BT Synergy phone won't charge batteries

Cloverleaf2

I've got two setups, each with quad set of BT Synergy 6500 cordless phones, they'll all be well over 10 years old now. During the past 2 years, they've been dying, one by one, so I only have 3 working ones left now. Typically, a handset will show 'low batt' warning after only a few minutes' use, so I install new batteries being careful to choose 1.2v 800mAh, similar to the originals. Then I find that the new batteries don't charge up at all - the red base station light comes on but there's no 'beep'. - they do get quite warm though. The phone stays dead. If I try normal non-rechargeable batteries the phone comes back to life again. I have to assume that the handset develops a fault which means it loses its ability to charge its batteries. Has anyone else had this problem?

Petriix

You have to ensure the replacement batteries have the same chemistry as the originals. Probably best to replace the whole setup with something more modern. 

flaneurs_lobster

Had a similar problem with BT DECT phones some years ago. Didn't bother replacing the batteries since the complete phones could be found on eBay for the cost of a packet of rechargeables. 

Was switched to VOIP (with shiny new free handset) before I bothered replacing. 

Cloverleaf2

Petriix said:

You have to ensure the replacement batteries have the same chemistry as the originals. Probably best to replace the whole setup with something more modern. 

The new batteries are NiMH which is I believe the same as the original ones. If I put the new batteries which stay dead in one of the 'faulty' phones into one of the 3 remaining 'good' phones, they charge up and work fine.

flaneurs_lobster

Cloverleaf2 said:

Petriix said:

You have to ensure the replacement batteries have the same chemistry as the originals. Probably best to replace the whole setup with something more modern. 

The new batteries are NiMH which is I believe the same as the original ones. If I put the new batteries which stay dead in one of the 'faulty' phones into one of the 3 remaining 'good' phones, they charge up and work fine.

Think you've accurately diagnosed your problem - phone's gubbed. Assume you've tried swapping the charger bases about in case they're faulty?

Cloverleaf2

The only thing that stops me buying a brand new set of phones is that I find it so DIFFICULT to find any that I consider satisfactory in every way, which the old Synergy 6500 phones are. For me, majority of new cordless phones don't have sound that is either clear or loud enough. If that's ok, the ringtones are either not loud enough or just downright unpleasant. If that's ok, they don't have a speakerphone facility. If that's ok, they don't have a redial button. All the Panasonic phones seem to fail on almost every count. 'First world problems' I know but that's the way it is!

outtatune

Plenty of these on ebay if you want to stick with what you're used to.

Cloverleaf2

outtatune said:

Plenty of these on ebay if you want to stick with what you're used to.

Funny you should say that, I just bought a set of three on ebay last week and two of them have the same fault!

Cardea

I have the same problem - phone isn't charging. Changed batteries for same type (Ni MH) as the original. The only way to manage so far is to charge up the batteries every few days - a pain I know - but I am not convinced that buying an old set on eBay isn't going to have the same problem. And I agree with @cloverleaf2 that the sound and speakerphone facility is vital, especially as I'm pretty deaf. And the other thing is that I am using the call blocker and all those saved blocked numbers can't be transferred to a new phone. I wish that BT would come up with something suitable.

SiliconChip

Is there a particular reason why you want to stick with a landline system? A single mobile phone will offer everything that you need and probably cost you a great deal less, the only inconvenience is having to charge it fairly often. I don't know anybody who uses landline as their primary phone these days, before I ditched mine I never made any calls from it and the only incoming calls were spammers.

J_B

«I don't know anybody who uses landline as their primary phone these days»

You obviously live somewhere with a good mobile signal then!