Casio PhoneMate TA180 2-Line Answering Machine with Speakerphone

Description

There's no need for separate answering machines or voice mail services just because you have two-line phone service. The TA-180 from Casio PhoneMate answers two lines simultaneously, stores important message in a special file, and functions as a two-line speakerphone. This unit also provides call screening, call hold (including extension pickup), and call-waiting/flash functions. Complete remote operation is possible from nearly any phone, and voice prompts and one-key commands speed up the process.

Setting up the TA-180 was quick and easy; we were able to set the day/time and record greetings and personal memos with little or no help from the user's manual. Multiple greeting modes let you record separate greetings for each of your two lines. Once you record your greetings, you can arrange to have either greeting answer either phone line. Frequent callers can skip greetings by pressing their touch-tone # symbol.

Indicator lights and bold numbers in the large display window indicate newly recorded messages. You can listen to messages for each line separately or combine the playback to include both lines. You can also program the TA-180 so that you listen to only new messages or to both new and saved messages. Voice prompts tally your message totals, reminding you which line you're using, and guide you through playback. The sound quality is good and the synthesized voice is quite lifelike.

Casio PhoneMate's advanced messaging lets you skip forward or back and repeat, erase, or save messages with the touch of one button. If you are interrupted, you can pause playback for up to five minutes. By touching the up/down arrow buttons on the console, you can set the variable speed playback function to play any message 50 percent faster or slower than the normal playback speed. Once you've listened to a message, you can easily transfer it to the message file for long-term storage.

We tested the TA-180's recording capacity by recording and storing a combination of greetings, messages, and memos that totaled approximately 28 minutes, which is the capacity that the manufacturer claims the TA-180 can handle.

The TA-180 provides lifetime back-up memory without a battery. In the event of a power outage, the unit automatically saves your recorded greetings and messages. Overall, we think the TA-180 is a sensible answering solution for a two-line home or business.

Pros:

• Manages messages and greetings for two phone lines simultaneously
• Functions as a speakerphone for two lines
• Constantly displays date and time