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37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Possible Health Hazard, January 21, 2007
DECT 6.0 phones do not operate in the 6.0 GHz frequency band. That would be illegal. The approved frequency band for DECT devices is 1.9 GHz.
In order to prevent interference, the FCC determines which devices are allowed to transmit within specific frequency bands. When a band reaches its traffic capacity, the FCC will usually open up another band of frequencies for use. The FCC has granted DECT-based wireless telephony permission to operate in the 10 MHz spectrum between 1920 and 1930 MHz as part of a general reorganization of frequency bands in the US.
Though newly approved in the United States, Digital Enhanced (formerly European) Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) originated in Europe in the late 1980's and is based on TDMA, similar to the GSM cellular system. Changing the "E" in DECT from "European" to "Enhanced" is part of a global marketing strategy and NOT indicative of any technological breakthrough.
The Wi-Fi friendly DECT technology is designed especially for areas with a large number of users and it easily integrates into homes with Internet and Wi-Fi services. A key advantage is that the 1.9 GHz frequency band is not used by other wireless applications. 2.4 GHz phones operate in the same frequency band used by other wireless applications. Because transmitting signals at a higher frequency requires more power, many 5.8 GHz phones use 2.4 GHz for handset-to-base transmissions to make sure a handset's battery has a reasonable life.
Cordless phones with spread spectrum technology (DSS and FHSS) will usually have a longer range and sound better than phones with DECT technology. FCC regulations (Title 47 CFR Part 15) allow higher transmit power for cordless phones with spread spectrum technology. Marketing literature touting DECT phones as having a longer range than 5.8 GHz phones, presumably, refer to 5.8 GHz analog phones which operate with lower transmit power.
Features for the GE DECT 6.0 phone include
Call Waiting Caller ID,
Handset Speakerphone,
Expandable to 4 Handsets,
Selectable Ringtones,
Room Monitor,
Intercom,
Volume Control,
Headset Jack,
Hearing Aid Compatible.
Shortcomings for the GE DECT 6.0 phone include
Noise during calls; poor sound quality.
LCD display very difficult to read.
Keypad light only illuminates each button's outline; the button's function is not illuminated.
No lower case and limited special characters available for Phonebook entries.
No alphabetic search for Phonebook entries.
No alphabetic store or retrieval for Phonebook entries.
No Phonebook transfer between handsets.
No Privacy Mode; any handset can conference in on a conversation without an invitation.
No support for Call Waiting Deluxe Features.
Memory limitations - No dynamic sharing of memory between features. Unused CID memory slots are not available for Phonebook entries. Unused Phonebook memory slots are not available for CID entries. Phonebook memory is limited to fifty 20-digit numbers with 15-character names for each handset. CID memory is limited to forty CID records for each handset. Redial call log retains only the last number dialed.
Some reviewers have complained of long time delays before dial tone is obtained when using DECT phones. This is a normal characteristic of the TDMA technology upon which DECT is based and should not be considered a malfunction.
Overall performance for the GE DECT 6.0 phone is below average. For a similar price, top-of-the-line phones with the latest technology and sophisticated features are available from Japanese manufacturers (e.g., Uniden, Panasonic).
A major difference between DECT phones and other cordless phones is that the DECT phone's base station continuously emits pulsing microwave radiation at full power as long as the base station/charger is plugged into the wall socket.
Officials in Germany, Austria, Sweden, New Zealand and Australia have expressed health concerns over DECT phone use.
Soon after DECT phones were first introduced in Europe, mainly for use in office buildings, concerns were raised over possible health effects. One of the largest white collar trade unions in Europe, the Swedish Union of Clerical and Technical Employees in Industry, issued advice to its members to take steps to minimize their exposure to DECT because the system always operated at maximum power and there was insufficient research on possible long-term health effects. (1)
The German Federal Radiation Protection Agency (Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz - BfS) has expressed concerns over DECT phone use. They stated in a January 2006 press release that a DECT phone is often the strongest single source of microwave radiation in a private home. To prevent possible health risks the Agency recommended minimizing personal radiation exposure (if a DECT phone is used) by placing the base station in a place where you do not spend much time, for example a hall. For the workplace the Agency specifically advised to avoid placing DECT phones on work desks and called upon manufacturers to redesign the phones to include a feature of power output control, so that the power output during a call would be adapted to the distance of the handset from its base station. This would allow phone use only to the level of power necessary to keep the communication going and power would be down while on standby and connected to the base station/charger. (2)
In December of 2005 the Public Health Department, Salzburg Region, Austria issued advice to the government, schools and parents warning of the lack of studies available on either short-term or long-term health effects from WLAN and DECT devices. Furthermore, the department saw evidence of possible adverse effects such as headaches, concentration difficulty, restlessness, and memory problems. The official advice of the Public health Department is not to use WLAN and DECT in Schools or Kindergartens. (3)
Of course, the industry manufacturing DECT technology says that there is no conclusive evidence that DECT technology is harmful. This is true, considering that the technology is being developed and marketed well before any relevant research on possible long-term health effects.
1) NO Risk in the IT environment, the Swedish Union of Clerical and Technical Employees in Industry, 1998.
2) German Federal Agency For Radiation Protection (Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz - BfS) Press Release, Jan. 31, 2006.
3) WLAN and DECT in Schools and Kindergartens, Open letter from Dr. Gerd Oberfeld MD, Salzburg Region, Public Health Department, Dec. 5, 2005.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Terrible, April 4, 2007
I'm returning my phone immediately. The display is almost completely unreadable due to the ridiculous blue on blue color choice and glare of its brightness. Shame on you G.E. for putting out such a terrible product.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Too tinny, too lightweight, too hard to see & it doesn't work, January 21, 2007
Went in to the local big box electronics store armed with my consumer magazine ratings to buy a digital phone for my land line and saw this model with multiple handsets. Although not shown on my ratings, this DECT 1.9GHz model from GE caught my attention and the packaging box displayed the exact feature list I was looking for.
After charging the batteries for sixteen hours, I began programming the phone with a minimum set of numbers to test. I could not get it to answer a call from my cell phone on either handset with any audible ringtone. Called tech support which advised me to turn off my household Wi-Fi (Isn't this what a DECT phone is for?). I did, and the same non-response. I returned this phone today and will choose one that is on the consumer magazine rating list.
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