Availability & Use of Bluetooth DECT phones in Ireland

TomOnBoard

Does anyone know whether Bluetooth-enabled DECT cordless phones that use technology such as Vtech's "Connect To Cell" or Panasonic's "Link to Cell" are available in Ireland?

TomOnBoard

Anyone?

Walker34

yes...I got some in Aldi and while thy are cheap, they are notoriously insecure. Old Murdock would love them......they come pre-hacked:-0

feerickb

Hi TomOnBoard,

Did you have any luck finding one of these phones that work in ireland.
I've been looking at the Uniden CELLlink and the Panasonic Link to Cell but can't find any here.

Thanks

TomOnBoard

feerickb wrote: »

Hi TomOnBoard,

Did you have any luck finding one of these phones that work in ireland.
I've been looking at the Uniden CELLlink and the Panasonic Link to Cell but can't find any here.

Thanks

IDect Link Plus made by Binatone available refurbished on EBay UK for small money. As to whether they will work in Ireland, I could get no definitive answer from anyone.

I noted also that Panasonic advertise phones as Bluetooth, but does not specifically say that they will link to mobiles for calls- just phone book sharing and headset usage.

I reckon it's a buyer beware situation at the moment.

feerickb

Thanks that was quick,
I take it you haven't got one yet. I think that Panasonic one and a Siemens one only connect to a hands free ear piece.
The IDect looks ok, nearly full sure I seen in in Argos about a yr ago but it hasn't been in any of the new catalogs. I'll keep looking around
Cheers

iwantbroadband

There's a standalone solution called Bluewave from Ligo.co.uk. It's not a cordless phone, it's a gateway, but this means it could convert your existing cordless and any other phones in the house. However it's quite pricey at £99.
http://www.ligo.co.uk/bluewave/

feerickb

Ok, just an update.

I took a gamble on buying a refurbed Panasonic KX-TG7644M DECT 6.0 Plus Link-to-cell Bluetooth from here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251126614528#ht_4182wt_691
It cost about $80 + $50 shipping (approx €100) then customs took another €28 for themselves, so about €130 all in.
The phone works great, I can connect 2 mobile phones with the Bluetooth and it has a good range (about 7- 10 meters from the base for the bluetooth). When the phones are connected the handsets even ring with the ringtone from the mobile so you know which line is ringing.
The caller display also works fine in Ireland.
The only thing I needed todo was change the American ac adaptors. I used old phone chargers and changed the jacks. (Cut the jack from supplied adapter, check voltage from phone charger, not always what it says it should be!! If its between 5v and 6.5v it should be ok, then rewire charger)

Now hopefully the phone lasts as there's no comeback.

Alun

Beware, US DECT 6.0 PLUS phones work on a different frequency range (1920-1930MHz) to European DECT phones (1880-1900MKz), and AFAIK are therefore illegal to use in the EU as they interfere with certain frequencies used by mobile phone networks here.

See http://www.bvsystems.com/Products/Whitepapers/Wolfhound-Pro%28DECT6.0%29WhitePaper.pdf

http://www.bipt.be/en/637/ShowDoc/3913/Press_releases/Press_release__BIPT_warns_against_illegal_%E2%80%9CDECT_6_.aspx (see 3rd PDF file)

They are such a problem that manufacturers have even developed special equipment to track them down ...

http://bvsystems.com/New/Press/2-14-11-Wolfhound-Pro_DECT_Cordless_Phones.htm

feerickb

Thanks for that info Alun,

I though i saw something like that before i bought them but i though the phones were ok.
On the manafactures website it says they are 1.9Ghz which would make them ok - http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/KX-TG7644M?t=specs

Is there any way to check the phones as i dont want to be breaking the law or interfering with other frequencies, but i dont want to bin them if they are ok?

Alun

Well, they are 1.9GHz, but there's 1.9GHz and there's 1.9Ghz

DECT phones sold in the EU operate on, as I said, 1880-1900MHz (1.88-1.90GHz), but the US DECT 6.0 Plus ones operate on 1920-1930MHz (1.92-1.93GHz.)

That extra 0.02-0.03GHz might sound insignificant but it means it then impinges on the frequencies used here for GSM/UMTS mobile phone coverage of 1900-1980MHz (1.9-1.98GHz.)

In the US, GSM/UMTS uses 1850-1910MHz (1.85-1.91GHz), so it's not a problem there.

In summary, it's almost certainly illegal, but if you want to be sure, contact Comreg, but I'm sure they'll tell you the same. In any case, it's also possible that if the interference is picked up by a local mobile phone tower, then Comreg will come a knocking anyway ...

feerickb

Cheers,

I'll contact comreg.

So much for that, it was a bit of a gamble anyway

Whitehawk

iwantbroadband wrote: »

There's a standalone solution called Bluewave from Ligo.co.uk. It's not a cordless phone, it's a gateway, but this means it could convert your existing cordless and any other phones in the house. However it's quite pricey at £99.
http://www.ligo.co.uk/bluewave/

Thanks for this info! they have dropped in price a small bit: think I may try this! anyone else used it?

feerickb wrote: »

Cheers,

I'll contact comreg.

So much for that, it was a bit of a gamble anyway

Could you post back and let us know what they said please! Im also looking for such a phone! or May try this bluewave quoted above!

Anyone got any thing to say on the matter

Whitehawk

For anyone also looking at this, ive found an other company selling the same thing (but a little cheaper!)
Its called the Xlink BT - http://www.myxlink.com/xlink_bt.aspx