Our (ageing) BT Freelance XD500 answering machine (with a total of five 
handsets connected) is playing up. Basically, it gets bored with 
recording messages after a few seconds, says 'Goodbye' and hangs up.

Is there anything to be done?

Is it part of the 'ageing process'?

Can I 'reboot' it somehow?

Do I need to persuade BT to fix something?

TIA

-- 
F

Try rerecording all the messages.

"F" <news@nowhere> wrote in message 
news:eMOdnUOfiPEjQQ3VnZ2dnUVZ8gidnZ2d@posted.plusnet...
> Our (ageing) BT Freelance XD500 answering machine (with a total of five 
> handsets connected) is playing up. Basically, it gets bored with recording 
> messages after a few seconds, says 'Goodbye' and hangs up.
>
> Is there anything to be done?
>
> Is it part of the 'ageing process'?
>
> Can I 'reboot' it somehow?
>
> Do I need to persuade BT to fix something?
>
> TIA
>
> -- 
> F

On 31/07/2008 00:07 R. Mark Clayton wrote:

> Try rerecording all the messages.

Sorry, probably didn't explain myself very clearly! It cuts off incoming 
messages.

-- 
F

"F" <news@nowhere> wrote in message 
news:mNmdnbn7kOSiaw3VnZ2dnUVZ8qvinZ2d@posted.plusnet...
> On 31/07/2008 00:07 R. Mark Clayton wrote:
>
>> Try rerecording all the messages.
>
> Sorry, probably didn't explain myself very clearly! It cuts off incoming 
> messages.


I think he understood, what he meant was clear the memory and re-record the
OGM. Might not work, but what have you got to lose?
-- 
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:27:24 +0100, F <news@nowhere> wrote:

>Our (ageing) BT Freelance XD500 answering machine (with a total of five 
>handsets connected) is playing up. Basically, it gets bored with 
>recording messages after a few seconds, says 'Goodbye' and hangs up.

Answering machines have several ways of recognising when to stop
recording an incoming message.
a. answerphone is set to answer only
b. memory full
c. maximum per message recording time exceeded (3 minutes or similar)
d. silence detected
e. parallel handset lifted

a. answer phones can be set to "answer only" or "answer and record".
You may have the wrong setting.
b. Unless the memory has become faulty which may tell the software
that it is full, it could be corrupted. Clear all messages, try to
re-record the outgoing message(s). Try to record a memo (if the phone
has that facility).
c. is unlikely to be a problem
d. a damaged cable into the phone may allow ring to get to the phone
but no speech input. The phone will then just cut off the recording.
e. if a phone in parallel with the answerphone is activated then the
software may recognise this (it's a step change in the line voltage).
This will also cause the answerphone to cut off.. Again a bad
connection could cause this. Could also be caused by too many other
phones connected to the line or another faulty phone. Plug the phone
into the master socket with no other phone or extension wiring
connected.



-- 
Regards, Paul Herber, Sandrila Ltd.
Electronics for Visio        http://www.electronics.sandrila.co.uk/

On 31/07/2008 10:48, Paul Herber wrote:

> b. Unless the memory has become faulty which may tell the software
> that it is full, it could be corrupted.

Plenty of answer machine memory is faulty by design (manufacturers 
bought up cheap failed memory because the odd glitch on stored audio was 
not significant compared to using it for computer memory)

"Graham."  wrote in message 
news:g6qut3$9kf$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>
>
> "F" <news@nowhere> wrote in message 
> news:mNmdnbn7kOSiaw3VnZ2dnUVZ8qvinZ2d@posted.plusnet...
>> On 31/07/2008 00:07 R. Mark Clayton wrote:
>>
>>> Try rerecording all the messages.
>>
>> Sorry, probably didn't explain myself very clearly! It cuts off incoming 
>> messages.
>
>
> I think he understood, what he meant was clear the memory and re-record 
> the
> OGM. Might not work, but what have you got to lose?
> -- 
> Graham.
>
> %Profound_observation%
>

Indeed - a good old fashioned engineer's reset might not go amiss either.

Oh yes and check all the cables etc.

On 31/07/2008 00:53 Graham. wrote:

> I think he understood, what he meant was clear the memory and re-record the
> OGM.

Ah!

> Might not work, but what have you got to lose?

Nothing!

Have deleted my personalised outgoing message and reverted to the one 
built in.

Thanks.

-- 
F

On 31/07/2008 12:18 R. Mark Clayton wrote:

> Indeed - a good old fashioned engineer's reset might not go amiss either.

I've checked the Manual but can't see how to do this. Is there a 
'standard' way?

-- 
F

On 31/07/2008 10:48 Paul Herber wrote:

> a. answer phones can be set to "answer only" or "answer and record".
> You may have the wrong setting.

Checked, and it's 'answer and record'.

> b. Unless the memory has become faulty which may tell the software
> that it is full, it could be corrupted. Clear all messages, try to
> re-record the outgoing message(s). Try to record a memo (if the phone
> has that facility).

Now done that, but have reverted to the built-in outgoing rather than mine.

> c. is unlikely to be a problem

Yes, the recorded messages lasted around five seconds or less.

> d. a damaged cable into the phone may allow ring to get to the phone
> but no speech input. The phone will then just cut off the recording.

Cables look OK.

> e. if a phone in parallel with the answerphone is activated then the
> software may recognise this (it's a step change in the line voltage).
> This will also cause the answerphone to cut off.. Again a bad
> connection could cause this. Could also be caused by too many other
> phones connected to the line or another faulty phone. Plug the phone
> into the master socket with no other phone or extension wiring
> connected.

The installation wouldn't seem to lend itself to this explanation so 
I'll see what happens now I've deleted the outgoing and will have a play 
with this if it's not fixed.

Thanks for the help.

-- 
F

On 31/07/2008 13:56, F wrote:

> On 31/07/2008 12:18 R. Mark Clayton wrote:
> 
>> Indeed - a good old fashioned engineer's reset might not go amiss either.
> 
> I've checked the Manual but can't see how to do this. Is there a 
> 'standard' way?

I think he meant "thump it" :-)

On 31/07/2008 14:26 Andy Burns wrote:

> I think he meant "thump it" :-)

Ah! That kind of reset.

Many, many moons ago, after we had been away on holiday for a couple of 
weeks, we had to use a shoe to hit the tuning knob (a historical 
concept) on the TV to get it to work. Year after year.

Cue references to the Yorkshireman Sketch...

-- 
F

"Andy Burns"  wrote in message 
news:r6KdnSTDd8Q_IAzVnZ2dnUVZ8vCdnZ2d@posted.plusnet...
> On 31/07/2008 13:56, F wrote:
>
>> On 31/07/2008 12:18 R. Mark Clayton wrote:
>>
>>> Indeed - a good old fashioned engineer's reset might not go amiss 
>>> either.
>>
>> I've checked the Manual but can't see how to do this. Is there a 
>> 'standard' way?
>
> I think he meant "thump it" :-)
>

Which reminds me of the difference between an engineer and a technician
Both know the equipment needs a thump.
The Engineer knows where to thump it!

In message <GvWdnTvMye7zKwzVnZ2dnUVZ8tfinZ2d@posted.plusnet>, F 
<news@nowhere.?.invalid> writes
>On 31/07/2008 12:18 R. Mark Clayton wrote:
>
>> Indeed - a good old fashioned engineer's reset might not go amiss either.
>
>I've checked the Manual but can't see how to do this. Is there a 
>'standard' way?
>
There's quite often a way to factory reset simple equipment like this by 
holding down a button or two as you apply power although my 
understanding of an engineer reset is a good thump. Even if it doesn't 
fix the problem it makes you feel better.
-- 
Clint Sharp

"F" <news@nowhere> wrote in message 
news:GvWdnTvMye7zKwzVnZ2dnUVZ8tfinZ2d@posted.plusnet...
> On 31/07/2008 12:18 R. Mark Clayton wrote:
>
>> Indeed - a good old fashioned engineer's reset might not go amiss either.
>
> I've checked the Manual but can't see how to do this. Is there a 
> 'standard' way?
>
> -- 
> F
>

You remove any batteries, unplug it from the mains, wait ten seconds and 
plug it in again!

On 01/08/2008 12:19 R. Mark Clayton wrote:

> You remove any batteries, unplug it from the mains, wait ten seconds and 
> plug it in again! 

Altogether too complicated!

Thanks.

-- 
F

In message , R. Mark Clayton 
 writes
>You remove any batteries, unplug it from the mains, wait ten seconds and
>plug it in again!

Not on mine you don't, it's been unplugged for over two years and has no 
removable batteries but still has my recorded greeting and PIN for 
remote access. It does lose the time and date and the number of rings to 
answer after.
-- 
Clint Sharp

"Clint Sharp"  wrote in message 
news:3Bty9sA$cykIFwdh@clintsmc.demon.co.uk...
> In message , R. Mark Clayton 
>  writes
>>You remove any batteries, unplug it from the mains, wait ten seconds and
>>plug it in again!
>
> Not on mine you don't, it's been unplugged for over two years and has no 
> removable batteries but still has my recorded greeting and PIN for remote 
> access. It does lose the time and date and the number of rings to answer 
> after.
> -- 
> Clint Sharp

Likewise (it's on tape), but his is muddled about some internal timer, so 
reboot it.

In message , R. Mark Clayton 
 writes
>Likewise (it's on tape), but his is muddled about some internal timer, so
>reboot it.
>
>
Ah, mine's on flash or some other kind of EEPROM.
-- 
Clint Sharp