Using voicemail instead of an answering machine

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 09, 2005 Posts: 7

I am in the market for a new 5.8GHz phone as well. I was looking at the Uniden's w/o an answering machine.

elorimer -

Can I ask which Uniden you got? I really would like the message waiting indicator to work with Vonage.

Thanks,

Kash

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 2:50 pm Post subject:

the TRU series are popular. I have the 8860 model which is basically a charging base and a phone. works great.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject:

I have two different very low end 900 Mhz cordless phones. The only feature they have on them is caller-id.

On both units the charging/in-use light functions as a message waiting indicator. There is no indication on the phone that it serves as a message waiting light so imaging my suprise when the thing started flashing idicating I had messages waiting. I have even seen the caller-id display briefly indicate a status change following the deletion of my only voicemail.

Adapter: Moto VT1000
Phone: GE (Thomson) 26930GE1-D

Posts: 115 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 115

wow, another great topic!

First, know what stutter tone BUT is what is FSK?

I have the TRU88xx (forgot which one)...did someone mention that I can setup the phone in such a way that if a Vonage voicemail was present, I can have the phone's message indicator light blink???

I know if I used the base unit's built-in digital answering machine and a voicemail is left, it causes the each phone's message indicator light to blink - and also chirp periodically as well!

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:58 pm Post subject:

from what I've seen, most phones with built in answering machines, including the uniden's, only support answering machine message indication. but this isn't always true, so consult your manual.
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic3386.html
fsk is a signal sent to the phone while it's on hook. like a modem signal kind of.

Posts: 217 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject:

I also have the Uniden TRU 8860 (four throughout the house) along with my old cordless hooked up in the basement and upstairs (total of 7 phones which all ring fine). I love it...voice quality is awesome and the message light blinks and I get the stutter tone when I have a voicemail. I only use Vonage for voicemail since I love the email alerts/attachments while I am at work.

Posts: 115 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 115

rlstjohn wrote:

I also have the Uniden TRU 8860 (four throughout the house) along with my old cordless hooked up in the basement and upstairs (total of 7 phones which all ring fine). I love it...voice quality is awesome and the message light blinks and I get the stutter tone when I have a voicemail. I only use Vonage for voicemail since I love the email alerts/attachments while I am at work.

I have the TRU8885. How do you setup the phone to recognize you have Vonage voicemail? or is it b/c my unit has a built-in answering machine, it cannot have the message indicator light blink when I have a Vonage voicemail (like what Reebok's link/post in says) ?

Posts: 217 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:25 pm Post subject:

I didn't have to do anything to get it to recognize I had a voicemail. It worked like that straight out of the box.

Posts: 81 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:32 pm Post subject:

Winger, I have the same phones and have the same issue. From looking at all the information on Uniden's website, owner's manual, and the posts on here, it appears it is not possible to "program" the phone to use the indicator light when there is a voicemail message. It's because of the built in answering machine.

Kinda wish I had researched this before I bought the units... but at $159 for the base and 2 extra handsets I'm not going to complain lol.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:39 pm Post subject:

I searched through Uniden's site and found these notes:

Quote:

Question

What signal from the phone company does my voicemail indicator light need, FSK or Stutter?

Answer

The following phones Voice Mail Indicator light will only work with a FSK signal:

EXT176

EXI976

EXI986

EXT1160

EXT1165

EXI7246

DXI7286

EXI5160

DXI5186

TRU4060

TRU446

TRUc46

TRUc56

TRU4465

DCT5260

TRU5865

TRU5860

The following phones Voice Mail Indicator light will work with either a FSK signal or a Stutter (STD) signal:

Q1365

EXT3165

EXT1460

EXT1465

TXC146

DCT646

DCT6465

TRU8860

TRU8865

TRU8866

[url=http://uniden.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/uniden.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=860&p_created=1091051296&p_sid=hg89V-zh&p_lva=141&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MiZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMT01JnBfcHJvZF9sdmwyPTU3NiZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWZzaw**&p_li=]Source[/url]

There are other Uniden knowlege base entries on message waiting, but I couldn't figure out how they were tied to specific phones.