Uniden - TRU12803 5.8 GHz Phone/Answerer Review

I wanted a 5.8 GHz cordless phone system and decided it would be a good time to replace my aging AT&T answering device with an integrated cordless phone and answering system. Trouble is, the AT&T worked so well that it spoiled me for answering machines. I tried a 5.8 GHz GE cordless phone and answering system but tossed it out in a couple of months because the answering machine's sound quality was so poor. I had read good things about Uniden phones, so I switched to a Uniden TRU12803 system. The Uniden is a little better in most ways than the GE product it replaced but not enough to make me enthusiastic about it.

I paid about $75 for the Uniden TRU12803 at Costco, with a good discount coupon.

What It Is

The Uniden TRU12803 is a three-handset cordless phone system with a base station that is part charger and part answering machine. There are two other charging cradles for the other two handsets. The system uses frequenies in the 5.8 GHz range for communications, which will not interfere with the 2.4 GHz WiFi wireless computer network in my home. This was the reason I wanted a 5.8 GHz system.

The system boasts a lot of features, such as Caller ID, call waiting, speakerphone functionality, 70-name phonebook capability, three-way conference calling and selectable ring tones. Each phone has a reasonably legible three-line LCD readout. Just above the earphone on each phone is a red LED that will blink if there is a message waiting on the answering machine. This is one feature I really like.

How It Works

The phones are small but fit the hand well. I'm disappointed that the phones do not have headset jacks, as I enjoy using a headset with my phones. The sound quality from the phones is just average. There is little background noise but voices are duller than I like. I can understand them however, and there is good volume range for turning up soft-spoken callers. Buttons on the handsets are a decent size for my fat fingers and the whole handset is small enough to drop in my shirt pocket.

I have used the handsets about 60 feet from the base station but reception was getting a little dodgy. Don't expect great range from the Uniden TRU12803.

The base station connects to the home's phone line and it contains the digital answering system. Like the GE product I had briefly before the Uniden TRU12803, the Uniden's base station does not have good sound quality. It's better than the GE but is still not nearly as good as the older AT&T answering system I used before I decided to "upgrade." I usually have to replay messages once or twice to be sure I get the whole message. (Oddly, I do not think you can replay messages over the handsets, which is a feature I think would be pretty convenient.) Most buttons on the base station are tiny and a couple of important ones -- such as the "delete" button -- have cryptic symbols on them. It is not a winning design for the base station, either for usability or performance. But it is acceptable.

Summary

I really feel like I've taken one for the team with my less-than-stellar purchases of two 5.8 GHz cordless phone/answering systems. Neither the GE nor the Uniden TRU12803 is a great product, but at least the Uniden TRU12803 works acceptably well. I would gladly trade the intercom and multiple ring-tone features for a clearer answering system. Then take the ability to transfer phonebook information from handset to handset and give me a headset connector. I don't want more features -- I just want better quality.

The Uniden TRU12803 works just acceptably well and that's the best I can recommend it.