Is there a requirement for phones to be able to dial if the

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

 

[Rod Speed]

Nope.

<googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must
be able to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

Outdated.

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.

Yeah, its obviously possible to design the base that way if they chose to.

Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for
this type of situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

The cheapest UPS are pretty cheap.

 

[David]

<googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

Outdated. This requirement is now voluntary, although a warning notice must be
given with or in the documentation. It is voluntary to place this warning on
the packaging.

Making these requirements mandatory were considered when the standard
(S002:2001) was drafted but as most other markets (EU and USA) do not require
it, it was made voluntary. The addition of a warning was the compromise as
most companies do re-print part of the manual to include a local address or put
a slip in the box with this info. So it was a no-additional-cost approach.

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

To expensive to include in the base unit. The price-point pressure is enormous
on these type of products. Retailers prefer to on-sell after market accessories
anyway, so market pressure keeps good ideas like putting battery back-up in
the base out of the picture.

 

[The Family]

<googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

Yep. There are several 240V systems in stores like DSE and Jaycar. They're
relatively expensive compared with some simple DC systems that are also
readily available.

If all else fails, build one yourself. Appropriate rechargeable batteries,
wiring and a plug pack (it sounds like you already own the latter) should do
the trick.

 

[Kevin Martin]

googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote:

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

The best solution is to have in the cupboard a non powered phone, then
when the power goes off, plug it in.

Kevin Martin

 

[Phil Allison]

"Kevin Martin"

googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote:

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

The best solution is to have in the cupboard a non powered phone, then
when the power goes off, plug it in.

** Plus a functioning torch so you can see what you are doing in the dark
!!!




............... Phil

 

[Ed]

get an old gsm phone for $10 or so, you dont need a valid sim card
it has a battery, charge it up once a month or so
call 112 if you need to call emergency services

<googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Ed"

get an old gsm phone for $10 or so, you dont need a valid sim card
it has a battery, charge it up once a month or so
call 112 if you need to call emergency services

** You need a phone that works on your usual number when the AC power
ails - so you can receive calls too. Only a fool does not have a line
powered phone available somewhere to back up the dodgy cordless ones.



............... Phil

 

[Don McKenzie]

googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote:

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

If you run a PC UPS, plug it into that permanently. Or get one, they are cheap
anyway. (Rod said that somewhere.)

Mind you, I always have an old 50V line standard phone for emergencies.

Don...

--
Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page: http://www.e-dotcom.com/ecp.php?un=Dontronics

VoIP USB/RJ11 Use Any Phone http://www.dontronics.com/phoneconnector.html
USB to RS232 Converter that works http://www.dontronics.com/usb_232.html

 

[Rod Speed]

Phil Allison <philallison@tpg.com.au> wrote in
message news:34jfnrF4ankrbU1@individual.net...

Kevin Martin googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

The best solution is to have in the cupboard a non powered phone, then when
the power goes off, plug it in.

Plus a functioning torch so you can see what you are doing in the dark !!!

I use one of those plug in rechargeable torches that comes on
when the mains fails. Then its easy to find the torch because its
on and you can unplug it from the charger and carry it around the
house till the power comes back etc if you cant plug it in where
it will do most of the lighting you need till the mains comes back.

Someone should suggest a micro UPS to Silicon Chip that produces
as switched DC output at a decent current for this sort of situation,
basically replacing the plug pack, giving a decent mainsless time.

Should use standard NiMH AA cells.

 

[Rod Speed]

Ed <eddie_nospam@optusnet.com> wrote in message
news:41e48ba7$0$2869$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

get an old gsm phone for $10 or so, you dont need a valid sim card it has a
battery, charge it up once a month or so call 112 if you need to call
emergency services

I often want to call the power company and get
some idea of how long the mains is going to be
out for if it doesnt come back in tens of minutes.
A cheap conventional phone makes much more sense.

googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

 

[Martin]

"Kevin Martin" <kevinrailway@notreqdoptusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:41e483de$0$11097$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote:
One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

The best solution is to have in the cupboard a non powered phone, then
when the power goes off, plug it in.

Thought this would be common sense! We have a normal corded phone plugged
in all the time, with the ringer turned to low, so if power goes out or the
batteries on the cordless go flat we don't have to scramble to find a phone
to plug in.......

Rather simple solution really...

 

[The Family]

"Rod Speed" <rod_speed@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:34jkboF4c26r4U1@individual.net...

Ed <eddie_nospam@optusnet.com> wrote in message
news:41e48ba7$0$2869$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

get an old gsm phone for $10 or so, you dont need a valid sim card it has
a battery, charge it up once a month or so call 112 if you need to call
emergency services

I often want to call the power company and get
some idea of how long the mains is going to be
out for if it doesnt come back in tens of minutes.

Often? Where do you live? Sounds like you need to complain about service
quality - call your State regulator to get some action and, if you have
documented evidence, a compensation payment from the distribution company.
Or are you in one of those jurisdictions where the government has a monopoly
and doesn't care about reliable service?

Hmm. I can't recall precisely when the power last went off where I live...
it was years ago.

A cheap conventional phone makes much more sense.


googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

 

[Jim]

"The Family" <someone@somewhere.com> wrote in message
news:41e4a52b@duster.adelaide.on.net...

"Rod Speed" <rod_speed@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:34jkboF4c26r4U1@individual.net...

Ed <eddie_nospam@optusnet.com> wrote in message
news:41e48ba7$0$2869$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

get an old gsm phone for $10 or so, you dont need a valid sim card it
has
a battery, charge it up once a month or so call 112 if you need to call
emergency services

I often want to call the power company and get
some idea of how long the mains is going to be
out for if it doesnt come back in tens of minutes.

Often? Where do you live? Sounds like you need to complain about service
quality - call your State regulator to get some action and, if you have
documented evidence, a compensation payment from the distribution company.
Or are you in one of those jurisdictions where the government has a
monopoly
and doesn't care about reliable service?

Hmm. I can't recall precisely when the power last went off where I
live...
it was years ago.


Obviously you don't live in South East Qld !

Jim

 

[quietguy]

Where I live in rural NSW we get lots of blackouts, and of course my
walkabout phone doesn't work when there is no power. So I can phone and
report the power outage I bought an ordinary $10 phone from BigW that is
plugged in parallel with the walkabout. Simple, but necessary.

David

googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote:

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

 

[Rod Speed]

The Family <someone@somewhere.com> wrote in
message news:41e4a52b@duster.adelaide.on.net...

Rod Speed <rod_speed@yahoo.com> wrote
Ed <eddie_nospam@optusnet.com> wrote

get an old gsm phone for $10 or so, you dont need a valid sim card it has a
battery, charge it up once a month or so call 112 if you need to call
emergency services

I often want to call the power company and get
some idea of how long the mains is going to be
out for if it doesnt come back in tens of minutes.

Often? Where do you live?

I obviously meant often in the sense of per mains
failure, not that the mains failures are frequent.

I happened to have one yesterday, at about 11am
or so on a glorious summer day and it turned out
that they had to do some emergency maintenance
and it was out for about an hour or so. There's fuck
all I can actually do with no power, so its useful to know
if its going to be only a short time or an hour or two.

Sounds like you need to complain about service quality

Best get those ears tested. I doubt we get
more than one a year or so and much less
that are out for more than a few minutes.

- call your State regulator to get some action and, if you have documented
evidence, a compensation payment from the distribution company.

Pointless, we wouldnt qualify and I dont agree with that
sort of terminal stupidity anyway. I prefer to have lower
power bills when they take reasonable steps to deliver
power reliably and accept the fact that there will be
some times that they need to turn it off deliberately etc.

Or are you in one of those jurisdictions where the government has a monopoly
and doesn't care about reliable service?

Nope, we get a pretty reliable service.

Hmm. I can't recall precisely when the power last went off where I live... it
was years ago.

That'd be unusual Aust wide.

A cheap conventional phone makes much more sense.

googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

 

[KLR]

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 10:29:57 +0800, "Ed" <eddie_nospam@optusnet.com>
wrote:

get an old gsm phone for $10 or so, you dont need a valid sim card
it has a battery, charge it up once a month or so
call 112 if you need to call emergency services

in too many places GSM reception is useless - and indoors even more

so.


Also its advisable to call emergency on a fixed phone - as its caller
ID can be read and they can find the address the call is coming from
assuming you are cut off or other problem arises that you cant finish
the call. (IE: if someone is seriously injured and passes out during
call etc)

googlegroups@sensation.net.au> wrote in message
news:1105485954.685377.322870@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

 

[KLR]

On 11 Jan 2005 15:25:54 -0800, googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote:

One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

I seem to remember some requirement that Australian phones must be able
to dial 000 at all times, is my memory failing, or outdated?

It's ironic that the handsets have battery power, but the base doesn't.
Has anyone come up with a simple mini-UPS solution for this type of
situation? The plugpack puts out 9VDC @350mA.

A simple circuit that continually trickle charges a 12v SLA battery
wouldnt be too hard to build. Or buy a plugpack charger to suit your
SLA battery and connect it up yourself


Regulate it down to 9v (I think you can buy a 7809 regulator) and
power the cordless phone base from that.



(if the base station uses 350ma - then every amp/hour that the battery
is rated for will give you about 3 hours of talk time. (IE 5AH
battery will give about 15 hours use, probably lot more in real life)


Regardless of the above, Get a standard Telstra phone, you probably
already have one there that you arent using - , or buy one secondhand
for a few bucks. Leave it plugged in all the time so you do have a
working phone always there if there is emergency, and also so you can
be CALLED too.

 

[Phil Allison]

"KLR"

Regardless of the above, Get a standard Telstra phone, you probably
already have one there that you arent using - , or buy one secondhand
for a few bucks. Leave it plugged in all the time so you do have a
working phone always there if there is emergency, and also so you can
be CALLED too.

** Yes, you do need to be able to be called on the usual number during
such an emergency - what if a neighbour, friend or relative needed your
help ??

BTW

When the AC supply goes out to a whole area at night for a few hours -
folk stuck at home have suddenly go nothing to do but sit in the dark -
so, I wonder if those wonderful young folk in the *telemarketing *
industry have thought of getting busy, identifying the phone numbers in the
affected localities and calling to entertain the poor folk whose lives are
on hold with interminable surveys and offers too good to be true to help
while away the time !!!


OTOH - damn good thing my Caller ID unit is battery powered !!!




............... Phil

 

[thegoons]

Not to mention that there is never any comparison to the audio quality of a
hard-wired handset. Even the best DECT fancy handsets often have some low
level noise, or the sidetone is never the same as a normal hardwired
handset - not to mention the "static" on the older (analogue) cord-less
types.

"Martin" <invalid.vk2umj@invalid.yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:34jkkrF4aoediU1@individual.net...

"Kevin Martin" <kevinrailway@notreqdoptusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:41e483de$0$11097$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
googlegroups@sensation.net.au wrote:
One of the first things I noticed about our Uniden DECT phones is that
the base station dies completely if there is a power failure. Obviously
the communication with handsets is out the window, but there is not
even a basic dial-talk-listen service available via the speakerphone.

The best solution is to have in the cupboard a non powered phone, then
when the power goes off, plug it in.


Thought this would be common sense! We have a normal corded phone plugged
in all the time, with the ringer turned to low, so if power goes out or
the batteries on the cordless go flat we don't have to scramble to find a
phone to plug in.......

Rather simple solution really...