Innovage flip phones stop working

[tony]

Hi,
I've had 3 of these flip phones http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/In ... oduct.html and all 3 stopped working with MJ. But they work fine plugged into a wall jack. Anyone else have similar problems?

I initially bought 2 of the flip phones (one for spare). Out of the 2, one worked with MJ and I couldn't get a dialtone on the 2nd one when plugged into MJ. I could get a dialtone when it was plugged into a wall jack. The store exchanged the 2nd phone. The replacement worked fine with MJ. Now months later, neither of the 2 remaining flip phones I have will work with MJ--I can't get a dialtone. But the 2 phones work when plugged into the wall jack and I can make calls just fine.

There are batteries in the flip phones and they are all dead, but I'm assuming it's only to keep the date and time current and doesn't contribute to the operation of the phone.

Anyways, I'm looking for a more reliable, small and light phone to throw in my computer bag. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[JoelIrwin]

I am having the exact same problem. My mother was complaining I was breaking up and so I tried the innovage flip phone I had and could not get a dial tone with MJ but it works fine plugged in to the house line.

I see something on the display when its plugged in to MJ but again no dial tone. I had been assuming that the batteries need replacing but hadn't done it yet.

Have you changed batteries?

[tony]

Have you changed batteries?

Hi
No, I haven't bothered to change the batteries as there isn't an easy way to disengage the batteries between uses. The battery compartment is closed with a tiny screw which is a hassle to slip a piece of paper between the battery contacts when not in use. Any new batteries will go dead before I use the phone again.

[tradertx]

The battery power is not the problem. Both flip phones that I bought worked fine at first, but within a couple of weeks, the flexible carbon contact pad on the underside of the big green button (that lets you answer an incoming call) that makes contact (when pressed) over two circuit card traces .... loses that ability to make electrical contact. I've not found a solution to that flex contact pad yet. None of the other buttons have died like that, but that one is critical.

Otherwise, except for the incoming call ringer being rather faint, the flip phones would be fine for travel use. As is, the design quality doesn't cut it.

[JoelIrwin]

hmmm... is there a warranty for this phone? is there a way to contact the manufacturer?

[tradertx]

Like most "made in China" consumer electronics, I'm guessing the 30/30 warranty (30 minutes or 30 feet out the door) was probably limited to replacement or refund. The Canadian importer's webpage on the flip phone

http://www.innovagecanadainc.org/mini-flip-phone.html

still shows a 2007 copyright. so I'm guessing by now the warranty is long out of reach. I would also guess that a very high return rate had something to do with Walgreen's decision to stop carrying them.

[tony]

It was a good solution for the few days the flip phones worked. I'll keep my eyes open for a small and light replacement. In the meantime, I'm on a completely different approach for cheap long distance calls when traveling, and partly arising from all the discussion around the problems with ATA, I've loaded Fring onto my windows mobile cell phone and subscribed to VoIP.MS. I just did a test call to my land line in the sounded pretty good. Cost is one half cent USD per minute and the initial $25USD purchase never expires and no monthly fees. So that works out to 5000 minutes of talk. I'll probably never have to renew before the next telephony technology comes along.

[tony]

Update. The Innovage flip phone works fine with a Linksys SPA2102 ATA, guess it puts out sufficient current to run the phone.

[JoelIrwin]

About a month or so back, I went back to eBay and purchased an RTC. Its a bit larger and the flipping voice piece gets some use to (and also does not come out the first time), but it was cheap and it works great.