Battery Answerphone?

[Psamathe]

Here's an idea. It seems too obvious so maybe I've missed something....

Move the extant base unit into the spare bedroom (I assume power is available as there's mention of a router there). Roam around the house with the cordless handset (hopefully the signal is good enough). Just bear in mind that periodically the handset and base unit must be reunited to charge the handset

Yes, that's simple and easy.
But .............. our handset, and the (three?) previous systems we've had over the years, only have a flashing light to say you have a message on the base unit itself.
Unless the base unit is in plain sight, you may not know there's an unread message.
Better idea is to have the flashing light on the handset.

Does that system exist?

Which is why I spent my time posting that some/many/all Siemens units the handset screen keeps flashing when you have un-listened to messages. Did you bother to read that? Or just ignore it.

Ian

[offroader]

I think my ancient Panasonic 3 handset 1 base setup flashes a light on at least the 2 satellite handsets but it was decommissioned in favour of VOIP nearly 20 years ago so memory is vague. Trying to access said messages via the handset was a truly terrible experience though, that's still clearly burned into the brain

Alternatively a cheap Chinesium IP camera could be aimed at the base station beaming pictures of the message light around your wifi network

[bikes4two]

Yawn.

See, now that's the difference between Mick and I - he was RN trained as a Mechanician where as I was trained properly as an RN Artificer

[Jdsk]

Alternatively a cheap Chinesium IP camera could be aimed at the base station beaming pictures of the message light around your wifi network

That's clever.

And if that would be a security problem you could transfer the images from the camera onto a USB stick and then check them on the smart TV, as with the other recorded content:
viewtopic.php?p=1586165#p1586165

Jonathan

[philvantwo]

Not used our land-line for quite some time, must be 10 years and I don't even know the number but I can remember the number of the phone at home when I was a kid!
Funny how I can remember that from 50 years ago but I've forgotten an online password I reset on Thursday!!

[Mick F]

Which is why I spent my time posting that some/many/all Siemens units the handset screen keeps flashing when you have un-listened to messages. Did you bother to read that? Or just ignore it.

Sorry Ian,
I missed that post of yours.
Main issue with me these days is that I'm not on here 24/7 like I used to was.

I'll be looking up your suggestion in the next day or three,
Thanks, and apologies.

[the snail]

Which is why I spent my time posting that some/many/all Siemens units the handset screen keeps flashing when you have un-listened to messages. Did you bother to read that? Or just ignore it.

Sorry Ian,
I missed that post of yours.
Main issue with me these days is that I'm not on here 24/7 like I used to was.

I'll be looking up your suggestion in the next day or three,
Thanks, and apologies.

Our gigaset phone (2 handsets + base) does that, never need to look at the base unit. All 3 units need to be plugged into a socket though.

[Mick F]

I was googling and searching earlier this afternoon, and all that I saw were way too hi-tech for us.

We want a BASIC hands-free handset with an answerphone in the base unit. We want the handset to FLASH when there's a message.

This is ours at the moment. It goes for weeks without even being used - incoming or outgoing. Only cost a tenner or so, and has lasted years and years.
The red "Play" button flashes if there's a message.

[Mick F]

Hi guys, and sorry I've not been on here much lately. Been busy with lots of things instead of lurking on the internet.

Part of what I've been doing, is redecorating the livingroom. It's a complicated job, and I won't bore you with the details.
One thing I want to do, is to drill through a thick concrete wall into the livingroom to supply the mains to a landline answerphone.

The present power to it is via a thin cable from a socket ten feet away and the cable is clipped to the skirting board. By drilling through the wall, it would be much neater.

I've been trying to get Google to understand that I would like a battery powered answerphone, but all I get are cordless phones and the answerphone base needs a mains connection!

One, does what I want actually exist? If I can get one, it will solve the issue of a mains connection and drilling a hole.

Two, in my searching, I found out that in three years time, the normal landlines will be switched off, and we will need internet connected landline telephones. It may be that we'll scrap the idea of a landline answerphone rendering all my efforts useless. May even forget having a landline phone completely.

Meanwhile, a battery powered answerphone base unit would be ok.
Do they exist?

This is what I found about 2026.
https://www.pmctelecom.co.uk/blog/are-l ... t-in-2025/

[simonineaston]

I know it doesn't answer your question, Mick but I haven't had a landline since I turned my back on the ghastly VM and I haven't come across a downside yet.

[Mick F]

Hi Simon,

We've had this landline number for nearly forty years. Although we rarely make outgoing calls on it, many people know our number and call it, and the answerphone takes it if we don't pick up. The system works well.

[simonineaston]

I can see the positive side of what you describe - reminds me of the old motto "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

[Bonefishblues]

We also run a landline for that reason. We have the plug-in bases with rechargeable batteries fitted tho', so can't help with your option, I'm afraid.

[Mick F]

In two years or so, all landline phones will be switched off unless you connect your replacement phone to the router. (if you have one?)

Can't be done in this house.
The router is in the back bedroom and the landline phone is in the front of the front livingroom. We don't want to go all the way through to make or receive a call. Also, if there's a message on the answerphone the light flashes. If it's in another room, we won't see it.

Meanwhile, a battery-powered answerphone would solve the issue of drilling through the 1ft thick concrete. Pointless if it's only two years and it's obsolete.

[Paulatic]

Does your landline provider do voicemail? Could be the simple answer for a couple of years.
We’ve been without a landline for a couple of years and haven’t missed it. In fact the mobile data has been far superior to what we could get through a wire.