Indigo's profile

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Monday, February 17th, 2020 9:00 AM

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What cordless phones have indicator light for VM?

My old GE cordless phone/answering machine finally died after 20 yrs, replaced it with a "Panasonic  Link2Cell Bluetooth Cordless Phone with Answering Machine KX-TGE463S", expensive set of phones - but it doesn't appear that the base station is compatible with Xfinity VM. The GE had an indicator light on the basestation that blinked when I had a new Xfinity VM (answering machine function of base station turned off), but there's no similar light with the new Panasonic system.

 

What cordless phones have an indicator light that works with Xfinity VM? Checking Amazon I can't find any, at least not ones that also have a plug for a headset, a requirement for me. A phone that shows "New VM" only on the LCD screen will not work for me, the main phone is in my hallway and it's too dark to read the LCD screen - I must have an indicator light on the phone or basestation. Please help!

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5 years ago

Does the topic "Voicemail service for landline" on page 65 in the manual at ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/telephone/om/kx-tge463_mul_om.pdf help?

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5 years ago

Nope, that section doesn't help.  There appear to be no cordless phones that have a blinking indicator light when you have a new VM from Comcast - you get a new VM msg on the LCD screen of the phone, but in low light it's impossible to read unless you actually pick up the phone. I spent 3 hrs on the net and Amazon yesterday looking for this feature on a phone, and the number of complaints about a missing indicator light were huge - why phone manufacturers won't provide such a desired feature is beyone me, can't cost much money. Complained about this to a friend of mine yesterday, and he said it's probably because a large % of the population doesn't even have landlines anymore, but if that was true why are there so many cordless phones available to buy (at least 50 different sets on Amazon)?

 

Found a semi-work around, but not really happy with the half solution - you can have Xfinity send you an email when you get a new VM - but I'm off my PC by late afternoon and don't sit down at it again until the next morning, so I won't know about a new VM for up to 16 hrs if it comes between 5:00 pm and 9:00 am the next day.

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5 years ago


@Indigo wrote: Nope, that section doesn't help. ...

P.65 says:

 

Important: You need to store the voicemail access number to activate the message indicator (page 64) for voicemail service.

That page also says you also need to ensure that VM tone detection is turned on.

 

P.64 says:

 


You can select whether or not the message indicator on the handset flashes slowly when new messages are recorded. The default setting is “On”.

P.66 says:

 


When new messages have been recorded:
– “Voicemail msg. via phone co.” is displayed if message indication service is available.
The message indicator on the handset flashes slowly if the message indicator is turned on (page 64).

Note that I don't have this phone or Comcast phone service. I can only go on what the phone manual says.

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145 Messages

5 years ago

You didn't read what I wrote - an indicator of any kind on the LCD on the phone (handset) is not useful because I can't see words on the screen in dim light. What I asked about was an indicator light on the basestation, or a light on the phone itself - some phones have a "charging" light on the top of the handset and they used to blink when a new VM was waiting for you - they don't do that anymore, no visible VM lights on handset or basestation.

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26K Messages

5 years ago


@Indigo wrote: ... a light on the phone itself ...

Page 13 of the manual shows what it calls a "Ringer/Message indicator" across the top of the handset. Again, I don't have this phone or Comcast phone service so I don't know if what the indicator looks like or how it works beyond the description in the manual.

 

I am trying to help. Sorry if it doesn't come across that way.

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