Big button phone for elderly (89 years old) mother in law that will work with a Spark Wireless modem

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Big button phone for elderly (89 years old) mother in law that will work with a Spark Wireless modem

Mikefnz

24 posts

Geek

#303947 22-Mar-2023 15:15

Hi experts

My mother-in-law has been dragged off her copper line and a new Spark wireless modem is up and running.

All good. However, she is not able to operate the standard small Panasonic phone that comes with the package. It's too small and has way too many buttons.

Can anyone recommend a big-button simple phone that will work with the standard Spark Wireless modem?

I don't have it with me to quote the model number but it was delivered about two weeks ago.

Thanks in advance

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7378 posts

Uber Geek

#3053344 22-Mar-2023 15:25

What is she using now?....

From what I understand Spark's wireless service will accept any regular DTMF phone plugged into it....

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robjg63

3834 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3053348 22-Mar-2023 15:40

Yep - The router has a phone jack on the back - that's where the new phone will be plugged in.

Can you just disconnect that and plug the older phone?

Maybe you might need one of these if the old phone only has the BT plug on the end - rather than the smaller RJ11 that the router will have.

The warehouse has them too.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Mikefnz

24 posts

Geek

#3053349 22-Mar-2023 15:40

She is unsuccessfully using a small Panasonic cordless phone with a very long model number that I can't remember!

Thanks for the hint. I will run that through the options at a local shop.

Cheers

wellygary

7378 posts

Uber Geek

#3053351 22-Mar-2023 15:42

Mikefnz:

She is unsuccessfully using a small Panasonic cordless phone with a very long model number that I can't remember!

Thanks for the hint. I will run that through the options at a local shop.

Cheers

No, I meant, what was she using on the copper connection??

Mikefnz

24 posts

Geek

#3053355 22-Mar-2023 15:47

A slightly larger Panasonic cordless phone with slightly larger buttons but she has dementia and reverts back to expecting a phone to just be a device that you pick up and phone someone with, or pick up and answer the phone. Even large green and red buttons are now pushing the boundary.

She needs a phone but one that works like they used to 30 years ago.

She has certain items and processes hard-wired in. Anything different is increasingly becoming a major challenge.

wellygary

7378 posts

Uber Geek

#3053359 22-Mar-2023 15:53

Mikefnz:

A slightly larger Panasonic cordless phone with slightly larger buttons but she has dementia and reverts back to expecting a phone to just be a device that you pick up and phone someone with, or pick up and answer the phone. Even large green and red buttons are now pushing the boundary.

She needs a phone but one that works like they used to 30 years ago.

She has certain items and processes hard-wired in. Anything different is increasingly becoming a major challenge.

She needs something like this

https://www.mobilitycentre.co.nz/shop/daily-living-kitchen-aids/telephones-hearing-assistance/oricom-care80-amplified-big-button-telephone/

"This user friendly corded phone has six large one touch picture memory buttons. Simply save the phone number to one of the six buttons, then place a photograph of the person whose number is saved underneath the protective cover.

The Care80S is the ideal phone for persons suffering from memory loss, moderate to severe hearing loss and or low vision."

Mikefnz

24 posts

Geek

#3053363 22-Mar-2023 15:59

Excellent - that looks like it would do the job.

Thanks for all the rapid feedback.

mclean

578 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#3053369 22-Mar-2023 16:11

I tried a very similar phone (the Oricom Care 80 model) and it would NOT work with a Spark wireless modem.

Mikefnz

24 posts

Geek

#3053371 22-Mar-2023 16:13

Good to know. Thanks

Bung

5433 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3053945 24-Mar-2023 04:17

mclean:
I tried a very similar phone (the Oricom Care 80 model) and it would NOT work with a Spark wireless modem.

What didn't work? The Oricom phone can be set for DTMF tone or Pulse mode. If it could answer calls but not make them your example could have that incorrectly set to Pulse. Modem phone ports often don't cope with several phones as far as ringing or handover (2 phones off hook at same time) but 1 should work.

Mikefnz

24 posts

Geek

#3053946 24-Mar-2023 06:15

I bought this phone and will update once it arrives and is tested!

https://www.noelleeming.co.nz/p/uniden-sse30-big-button-corded-telephone/N145439.html

Bung

5433 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3053947 24-Mar-2023 06:45

I forgot to mention that the price of the phone in wellygary's link at over $200 was probably the dearest in NZ. It's an AU$80 phone in Australia.

mclean

578 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#3053997 24-Mar-2023 11:13

Bung: What didn't work? The Oricom phone can be set for DTMF tone or Pulse mode. If it could answer calls but not make them your example could have that incorrectly set to Pulse. Modem phone ports often don't cope with several phones as far as ringing or handover (2 phones off hook at same time) but 1 should work.

Something to do with the fact that the Oricom phone has to be powered through the line jack. I got it to work fine with phones that have their own power supplies.

Bung

5433 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3054078 24-Mar-2023 12:43

AFAIK the Spark wireless modem all work with a conventional phone. There may have been something else going on involving the connection.

mclean

578 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#3054158 24-Mar-2023 14:49

Yes, maybe. We ended up using a Uniden DECT1015, which works, but obviously not as simple to use as the Oricom.

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