Cordless phones to keep in touch onboard?

[Yungs]

There have been some threads on walkie-talkies etc to keep in touch onboard.

 

Does anyone have experience using cordless telephone handsets to communicate? Some of the newer digital systems available advertise that they can be used as like two-way radios at sporting events etc, with the handsets being set up to call one another directly. We have the Uniden and Panasonic brands in mind with 3 handsets - does anyone have any experience or input on the idea of using these?

 

http://www.uniden.com/products/produ...duct=DCT738-3T

http://panasonic.com.au/products/det...?objectID=3200

 

Thanks heaps!

 

Megan

[crusinmama06]

Interesting. I never thought you could do that but technology changes everyday huh. ;)

 

The only thing that would disuade me is the bulk of carrying that phone around.

[larronry]

I have a Uniden one with that feature and have used it in stores (my DH hates using his cell) but I have to agree with cruisinmama my walkie talkies are so much smaller.

 

The other thing is that although the distance in a store seems seems OK I know when I am on the phone and go to my mailbox I get static. I would think that my walkie talkies would have much better reception then the uniden in the walkie talkie mode.

[sandy toes]

I know some walkie talkies and even some cells do not work well on ship from different locations. I would not want the bulk and would not want the bill associated with the cell use while at sea, just to chat and check in. If you feel you really do need to check in (say a bunch of young tweens/teens) I would go for a boxed set of the cell sized walkie talkies that you can purchase for a rather low cost. Some even come with 4 in a set. Hunters use them in the woods. Again, I would wonder about all areas of the ship getting service

[larronry]

Just to clarify the OP isn't talking about a cell phone with a walkie talkie feature like Nextel. These are actual wireless phones that you hook up to your home phone line. You can set them up as a room monitor or put them in a walkie talkie mode or handset to handset mode sort of like an intercom where you can take them away from the house and use them. Under this situation you cannot use them as a phone because you are away from the base station. Because they aren't cell phones there is no charge involved. My only question would be reception. There is a lot of blockage in a ship. A lot of solid walls compared to a store where your blockage usually isn't solid walls.

[Yungs]

Thanks for the replies everyone, maybe won't try that after all. There's seven of us on the cruise including a couple of kids so we thought maybe a way of keeping in touch might be good. Thanks anyway!

[hooked-on-travel]

Hmm, I thought you meant you'd take the base and plug it in to your state room's phone (either instead of or with a splitter.) My thoughts were about trying to get them to work through that much building material. I know technology has progressed since I was in college, but I put a cordless phone in my dorm room (3rd floor, end of one wing) and tried to get reception in the living room (1st floor, another wing, windows that faced my room) and I could get it to ring, but not talk. So, I'd take it to the living room if I had set up with someone before hand what a 'ring' would mean (i.e. I'll be visitng...come get me at the front door), but I couldn't get an actual message. Anywhere in the buiding that wasn't "visible to the base through windows" I couldn't even get a ring. Like I said, that was late 1980 technology, but a ship is bigger than a dorm room. I think it likely you'd have a lot of bulk for not much use.