HISTORY:
While considered "old fashioned" by many, these home telephones still have a useful function in the domestic household.
Particular features to note are:
a) LARGE number push buttons
b) The complete telephone lights up (Blue) when there is an incoming call
Why are these two features significant?
In two words ... limited eyesight
Prevalent amongst the "older generation" but not limited to that age group, there is nothing worse than trying to call family or even an emergency but you cannot read which button is which on the telephone.
Even if the user has severe sight impairment, there is more help - you can set the telephone so that it speaks the number pushed in nice clear "Queens" English.
You don't need to hear the Chinese song when the phone rings (dreadful in my opinion but I am not Chinese) because the phone literally lights up when an incoming call is being received.
There are many more "features" of dubious usefulness and some of these I will mention below, now on with the full description of this home telephone ...
ODTEL - Landline Telephone (2 Wire OR VOIP)
Made in China
Model: KX-T8400CID
Colour: White with dark Green/Blue display area
FEATURES:
LCD Screen
Hands Free Loudspeaker Facility
NO external power required (uses 3x AA batteries for some functions - see below about the purpose of these batteries)
Selectable keypad sounds when the buttons are pushed (4 different (boring) tones and spoken English)
Last number "one button" recall
Music On Hold is built in (if you like electronic chime type sounds!)
Easy access to the last numbers dialled
Large easy to read LCD screen which incorporates a time clock and call duration timer
All around the outside frame of the telephone is a clear plastic tube. When an incoming call is received, this tube lights up in the following sequence: Right side only, Left side only and then both sides together. This means that no matter where the phone is positioned, it should be easy to know visually that someone is calling you.
Caller ID capable, as long as the caller is not blocking CID or your telephone connection does not have CID disabled.
SUPPLIED ITEMS:
ODTEL KX-T8400CID Landline Telephone
1x Line cable with a modern RJ12 style plug - this is commonly used on VOIP equipment. If you STILL have the very old TELSTRA wall plug fitted, it is not difficult to get an adapter to suit those plugs (I might even have something here that would help) but that type of landline connection is now becoming very rare in Australia.
NOT SUPPLIED:
Telephone service - this is provided by Telstra or your Internet Service Provider (VOIP services MUST be enabled via your NBN connected modem)
Instruction manual (long since faded into the mists of time - this would be handy to work out the finer details of the features but in its basic form, there is no need for the manual)
Batteries: you need 3x AA (normal size) batteries, Alkaline would be best. I will not supply them because Australia Post are very senstive about batteries being sent in the Post as they are classified as Dangerous Goods.
TESTING:
Of course this is the part that matters the most!
Yes, it is functioning great in every respect that I tested - no issues observed at all.
My test setup was accessing the telephone network via our NBN modem, we have the TPG VOIP Telephone service enabled already. If you do not have VOIP enabled, you MUST otherwise this telephone will not work (there would be no number allocated nor connection to the PSTN, which is necessary to call other landline or mobile numbers) If you don't use VOIP, it is worth considering, particularly if you call overseas landline numbers (many overseas services are free of all call charges) or you may wish to have a home landline telephone number allocated.
Plugged this line cord into our modem and lifted the handset - dial tone.
Called various numbers, the LCD display shows me the numbers I pushed and also speaks to me in English (TONE button needs to be set to VOICE for this to work)
I placed my call on hold and listened at the called number, a very irritating electronic chime sound plays while on hold and cuts off all audio by the caller.
Hung up and then pushed the Redial button, it also worked fine.
Next was the hands free button, keep in mind that I have NOT yet put in the 3x AA batteries, the hands free works great although I did not worry about setting the volume - the default was good anyway. It should be noted that to use the hands free you do NOT need to have the batteries installed (powered from the telephone connection)
Next I installed the 3x AA batteries and checked the TONE button mentioned above and other programmable features. Note that if you do not have batteries installed and you disconnect the phone from the telephone line, you will lose all information being saved by the telephone - this is a primary function of the batteries - memory.
Next up, I called the telephone line this phone is connected to. Caller ID shows up on screen, Blue lights on the right side, then the left side and finally both together - a sort of sideways flashing!
These tests (and the photographs which are admittedly a bit dim) were made under quite low level light conditions but the Blue light remained easily seen. Probably not so good in bright daylight though, the lights are more a night time thing.
SPECIAL NOTE: While retaking some photographs in an attempt to improve them, I noticed a couple of digits (far right side) of the number display have segments missing. This may or may not be a problem for some - I could only see two digits affected.
Accompanying these lights is this "music", a female vocalist singing in Chinese (I think) and I have no idea what the song is about - perhaps it's "Hanging on the telephone" in Chinese and certainly nothing like Blondie's version, no idea really! I didn't like it much but then it does make you want to pickup the handset to stop that "God awful racket"
I tried to get the lady to change her tune or even silence her but I could not work out how to do this.
In brief, that is the basic testing I have undertaken on this telephone ...
Other things to note, but I considered them irrelevant to most people
a) Dual line sockets at the rear so you can connect an answering machine if desired
b) Keyswitch in the centre - I do NOT have the key any longer but this switch function is to disable the keypad so that no outgoing calls can be made. This was a feature for those using the phone in a shared environment, where it may have been desirable to only unlock the keypad once the caller had paid for their call beforehand.
c) Small slide switch at the rear for Rotary or Tone dialling - Rotary dialling is now pretty well redundant and not very workable in todays telephone network so I have left this switch setting to Tone.
d) There are two hook/screw wall mouting hooks on the underside but I would not suggest using these to wall mount the telephone as there is no support for the handset in the vertical position, which means the handset will just drop to the floor!
e) Seems frivolous but some equipment designs just annoy me (and possibly other people). On the LCD screen ALL the time are two flying birds, why? They just fly and seem to do nothing, what's the point? Do they have a purpose in life? I don't think so ... it's as though the original designer said "look guys, I can make birds fly on the screen. Want to add them?" and the company did - pure waste of time and effort!
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN (sterilised in fact!)
LCD screen is clean and undamaged (no cracks)
Case has some very light, superficial scratching but nothing of any significance to most people.
I can also see some light "Yellowing" to the rear of the case (where the ports are) - most likely due to daylight UV bleaching the plastic.
I do notice that the clear tubing that lights up with an incoming call has a "break" in it (lower right hand corner near the Hands Free orange button) - it remains secure and does not move and in no way affects the operation of the lights.
Curly cord has seen light "stretching" in past but is in pretty good condition, I have seen far worse than this in the past!
Battery compartment contacts are clean and shiny
I have now placed this home telephone into a sealed, clear plastic packet and it will be supplied the same way.
