dgc@math.ucla.edu (10/22/89)
In Telecom digest #464 Otto J. Makela <otto@jyu.fi> asks: . . . I have a sales blurb for a device called the Code-a- Phone 2600, which would seem to be what I need: 16s of digital outgoing message, micro-casette for message recording and remote message retrieve with 3-digit security code (gives 512 combinations, if the salesperson had it right) plus a few more. The price tag over here in Finland is around US$230, which makes it pretty resonable. Does anyone have hands-on experience with these devices ? We have a Code-a-Phone 2770 which has all of the features described plus a time/day-of-week "stamp" which leaves that information at the end of each message. It uses a 9-volt battery, in case of power failure (useful with the "Banana Republic" power company that serves us -- Southern California Edison), which maintains the clock and outgoing message, but the machine doesn't answer when there's no power. It operates on 10 volts AC, from a little plug-in transformer (so with a different transformer, it would probably run on 240 volts in Europe, unless it really needs 60 Hz). We've had it for about 6 months, and, as I recall, it cost slightly over $100.00. So far it's worked well. It's reliable and easy-to-use (if you read the instruction manual and get used to the multi-function keys). I would recommend it. David G. Cantor Department of Mathematics University of California at Los Angeles Internet: dgc@math.ucla.edu
al@uunet.uu.net (Al Donaldson) (10/26/89)
> Otto J. Makela <otto@jyu.fi> asks: > . . . I have a sales blurb for a device called the Code-a- > Phone 2600, which would seem to be what I need: ... > Does anyone have hands-on experience with these devices ? When I saw this message I recalled my somewhat embarrassing encounter with my new 2650. Following is from my mail folder earlier this year. (By the way, I think I paid US$65 at a discount store.) Al ================ You'd commented that my answering machine sounded really muffled, and today I found out why. The machine is a Code-A-Phone 2650 combined answering machine-phone, with the outgoing message recorded in memory rather than on tape. Since Code-A-Phone has a good reputation for quality, I was really disappointed when I heard the outgoing message played back. At first I'd thought it was because it was next to the Sun, and the fan noise might be affecting the recording. Nope. Then I played around with holding the handset various ways (my, what a neat idea, using the handset as the microphone for the answering machine..), but that didn't make any difference either. Then I just sort of gave up and figured that it was a result of a poor design, not enough memory to store the voice properly, or such. Finally, today I called Code-A-Phone (no 800 number...) and spoke with a lady there. I explained I was really disappointed with the voice quality, and unless they had some answer I was going to get rid of the machine. She asked if I had any music or other equipment on in the background, and I told her about the computer but said that turning it off didn't make any difference. She asked how close I was to the mike and I said I'd tried holding the handset at various distances and angles but that didn't seem to make any difference either. Then she told me that I'm not supposed to use the handset, but am supposed to talk into the microphone. Microphone?? Sure enough, hidden in the base of the machine is a tiny little hole, not labeled, for the microphone. The user manual doesn't mention where the microphone is; it just says "When the message light starts flashing, speak toward the microphone." So I was talking into the handset, the only obvious microphone on the beast, which was about 3 ft away from the real microphone. Sheesh. What would it have cost them to to stamp the word "microphone" next to the hole and/or print a line explaining that the microphone is separate from the handset?