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Strange phone problem - can anyone help?

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Carol Haynes:
I had to replace my cordless phones and after looking at lots of different makes opted for Panasonic as they had good reviews and most other makes didn't seem to fair so well.

I have a main socket and a single extension with a wired phone on the extension and the cordless base unit on the main socket. Both had ADSL filters.

I have absolutely no problems making calls from the wired phone, and my previous cordless phones worked fine (albeit with really crappy sound).

The Panasonic phones have a problem - any number that has a 3 in it (or if you are using 3 to navigate menus) don't work - at least not consistently.

Given that the area I live in has a 3 in just about every number it takes about 3 or 4 attempts to make a call (using redial - so the number is correct). I just get number not recognised more than 50% of the time and if I am using menu navigation on a switchboard it just doesn't seem to hear 3 when pressed.

I returned the phones as faulty to Amazon and got a replacement but exactly the same problem. I have nmow changed model number (still Panasonic) and still get the same issue.

I have tried turning off broadband in case there was a frequency clash but that doesn't seem to make a difference.

One of the reasons I liked these phones is that they support call chaining from the address book. I make a fair number of overseas calls and use access numbers so call chaining is really handy - unfortunately it is almost impossible to dial my mother's number without error - even manually!

Has anyone got any clue how to troubleshoot this and work out how to fix it (other than just sending them back and getting a different make).

nudone:
It might be something weird like you are assuming but until you try the phones at someone else's location I don't think you'll really know what to blame. I mean, what if it's a design fault with the 3 button? I suppose you could test a phone from Argos, see if that works then take it back - if they allow it on phones.

Ath:
Assuming it's a Dect phone, isn't anything else in the 2.4 GHz band disturbing the signal to that phone? like a wifi router from your ADSL connection, or something like that.
Even if the frequencies are (a bit) different, a strong signal transmitted from close proximity can overwhelm a receiver so much that it can't correctly receive or separate the normal equipment it's designed for. And that would explain why the replacement set has exactly the same issue. That the interference is only when dialing 3's is just an unlucky coincidence, I guess.
Putting either aside for several feet should significantly improve the behavior. (that is assuming you have a wifi router or other transmitting equipment, like a CRT-TV nearby)

Carol Haynes:
Yes it is DECT The base unit sits next to the router - but the problem persists when the router is unplugged!

Nudone - you are correct I need to take it to a neighbours house and try it there to eliminate something in the house.

The strange thing is I had a set of BT Calypso DECT phones before and never had any issues at all.

Stoic Joker:
Defective 3 is way too specific for an interference issue.

The wired phone working eliminates a line issue.

Signal bleed would cause calls to drop, low call volume, or line noise. I'm with Nudone on the you need a tie-breaker type diagnostic. But it sounds like a bad batch of phones.

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