okie@ihuxs.UUCP (B.K. Cobb) (11/06/84)
A few days ago I posted a query on the AT&T Nomad 4000
cordless phone. Thanks to those of you who responded
and helped answer my questions. A summary of those
responses follows for general interest.
NOMAD 4000 QUERY RESULTS
Tally: 5 for purchasing
1 against purchasing
Positive comments:
"Like it a lot" (twice)
Sound on the other end of transmission from the Nomad 4000
"perfect"
Very easy to use
Batteries last about 16 hours (average use)
No interference (respondent lives in the country)
Durability seems to be akin to pre-divestiture standards
("40-year" quality)
Can use out to advertised range limit
Negative comments:
"Security" feature can be inconvenient if switched on
and someone takes the phone from the base without knowing
it is "secured"
You can tell you're on a cordless phone, but that's true
of all cordless phones
Some noise farther out in its range
Mic also picked up sounds within the room
Some hum/buzz beyond 200 feet, as on other 2-way radios
Supposedly, you can "eavesdrop" on conversations up to two
miles away (this was not specific to the Nomad 4000, but
another article posted for cordless phones in general and
then sent again in reply to my questions)
Again, thanks!
B. K. Cobb
ihnp4!ihuxs!okie (before 1600 today)
ihnp4!ihuxi!okie (after 1600 today)ebh@hou4b.UUCP (Ed Horch) (03/14/85)
I got many reponses to my request for information on the AT&T Nomad
4000 cordless phone. All but two of them were positive. Most people
liked the freedom of not being leashed by a cord (obviously). Nobody
complained about people making illegal calls.
One of the negative respondents complained of excessive interference,
and being able to hear other people's conversations. The other said
that there was an omnipresent whine that you have to put up with while
you're talking.
Special thanks to Bob Parnass for mailing me a complete discussion on
cordless phones in general that took place some time ago.
With all the responses in mind, I decided to go ahead and get the phone,
especially since I had ten days to return it if I didn't like it. I've
had it about two weeks and really like it. There are small amounts of
RFI from time to time, but not enough to be bothersome. The whine the
person mentioned is there, but you get used to it, and the person on the
other end can't hear it (at least that's what the people I asked said).
I only have two complaints: I've never liked push-button pulse-dial,
but that seems to be a necessary evil these days. If an equivalent
phone with touch-tone comes out I'll definitely get one. The other
problem is that it's hard to use the "hook" button on the handset to
do switchhook flashes (like for call-waiting). Since the base does
not repond instantaneously to handset stimuli, flashes are not easy
to do.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with the phone, and during the first
ten days never even considered taking it back. BTW, for you tech
types, the set uses F3 modulation, and the base transmits on 46Mhz
and receives on 49Mhz, so there are none of the inherent problems
with one of the channels running at 1700Khz...
Once again, thanks to all that responded.
-Ed Horch {ihnp4,akgua,houxm}!hou4b!ebh2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (henning) (03/15/85)
> problem is that it's hard to use the "hook" button on the handset to > do switchhook flashes (like for call-waiting). Since the base does > not repond instantaneously to handset stimuli, flashes are not easy > to do. The Nomad 4000 switchhook works great with my AT&T hold-module I bought at J.C.Penny's. It requires two flashes just as it is susposed to.
smk@axiom.UUCP (Steven M. Kramer) (03/19/85)
I don't know about the Nomad, but a cordless I used to have (it broke
and I never replaced it) used to kill a modem connection I had on another
phone in the same room (different number). It never failed. The modem
was a 3451 and the terminal was a vt100.
--
--steve kramer
{allegra,genrad,ihnp4,utzoo,philabs,uw-beaver}!linus!axiom!smk (UUCP)
linus!axiom!smk@mitre-bedford (MIL)2141smh@rduxb.UUCP (henning) (03/22/85)
> I don't know about the Nomad, but a cordless I used to have (it broke > and I never replaced it) used to kill a modem connection I had on another > phone in the same room (different number). It never failed. The modem > was a 3451 and the terminal was a vt100. **** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA rduxb!2141smh I routinely use my Nomad 4000 when I am using my Trs-80 on a Hayes 1200 modem with no trouble. The disk drive on the Trs-80 does transmit rf to the intercom-line on the Nomad, but it does not affect the normal telephone hookup, nor does the Nomad affect the modem communications.
tsc2597@acf4.UUCP (Sam Chin) (03/28/85)
<<<>>>
Sometimes I have interference on the line when hooked up via modem and having
my (Phone-Mate Roam Phone) cordless hooked in. It seems that some random
interference causes the base to respond at times. I solve it by simply
turning on the security switch on the base. By the way if anyone is looking
for *cheap* cordless phones. I got my Roam Phone from Ritz Camera
1-800-638-4480 for 29.95. It is old, transmits on 1.7 and recieves on 49 Mhz.
Has no security features but does have reasonable sound quality (for local
call's and AT&T long distance but not for overseas calls or MCI calls over
500 miles or so) despite my living in cramped Brooklyn apartments and it
does have *touch tone*. Extra handsets are $9.95. It is quite stylish
looking (unlike some of the other ugly Webcor or US Tron phones) and has a
curved handset that feels very comfortable. I am tempted to get another hand
set and try to hack the crystal to get it to 46/49 Mhz.
Sam Chin
allegra!cmcl2!acf4!tsc2597
tsc2597.acf4@nyu