I've been looking at cordless phones, since my 900Mhz Sony DSS phone stopped ringing when someone calls

The most intriguing thing is the new Panasonic (and I think Uniden) that can make and receive calls using Bluetooth through your CELL PHONE. For instance, the Panasonic Bluetooth "Link to cell" is a KXTH111S. It can connect up to 5 cell phones, and you can use your cell minutes from your home cordless phone.

The problem? I believe the handsets themselves use Bluetooth to communicate with the base (2.4Ghz), and even with a 300 foot Bluetooth transceiver on my computer, I can only get about 50 feet away and my cell phone disconnects from the computer.

I'm wondering, anyone have these Bluetooth-type cordless phones and give some idea of how the RANGE and reception is ??? Matter of fact, what was the furthest you ever were away from your cell phone with a Bluetooth headset?

Thanks in advance!

 

my bluetooth will let me get about 30 ft away before disconecting

 

^^yup. mine also. it says rite in the info book it is only good for 30 ft.

 

I have NO experience with the portables using blue tooth etc. But I heard an interesting radio discussion this past weekend on I think the PC Doctor??

He said blue tooth bandwidth is typically less than 10K bits which means in general the sound quality is not so good on most systems. He was talking mostly about the bluetooth ear pieces used with cell phones.

I have a Motorola Blue tooth ear piece and the quality is pretty miserable. Often I am told I sound like I am in a noisy tunnel. But of course the basic phone service I am using has pretty poor voice quality to start with.

Just a tibit of info and it may not even apply to what you want to do.

Jim Henderson

 

Thanks Jim, and the rest of the guys... good info so far... I am reluctant to go Bluetooth for cordless home phone so far...

I'm used to my 900Mhz Sony Digital Spread Spectrum - which works about 1/4 mile away, with the base in the BASEMENT about 3 feet below the top of the foundation.

5.8Ghz spread-spectrum is attractive. I don't want 2.4Ghz, because of my existing Bluetooth connections between cell phones and computers, and I just got 802.11g WiFi.

The only reason I was looking at the Panasonic Link-to-Cell stuff was because I have Cingular w/roll-over minutes and so far I have about 80 hours worth of free talk time saved up...

And thanks Jim, the bandwidth issue is interesting...

But I think I was able to get 400Kbps or more with my cell and computer. It's not as fast as infrared, though...

 

The BT link is between the BASE and your cell phone. You leave your cell near the base, or in certain cases, a crade ON the base unit. The cordless handsets work in the exact same way, with the same range, quality, ect. as any other cordless handset in the same frequency range.

 

I understand that. I'm not worried about communications between the base and the cellphones.

The problem is the HANDSET and the BASE communicate over Bluetooth too, or at least, Panasonic seems to make that inference. 2.4Ghz.

I would much rather have a FHSS (frequency hopping spread spectrum) 5.8Ghz handset/base.

Anyone else with a real Bluetooth Panasonic (or other) cordless?

 

My old, Panasonic 2.4GHz DSS cordless far outshines my Uniden 5.8GHz DSS cordless phone in terms of distance. However, because I also have a WiFi network, I don't use the Panny much, it stays upstairs in the bedroom. The Uni is only good about to the driveway (25 ft. from the base or so), and when the Panny base was in the same spot, it would sometimes work up to a block away (150 ft. or so).

No experience with Bluetooth, though.

Jason