Sony Babycall Nursery Monitor

We have this monitor for over 10 days. It works ve ...

Posted Jan 24, 2005 - We have this monitor for over 10 days. It works very well and we did not experience any problem with interferences. Even with the microwave, the monitor works well (while our 2.4 GHz wireless phone or the computer wireless network experience interferences). We use sometimes the autoactivation function and it works fine. It's triggered only when baby makes noises even if the mobile is playing music. We didn't have to play with the 27 channels since it worked well from the first attempt, so we don't know if there is really a need for 27 channels or if the NTM 900 with 9 channels is just enough. It would be great if the transmitter could also work with batteries so we could carry it around as well.

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This is a very good monitor. Right out of the box, ...

Posted Jul 12, 2004 - This is a very good monitor. Right out of the box, we had it set up and working perfectly in about two minutes. Our baby's room is fairly small 10' x 11' . At first, I placed the transmitter right next to the crib because I thought that it would be better able to pick up any baby sounds. However, I quickly realized that this unit is EXTREMELY sensitive. Since my wife didn't want the wire from the AC adapter to be visible, I've since moved the transmitter to the opposite corner of the bedroom, atop the changing station/dresser. It picks up and transmits even the quietest little noise our baby makes from the crib (nearly 14 ft. away). I've stood by the crib (again, on the opposite side of the room from where we now have the transmitter placed) and spoken ever so softly and my wife has heard me perfectly well from our room on the other end of our 2600 sq. ft. house. I've also taken the portable receiver outside of our home and walked around to the back of our yard and out to the street in front of the house and only lost the clear signal when I crossed the street. The parents unit can be set to receive a constant signal or it can be set on "voice activation" mode. We usually keep it on the latter so that we only get a signal when the baby is stirring. The volume can be adjusted on the parent unit to any desired level. The system includes an "out of range alarm" so that if for any reason you lose the signal from the transmitter, an alarm notifies you that you're no longer in contact with the baby unit. There are 27 channels to choose from in case you experience any interference from another 900 mhz system operating nearby. We use two different 900 mhz phones in our house (one Sony and one Uniden) and neither has interfered with the baby monitor. We simply left the baby call units set on the default setting from the factory. I believe that if you're not going to want to move the parents unit around much, the less expensive 9-channel unit (NTM-900) would be just fine. I purchased this unit because we frequently use our outside patio area and I wanted the battery operated option that comes only with the slightly more expensive NTM-910. Lastly, Sony chose to include a proprietary rechargeable Ni-Cad battery pack with a two-pronged plug for the parents unit. It's nice that the unit can simply be plugged into the AC adapter and run from that as it charges the battery. When unplugged from the AC adapter, the battery kicks in after a second or two delay. I think that two improvements could be made that would make this system better. First, Sony could have included NiMH batteries so that the unit could be plugged back in at anytime without diminishing the operating time inherent with Ni-Cad batteries that are recharged before they are completely drained. Second, we frequently experience brown-outs (a temporary loss of electricity) in the summer time. When this happens, the baby unit becomes non-functional since there is no battery back-up. It's nice that we can be awakened by the alarm on the parents unit at the loss of the signal but it would be nicer still if we weren't awakened unnecessarily simply because they chose not to include the battery backup. If we are still using this monitor when the Ni-Cad battery dies, rather than purchasing Sony's replacement proprietary battery pack, I intend to remove the plug from the original Sony battery pack and solder it onto my own pack that I will make, using two AA NiMH batteries. That will solve one of Sony's shortcomings with this unit. As for the lack of a battery backup on the baby's unit, I'm thinking about adding my own backup battery system (like the ones used with computers) if I can find one for a few bucks.

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This unit replaces a much cheaper Fisher-Price uni ...

Posted Jun 16, 2005 - This unit replaces a much cheaper Fisher-Price unit that developed a short. The sensitivity of the pickup unit is fine, and the voice-activated feature is nice. Even with a white noise machine running in the baby's room, the unit does not transmit sound until it hears something above the background; i.e., the baby starting to fuss. The range is actually poorer than the cheapo unit that it replaced, which could reach to our nearby guest house (although just barely). This one cannot reach that far. Perhaps it reaches as far as most units, though. And the rechargable battery is of course very nice. Be warned that if you are using the voice-activation feature, it may be easy to forget to shut it off, so that the unit will still be broadcasting bedroom sounds to the living room after you go to bed! :-O

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We had the previous model which was GREAT! They sh ...

Posted Jan 8, 2004 - We had the previous model which was GREAT! They should have left well enough alone. We liked it because it has voice activation on the receiver like our old one. This one picks up noise and interference from everywhere. Keep shopping...

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Very pleased!

Posted May 12, 2007 - I am happy with the monitor and it provides clear reception of everything happening in the nursery if you wish, or only when the baby starts talking/crying/moving- I love this feature! No interference from cordless phones or other appliances and easy to move about- highly recommend!

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Very Happy with this Monitor!

Posted Jan 7, 2007 - Overall, I am very happy with this monitor. I had another monitor which I was very disappointed with so I borrowed this monitor from my sister. After a month of use, I was so happy with it, I purchased one for myself. This monitor has great reception and clarity. I have never once had any static. The range is excellent - I have taken the receiver to our basement and outside and my daughter's room is on our second floor and have never had any problems with reception. It is very sensitive to sound - I can hear my daughter breathing and her monitor base is on the other side of her room! It would be nice if it came with two receivers so I didn't have to drag the one around wherever I go in the house. Also, I do like that it automatically scans for a clearer channel/reception, however, the beeping sound it makes when it is scanning is too loud and a little annoying. I actually don't truly see the purpose of it and it did wake me up in the middle of the night a few times. However, for the price, this monitor is superior for reception, clarity, and sensitivity.

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Sony NTM-910

Posted Jul 11, 2006 - We bought another set of these monitors for our second baby. Good range, great battery life, a pop-up belt clip for portability and 27 channels to choose from, should the neighbor's phone start interfering with the frequency. They also feature a "wake-on-sound" function to conserve battery life even more. While they are a bit more expensive than other audio monitors on the market, I think it's money well spent.

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SYNTM -910 babycall nursery monitor

Posted Apr 20, 2006 - All in all I think this was a good purchase.It is a well made product and seems as tho a mishap such as knocking it over would not destroy it.It was also reasonably priced and one of the few I found with this many channels (27).

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Updated Babycall Monitor-Ten Years Later

Posted Mar 20, 2006 - Ten years ago when we had our first child we purchased a Sony Babycall Monitor. We have been through two of them (for three children), mainly through our own rough (though accidental!) treatment of them. We are expecting our fourth child and were still using a monitor for our third child. Our old Baby Call's AC adapter had broken, leaving us dependent on nine-volt batteries-which it ate up fast. We decided it was time to move up to a newer monitor with a rechargeable receiver. We looked at reviews and prices and decided to go for another Sony. So far we are pleased: transmition is clear and the range on both the base and the receiver is long. We do not have to worry about disposable batteries or finding an outlet for the base all of the time. The receiver is sturdier than the old one and does not tip as easily. We can turn the volume all the way down and the indicator lights will flash when there's a transmission. Some of the Babycall's strengths, however, are its weaknesses. The unit is a bit too sensitive; we were hearing too much noise (we keep a fan on in our daughter's room for white noise and it was loud on the monitor)but we seem to have fixed that by putting the unit in a dresser drawer. We still hear her very well and are considering moving the base to just outside her room to see if that is even better. The volume control on the receiver end is overly sensitive, too; just a slight turn can suddenly make it too loud or quiet. The control also sticks out on the side of the receiver, making it easy to bump and change the volume. The sturdier base, which I like, is something my husband does not. I am happy not to be knocking this one over like I did our old one, but he sees it as too bulky to clip on his belt; that's how he used to carry the old one. Although we have had little trouble with interference, I am glad for multiple channels to choose from, just in case. I am frustrated, however, that they do not change automatically, like on phones, or simply just from the receiver. You have to change them on both the receiver and the base. I did not want to get up in the middle of the night to play with channels when we had interference with this monitor. We had tried it out some during the day, but I suppose not long enough. We had very little trouble with interference with our old Babycall, despite being in a neighborhood. The new monitor's interference has only been slight and is perhaps due to its excellent reception. My ten-year-old has been helping out with learning the ropes on this monitor and loves the way the channels change and are color-coded. He also thinks the belt clip is great-especially the way it pops up and retracts. All said, we are happy with this monitor and I think we made the best choice for us. After we are more familiar with this unit and figure out its little quirks I think we will be using it with even more ease than we were our original Babycall.

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Great if you have two monitors in your home

Posted Jan 29, 2006 - I had to search high and low for a combination of baby monitors that worked, without one staticing out the other. This has worked very well. I only use the on mode, not voice activation and it has great volume control and clear reception. I plug it in at night, the batteries charge,and then only need it for a 2 hour nap during the day, unplugged. Ideal setup. Every once in awhile the out of range beeps at me. I just move it a few inches and it stops. We are certainly not at a far distance, but it does not like it, for some reason. It has not beeped for a week or so now. A bit pricey, I do wonder if the 9 channel would have worked as well, but I had purchased and returned so MANY others that I felt the price was right for me to find one that really meets my needs!

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Best baby monitor on the market

Posted Sep 28, 2005 - We think this is the best baby monitor on the market! It features rechargeable batteries for the receiver along with AC adapters for both sender and receiver. I can only give it 4 stars as, in spite of its 49 MHz frequency, the transmission has considerable static - however, unlike other baby monitors, this one can be voice-activated - so there is no need to listen to the static until the baby actually calls.

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