Have heard and read conflicting info about what is 'safest' type of telephone to use during lightning storm. I know the general statement is *don't do it*, but if one must...
corded or cordless? does it matter if the telephone also has an integrated answering machine?
I know it's basic, but I need to replace my very old telephone(s) and want to make the *best* choice.
TIA
-> Have heard and read conflicting info about what is 'safest'
-> type of telephone to use during lightning storm. I know the
-> general statement is *don't do it*, but if one must...
->
-> corded or cordless? does it matter if the telephone also has
-> an integrated answering machine?
->
-> I know it's basic, but I need to replace my very old
-> telephone(s) and want to make the *best* choice.
->
-> TIA
Of course, it's safer to use a cordless phone during a storm. However, during a power outage you'll want to have a cheap corded phone around because the cordless won't work.
thanks and also thanks for the reminder about corded in case of power failure. Must admit that if we have a particularly bad storm there is usually (even if brief) power outage along with the lightning.
Did you all watch the mythbusters lightning show. They had to remove the ground from the Dmark to have problems with the phone. Then it was spectacular. If you do have a bad grounding system everything electrical in your house can kill you. I also dissagree with the idea of a "cheap" corded phone. Scour the garage sales and get a real Western Electric or Stromberg Carlson phone. (hint, it should weigh a pound or more) Those are bullet proof and you can still get one for the price of some chinese piece of crap that blows up the first time you have a thunderstorm.
You can always take your cell phone out to your car to recharge it when the power fails.
Besides being the only phone that will work during a power outage, you should also have at least one corded phone in your house when making information-sensitive phone calls (i.e. calling credit card companies, banks, etc.). With a corded phone your neighbour or that van parked on the street can't listen in to your phone calls without having a physical wiretap on your phone line. With cordless, your broadcasting your phone conversation to your surroundings.
Although I'm sure things have improved (to a certain degree), I remember my first cordless phone (Sony) would always pick up other people's phone conversations. I could even take the phone with me a few miles away from my house, and pick up other people's phone conversations. That was probably before they started using thousands of different channels for the phone transmitter / receiver.
Notice in movies how the president always calls the Pentagon with a CORDED phone? :)
Lots of cordless phones have a battery in the base unit too so they will work during a power outage, at least for a while.
Most of the older cordless phones operated on frequencies that were easily programmed into modified Radio Shack scanners, even though it is illegal. There is a whole group of hobbyists out there that get their kicks by listening in to police and fire calls, cordless phones and cellular calls.
Getting a digital phone provides better security, scrambled is best of all.
Beachcomber
It matters in that if lightening ruins your phone, it will ruin your phone machine too. And you don't have to be on the phone for all this to happen, but what are you going to do, not buy anything because lightening might ruin it?. It can ruin your stove and refrigerator too.
Definitely the cordless is safer, and also when you are in the bathtub. They are totally safe. Although if you drop it into the water, you may ruin the phone, but not yourself.
Like the ohter post, I have one friend I've tried to convince to keep a corded phone. He says he'll borrow one if there is a power failure. !!
Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.
Do keep in mind that only a traditional copper telephone line can be powered from the central office of the carrier. Telephone service over cable, Internet, and similar piggyback services require public utility power to the amplifiers along the lines between you and the carriers central office. If you live in an apartment building you may loose your phone service when the batteries in the concentrator / identifier device in the building run down. Such devices use two to four traditional telephone lines to carry dozens of conversations were there is a shortage of cable pairs to serve that building. No attempt is made to power such devices during an extended power outage. Similar devices in telephone company owned Controlled Environment Vaults have better batteries and an outside connection for a mobile generator.
Cell phone. Next safest is the cordless.
They are so cheap, buy two. Some phones will buzz or hum no matter what you do, so buy from a place you can return the phone if you don't like it. The problem with cordless phones is that the base can pick up a hum from other electronics. Can usually fix it by moving it away from other electronics, e.g., microwave.
Rex's Mom wrote in news:BCPyf.484262$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
A cordless phone will not conduct lightning while in use,but during power outages,becomes useless.
Corded phones can conduct lightning into a home and possibly kill a person using it during a storm.
Perhaps a cellphone might suit best,although they often don't work or have limited coverage after severe weather.
I don't have one of those, but my cordless phone base is plugged into the same UPS as my main computer. It won't work for very long, but it does provide enough time to switch to a corded phone (in a long power outage).
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