Actually, I saw refurbishing as a benefit. The phones work great. So, there it is. I hope I have helped some people today. Thank you.Uniden TRU9485-2 5.8 GHz Digital Cordless Answering System with Dual Keypad and Extra Handset
Customer Review: Excellent so far!
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this phone only a few days ago but already I'm quite impressed with it. Initially, I got the 2-pack and then picked up an extra two handsets. I'll give a quick rundown of my pro's and con's. Many of these things have already been covered by other reviews but here goes anyway:
PROS:
1. Excellent sound quality on both ends of the conversation. This includes the speakerphone which is one of the best I've yet owned.
2. Fairly compact and attractive with no protruding antenna.
3. Extra handsets are very cheap. They cost well under half what the handsets for my VTech phone ran.
4. Very nice menu's. Menu's are well laid out and quite intuitive. I love the "Global Settings" menu which allows you to set the time and date as well as several other basic settings form one handset and apply it to all the others. This is also the case with the phonebook. I was thrilled to find that I didn't have to enter all of my contacts over and over again for each unit. Simply enter them on one handset and it's an easy matter to copy them over to all the others. Speed dial and personalized ringer setting will not transfer, however, so you'll need to set those up at each station.
5. Handset buttons are perfectly sized and have a very distinctive "click" feel when pressed.
6. Registering a new handset is as simple as placing it in the base-station cradle for 5 seconds. That's it.
7. The inter-network capabilities of this phone are great. The intercom works perfectly and I love the Room Monitor function. The phone also has a feature called "Direct Link" which allows the handsets to be used as two-way radios. I haven't played with that feature yet so I can't comment on it but if it works as advertised it would be a very nice function.
8. Everything about the answering machine! I love the ability to completely control the answering machine from any of the handsets. Also, the blinking "Message Waiting" light on each handset is a welcome feature.
CONS:
1. Relatively short answering machine time of 12 minutes. For me this isn't really a problem but if you get a ton of messages then it could be on the short side.
2. As stated above, I like the blinking "Message Waiting" light on each handset but I just wish it would either blink faster or simply stay on constantly.
3. I wish the backlight on the base station would remain on constantly. Seeing as this unit is on constant AC power it would be nice to have the option to let this light remain on. This would make it easier to see the current time or number of messages waiting.
4. Like most expandable phone systems the extra handset bases are light as a feather. I wish manufacturers would simply put a little piece of metal in them to make them a little more stable.
All of my "CONS" I consider to be of very minor significance. I must have owned at least a dozen different phones in the past few years and so far this one is my favorite.
Customer Review: misfeature makes caller ID stink on Verizon
Summary: 3 Stars
Bought a TRU9485-2 plus an extra handset and the waterproof TWX977 handset based mostly on reviews here. The phones work pretty well, but have one horrible missing feature that seriously affects caller ID on Verizon, at least in Massachusetts. Verizon requires that you dial 1 to start all long distance calls, but does not supply the one as part of the caller ID number, so you can't dial back a call simply by selecting it in the caller ID list and pressing the green phone button, unless it was a local number.
The Verizon scheme is truly stupid, though not as bad as it used to be. I think part of the blame is due to state regulations and competing local carriers, though. Originally, you had to dial 1+10 digits for long distance, and just 7 digits for local calls in the same area code. For long distance in the same area code, you had to dial 1+10. Then they instituted overlay area codes, so some local calls could be in the same area code, so you had to dial 10 digits for those calls. Since most of the new numbers the new area code belonged to CLECs (competing carriers), they complained that people could dial Verizon numbers with 7 digits but had to dial 10 digits, so the state (I think) changed the rules so you had to always dial 10 digits. So the new rule was you had to dial 1+10 for long distance, and 10 for local, and you had to memorize which numbers were local. (If you dialed 1+10 for a local call, you got a complaint message telling you not to dial the 1 and the call didn't go through. If you dialed just 10 digits for a long distance call, then you get a complaint message that you need to dial a one first, and the call also doesn't go through.) Eventually enough people complained about the stupidity of this system that Verizon "fixed" it by allowing you to dial a 1 before both local and long distance calls.
This scheme worked fine with my old Lucent phone, which had a setting to always dial a 1 when calling outside my local area code. (Just leave the area code blank, and it would dial a one for all calls.) (The same feature is present in a little external caller ID box I got for my old, pre-caller-id Western Electric phone which has a "dial back" button.) The same with stored numbers; I didn't have to include a "1" as the first digit since the Lucent would dial it automatically.
There is nothing in the Owner's Manual nor any hint in the menus for the TRU9485 about how to get around this.
The whole "1" business is even more stupid since I have unlimited nationwide long distance service, so there is no such thing as a long distance call anymore, but I still have to dial the stupid 1 for most calls.
Customer Review: Great....until it drops a call.
Summary: 4 Stars
I recently purchased this unit to replace an older V-tech model. It is loaded with many useful features. Overall I'm happy but I've experienced dropped calls while sitting in a chair only 20 feet from the base. There is a short beep and the call vanishes while the handset displays "Out of Range".
Pros:
-Clear sound from the handsets.
-Above average "speakerphone" clarity.
-Information such as clock, CID/CW, and phonebook entries can be programmed into either the handsets or the base and copied to other units instead of programming each individually.
-Easy to adjust volume control for ringer and calls.
-Can have up to 10 handsets; only the base needs to be plugged into the phone line.
-Extra handsets are relatively inexpensive.
-Pairs of handsets can be used as short-range walkie-talkies.
-Flexible settings for answering machine. It can be set to answer in 2, 4, or 6 rings or not at all. Recording time for messages can be 1 or 4 minutes or announce only.
-Messages can be accessed from handsets or base. There are new message indicators (flashing LEDs) on handsets and base to alert you to the messages.
-10 number speed dial.
-Up to 100 phonebook entries.
-Paging and find handset functions.
-Deluxe call waiting. If a call comes in while you're on the phone a push of a button allows you to let the system ask your caller to hold, Indicate the line is busy, Forward the call, Conference, Answer, and more.
-Room monitering. Very useful if there is a child or elderly person in another room and you need to monitor their activities.
-Registering additional handsets to the base is very simple. Charge the new handset and simply place it in the base for a few minutes. Some other Uniden handsets will work with this unit but only the TCX905 will "self-register".
Cons:
-Drops calls occasionally
-Lower range than other cordless phones I've had.
-People say my voice sometimes sounds fuzzy or stacticky.
-Only the handsets have selection of ringtones or distinctive ring, not the base.
-No battery backup for base unit so the entire system is unusable during a power outage.
The pros definately out-weigh the cons. I have mobility limitations to having handsets in every room is very useful. It is a keeper so I have decided to order additional handsets as well as a headset.
The Amazon.com price is higher for the system than some competitors but they have the best price for the TCX905 accessory handsets, especially with free shipping.