GE 298612 User Manual

Model 29861
Digital Answering System
User’s Guide

2

Equipment Approval Information

Your telephone equipment is approved for connection to the Public Switched Telephone Network and
is in compliance with parts 15 and 68, FCC Rules and Regulations and the Technical Requirements for
Telephone Terminal Equipment published by ACTA.

1 Notification to the Local Telephone Company

On the bottom of this equipment is a label indicating, among other information, the US number and
Ringer Equivalence Number (REN) for the equipment. You must, upon request, provide this information
to your telephone company.

The REN is useful in determining the number of devices you may connect to your telephone line and
still have all of these devices ring when your telephone number is called. In most (but not all) areas, the
sum of the RENs of all devices connected to one line should not exceed 5. To be certain of the number
of devices you may connect to your line as determined by the REN, you should contact your local
telephone company.

A plug and jack used to connect this equipment to the premises wiring and telephone network must
comply with the applicable FCC Part 68 rules and requirements adopted by the ACTA. A compliant
telephone cord and modular plug is provided with this product. It is designed to be connected to a
compatible modular jack that is also compliant. See installation instructions for details.

Notes

• This equipment may not be used on coin service provided by the telephone company.

• Party lines are subject to state tariffs, and therefore, you may not be able to use your own telephone
equipment if you are on a party line. Check with your local telephone company.

• Notice must be given to the telephone company upon permanent disconnection of your telephone
from your line.

• If your home has specially wired alarm equipment connected to the telephone line, ensure the
installation of this product does not disable your alarm equipment. If you have questions about what
will disable alarm equipment, consult your telephone company or a qualified installer.

US Number is located on the cabinet bottom.

REN Number is located on the cabinet bottom.

2 Rights of the Telephone Company

Should your equipment cause trouble on y our line which may harm the telephone network, the
telephone company shall, where practicable, notify you that temporary discontinuance of service
may be required. Where prior notice is not practicable and the circumstances warrant such
action, the telephone company may temporarily discontinue service immediately. In case of such
temporary discontinuance, the telephone company must: (1) promptly notify you of such temporary
discontinuance; (2) afford you the opportunity to correct the situation; and (3) inform you of your right to
bring a complaint to the Commission pursuant to procedures set forth in Subpart E of Part 68, FCC Rules
and Regulations.

The telephone company may make changes in its communications facilities, equipment, operations
or procedures where such action is required in the operation of its business and not inconsistent with
FCC Rules and Regulations. If these changes are expected to affect the use or performance of your
telephone equipment, the telephone company must give you adequate notice, in writing, to allow you to
maintain uninterrupted service.

3

Interference Information

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1)
This device may not cause harmful interference; and (2) This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation.

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.

Privacy of Communications may not be ensured when using this product.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by

turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna (that is, the antenna for radio or television that is “receiving”
the interference).

• Reorient or relocate and increase the separation between the telecommunications equipment and
receiving antenna.

• Connect the telecommunications equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiving antenna is connected.

If these measures do not eliminate the interference, please consult your dealer or an experienced radio/
television technician for additional suggestions. Also, the Federal Communications Commission has prepared
a helpful booklet, “How To Identify and Resolve Radio/TV Interference Problems.” This booklet is available from
the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Please specify stock number 004-000-00345-4
when ordering copies.

Notice: The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC)

This telephone system meets FCC standards for Hearing Aid Compatibility.

Licensing

Licensed under US Patent 6,427,009.

4

SEE MARKING ON B OTTOM / BACK OF PRODUCT

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN

WARNING: TO
PREVENT FIRE OR
ELECTRICAL SHOCK
HAZARD, DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS
PRODUCT TO RAIN
OR MOISTURE.

THE LIGHTNING
FLASH AND ARROW
HEAD WITHIN THE
TRIANGLE IS A
WARNING SIGN
ALERTING YOU OF
“DANGEROUS
VOLTAGE” INSIDE
THE PRODUCT.

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER (OR
BACK). NO USER
SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL.

THE EXCLAMATION
POINT WITHIN THE
TRIANGLE IS A
WARNING SIGN
ALERTING YOU OF
IMPORTANT
INSTRUCTIONS
ACCOMPANYING
THE PRODUCT.

CAUTION:

Table of Contents

EquipmEnt ApprovAl informAtion .................2

intErfErEncE informAtion .............................3

HEAring Aid compAtibility (HAc) .................3

licEnsing .....................................................3

tAblE of contEnts .......................................4

introduction ...............................................5

bEforE you bEgin ........................................5

Parts CheCklist ...............................................................5

Modular JaCk requireMents ........................................5

installing the Battery ....................................................6

instAllAtion .................................................7

lAyout .........................................................8

sEt up .........................................................9

reCording the greeting .................................................9

reviewing the greeting............................................... 10

erasing the greeting ...................................................10

returning to the default greeting .......................... 10

reviewing the settings ...............................................10

Changing the settings ................................................ 10

setting the tiMe ...........................................................11

to set the hour ...........................................................11

to set the Minutes ...................................................... 11

to set the day ..............................................................11

setting the rings to answer ..................................... 11

toll saver .....................................................................12

setting the inCoMing Message length ..................... 12

setting the seCurity Code..........................................12

adJusting the voluMe ................................................. 13

AnswErEr opErAtion ..................................13

greeting indiCators ..................................................... 13

answer on/off indiCator ..........................................13

Messages Counter ....................................................... 14

MailBox indiCators .......................................................14

Playing Messages ......................................................... 14

while Playing Messages.............................................15

Message Move ..............................................................15

Message sCan ...............................................................16

while sCanning Messages ......................................... 16

erasing all Messages in a MailBox .......................... 17

leaving a MeMo ............................................................ 17

two-way reCord ........................................................ 18

sCreening Calls (auto disConneCt feature) .......... 18

reMote aCCess .............................................................. 19

importAnt instructions for moving tHE

AnswEring systEm .............................19

gEnErAl product cArE ..............................20

troublEsHooting tips .................................20

sErvicE.......................................................21

limitEd wArrAnty ......................................22

rEmotE AccEss cArd ..................................25

indEx .........................................................27

5

Introduction

Your Digital Answering System is designed to give you flexibility in use and high
quality performance. To get the most from your new answering system, we suggest
that you take a few minutes right now to read through this instruction manual.

CAUTION: When using telephone equipment, there are basic
safety instructions that should always be followed. Refer to the
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS provided with this product and
save them for future reference.

Before You Begin

Parts Checklist

Make sure your package includes the following items:

Modular Jack Requirements

You need an RJ11C type modular jack, which is the most
common type of phone jack and might look like the one
pictured here. If you don’t have a modular jack, call your
local phone company to find out how to get one installed.

Modular

telephone

line jack

Wall Plate

Answerer

AC power supply

Telephone line cord

6

Installing the Battery

In the event of a power loss, a 9-volt battery (not included)
enables the answerer to retain greetings and messages stored in
memory. To install the battery:

1. Remove the battery compartment door on the bottom of the
unit by loosening the screw with a Phillips screwdriver. Lift the
door.

2. Connect a fresh 9-volt alkaline battery (not included). The
large and small contacts on the battery clip and the battery
will interlock. Once connected, place the battery inside the
battery compartment.

3. Replace the battery compartment door and tighten the screw.

NOTE: If the battery is low or not installed, the unit
announces “Low Battery” at the end of message
playback.

CAUTION:

• Never install telephone wiring during a lightning storm.

• Never touch uninsulated telephone wires or terminals, unless the
telephone line has been disconnected at the network interface.

• Use caution when installing or modifying telephone lines.

Battery

compartment door

-

-

+

+

Battery clip

Battery

7

CAUTION: To reduce risk of personal injury, fire, or damage use only
the 5-2434 (white), 5-2418 or 5-2780 (black) power adaptor listed
in the user’s guide. This power adaptor is intended to be correctly
orientated in a vertical or floor mount position.

Installation

1. Plug the telephone line cord into a modular wall jack.

2. Connect the telephone line cord from your telephone into the jack on the back of
the answerer marked PHONE. (You don’t have to connect your telephone in order
for the answerer to record incoming messages.)

3. Connect the small end of the power supply into the POWER 9V AC jack on the back
of the answerer. Plug the other end into an AC power outlet. The unit beeps 3 times
and is ready for setup or to answer calls with the default greeting and settings.

1

2

3

8

Layout

Erase (button)

On/Off (button)

Greeting A (button)

Greeting B (button)

Set (button)

Next (button)

Volume (button)

Play 3 (button)

Play 1 (button)

Play 2 (button)

Scan (button)

Memo/Two Way

(button)

Previous (button)

Mic

(Microphone)

Messages (button)

Stop (button)

9

Set Up

Recording the Greeting

Before using your new answerer, you should record a greeting (the announcement
callers hear when your answering system answers a call). Two greetings can be
recorded. If you don’t record a greeting, callers hear a default greeting which says,
“After tone, record message.”

You can record two types of greetings, one to use only one mailbox, or one to direct
callers to leave messages in specific mailboxes. This is especially useful for active
families or small businesses.

When recording the greeting, you should be about 6 inches from the unit. This
ensures the best recording quality. Eliminate as much background noise as possible.

Both types of greetings are recorded by the following:

1. Prepare your greeting.
Sample Single Mailbox Greeting: Hi, this is (use your name here). I can’t answer
the phone right now, so please leave your name, number, and a brief message
after the tone, and I’ll get back to you. Thanks for calling.

Sample Multi-Mailbox Greeting: Hi, this is (use your name here). We can’t answer

the phone right now, so please press 1 to direct your message to (name1), press 2
to direct your message to (name2), press 3 to to direct your message to (name3).
Leave your name, number, and a brief message after the tone, and we’ll get back
to you. Thanks for calling.

NOTE: You can direct callers to leave messages in a specific mailbox by
having them press the desired mailbox (1-3) after the greeting plays. If no

mailbox is selected, the incoming messages automatically go into mailbox 1.

2. Hold down the desired GREETING button. The unit displays 01 for greeting A
record and 02 for greeting B record.

3. After the tone, say your greeting.

NOTE: The greeting must be 2 seconds or longer to be valid.

4. Release GREETING A or B when you finish.

10

Reviewing the Greeting

To review the greeting, press and release GREETING A or B.

Erasing the Greeting

There are two ways to erase your greeting.

1. To erase your greeting while listening to it, press and hold ERASE until the unit

announces, “Greeting Erased”. Then record your new greeting.

2. To re-record your greeting from any point, press and hold GREETING A or B. After
the tone, say your greeting. Release GREETING A or B when you finish.

Returning to the Default Greeting

To return to the answerer’s default greeting after you’ve recorded one, press and hold
the GREETING A or GREETING B button until a beep sound is heard and then release
the button.

Alternatively, you can also press and hold the ERASE button when the greeting is
playing, release the ERASE button when the unit announces “Greeting Erased”.

Reviewing the Settings

This function allows you to review the current time/day, number of rings before the unit
answers a call, incoming message length, and the security code. Press and release the

SET button to review the current settings. The unit announces the current setting.

NOTE: To exit review, press and release STOP.

Changing the Settings

Press and hold the SET button to enter the change mode. The unit announces the
current time and day. To change, press NEXT or PREVIOUS. To set and go on to the

next item, press SET.

NOTE: To scroll from one setting to the next,
press and release SET. To exit the change list,
press STOP.

Default Settings

Time 12 a.m. Sunday
Rings to Answer 4
Message Length 2 minutes

Security Code 0123

11

Setting the Time

For each message received, a time/day stamp is added at the end of the message.

To Set the Hour

1. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS until the unit

announces and displays the correct hour.

2. Once the hour is set, press SET to enter the minutes
menu.

To Set the Minutes

1. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS until the unit
announces and displays the correct minutes.

2. Once the minutes are set, press SET to enter the day
menu.

To Set the Day

1. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS until the unit announces and displays the
correct day.

2. Once the day is set, press SET. The unit announces the time/day, then enters the
rings to answer menu.

NOTE: The days of the week show in the display as numbers. For example,
“Sunday” shows as 0.

Setting the Rings to Answer

This feature is used to set the unit to answer a call after a specific number of rings.

The unit announces the rings to answer. To change, press NEXT or PREVIOUS. To set
and go on to the next item, press SET.

1. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS until the unit announces and displays the
correct number of rings for the answerer to pick up.

2. Once the rings to answer is set, press SET. The unit announces the rings to answer,
then enters the incoming message length menu.

Range of Settings

Time
Hour 12 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Minute 0 - 59
Day Sunday - Saturday
Rings 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

to Answer toll saver
Message 1, 2, 3, 4 minutes

Length
Security 0, 0 - 9, 0 - 9, 0 - 9

Code

12

Toll Saver

The toll saver is the final setting in the Rings to Answer menu. This feature allows you
to know if you have new messages when calling the machine from a remote phone. If
you have new messages, the unit will ring twice before answering. If you don’t, it will
ring five times. This allows you to hang up before the machine answers so that you
don’t have to pay toll charges.

NOTE: The message counter displays 00 for toll saver.

Setting the Incoming Message Length

The message length is the length of time (in minutes) the caller has to leave a
message.

The unit announces and displays the current message length. To change, press NEXT
or PREVIOUS. To set and go on to the next item, press SET.

1. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS until the unit announces and displays the
correct incoming message length.

2. Once the length is set, press SET. The unit announces the message length, then
enters the security code menu.

Setting the Security Code

The security code is a programmable 4-digit code which can be used to access
remote functions.

IMPORTANT: The first digit is factory set at zero and cannot be changed.
The default Security Code is 0123.

The unit announces the current security code. To change, press NEXT or PREVIOUS.
To set and exit, press SET.

1. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS to choose the second digit (the first digit is not
programmable). The unit announces all 4 digits, but only the selected digit will change.

2. Once you have the desired second digit, press SET to save it and move on to the third
digit.

13

3. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS to choose the third digit. Only the third digit will

change.

4. Once you have the desired third digit, press SET to save it and move on to the fourth digit.

5. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS to choose the fourth digit. Only the fourth digit will

change.

6. Once you have the desired fourth digit, press SET to save it. The answerer repeats

all the settings.

NOTE: To exit any menu, press and release STOP. Also, setup will cancel if
no buttons have been pushed within 30 seconds.

IMPORTANT: The setup settings will not be erased even after a power
outage.

Adjusting the Volume

Use the VOLUME + and - buttons to increase the volume up and down. The unit
beeps when it is not announcing a setting or playing a message. It also beeps 3 times
when the maximum or minimum volume is reached.

Answerer Operation

Greeting Indicators

The GREETING indicators let you know what greeting will be used to answer a call.
GREETING A indicator is on — Greeting A will be used.

GREETING B indicator is on — Greeting B will be used.

Answer On/Off Indicator

The ANSWER ON/OFF indicator lets you know whether your answerer is on or off.
When the answerer is off, it answers calls after 10 rings but doesn’t play the greeting.
The answerer doesn’t take messages when it is off.

Indicator is on — Answerer is on and will answer calls according to the Rings to

Answer setting.

14

Indicator is off — Answerer is off, but you might still have messages.

NOTE: You can play messages, review/change settings, and review/
change the greeting even if the answerer is off.

Messages Counter

The MESSAGES counter gives you a numeric display of how many messages you have.

• MESSAGES counter has a number displayed (not flashing) –– No new messages.
Shows total of old messages.

• MESSAGES counter has a flashing number displayed –– There are new messages.
Shows total of new and old messages.

• MESSAGES counter has bars (--) –– Unit is OFF or in remote control mode.

• MESSAGES counter has an “F” flashing on the display –– Memory is full.

NOTE: While the messages are playing, the MESSAGES counter will display
the messages in the order they were received.

Mailbox Indicators

The mailbox indicators tell you if you have any messages in each individual mailbox
and if they are new or old.

• Mailbox indicator is on –– There are no new messages, but there are old ones.

• Mailbox indicator is off –– There are either no messages or the answerer is turned
off.

• Mailbox indicator is flashing –– There are new messages.

NOTE: An old message is one that has been reviewed, even if only
partially. A new message is one that HAS NEVER been reviewed before.

Playing Messages

You can play the messages in each individual mailbox separately.

• To play messages, press and release the desired mailbox button.

15

While Playing Messages

• To stop playback, press and release STOP.

• To restart the message that is playing, press and hold PREVIOUS until the message
restarts from the beginning.

• To listen to a previous message, press and release PREVIOUS within one second.

• To skip to the next message, press and release NEXT.

• To fast forward within a message, press and hold NEXT.

• To erase a message while it is playing, press and release the ERASE button. The
answerer announces, “Message Erased” to confirm the message has been erased.

TIP: You can stop the unit from erasing a message you just tried to erase
by pressing PREVIOUS before the unit says, “End of Messages.”

NOTE: When messages are played, if there are both new and old
messages, only the newly recorded (new) messages will be played in
the order they were received, followed by the announcement, “End of
New Messages.” When all messages are old, the messages play back in
the order they were received, followed by the announcement, “End of
Messages.”

Message Move

The Message Move feature allows you to easily move messages from one mailbox to
another.

1. Press and release the desired mailbox where the message you want to move is
located.

2. Press and release NEXT or PREVIOUS until the desired message to move is playing.

3. Press and release the mailbox button where you want the message to move. The
unit announces the message has been moved.

4. The moved message is now a “new” message in that mailbox.

16

Message Scan

Message Scan allows you to listen to the first 5 seconds of each message within a
mailbox.

1. Press and release SCAN. The unit shows Sc and asks you to select a mailbox.

2. Press the desired mailbox button. The unit plays back the first 5 seconds of each
message in the mailbox. When finished, it automatically exits Scan mode.

While Scanning Messages

• To stop playback, press and release STOP.

• To hear the complete message, press and release the mailbox button where the
message is located before the unit goes on to the next message.

• To restart the message, press and hold PREVIOUS.

• To skip to the next message, press and release NEXT.

• To erase the message, press and hold ERASE until the unit announces it has been
erased.

• To move the message to another mailbox, press and release the desired mailbox
where you want to move the message.

NOTE: New messages must be heard completely, including the time/day
stamp, before they can be erased. The unit will announce you have no
messages to erase, if not.

17

Erasing All Messages in a Mailbox

1. When the answerer isn’t playing or recording messages, press and hold ERASE.
The answerer will ask you to select a mailbox.

2. Press and release the mailbox button you want to erase. The answerer announces
the messages have been erased.

TIP: The 29861 is equipped with a special feature to retrieve deleted
messages.

You may retrieve all deleted messages in a particular mailbox
immediately after utilizing the Erase All function, by pressing the mailbox
button from which you just deleted the messages. The Message Counter
shows the original number of messages stored in that mailbox before the
message deletion.

Do not press any other buttons before you retrieve a deleted message,
otherwise the messages are permanantly deleted.

NOTE: If there are unheard messages in a mailbox, they will not be erased
by Erase All. If there are only new messages in a mailbox, the unit will
announce “Zero messages erased”.

Leaving a Memo

This feature allows you to leave a memo for someone in a specific mailbox.

1. Press and release the MEMO/ TWO WAY button. The unit shows Lc on the display
and asks you to select a mailbox.

2. Press and hold the desired mailbox button. Record after the tone.

3. Release the mailbox button when you finish. The unit treats the memo as a
message, as the MESSAGES counter and mailbox indicator show.

NOTE: The length of time for recording a memo depends on how many
messages are currently stored by the answerer.