“Low Radiation” Cordless DECT Phones – How to stop them radiating has changed, radically.
Summary:
1) tick “no radiation” ECO setting
2) take all the handsets out of their charging cradles, switch them off, and do not replace them in the cradles.
3) if all of the above is not done – the transmitter will radiate
4) if a call comes in, switch a handset on and the system will reconnect the transmitter
Radiation from cordless phones is a major contributor to electrosmog levels*. To have the transmitter base on 24/7 (the default – cost £25/$30 a year)
One manufacturer, GIGASET alone has a “no radiation” setting – here is how you make that work. (It has changed – radically and if you haven’t checked with a meter, you may be in for a surpise. It does not operate how you might expect it to.
We have been recommending Siemens Cordless phones for those customers who cannot be without Cordless phones but want low radiation when not using them. The way to cut the radiation from the system them has changed.
Siemens have sold their Cordless phone division. The phones are now called GIGASET instead of Siemans GIGASET.
The GIGASET phones’ low radiation function works radically differently for all their DECT phones**.
Detail Instructions
1 Set up
a) As per normal – connect the base to the landline, and connect the charger
b) position handsets around your house in their charging cradles and switch on with the green button
b) position handsets around your house in their charging cradles and switch on with the green button
c) on any handset go into settings/Eco and select “No radiation” and make sure it is ticked.
2) Operation
When you want no radiation especially at night –
a) remove each and all of handsets from each of the cradles
b) switch each of them off with the red button. (Beware if you replace any the handsets in any cradle they switch on and activate the base transmitter again)
c) this will deactivate the base transmitter and it will not ring if a call comes in.
d) will record incoming messages for later replay.
d) will record incoming messages for later replay.
e) If you also connect a wired handset it will ring until the call recorder cuts in.
f) If, when a call comes in, in the night if you pick up any handset and hit the green button it will switch on the handset which will switch the transmitter on.
f) If, when a call comes in, in the night if you pick up any handset and hit the green button it will switch on the handset which will switch the transmitter on.
Our comments
Once you know this it is not such a bad system. It’s a shame you can’t charge the handsets without them being on, and it’s a shame that incoming calls won’t wake up the transmitter and the handsets. This means the transmitter needs to be on whenever you want the handsets to ring on an incoming call – unless – if you can hear the ringing from the wired handset (or ringer unit) anywhere where you need to in the house then have the transmitter switched off during the day, too. Because all you do on hearing a ringing is to pick up any handset and switch it on. (follow instructions 1a and 1b, above). If you make sure the batteries are good (rechargeable AAA) then occasionally recharge them in the cradles when you are out – all at the same time and then uncradle them all again.
This was tested on the current GIGASET models 430 and 430A as at July 2017 and confirmed with GIGASET customer helpdesk.
* See the informative article on DECT phones in Powerwatch
**[probably apart from their most expensive range which they still call ECODECT Plus.]
Please do comment on this and any other makes of DECT phones that may have an ECO mode. We have yet to find out whether the variable transmitter power function still operates and what the “full range” setting does.
Beneficial Environments is committed to minimising electrosmog for the health conscious in our technological surroundings.