GE 26999 User Manual Download Page 2

 

The Number For 

Memory Location

 

Long distance access number 

7

 

Authorization code 

8

 

Frequently called long distance number 

9

1. Make sure the phone is 

ON

 by pressing the TALK/CALL BACK button.

2. Press the memory button and then press the 7 key.
3. When you hear the access tone, press memory again and then press 
the 8 key.
4. At the next access tone, press memory and then the 9 key.

TIP:

 Wait for the access tones before pressing the memory button, 

or your call might not go through.

Inserting a Pause in the Dialing Sequence

Press the #PAUSE button once to insert a delay in the dialing sequence 

of a stored telephone number. A pause is needed to wait for a dial tone 

(for example after you dial 9 for an outside line, or to wait for a computer 

access tone). PAUSE shows on the display as a P . Each pause counts 

as 1 digit in the dialing sequence. If you need a longer pause, press the 

#PAUSE button twice.

Reviewing and Deleting Stored Numbers

1. Press the memory button.
2. Use the CID/VOL (

or

) button to scroll to the desired memory 

location or press the desired memory location (0-9).

3. While the entry is displayed, press the chan/delete button to delete the 

entry. The display shows 

DELETE?

.

4. Press chan/delete again to confirm. The display shows 

DELETED

. You 

will hear a confirmation tone.

Answering System Setup

Besides basic telephone features, your 26999 unit is also equipped with 

a digital answering system which features English and French language 

voice prompts, and allows you to customize your own greeting. This 

section shows you how to set up your answering system to record 

incoming calls. Before you begin the setup, you must turn on the 

answering system.
•  Press the answer on/off button to turn the answering system on and 

off. The MESSAGES indicator lights when the answering system is on. 

The indicator alternately flashes between CL (clock) and 0, indicating 

day/time programming is needed and 0 messages are stored.

NOTE:

 The answering system displays “- -” when it is off.

Setting the Voice Prompt Language

The default voice prompt language is English.
To change the answering system’s voice prompt language, press  

and hold the skip

  button for two seconds. The unit announces  

OPTION FRANÇAISE

.”

NOTE

: To change to “English,” press and hold the skip

button again 

for 2 seconds.

NOTE

: In remote access mode, the system follows the selected 

language. The voice prompt language cannot be switched remotely.

Voice Time/Day Stamp

1. Press and hold the day/check button to set the day of the week and 

then release.

2. Press the hour button to set the hour (a.m. or p.m.).
3. Press the min button to set the minutes. When you press and hold the 

min button, the time advances in 5-minute intervals.

4. Press and release the day/check button to review the day and time 

settings.

Speaker Volume

Use the volume (

 or 

) buttons to adjust speaker volume to a 

comfortable level. Press the (

) arrow to increase the volume and the 

(

) arrow to decrease the volume. L8 is the maximum and L1 is the 

minimum level.

Voice Instructions

If you need additional assistance, press the review (

) button when you 

plug in the answering system and follow the voice instructions.

Recording the Outgoing Announcement

For best results when recording, you should be about nine inches from 

the mic (microphone) opening to eliminate as much background noise as 

possible.
1. Press and hold the announce button. Hold the button down until you 

finish the announcement.

2. Begin speaking after you hear the beep.  You have up to two minutes of 

recording time.

3. Release the button when you finish your announcement.
If you choose not to record an outgoing announcement, a default 

announcement is played instead. To return to the default announcement 

after you have recorded your own outgoing announcement, press the 

announce button and release it when you hear the beep. 

Sample Outgoing Announcement

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.

Reviewing the Announcement

•  Press and release the announce button to review your outgoing 

announcement.

Ring Select

Set the RING SELECT switch on the bottom of the unit to choose the 

number of times you want the phone to ring before the system answers 

the call. You may choose 3 rings or 5 rings.

Answering System Operation

 This section explains the buttons and features of the answering system.

Messages Indicator

The MESSAGES indicator shows you how many messages you have. It 

blinks if there are new messages.  The answer on/off button must be ON 

in order for the MESSAGES indicator to work.

Screening Calls from the Base

You may screen incoming calls by waiting for the caller to begin leaving a 

message (to hear who it is), then pick up the handset, and press TALK/

CALL BACK to speak to the caller. The answering system automatically 

stops recording when you activate the handset or pick up an extension 

phone.

TIP:

 Make sure the volume on the base is set loud enough for you 

to hear your incoming calls.

Message Playback

The messages indicator lets you know when you have messages. To play 

messages, press the play/stop button. 
While a message is playing, you can do the following:
•  Press the play/stop button to stop the message playback.
•  Press and release the review button to restart the current message; 

continue to press and release the review button to go to previous 

messages. 

•  Press and release the skip button to go to the next message.
•  Press the volume 

 or 

 button to adjust the playback volume.

Memory Full

When the memory is full, the system answers after 10 rings. You 

should erase some messages so the answering system can record new 

messages. The memory has a total recording time of 15 minutes (this 

includes the outgoing announcement, incoming messages, and voice 

time/date stamp).

Erasing Messages

You may erase messages three ways: 
•  To erase a single message, press the play/stop button  on the base, and 

press and release the erase button on the base to erase the message 

currently playing.

•  To erase all reviewed messages, press and hold the erase button on the 

base until the unit beeps. 

•  To erase a message using the handset:

1.  Press format/answerer button on the handset.
2.  Press the play/stop button (key 2). on the handset.
3.  Press the erase button (key 0) on the handset to erase a message during 

playback.

NOTE:

 Erased messages cannot be restored. Be careful when pressing 

the erase button because if the next unheard message has started to 

play, it will also be erased. 

Leaving a Memo

Use the memo feature to leave a message.
1. Press and hold the memo button. Hold the button down until you finish 

recording the message.

2. Begin speaking after you hear the beep.
3. Release the memo button when you are finished.   

Remote Access

This section explains two types of remote access: using the handset to 

access the answering system and accessing the answering system from 

another phone.
The handset contains integrated buttons that enable you access the 

answering machine with the handset.
You can also access your answering system from any phone that is 

tone-dial compatible by entering a 3-digit security code after you hear the 

outgoing announcement. The following voice menu system guides you 

through all of the procedures.

Voice Menu System

 

To 

Press this Button

 

Review message 

1

 

Play back message 

2

 

Stop message play back 

2

 

Erase message 

0 (during message playback)

 

Skip message 

3

 

Turn off/on answering system 

4

 

Review voice menu options 

7

Using the Handset

Press the format/answerer button to access the answering system from 

the cordless handset. 
After you access the answering system, use the marked handset keys 

just as if you were pressing the corresponding buttons on the base (see 

“Answering System Operation.”). The functions are listed on the handset 

above each number. For example, to play messages: 
1. Press the format/answerer button. The display shows 

ANSWERER 

REMOTE

.

2. Press the play/stop button (2 key) or follow the Voice Menu System.
3. When you are finished listening to your messages, press format/

answerer again.

Screening Calls from the Handset

Use the handset to screen calls even when you can’t hear the answering 

system. 
When the answering system picks up the line:
1. Press the format/answerer button to access the answering system.
2. Listen as the caller leaves a message.
3. Press the TALK/CALL BACK button to speak to the person or press 

format/answerer to stop screening the call. 

Memory Full

When the answering system’s memory is full, the system answers after 

10 rings, beeps and waits for you to enter the 3-digit security code. If you 

don’t enter the security code within 10 seconds after the unit beeps, the 

phone hangs up. You should erase some messages so the answering 

system can record new messages.

NOTE:

 The unit also answers after the 10th ring if it is turned off. 

To access the answering system, enter your 3-digit security code after 

you hear the beep.

Accessing the Answering System from Another 
Location

You can access your answering system from a touch-tone phone 

by entering your 3-digit security code after you hear the outgoing 

announcement.
1. Dial the phone number for the answering system.
2. When the answering systems answers, allow the outgoing message to 

play to the end, listen for the tone, and then enter your security code.

3. Follow the voice menu to use the answering system remote functions.
The remote feature enables you to perform the previously listed Voice 

Menu System functions:

TIP:

 You can bypass the outgoing announcement by pressing any 

numbered key on the keypad while the announcement is playing. 

Then, you can enter your security code to access the answering 

system.

Changing the Security Code

The default security code for accessing the answerer from another 

location  

is 1 2 3. You must use the handset to change the security code. With the 

phone off, follow these steps:
1. Press format/answerer button.
2. Press *tone/exit.
3. Enter the three numbers to be used as the new security code.
4. Press *tone/exit again.
5. You will hear the new security code being repeated to confirm the 

change.

Connecting the Belt Clip

To attach the belt clip, insert the sides of the belt clip into the slots on 

each side of the handset. Snap the ends of the belt clip into place.

Changing the Battery

Make sure the telephone is 

OFF

 before you replace battery.

1. Remove the battery compartment door.
2. Disconnect the battery plug from the jack inside the battery 

compartment and remove the battery pack from the handset.

3. Insert the new battery pack and connect the battery plug to the jack 

inside the handset battery compartment.

4. Put the battery compartment door back on.
5. Place handset in the base to charge.
6. Allow the handset battery to properly charge (for 16 hours) prior to 

first use or when you install a new battery pack. If you do not properly 

charge the phone, battery performance will be compromised.

CAUTION:

 To reduce the risk of fire or personal injury, use 

only the battery listed in the User’s Guide.

Battery Safety Precautions

•  Do not burn, disassemble, mutilate, or puncture. Like other batteries of 

this type, toxic materials could be released which can cause injury.

•  To reduce the risk of fire or personal injury, use only the battery listed 

in the User’s Guide.

•  Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
•   Remove batteries if storing over 30 days.

Display and Caller ID Messages

The following indicators show the status of a message or of the unit.

ANSWERER REMOTE

  Indicates the answering machine is being 

accessed remotely.

BLOCKED CALL

 

The person is calling from a number that has 

been blocked from transmission.

BLOCKED NAME

 

The persons name is blocked from transmission.

BLOCKED NUMBER

 

The person is calling from a number that has 

been blocked from transmission.

CALL WAITING

 

Indicates a call is waiting on the line.

DELETE ALL?

 

Prompt asking if you want to erase all Caller ID 

records.

DELETE CALL ID?

 

Prompt asking if you want to erase a Caller ID 

record.

DELETED

 

Prompt confirming the Caller ID record is 

erased. 

EMPTY

 

Indicates a memory location is vacant. 

END OF LIST

 

Indicates that there is no additional information 

in Caller ID memory.

ENTER NAME

 

Prompt telling you to enter the name for one of 

the 10 memory locations.

ENTER TEL NUMBR

 

Prompt telling you to enter the telephone  

number for one of the 10 memory locations.

INCOMPLETE DATA

 

Caller information has been interrupted during 

transmission or the telephone line is excessively 

noisy.

LOW BATTERY

  

Indicates the battery pack needs charged. 

NEW

 

Indicates call or calls have not been reviewed.

NO CALLS

 

Indicates no calls have been received.

NO DATA

 

No Caller ID information was received.

PAGING

 

The PAGE button has been pressed on the base.

PRESS TALK KEY

 

Indicates the CID number is a Direct Dial 

Number (DDN) and cannot be formatted.

REPT

 

Repeat call message. Indicates that a new call 

from the same number was received more than 

once.

UNKNOWN NAME/

 

The incoming call is from an area not serviced 

by

CALLER/NUMBER

 

Caller ID or the information was not sent.

Answering System Display Messages

The following indicators show the status of the answering machine.

- -

 

Answerer off.   

0-59

 

Total number of messages.

An (blinking)

 

Currently answering a call.

CL (blinking)

 

The voice time/day stamp needs set.

F (blinking)

 

Memory is full.

LA (Line Access)

 

External line remote answerer.

Six bars (blinking)

  Recording a memo or announcement.

Troubleshooting Guide
Cordless Phone Solutions

No dial tone
•  Check installation:
  Make sure the base power cord is connected to a working electrical 

outlet.

  Make sure the telephone line cord is connected to the base unit and the 

wall phone jack.

•  Connect another phone to the same modular jack; if the second phone 

doesn’t work, the problem might be with your wiring or local service.

•  The handset may be out of range of the base. Move closer to the base.
•  Make sure the battery is properly charged (for 16 hours).
•  Ensure the battery pack is installed correctly. 
•  Did the handset beep when you pressed the TALK/CALL BACK  button? 

Did the charge/in use indicator come on? The battery may need to be 

charged.

•  Place the handset in the base for at least 20 seconds.

Handset does not ring 
•  Make sure the RINGER ON/OFF on the handset is set to ON.
•  Move closer to the base. The handset may be out of range.
•  You may have too many extension phones on your line. Try unplugging 

some phones.

•  Check for a dial tone. 

You experience static, noise, or fading in and out  
•  Change channels.  
•  Move closer to base. The handset might be out of range.
•  Relocate the base. Make sure base is not plugged into an electrical 

outlet with another household appliance.

•  Charge the battery.

Unit beeps 
•  Place handset in base for 20 seconds; if it still beeps, charge battery for 

16 hours.

•  Clean the charging contacts on handset and base with a soft cloth.
•  See solutions for “No dial tone.”
•  Replace the battery.

Memory Dialing doesn’t work 
•  Make sure you programmed the memory location keys correctly.
•  Did you follow proper dialing sequence? 

Phone dials in pulse with tone service 
•  Make sure phone is in tone dialing mode.

Phone won’t dial out  with pulse service 
•  Make sure phone is in pulse dialing mode.

Caller ID Solutions

No Display
•  The battery must be fully charged. Try replacing the battery.
•  Make sure that the unit is connected to a non-switched electrical outlet. 

Disconnect the unit from the wall and plug it in again. 

•  You must be subscribed to Caller ID service from your local telephone 

company in order to receive Caller ID records.

Caller ID Error Message  
•  The unit displays this message if it detects anything other than valid 

Caller ID information during the silent period after the first ring. This 

message indicates either the presence of noise on the line, or that an 

invalid message has been sent from the telephone company. 

Answering System Solutions

Can’t hear messages, beep, etc. 
•  Adjust the speaker volume.

Time/Day setting stuck at 12 a.m Mon. 
•  Set the time clock.

Answers on 10th ring 
•  Make sure answering system is turned on.
•  The phone’s memory may be full.

Incoming messages are incomplete 
•  Was an extension phone picked up?
•  The phone’s memory is full.
•  You accidentally pressed the play/stop button during playback and 

stopped the message.

Won’t respond to remote commands 
•  You must use a tone-dial phone for remote access.
•  You must enter the correct security code.
•  Did the unit hang up? If you take no action for a period of time, the 

system automatically hangs up.

Accessory Information

To order, call the nearest distributor for your area;

Ontario: (905) 624-8516 

Manitoba: (204) 783-2088

British Columbia: (604) 438-8001 

Quebec: (514) 352-9071

A shipping and handling fee will be charged upon ordering.

It is required by law to collect appropriate sales tax for each individual state, country,

and locality to which the merchandise is being sent. Items are subject to availability. 

Causes of Poor Reception

•  Aluminum siding.
•  Foil backing on insulation.
•  Heating ducts and other metal construction that can shield radio 

signals.

•  You’re too close to appliances such as microwaves, stoves, computers, 

etc.

•  Atmospheric conditions, such as strong storms.
•  Base is installed in the basement or lower floor of the house.
•  Base is plugged into AC outlet with other electronic devices.
•  Baby monitor is using the same frequency.
•  Handset battery is low.
•  You’re out of range of the base.
•  Microwave oven is using the same frequency.

Telephone Network Information

Should your equipment cause trouble on your line which may harm the 

telephone network, the telephone company, where practicable, may 

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.
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. If these changes are expected 

to affect the use or performance of your telephone equipment, the 

telephone company will likely give you adequate notice to allow you to 

maintain uninterrupted service.
Notice must be given to the telephone company upon termination of 

your telephone from your line.

REN Number

On the bottom of this equipment is a label indicating, among other 

information, the Ringer Equivalence Number (REN) for the equipment. 
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.

NOTE: 

This product contains a nickel-cadmium 

rechargeable battery and must be recycled or 
disposed of properly. We suggest that you check 
with your local Environmental Agency regarding 
recycling or disposal.

Ni-Cd

Must be Recycled or 

Disposed of Properly

Contains

Nickel-Cadmium 

Rechargeable Battery

General Product Care

To keep your telephone working and looking good, follow these 

guidelines:
•  Avoid putting the phone near heating appliances and devices that 

generate electrical noise (for example, motors or fluorescent lamps).

•  DO NOT expose to direct sunlight or moisture.
•  Avoid dropping the unit and other rough treatment.
•  Clean with a soft cloth. 
•  Never use a strong cleaning agent or abrasive powder because this will 

damage the finish.

•  Retain the original packaging in case you need to ship the phone at a 

later date.

•  Periodically clean the charge contacts on the handset and base with a 

soft cloth.

Handset Sound Signals

 

Signal 

Meaning

  A long warbling tone (with ringer on) 

Signals an incoming call

  Three short beeps (several times) 

Page signal

  Single beep every 14 seconds 

Low battery warning

Service

ATLINKS Communications Canada, Inc., warrants to the purchaser or 

gift recipient that if any manufacturing defect becomes apparent in 

this product within 1 year from the original date of purchase, it will be 

replaced free of charge, including return transportation.
This warranty does not include damage to the product resulting from 

accidents, misuse or leaking batteries.
Should your product not perform properly during the warranty period, either:
1. Return it to the selling dealer with proof of purchase for replacement,
    

OR

2. Remove the batteries (where applicable), and pack product complete with 

accessories in the original carton (or equivalent).

  — Mail prepaid (with proof of purchase) and insured to:

       

ATLINKS Communications Canada, Inc. 

 

 

c/o Thomson multimedia Inc. 

 

 

6200 Edwards Boulevard 

 

 

Mississauga, Ontario 

 

 

Canada L5T 2V7

The provisions of this written warranty are in addition to and not a 

modification of or subtraction from the statutory warranties and other rights 

and remedies contained in any applicable legislation, and to the extent that 

any such provisions purport to disclaim, exclude or limit any such statutory 

warranties and other rights and remedies, such provisions shall be deemed to 

be amended to the extent necessary to comply therewith.
If you are unable to find a qualified servicer for out of warranty service, you 

may write to:
   ATLINKS Communications Canada, Inc. 

 

 

c/o Thomson Inc. 

 

 

P.O. Box 0944 

 

 

Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A., 46206-0944

Attach your sales receipt to this booklet for future reference. This information 

is required if service is needed during the warranty period.
PURCHASE DATE ________________________________________________
NAME OF STORE ________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION 

MODEL NO.

 

BLACK 

WHITE

AC Power converter 

5-2512 

5-2618 (gray)

Belt Clip 

5-2555 

5-2552

Handset Replacement Battery 

5-2459

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