At one time in ancient history where you talked on the telephone was limited to the length of the cord. Mobile telephones didn't need cords, but they were expensive. Then, a couple of decades ago, someone figured out how to produce cordless telephones in the price range of standard corded telephones and the world began buying them by the millions. Today, more cordless phones are manufactured than corded units. And, just as their predecessors, they sometimes need fixing.

How Does It Work?

You can check the battery with a Multimeter.

A cordless telephone is a phone that has a base connected to a standard phone jack and an electrical wall outlet. The base receives the signal from the telephone line and translates it into radio waves that are transmitted to the cordless handset. The base also includes a recharger for the handset's batteries. Recharging takes place when the handset rests on the base.

What Can Go Wrong?

Cordless telephones are nearly bulletproof, especially the newer models with integrated circuitry. In fact, some cordless phones are sealed and don't offer a way of getting into them without breaking them. Even so, there are things that can go wrong that you can fix. For example, a low battery can make communication difficult--and it's easily remedied. In addition, cordless phones can pick up noisy interference from outside sources such as power lines, motors, televisions, and other telephones. You can shield the phone or select an alternate channel to improve reception. You also can minimize future problems by keeping the phone clean, especially the recharging contacts on the base.

Fix-It Tip

Use a pencil eraser to clean the contacts on a cordless telephone's base, then use compressed air or contact cleaner to remove any residue and debris left by the eraser.