Headset phones improve efficiency in home offices

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): So you also run a home office? Then you must find these scenes familiar. Scene Number One: You are talking on the phone, you hear the doorbell ring and you realize that you are alone at home and you will have to answer the door. Scene Number Two: You are trying to take some notes on your client's feedback on your first draft, and you are finding your neck hurting as you keep your head tilted to keep the phone handset between your ear and your shoulder. Scene Number Three: You are cooking in the kitchen, and your former boss calls and wants to have a chat with you.

What can you do?

A headset phone will free you from neck stiffness and will also free your hand so that you can keep pounding away on your keyboard. Headset phones are becoming increasingly available in phone stores as well as airports such as Hong Kong and Singapore. In fact, I bought my first headset in Hong Kong's old Kai Tak International Airport a couple of years ago. However, I found out later that somehow the electrical current from the telephone network was leaking into the ear piece, giving me a painful sensation inside my ear each time I used it.

I have seen a few new headset phone models at Changi Airport, Singapore. The prices are not bad, but we cannot test them to see how well they function. To tell the truth, after my first experience, I did not want to make another mistake.

In Indonesia, we can buy high-quality headset telephones, but their cost is exorbitantly high. They are usually used by data- entry or call-center operators. Siska, the receptionist at PT Acer Indonesia, told me that her company paid more than Rp 1 million for the headset phone she was using. There is still a problem with these headset phones, though. They are connected to a wall outlet with a cable. That means you will still be tethered to the desk, which makes it useless in Scene Number Two or Three.

In Scene Number Two, the obvious solution has been around for some time. Just buy one of those great cordless phones from Panasonic, Sony, Sanyo, GE or even from those obscure cordless phone makers. In general, these phones operate very well. The sound quality is sometimes on par with your corded telephone set, thanks to the additional electronic circuitries inside them that cancel unwanted noise. But, you still have to hold the handset in your hand or keep pressing it between your head and your shoulder. It will not be useful in the kitchen, either, unless you can cook with only one hand.

So, why not combine the two? Why not combine the headset phone with a cordless phone? I honestly do not know whether they are already available here, but on my last trip to the U.S. I came across one model at RadioShack, and I bought it right away. It only cost US$79, far below the price for the headset telephone that Siska's company had to pay (at that time, the exchange rate was still less than Rp 8.000 per U.S. dollar).

Incidentally, just after I bought the ET-1101 Headset Cordless Telephone, I found a similar model made by GE at Sears. It even cost $10 less. I guess this new type of phone will become increasingly popular, and although no model is available yet at the electronic store at Changi, my feeling is that we will soon be able to find them in Glodok.

900 MHz, 40 Channels

Like most other cordless telephones, the ET-1101 has a base and a battery-powered keypad. The battery, which is attached to the keypad, should be charged for 15 hours before using it for the first time. I had to use a small power converter as the power supply was intended for 110 V house current.

The base does not take up much space, as the keypad itself is also small. There is a holder at the back where you can hang the headset. The antenna is also very short. The phone automatically selects one of its 40 channels for the highest sound clarity.

The headset is lightweight and quite comfortable. The ear piece can be placed over your left ear or right ear, as you prefer. It is not the type of ear piece that you can put into your ear, instead it has a headband. That could be a shortcoming for those who do not want their hair to get messy. The sturdy cable that connects the headset with the keypad is about 75 cm long. The microphone boom, which is made of plastic, is very flexible. You can easily place it very close to your mouth to get the stronger voice.

The keypad itself is nicely designed. On the back there is a belt clip. At first I was a bit confused because the keypad would be positioned upside down when I hung it on my belt. But then I realized that it made perfect sense. When you need to make a call, you do not have to detach the keypad from your belt. Just hold it in your hand, and you will be able to read the buttons right away.

The cordless phone uses the 900 MHz frequency, which gives a clearer sound and less interference. Compared to my one-year-old Panasonic cordless phone, which has a much taller and more obtrusive antenna, the ET-1101 has a much wider coverage. In places where the reception gets weak and static begins to interfere with the Panasonic cordless, the ET-1101 still gives a clear channel.

There is an intercom function, too. If you are using the headset, you can call other people to come to the base with a distinguishable but not annoying beep. If your wife is using it, you can page her from the base and talk using the base's microphone. Other standard functions such as memory, flash, volume control, ringer control, mute and redial are all available.

Unfortunately, there is no LCD screen displaying the number being dialed. However, in a way, that was a good design decision, because it keeps power consumption to a minimum. The replaceable Nickel Cadmium battery pack can provide up to 8 hours of talktime and 7 days of standby time.

I have been very happy with the ET-1101. It allows me to continue typing away with all my fingers or move about the house while holding a conversation with a caller. If you are thinking of buying a cordless telephone for your home office -- or for your Mom so that she can chat with her grandchildren while preparing dinner, choose a headset cordless telephone. (zatni@cbn.net.id)