I have one phone line. I have two phones; one upstairs (with an answering machine) and one downstairs (no answering machine). In order to see if I have any messages when I get home I have to go upstairs, which is a pain in the neck. Is there any way to use a phone with an answering machine for the downstairs so I can retrieve the messages there? I can’t figure out how they would sync when the phone rings. I don’t want to change the number of rings every time I leave the house e.g. if the one downstairs only rang 2 times before pickup and the one upstairs was set to ring 4 times. I don’t even know if this would work anyway. I saw some 2-phone sets in Wal-Mart today but the second phone doesn’t have a playback feature. I live in an old house and it’s a TREK up many steep stairs which I am not in the mood for being an old fartess.
Not as you describe it. Your reasonable options as I see them are:
Move the A/M downstairs.
Reposition the A/M so you can see the display from downstairs (or the other way around)
Get voice messaging service from your telco (you pick up the phone and hear a broken dialtone to see if anyone left you a msg)
Get a caller ID box which will let you know how many calls you got (zero = no messages), it will give you some indication - and for the number of calls you don’t need caller ID service.
There may be some cordless phones out there which will allow you to retreive the messages from the cordless handset, but I don’t know of any offhand.
You can call your a/m from your cell phone and remote retreive them.
No cell phone. My town doesn’t have reception except in the IGA parking lot (maybe).
Well, it was worth a shot. Thanks.
Since you’ll primarily be checking the machine when you return home, why is it on the upper floor in the first place?
YES – You will have to locate a DIYer with some knowledge of phone system. Basically install a two-way swithch line from the upstairs M.R. to a new M.R. adjacent to the downstairs pone. Both phones work normally, you have to remember to switch the M.R. to one on the floor you are going to so you will get messages while changing floors. 
My daughter has a M.R. on a base set in a central location, a local wireless handset there and two more in other rooms. Messages can be retrieved from the M.R, or by using any one of the three wireless remotes. Whichever handset is handiest. Check Sam’s for these.
I’d be happy to drop by and do it for you but … it’s a long way from here to there. :rolleyes:
I don’t get why you can’t simply swap the phones around, or failing that if the upstairs phone can’t move simply deactivate the answer feature for the upstairs unit, then get a phone+answering machine combo for the downstairs.
You could also simply get a cordless answering machine combo with 2 handsets and you can access the answering machine (wherever located) remotely from either handset. There are lots of different models that will do this.
Here’s one
Panasonic KX-TG5432M 5.8 GHz DSS Cordless Phone with Answering System and Dual Handsets
Remote control from handset for the answering machine…now that sounds like just the ticket. Thanks.
I had thought about switching the phones but the one downstairs doesn’t have all the bells and whistles e.g. I have to screen calls so I wanted the option of being able to look at the caller id before answering it and being able to replay the message if I’m upstairs when the call comes in.
I know this sounds weird because all of you are probably young and don’t mind bounding up and down a steep flight of stairs; but, your time is coming… :eek:
Well at 47 I’m no longer “young”, but I have been called a bounder.
In 2013, most cordless phone sets today allow you to retrieve your messages from either the base unit or ANY handset that comes with your phone. This is the setup I have. Upstairs, like you, I have my base phone with answering device as a part of it. This is because my “office” is upstairs.
And, like you, I don’t like to come home and have to tromp upstairs to get my messages. So, I can access my messages from the extra handset that came with my phone…which is plugged in to a wall outlet downstairs. Yay!!
Thank God for new technology…but, for all I know, this technology has been around for 20 years.
I have the Uniden D1780-2BT that I purchased through Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/D1780-2BT-Expandable-Cordless-Answering-Bluetooth/dp/B007ORP4EE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360465932&sr=8-1&keywords=uniden+1780-2bt
but Panasonic and others have similar phones. And most of them are all what I consider to be inexpensive…under $70.00.
Good luck…but I’m assuming you have this all set up by now.
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Best solution is to run a long cord so the answering machine is in the middle of the stairs so that you only have to go half a flight at any time.
Oh wait, it’s 2013, who the hell still uses land lines?