Any help with a BT8500 phone - call time problems

JohnB47

I've been having problems with the handset batteries (and the second handset) not lasting long. The call time used to be long - over an hour but in recent months this has dropped drastically.

I've read lots of threads and posts, e.g. on the BT forum, about the need to either reset the handsets/base station and/or change the batteries.

So I reset things and changed the batteries for ones recommended in the posts - Panasonic Eneloop Pro 950 mAh.

That was two days ago. My wife tried using the base station phone and it gave up after 10 minutes!

Has anyone any idea what I should try next. I've removed and tested the batteries every now and again and they are fully charged.

I'm on the verge of buying a new phone set but this is really annoying. I feel that there should be something simple I should be trying. Perhaps reset things again and this time remove batteries and disconnect the base station from mains and phone socket for a while?

Oh and one other thing. Occasionally, when I replace the base station handset, I get a message like "line cord failure ....". This goes away after a second or two and the phone works OK (it always works OK, apart from the short call time problem).

Any ideas?

[Deleted User]

JohnB47 wrote: »

I've been having problems with the handset batteries (and the second handset) not lasting long. The call time used to be long - over an hour but in recent months this has dropped drastically.

I've read lots of threads and posts, e.g. on the BT forum, about the need to either reset the handsets/base station and/or change the batteries.

So I reset things and changed the batteries for ones recommended in the posts - Panasonic Eneloop Pro 950 mAh.

That was two days ago. My wife tried using the base station phone and it gave up after 10 minutes!

Has anyone any idea what I should try next. I've removed and tested the batteries every now and again and they are fully charged.

I'm on the verge of buying a new phone set but this is really annoying. I feel that there should be something simple I should be trying. Perhaps reset things again and this time remove batteries and disconnect the base station from mains and phone socket for a while?

Oh and one other thing. Occasionally, when I replace the base station handset, I get a message like "line cord failure ....". This goes away after a second or two and the phone works OK (it always works OK, apart from the short call time problem).

Any ideas?

Perhaps it's my reading of your post but do you have a twin phone setup? If so is this occurring with both bases? When you say your wife was using the base station and it gave up after 10 minutes what exactly happened? If you mean the batteries died, did you check the charge in them?

The 'line cord failure' sounds like the connection is a bit loose and is being disturbed when you put the handset down. I've got a BT something or other that occasionally gives the same message.

JJ_Egan

I get that as my second unit is slightly to far from the base station .

Stompa

I get the line cord failure message occasionally on my BT8500, I've no idea why. It happens when it's on the charger, and from the other side of the room I just notice that the screen has lit up.

FWIW there are usually pre-owned BT8500 handsets available on ebay.

JohnB47

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Perhaps it's my reading of your post but do you have a twin phone setup? If so is this occurring with both bases? When you say your wife was using the base station and it gave up after 10 minutes what exactly happened? If you mean the batteries died, did you check the charge in them?

The 'line cord failure' sounds like the connection is a bit loose and is being disturbed when you put the handset down. I've got a BT something or other that occasionally gives the same message.

Thanks everyone.

Colin, yes I have a two phone set up. OK, an update. It seems that for a few months the problem shows itself as a loud intermittent beeping near the end of a long (over 30 min) call. Mainly on the base station phone.

So I changed the batteries and the most recent problem was a simple cut off, no warning tones. Sadly I wasn't around to check the battery level at this point but these are brand new batteries.

I think my next plan, before buying a new phone, is to reset everything, remove all batteries and completely disconnect the line and mains cords for around 20 mins, then set everything up again.

I can't think of anything else I can do.

The missus is getting really annoyed by this so I don't have much time to do the detective work.

Le_Kirk

If you have checked that you have voltage in the batteries, then the next step in your fault finding is to see if you have corroded terminals , which can happen if an old battery has leaked - and I know they all say leak-proof! Have a look for Verdigris (green mould-looking stuff) on the terminal. Try rubbing it off with a bit of emery or similar.

[Deleted User]

JohnB47 wrote: »

Thanks everyone.

Colin, yes I have a two phone set up. OK, an update. It seems that for a few months the problem shows itself as a loud intermittent beeping near the end of a long (over 30 min) call. Mainly on the base station phone.

So I changed the batteries and the most recent problem was a simple cut off, no warning tones. Sadly I wasn't around to check the battery level at this point but these are brand new batteries.

I think my next plan, before buying a new phone, is to reset everything, remove all batteries and completely disconnect the line and mains cords for around 20 mins, then set everything up again.

I can't think of anything else I can do.

The missus is getting really annoyed by this so I don't have much time to do the detective work.

Do you get a 'Charging' message when you put the phone back in a base station? If not try the same phone in the other base station, this will tell you whether it's the handset or the base station (if it is an issue with charging)

JohnB47

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Do you get a 'Charging' message when you put the phone back in a base station? If not try the same phone in the other base station, this will tell you whether it's the handset or the base station (if it is an issue with charging)

Yes, if the phones are' off the hook' for any length of time or have been used, the recharge symbol always appears when they are replaced. Also, the back of the handsets is always slightly warm to the touch, so I'm certain that they are being charged OK.

I've now reset both phones and base station, took all batteries out and totally disconnected everything, as well as repeatedly inserting and removing all plugs a few times to perhaps clean up contacts.

All back together now and strangely, all my contacts are still recorded. There must be some backup battery in there somewhere.

We'll see how it goes.

JohnB47

Just to finish this thread off.

Before doing everything I mention in my last post, I replaced the batteries with ones called Panasonic Eneloop Pro 950 mAh.

I saw a Which guide later saying these were a best buy.

Anyway, we've now made and received a few calls, some lasting an hour or more and no problems. Even after an hour, the on screen battery symbol is saying fully charged.

So whatever I did, it worked.