GE 29869 Series User manual

29869 Series
Digital Answerer
User's Guide
We bring good things to life.

2
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
NOTICE: The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification means
that the equipment meets certain telecommunications network protective, operational and
safety requirements. The Industry Canada does not guarantee the equipment will operate to
the user’s satisfaction.
Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible to be connected
to the facilities of the local telecommunications company. The equipment must also be
installed using an acceptable method of connection. The customer should be aware that
compliance with the above conditions may not prevent degradation of service in some
situations.
Repairs to certified equipment should be made by an authorized Canadian maintenance
facility designated by the supplier. Any repairs or alterations made by the user to this
equipment, or equipment malfunctions, may give the telecommunications company cause to
request the user to disconnect the equipment.
Users should ensure for their own protection that the electrical ground connections of the
power utility, telephone lines and internal metallic water pipe systems, if present, are
connected together. This precaution may be particularly important in rural areas.
CAUTION: Users should not attempt to make such connections themselves, but should
contact the appropriate electric inspection authority, or electrician, as appropriate.
NOTES: This equipment may not be used on coin service provided by the telephone
company.
Party lines are subject to telephone company 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.
INTERFERENCE INFORMATION
If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception (which you can
determine by turning the equipment off and on), try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures.
• Reorient the receiving antenna (that is, the antenna for radio or television that is
“receiving” the interference.)
• Change the position of the computer with respect to the radio or television equipment
that is receiving interference.
• Move the Telephone Answering System away from the equipment that is receiving
interference.
• Plug the Telephone Answering System into a different wall outlet so that the Telephone
Answering System and the equipment receiving interference are on different branch
circuits.
If these measures do not eliminate the interference, please consult your dealer or an
experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions.

3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE
OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT
TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. SEE MARKING ON BOTTOM / BACK OF PRODUCT
CAUTION
RISKOFELECTRICSHOCK
DONOTOPEN
THE EXCLAMATION
POINT WITHIN THE
TRIANGLE IS A
WARNING SIGN
ALERTING YOU OF
IMPORTANT
INSTRUCTIONS
ACCOMPANYING
THE PRODUCT.
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 IN-
SIDE. REFER SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION .................................... 2
INTERFERENCE INFORMATION ................................ 2
MODULAR JACK REQUIREMENTS ..................... 4
INSTALLING THE BATTERY ............................... 4
BEFORE YOU BEGIN ........................................... 4
PARTS CHECKLIST ......................................... 4
INSTALLATION .................................................... 5
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR MOVING
THE ANSWERER: ............................................ 6
SETUP ............................................................. 7
RECORDING THE GREETING ....................... 7
REVIEWING THE GREETING ........................ 8
ERASING THE GREETING ........................... 8
RETURNING TO THE DEFAULT GREETING ...... 8
REVIEWING THE SETTINGS ........................ 8
CHANGING THE SETTINGS ......................... 9
SETTING THE TIME .................................. 9
TOSET THE HOUR ................................... 9
TOSET THE MINUTES ............................... 9
TOSET THE DAY ...................................... 9
SETTING THE RINGS TO ANSWER ............. 10
TOLL SAVER ......................................... 10
SETTING THE INCOMING MESSAGE
LENGTH ............................................... 11
SETTING THE SECURITY CODE ................. 11
ADJUSTING THE VOLUME ............................. 12
ANSWERER OPERATION .................................... 13
GREETING INDICATORS ................................. 13
ANSWER ON/OFF INDICATOR ........................ 13
MESSAGES COUNTER .................................. 14
MAILBOX INDICATORS .................................. 14
PLAYING MESSAGES ................................... 15
WHILE PLAYING MESSAGES ..................... 15
MESSAGE MOVE ........................................ 16
MESSAGE SCAN ......................................... 16
WHILE SCANNING MESSAGES ................. 17
ERASING ALL MESSAGES IN AMAILBOX ... 17
LEAVING AMEMO ....................................... 18
TWO-WAY RECORD .................................... 18
SCREENING CALLS
(AUTO DISCONNECT FEATURE) ...................... 19
REMOTE ACCESS ........................................ 20
GENERAL PRODUCT CARE ................................. 21
TELEPHONE NETWORK INFORMATION ................... 21
REN NUMBER ................................................ 22
SERVICE ......................................................... 22
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS ................................... 23
INDEX ............................................................ 24
REMOTE ACCESS CARD ..................................... 25
SERVICE ......................................................... 27
INDUSTRY CANADA NUMBER IS LOCATED ON THE CABINET BOTTOM
REN NUMBER IS LOCATED ON THE CABINET BOTTOM

4
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
PARTS CHECKLIST
Make sure your package includes the following items:
MODULAR JACK REQUIREMENTS
You need an RJ11 (CA11A) 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.
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.
Answerer
Battery
compartment
door
AC power supply
-
-
+
+
Battery clip
Battery
DI
GI
TA
L
ME
S
S
AG
I
N
GS
Y
S
T
E
M
V
OI
C
E
T
I
ME
/
D
AY
S
TAM
P
M
EM
O
/
SC
A
N
FO
U
R
M
A
I
L
B
O
X
ES
T
O
U
C
H
T
O
P
L
A
Y
V
O
LU
M
E
TW
O
W
A
Y
A
G
RE
ETI
N
G
B
ER
A
SE
S
ET
ON
O
FF
MESSAGES
NEXTPREVIOUS
STOP
PLAY
2
PLAY
3
PLAY
4
PLAY 1
MIC
-
+

5
INSTALLATION
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. Plug the telephone line cord into a modular wall jack.
2. Connect the telephone line cord from your tele-
phone 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.)
INSTALLATION INFORMATION
• Never install telephone wiring during
a lightning storm.
• Never touch uninsulated telephone
wires or terminals, unless the
telephone line has been discon-
nected at the network interface.
• Use caution when installing or
modifying telephone lines.
CAUTION: Only use the Thomson 5-2434A (white)/5-2418A (black) power supply that
was packed with this unit. Using other power supplies may damage the unit.

6
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR MOVING THE ANSWERER:
To move the answerer to a different location in the house, follow these instructions:
1. Disconnect the phone line or any phones you may have connected to the unit.
2. Install a battery, if you have not already done so. This will ensure that your messages are
not lost. See “Installing the Battery”.
3. Go to the electrical outlet and unplug the power supply. DO NOT UNPLUG THE POWER
JACK CONNECTED TO THE UNIT. If you do, all memory will be erased.
4. Move the unit and phone line to the desired location.
5. Plug in the power supply into an electrical outlet.
6. The MESSAGES indicator shows that the messages have not been erased.
7. Connect all necessary phone lines.

7
NOTE: You can direct callers
to leave messages in a
specific mailbox by having
them press the desired
mailbox (1-4) after the
greeting plays. If no mailbox
is selected, the incoming
messages automatically go
into mailbox 1.
NOTE: The greeting must be
2 seconds or longer to be
valid.
Mailbox 1
Default Mailbox
for incoming messages
SETUP
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),
press 4 to direct your message to (name4). Leave your name,
number, and a brief message after the tone, and we’ll get back to
you. Thanks for calling.

8
Default Settings
Time 12 a.m. Sunday
Rings to Answer 4
Message Length 2 minutes
Security Code 0123
DI
GI
TA
L
ME
S
S
AG
I
N
GS
Y
S
T
E
M
V
OI
C
E
T
I
ME
/
D
AY
S
TAM
P
M
EM
O
/
SC
A
N
FO
U
R
M
A
I
L
B
O
X
ES
T
O
U
C
H
T
O
P
L
A
Y
V
O
LU
M
E
TW
O
W
A
Y
A
G
RE
ETI
N
G
B
ER
A
SE
S
ET
ON
O
FF
MESSAGES
NEXTPREVIOUS
STOP
PLAY
2
PLAY
3
PLAY
4
PLAY 1
MIC
-
+
ERASE button
GREETING buttons
and indicators
2. Hold down the desired GREETING button. The unit
displays o1 for greeting A record and o2 for greeting
B record.
3. After the tone, say your greeting.
4. Release GREETING A or B when you finish.
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 GREETING A or B for 3 seconds.
Continue holding until after the unit beeps. You can also
press and hold ERASE when the greeting is playing.
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.

9
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.
SETTING THE TIME
For each message received, a time/day stamp is added
at the end of the message.
TOSET 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.
TOSET 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.
TOSET 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.
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
DI
GI
TA
L
ME
S
S
AG
I
N
GS
Y
S
T
E
M
V
OI
C
E
T
I
ME
/
D
AY
S
TAM
P
M
EM
O
/
SC
A
N
FO
U
R
M
A
I
L
B
O
X
ES
T
O
U
C
H
T
O
P
L
A
Y
V
O
LU
M
E
TW
O
W
A
Y
A
G
RE
ETI
N
G
B
ER
A
SE
S
ET
ON
O
FF
MESSAGES
NEXTPREVIOUS
STOP
PLAY
2
PLAY
3
PLAY
4
PLAY 1
MIC
-
+
PREVIOUS
button
SET
button
NEXT
button

10
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.
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 four 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.
DI
GI
TA
L
ME
S
S
AG
I
N
GS
Y
S
T
E
M
V
OI
C
E
T
I
ME
/
D
AY
S
TAM
P
M
EM
O
/
SC
A
N
FO
U
R
M
A
I
L
B
O
X
ES
T
O
U
C
H
T
O
P
L
A
Y
V
O
LU
M
E
TW
O
W
A
Y
A
G
RE
ETI
N
G
B
ER
A
SE
S
ET
ON
O
FF
MESSAGES
NEXTPREVIOUS
STOP
PLAY
2
PLAY
3
PLAY
4
PLAY 1
MIC
-
+
PREVIOUS
button
SET
button
NEXT
button