Motorola MD61 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset for MD600 Series Phones

by Motorola

Product Details

Product Manual [1.90mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000CDEJU
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed for use with Motorola's MD600 series expandable cordless phones, the MD61 utilizes the less cluttered 5.8 GHz frequency and employs digital technology, offering clearer, more intelligible reception. An auto-scan features automatically detects the best channel available.

The MD61 has a number of useful features, including 50 phonebook locations, built-in speakerphone for hands-free operation, caller ID/call waiting capability, and three-way conferencing. The VibraCall setting silently alerts you to incoming calls. A redial button lets you easily call the last dialed number, while the intercom feature lets you communicate with other handsets on the same system. The hold button lets you pick up incoming calls utilizing call waiting, and a visual call waiting feature indicates a second incoming call.

The NiCd battery has an 8-hour battery life (5 days on standby), while the low-battery indicator lets you know when to return the handset to its base. A page button on the base makes finding a lost handset quick and painless, and the backlit keypad and handset LCD screen make operation easy, even in the dark. The MD61 also comes backed with a one-year warranty on both parts and labor.

What's in the Box
Handset, remote charger stand, AC adapter, Ni-Cd battery pack, instructions

Product Description

53908 Additional Handset for MD671/681 - 5..8GHz Accessory handset and charger- For use with any MOT-MD600 series base units- Handset speakerphone- 5 Days of battery standby time- Caller ID, call waiting caller ID- Rubber side grips- Quick-touch menu- Expandable up to 6 total handsets - Selectable ringtones - Full graphic display - 50# Phonebook- Vibracall alert- Multiple ring tones- Headset jack- 3 Way conferencing - Handset locator- 10# Redial- 3-Line blue backlit display - Blue backlit keypad- No phone jack needed (only 1 phone jack required, for base unit)- Flash/hold/mute- Intercom- Belt clip- Battery meter with audible and visual low battery alert - Dimensions of handset and antenna: 7.0" x 1.2" x 2.0"- Weight of telephone handset with battery: 0.66- SilverBATTERY: HHR-P546 or ATTBAT-2401

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tired of flimsy phones and static? This one is the champ!, November 4, 2004

By 

Conrad (Chandler, AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Motorola MD61 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset for MD600 Series Phones (Office Product)

I picked up the MD671 phone and a spare MD61 handset about nine months ago, and I couldn't be happier. I had gone through several cordless phones, GE, Uniden, Panasonic, etc., and each one was susceptible to interference and seemed flimsy, while the re-charging reduced the battery life down to nothing. While they "worked", I found myself apologizing and running to a corded phone to finish conversations.

You never really notice the inconvenience of it all until it's gone. With the Motorola system, not only are calls crystal clear, I find myself recommending it to anyone who's looking, getting my parents a system (replacing their 10-year old Radio Shack cordless, for goodness sake) and adding more MD61's around the house.

While either of the phones are great (we went with the MD671, without the answering option, as we already had voicemail), the handset is what really counts. The MD671 base unit is great, sleek and modern looking with a tremendous speakerphone and bright display, but who talks about the base unit? The MD61 handset is the champ.

First thing you'll notice is the solid, substantial feel of the handset - not slippery or creaking when torqued. It's well-balanced, with rubberized sides for grip and comfort, with an actual usable belt clip (rather than one that has to be pried open). The handset buttons and screen are well-lit, and it seems closer to a cell-phone in functions, available ring tones and vibrate modes, and the cool clear/blue lighting. IAdditionally, the handset seems pretty shock-proof, as it's been dropped on a tile floor a few times without ill effect.

The antenna is a small rubber nub about 1/2 inch in height, and it's stationary. I'm not the engineer that the previous poster is, so I can't comment on if it's really 5.8 ghz digital or not - all I know is that the sound quality is at least twice as good as the 2.4 ghz products out there, which are way better than the old 900mhz ones. It truly is the best I've heard on any cordless, and I would never consider buying anything less again. The handset speakerphone is loud and clear as well.

I'm not sure about the 8 hour battery life listed in the Amazon review above, but I've had the phone go 4-1/2 hours straight on a conference call before a low-battery warning. The battery life indicator is pretty accurate as well, and it seems to charge quickly. Battery life hasn't noticeably diminished after 9 months of use.

Lastly, the best part of the handset is that you can have up to 6 per base unit. We currently have three. All the handsets have are a small footprint charging station that requires AC power. No additional phone cords are needed, as the handset talks to the base. So instead of fumbling with wires, I can install a phone in a new room by plugging in the base, and then synching up the handset to the base - which takes only a minute for them to "find" each other. And they don't interfere with each other, either.

Bottom line? I really can't find any negatives with the entire system, and I'm not a big Motorola pimp, either, as I'm not really a fan of their cell phones, but they hit a home run here. While the price may be a little on the high side, I guess, it's a cheaper solution than buying a lesser phone, and then having to replace it again. I believe I really got my money's worth. In addition, if you so choose, you could really give up all of your corded phones and never think twice about it.

I never looked for the "ultimate" cordless phone experience, because that sounds pretty stupid, but I'm extremely pleased with this product, and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Phone made!, July 27, 2004

By 

Rufus the Dog "Rufus" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Motorola MD61 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset for MD600 Series Phones (Office Product)

I used Panasonics before this Motorola. The Panasonics ALL had failures of one kind or another. They also had very low volume. The Motorola is one of the best built, full featured phones I have ever used. Build like a tank, stylish, and trouble free. I have purchased 4 of these for my home and have given the Panasonics to Goodwill.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice phone. Very convenient, December 6, 2004

By 

F. Grant (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motorola MD61 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset for MD600 Series Phones (Office Product)

There are a rash of these new "phone systems" cropping up. I've tried two of them: AT&T's and Panasonic's. I returned both of them and settled on the Motorola system. Primarily because I really liked the phone, the way it felt and the way it sounded. It really is a great phone. There are a couple of issues that I have with the Motorola, but it is the same problem for all phones that are part of a base type system.

1. The phonebook is not shared. This means that if you enter a number on the base system it is not automatically available to all satellite phones. If you want a phone specific number, enter it directly into the phone. For a global number, input the number on the base. That would be a great solution.

2. You cannot name the satellite phones. You have the base, phone 1, phone 2, etc. How hard would it be to have kitchen, garage, guest room, etc. This should have been done from the start.

3. You cannot access the answering machine from anything but the base. Being able to pick up the phone and select answering machine from the menu would be a great convenience.

4. Proprietary batteries. Granted AT&T has a standard AA NiMH battery that they use for their phones, but everyone else is using non-standard battery packs. This is like the price gouging for inkjet replacement cartridges. USE A STANDARD BATTERY.

Anyway, great phone with good battery life, range and voice quality. Best of all it doesn't interfere with my wireless network. My 2.4Ghz phone doesn't interefere either, but I had to do quite a bit of channel hopping on my wireless Access Point and phone before I found a setting where neither one was messing up the other. 4 stars because until they impliment the points listed above it still isn't perfect.