Uniden TRU8885 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Dual Keypads (Black/Silver)

by Uniden

Product Details

Product Manual [3.51mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002UBELW
• Item model number: TRU8885
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer The Uniden TRU8885 is a digital 5.8 GHz expandable cordless phone system with caller ID/call waiting, dual keypads, and a digital answering machine. This expandable system allows you to put an extra phone anywhere in the home or office. The system can be expanded to a total of 10 handsets (model TCX800). You can dial from the base or handset, and the handset also has a speakerphone for hands-free use.

The digital answering system ensures that you will not miss any important messages. IntegriSound provides lifelike audio, and the handsets can be used as an intercom, as well (if you have more than one). DirectLink allows the handsets to be used as a two-way radio. A 100-number memory is shared between caller ID and the phonebook directory. You can transfer handset memory between units to reduce programming time. This phone features 20 ring-tone options and supports distinctive ring.

What's in the Box
TRU8885 base, handset, phone line cord, AC power adapter, NiMH battery, battery cover, belt clip, instructions, and warranty information

Product Description

UNIDEN TRU-8885

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uniden TRU8885 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System, August 20, 2005

By 

J. A. Burns (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Uniden TRU8885 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Dual Keypads (Black/Silver) (Office Product)

I am quite pleased with this phone. I have had it a few months now and I have not had any problems. I had looked at buying this phone on eBay, but I found it at the same price here on Amazon (once you figure shipping and everything). The sound quality is very clear, and the range is quite good. It does not interfere with my wireless 802.11g network at all. I have only a few complaints. The buttons on the base station are small and not laid out too intuitively. You have to clear the Caller ID info on the handset(s) and the base station individually. And the ringer on the base station has 3 settings; Annoying, Very annoying, and Off (The handset ringers are pretty good though). The battery life so far has been fine. I like that you can transfer phonebooks between the handset and the base station, and that you can check messages from the base station or the handset. I researched quite a few 5.8GHz phones, including all of the similar Panasonics, most of the Motorolas, and a few of the VTechs. And this family of Uniden phones (there are 2 handset and 3 handset versions also) seemed to be the best.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good looking phone, January 11, 2006

By 

Michael Eastman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uniden TRU8885 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Dual Keypads (Black/Silver) (Office Product)

This phone is clearly one good-looking unit. I really like the orange-red light. Nothing outside of Uniden looks any better. And like many who thought this phone would be the size of an office phone, I was shocked to find out how compact this thing actually is. Even the box it came in was tiny. Just to put things into perspective, the handset dimensions are roughly 2"x6"x1.25." It fits perfectly in my hands. The keys on the base are a bit bigger than the handset's. It was fine for me.

I live in a basement and signal is fine through the sheetrock walls. To test the range to its limit I went outside and compared it to an old Panasonic 900 MHz phone. I found that the Uniden cut signal 10 yards short of the Panasonic. I had no problems with that but it sure makes me wonder if higher frequencies truly benefits the phone's range capability.

Many complain and scratch their heads as to why a 900 MHz phone had better range than some 5.8 GHz phones. Store clerks aren't any better in shedding light on the matter and only help to confuse customers with numbers. I've heard them tell a customer a higher number means better security and range. Rather vague explanation if you ask me.

While it's technically true that a 5.8 GHz phone would have a longer range than a 900 MHz phone due to the efficiency of shorter wavelength, it is not always the case in practice. You also have to consider antenna size and the transmitters power output. A strong transmitter on a low frequency will have better range than a relatively weaker transmitter on a higher frequency. I guess different cordless phones use different combinations of these factors.

Higher frequency doesn't mean it's more secure either. It's the digitization/encryption of the signal that helps to make a cordless phone more safer as opposed to analog. And then there's DSS or digital spread spectrum or frequency hopping that kicks the security up a notch. This is the information the store clerks don't tell customers or they don't know it themselves.

Back to my review. The digital recorder is top-notch. I don't hear compression artifacts like with another answering machine I used to have. The compression was so bad that it was hard to make out the message sometimes. This Uniden phone got the compression ratio just right.

So what could this phone improve on? I wish the base ringer can be turned down even lower. It can only be set to High, Low and Off. The Low setting is equivalent to Mid ringer setting of the handset. Other than that I love everything about this phone.

These are just my initial impressions. I've had the phone a few days. I'll have to see how durable and resilient this unit is months from now.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST PHONE THAT I'VE EVER OWED :-), February 4, 2006

By 

Sherene "Sher" (New York, Queens) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Uniden TRU8885 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Dual Keypads (Black/Silver) (Office Product)

A friend of mine had this phone and I tested it out for two days the sound the range and everything was excellent. So i bought myself one. The only drawback is, if you have big fingers, this phone might not be for you. The keys are so small...perfect for my small hands. I would recommed this phone to anyone. The house that I live in everyone's conversation came through my old vtech 2.4 cordless phone....not anymore. I am happy with my purchase. I love the destinctive rings...so i can choose not to or to answer the phone by the sound of the ring.