Ge 26998ge1 brand new and answering machine doesn't work - no outgoing announcement when called and no message recorded.

Here is the answer from the User Guide found on the manufacturers website. for more help go to http://www.home-electronics.net/ge/pc/IB/25942EE1_IB.pdf

Recording the Outgoing Announcement

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

and eliminate as much background noise as possible.

1. Make sure the answering system is On2. Press and hold the announce button on the base.

3. Begin speaking after you hear the beep.

4. Release the button when you finish your announcement.

NOTE: If you choose not to record an outgoing announcement, a default

announcement plays 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. Th anks.

Here is the manual for your phone. You can download the manual and the instructions for setting up your answering machine are on page 43:

http://www.uniden.com/pdf/DECT1580-3om.pdf

Setting Up the Answering System
You can set up your answering system's features from the handset. Only one handset at a time can access the answering system menus.

Note: If you have multiple bases, select the base with answering system you want to access (see page 15).

Recording a Personal Greeting
Your answering system comes with a pre-recorded outgoing message or greeting that plays when you receive a call: "Hello, no one is available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone." You can record your own personal outgoing greeting. Your recorded greeting must be between two seconds and thirty seconds long.

Press /mute. The system announces the number of new and old messages, then starts to play the messages unless it has no messages.

Press 5 to stop the announcements or message playback. You will hear intermittent beeps indicating that the system is in the command waiting mode.

Press 8 to start the recording. The system announces, "Record greeting." Begin recording after the announcement.

When you finish recording, press 8 again or press 5. You will hear a confirmation tone, and your recorded greeting plays back for you.

Selecting a Greeting

Once you have recorded a personal greeting, the phone automatically switches to your personal greeting. You can
also switch back and forth between the pre-recorded greeting and your own greeting at any time.

Press /mute. The system announces the number of new and old messages, then starts to play the messages unless it has no messages.

Press 5 to stop the announcements or message playback. You will hear intermittent beeps indicating that the system is in the command waiting mode.

Press 6. The system plays the current greeting.

Hi,

The easiest way to gain access into an answering machine is to use it's preset access code. This is the access code set at default by the vendor on the given device. The best thing about this is that most users don't bother to change the access code to their device, if they even know that they have such a feature. Even worse yet, some of the manuals given for the device by it's vendor even tells the user that changing the access code is optional, not necessary. So of course since most people only do what they feel is necessary, these access codes are many times if not usually set at default. So what I'm going to do for you now is list the different popular vendors out there, and include their preset access codes, how to use them, and controls to use after gaining access. Keep in mind that if there is no model number beside the vendor, then that means that the information given works on most of their models. Likewise of course if there is a model identification beside the vendor name (placed in parenthesis) then that of course means that the information provided is model dependant. So let's begin, shall we?

1) AT&T - preset access code is 10 - when the answering machine picks up punch in the access code
7 - play messages
6 - play new messages
# - stop/pause
2 - repeat message
5 - skip message
4* - record announcement (push # to end recording)
41 - play announcement
* - record memo
33 - delete all messages
3 - delete selected
0 - turn system on
88 - turn system off
99 - change remote code

2) BellSouth - preset access code is 555, Mailbox 1: 555, 2: 666, 3: 777, 4: 888 - when the machine picks up hit * and then punch in the access code
0 - help (use this to get the commands available)

3) Freestyle - preset access code is 000 - when the machine picks up push in the D button and then punch in the access code
2 - play all messages
3 - play new messages
4 - skip back during messages
5 - delete during messages
6 - skip forward during messages
8 - play outgoing message
9 - record new outgoing message
0 - set answering machine on/off
1 - hear main menu

4) Vtech (VT650) - preset access code is 0000 - enter access code during announcement
#4 - repeat message
#5 - pause message
#6 - skip to next message
#7 - delete message
#8 - skip backwards
#9 - stop/exit any function
*8 - room monitor

5) Vtech (VT2650/VT2468) - preset access code is 50 - enter access code during announcement
#4 - repeat message
#6 - skips message
#5 - stops
#9 - delete message
#7 - review announcement (after beep press 7 to record an announcement and use #5 to stop)

6) Vtech (HK5886) - preset access code is 48 - enter access code during announcement
#1,2,3 - play new or old messages
#4 - repeat message
#6 - skip message
#5 - stop
#9 - delete message
#7 - review announcement (after beep press 7 to record an announcement and use #5 to stop)

7) Olympia (OL2410) - preset access code is 0000 - enter access code during accouncement
1,2,3 - select and play messages
4 - repeat message
44 - ignore message
6 - play next message
7 - delete current message
8 - record memo
9 - record announce (5 to stop)
0 - toggle answer on/off
* - play help menu

8) Doro - preset access code is 321 - enter access code right after outgoing message has played (or during)
1 - repeat/skip to previous message
2 - play/pause message
3 - skip to next message
4 - play current outgoing message
5 - record new outgoing message
6 - stop
7 - erase current message
8 - switch off answering machine
9 - switch on answering machine/select outgoing message
0 - (after playback) erases all messages
# - end playback
## - end call

9) Virgin Pulse cordless phone - preset access code is 123 - enter access code during outgoing message
1 - review current message
2 - skip to next message
3 - erase the current message
4 - play all or new messages
7 - repeat voice menu
0 - turn on/off TAD

10) Panasonic - preset access code is 11 or 1111 - enter access code during outgoing message
4 - new message playback
5 - all message playback
1 - repeat
2 - skip
9 - stop
7 - record new announcement (use 9 to end recording)

There are also a few random vendors that don't automatically preset an access code on the machine, forcing it's user to set one up him/herself. This is a small step forward as far as security is concerned, but every vendor I saw that did this still used a mere 2-digit access code. To test and see if your target has this type of setup press # when the machine start, and then press 0. If the machine returns to the annoucement then you know this is the kind of machine it is. Of course, in reality, this isn't all that bad of a scheme since you have 100 different combinations available for the access code. However, most users simply set these access codes as 11, 22, 69, etc. So yeah, just try it out. If it disconnects you after so many tries, call back from another payphone (which you should be using in this case).

Thanks for contacting Fixya

Press and hold the ANNOUNCE button on the base and keep pressing it until you finish your announcement. Start recording your announcement when you hear a beep. Let go of the ANNOUNCE button when you're done. You can record up to a two minute message.

You can download the full manual here for future reference.

Hi,
Here you are...

Recording the Outgoing Announcement
For best results when recording, you should be about nine inches from the microphone, and eliminate as much background noise as possible.
1. Make sure the answering system is ON.
2. Press and hold the announce button on the base until the speaker announces "RECORD ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER TONE".
3. Begin speaking after you hear the beep.
4. Release the announce button when you finish your announcement.
NOTE: If you choose not to record an outgoing announcement, a default announcement plays 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. Or, press the delete button while the announcement is reviewing.
NOTE: The maximum duration allowed for outgoing message is 2 minutes.

Also, here's a link for your manual..
http://www.smithgear.com/ge-27909ee1.html


If this helps, plz rate this 'fixya'. Thank you kindly.

Record Your Announcement

You must record your announcements (A, b,C and RO) one at a time.

1 Select the announcement you wish to record.

2 Press and hold "ANNC/SKIP". When the system beeps, speak toward the microphone normally, from about nine inches away.

3 To stop recording, release "ANNC/SKIP". The system automatically plays back your announcement.

To review your announcement, press and release "ANNC/SKIP".

To erase your announcement and return to the pre-recorded announcement press "DELETE" while your announcement is playing.

Try looking underneath the console of the answering machine. You must turn the answerer on on most machines and underneath there may be a switch to determine how many rings before it picks up as well.

Recording the Outgoing Announcement

For best results when recording, you should be about nine inches from the microphone, and eliminate as much background noise as possible.

1. Make sure the answering system is ON.

2. Press and hold the announce button on the base.

3. Begin speaking after you hear the beep.

4. Release the button when you finish your announcement.

5. Press and release the announce button to review your outgoing announcement.

Following are instructions for the GE25881 phone which is similar to your 25880. Hopefully this will work for you. -Vish Answering System Set Up This section shows you how to set up your answering system to receive incoming calls. Before you begin the setup, you must turn on the answering system. ? Press the conference/ans on/off button to turn the answering system on and off. NOTE: The display shows ANSWERER OFF when the answering system is off. The default status is on. Voice Instructions If you need additional assistance, press and hold the memo button on the base and follow the voice instructions. 12 Answering System Operation Recording the Outgoing Announcement For best results when recording, you should be about nine inches from the microphone, and eliminate as much background noise as possible. 1. Make sure the answering system is ON. 2 . Press and hold the announce button on the base while you record the announcement. 3. Begin speaking after you hear the beep. 4. Release the button after you finish your announcement. If you choose not to record an outgoing announcement, the default announcement plays. To return to the default announcement after you have recorded your personal announcement, press the delete button on the base while playing the announcement, or press the announce button and release it when you hear the beep.

Here is a link to the instruction manual (5.06MB): http://www.home-electronics.net/GE/ProductDownloads/25881EE3_IB.pdf Recording the Outgoing Announcement For best results when recording, you should be about nine inches from the microphone, and eliminate as much background noise as possible. 1. Make sure the answering system is ON. 2. Press and hold the announce button on the base while you record the announcement. 3. Begin speaking after you hear the beep. 4. Release the button after you finish your announcement. If you choose not to record an outgoing announcement, the default announcement plays. To return to the default announcement after you have recorded your personal announcement, press the delete button on the base while playing the announcement, or 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 Announcement ? Press and release the announce button to play your outgoing announcement.