Customer Reviews

Panasonic KX-TC1484B 900 MHz Analog Cordless Phone with Caller ID (Black)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We spent almost $100 on another brand-name cordless phone which had horrible reception if you walked more than 10 feet from the base unit. When we bought the Panasonic, I was so impressed by how clear the reception is and that I could walk to the other end of the house or even outside and still hear who I am talking to. It was also amazing, since this phone cost so much less than other phones.

I have had the same experience as other reviewers -- battery life reduces to minutes over a few months of use. I suspect that the problem is that the NiCD battery they supply is extraordinarily vulnerable to the dreaded "memory effect" (I've had cordless phones with NiCD batteries in the past and have never seen battery problems like this). If you routinely return the battery to the charging cradle before the phone complains that the battery is low, you will get to buy a new battery twice a year or more. The user's manual that comes with this phone does not warn you of the severity of this problem.

I called Panasonic customer service about this. Despite the fact that they admitted the user's manual doesn't warn the user adequately about this problem, they refused to refund the purchase price of the phone or replace the battery. They just lost a customer. And I absolutely do *not* recommend this phone. Yes, it's cheap, but there are plenty of other cheap phones on the market -- why saddle yourself with a pennywise and pound-foolish headache if you or someone in your family forgets the strict protocol for dealing with this phone's fragile battery?

PROS:

1. Nice size handset is easy to hold, and eliminates background
noise amplification of smaller handsets.
2. Good size buttons make dialing easy.
3. Easy to read display is a help.

CONS:

1. Panasonic is notorious for short battery charge, and this model
is no exception. Max of 36 hours in standby, and discharges
rapidly when you use it.
2. Very short low battery warning. It can go from first warning
beep to dead in under a minute.
3. Sound quality is only fair. Picks up lots of interference, but
not as bad as the 2.4 ghz that it replaced.
4. Factory set ring which is set so low that the phone can't be
heard unless you are near it.
5. Durability is not good. Have had it for 10 months, and for
over a month the charger has not worked right. Soon to head to
the landfill.

If you don't use this phone much, this model may work. If you are
a heavy user, due to battery problems, it will be useless.

The reception was great but I had to buy 3 different batteries over the course of a year. It would sit on the base unit all night, I'd make one call and it would be out. I would also have to shake the phone sometimes for it to receive a signal. Not a great phone.

I REALLY like 900mhz phones, because they do NOT fry your brain/tumors, like higher mhz models... (wi-fy too!- I use USB cables!)!

Pros- Volume control, Caller ID, clear reception (100ft...)!

Cons- Like the other reviewers!- The original NiCd Battery life was SHORT, and troublesome (kept having to reset phone memory...! Grrr!)!

I solved this problem by buying a "no memory" ER-P730 NiMh battery (two years, and still going strong/no reset!), at Amazon. Inexpensive, when you factor in the long life!

Another Googled TIP!- ALL rechargeable batteries have a limit on how many times they can be recharged (constantly on/off the set eats this # up!)! NiMh= 500-1000 on/off cycles!
I leave mine off the base until it beeps (usually several days), and ALWAYS recharge ANY battery for at least "15 hours" before use!

Reception is great, usually interferes though when another 900 MHZ phone of another brand is picked up of a different phone line anywhere in the house but changing the frequency fixes it. The battery however is poor, at best, bad. Use it for one call and within less than a minute after the Low Battery Beep, phone is dead.

Battery quit holding a charge right after the manufacturer's warranty expired. I found the audio quality and reception to be less than average overall. I wish I had done more research before choosing a phone. Gave it two stars because it worked ok for a few months.

After a couple years use, the speaker is shot. Phone still dials and receives but I hear only dead silence. Not built to last and cheaper to buy a new - and different - phone than to fix. Also battery sucks.

I have two of these phones. Both started out with decent battery life, but after 6 months of use, the phones can hardly maintain a charge. I did follow their initial battery charge instructions completely, but that certainly does not seem to help.

Needless to say, I am looking for alternatives.