Do I need a new phone?

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littleheaven

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#173296 18-May-2015 14:25

I have an old Uniden cordless phone with digital answering machine and an additional remote wireless handset for the second floor of the house. It's over 10 years old, perhaps as much as 15. The last week or so it's been crackling so badly I can barely hear the callers. The crackling is on both handsets, and starts as soon as the line is connected, before I start to dial. The caller at the other end can't hear the crackling, it's just on my end. I haven't moved it, or moved anything else closer to it such as microwaves or other wireless devices, between the time it was fine and now. Is it likely to be interference or just old age? It's no trouble to buy a new one, but I don't want to do that unnecessarily. Any troubleshooting tips I should try first?

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

wasabi2k

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#1307223 18-May-2015 14:28

If it is that old it is probably analogue - get rid of it and replace it with a DECT handset.

sbiddle

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#1307225 18-May-2015 14:31

The first essential step is to plug in another phone (preferably a corded one) to identify whether the issue is the phone or the line.

xpd

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#1307227 18-May-2015 14:32

Try a normal phone - if that crackles as well, then its a line/wiring issue.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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KJClayton

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#1307229 18-May-2015 14:34

It could also be a dodgy DSL line filter.

Niel

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#1307352 18-May-2015 17:21

But if you do change, agree go with DECT (but probably not the newer DECT 6 or whatever it is called). Amazing range on a dedicated non-interfering channel. Think it is 850MHz or there about. Just don't place it next to a Sky box, it can jam the satellite tuner.

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littleheaven

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#1307354 18-May-2015 17:25

Thanks for the suggestions - now the challenge is to find an old phone to test the line with!

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Behodar

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#1307357 18-May-2015 17:26

Niel: But if you do change, agree go with DECT (but probably not the newer DECT 6 or whatever it is called).

Yeah, "DECT 6" is just marketing - it's actually 1.9 GHz but was chosen to make it sound "better" than 5.8 GHz phones. It was created for the US market and I don't know whether there is any benefit whatsoever to it over here.

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littleheaven

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#1307471 18-May-2015 20:14

Managed to borrow a phone from my parents. Looks like it's the line - bad on the point that the main phone plugs into, but also audible on the two other phone points in the house. Guess I will have to give Spark a bell. Thanks for the help!

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

dickytim

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#1307740 19-May-2015 12:23

KJClayton: It could also be a dodgy DSL line filter.

This made me chuckle, a few years ago one of my workmates was having issues with DSL line filter, similar to above, I rummaged through various packages we had and found some filters around and gave him one to try.

The next day he came back and told me it worked well and thanked me.

About a week later the issue returned, he brought me back the filter and told me it must be full and blocked can he have another.

I gave him another, same as before all good for about a week and then again he brought it back, must be full again he said.

I told him that the filter catches all the porn he had been watching which is why it filled up so quickly (I had also worked on his ipad and he didn't know about clearing browser history, which was OK as I told him where to find the better porn:) )

Anyway I gave him another filter and told him to cut down on porn, funnily enough the last one I gave him has worked ever since.

littleheaven

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#1307796 19-May-2015 14:28

LOL! That's hilarious.

Well Chorus have just left, and sent me a text to say they've fixed the line, but when I pick up the phone... still crackling. I'm a bit scared to call and say it didn't work because I assume they found something wrong and fixed it, but they warned me if they couldn't find a problem I'd get charged a $140 call-out fee. So if they fixed whatever was wrong the first time and I call them out again, I might get charged. I don't think it can be my master splitter, that's only a couple of years old from when VDSL was installed. I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed now.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

Jase2985

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#1307798 19-May-2015 14:43

there have been a few threads recently where master splitters have gone bad and caused issues so it could very well be that.

littleheaven

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#1307809 19-May-2015 14:57

Jase2985: there have been a few threads recently where master splitters have gone bad and caused issues so it could very well be that.

Thanks for letting me know. I've just tried the line again and it's sounding much better - maybe they tinkered with something else after they texted me? But if it keeps crackling I'll get them to come check the splitter.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

xpd

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#1307826 19-May-2015 15:35

I was once told the tests only work upto the house, so any internal issues wont show on the basic line tests. Might have a bad connection somewhere internally that needs looking at.

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littleheaven

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#1307843 19-May-2015 15:48

xpd: I was once told the tests only work upto the house, so any internal issues wont show on the basic line tests. Might have a bad connection somewhere internally that needs looking at.

I hope not! But it's a possibility. Seems a lot better now, so hopefully it's fixed and I was just a bit too impatient in checking it after they notified me they were finished.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.