Hard to state what I’m really after in that OP title. I’ve got three Radio Shack cordless phones. They’re… I dunno, 5 years old? Less? They are no longer made by Radio Shack and I cannot find them on eBay.
I’d like to add 2 more satellite ( non-base station ) units around the house. Is there any way to find out what the exact frequency is of THIS phone, so I can see if Radio Shack or anyone else makes a compatible phone?
Does this make sense? You buy a 3-pack. One base station and a few satellites, that catch the signal from the base station, and rest on their own charging cradle. I wish to add to the bunch.
The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength. Shorter wavelengths tend to propagate better through walls and framing. The downside is that shorter wavelengths also tend to travel a lesser distance than longer wavelengths.
I would think the “contact us” on their website would be able to assist you in finding the next compatible model if they’ve discontinued the one you have. Give them the model number and what you’re looking for, they may have newer satellite models that will still work with your older base.
In my experience, Radio Shack can be very knowledgeable about their products compared to places like big box retailers. If they can’t help you, then you’re probably out of luck and are stuck with what you have if you don’t want to purchase a whole new setup.
There’s more to it than just the frequency. For a compatible base unit/slave combo, there are certain handshaking protocols, coded signals, etc. exchanged between the units.
Finding a unit that will work made by a different manufacturer will likely be impossible, so your most likely source will be Radio Shack, if they make something compatible with the old model.
As others have mentioned upthread, the Panasonic system is very good and reliable. We have one at our house with 4 units and it works very well.
FWIW, I’ve seen 3 and 4 set cordless phone systems at my local warehouse club for well under $100. If your system is 5 years old, you’re probably a lot better off just replacing it, and Freecycling the old ones. There is also probably a limit to how many handsets you can have on one system (and it’s most likely four, since I’ve never seen a consumer set with more than that).
That is a good point. If it was 4 including the “base station” with a handset in the cradle and 3 others, I might go for it. Just hate to throw out 3 perfectly working phones.
Then I’ll have to fill out the proper forms, apply to the County Recycling Center for a permit to dispose of several micrograms of mercury and cadmium, and so on. Much hassle.
