WHY SPECIFY AN AUXILIARY (I.E., EXTERNALLY) POWERED PHONE?
The phone's source of power falls into two categories: line powered or externally powered.
Line powered phones acquire their power from voltage supplied through the phone line. Several advantages include the need for only one power wire as both communication and power are supplied through the one telephone wire. Line powered phones also cost less to manufacture. However, the amount of available current through the phone line is very small, providing power for a ringer and communication but not much else. This lack of surplus current severely limits line powered phones — especially the inability to incorporate high quality speakers and microphones due to their higher current draw. The audio presented from a line powered speakerphone and also the microphone sensitivity are effective only over very short distances because sufficient power is not available to amplify the signals. Length of wire from the CO or switch can also impact a line powered phone as resistance in the wire reduces the available power of distance. The power loss over as little as 1,500 feet could be enough to cause poor operating performance or not allow the phone to work at all.
Externally powered phones, like the CB3100, do not suffer from these limitations. In fact, the opposite is true. Since its introduction in 1998, the CB3100 phone has performed at over 99.9% reliability in the field, and its acoustic performance separates it from any other competitive speakerphone. The CB3100 phone has two sets of back up batteries providing 32 hours of standby, uses very high quality speakers and microphones, and is not limited by the distance from the switch. The CB3100 can also power an internally mounted receeiver to facilitate remote phone activation integrated with the transmission of data, features not available in a line powered phone.
The CB3100 is the only choice for the security-minded customer demanding reliable performance. |
