Panasonic phantom extensions

(KX-TD308, 816, 1232, 500, KX-TA1232)

A phantom extension is an artificial extension number (intercom number) that can be assigned to a programmable button on a multi-line "system" phone.

This feature allows a phone to have more than one extension number.

It's very useful when a Panasonic voice processor is connected to a phone system. If a Custom Service menu says "press two for technical support," and a caller presses two, the voice processor could then dial phantom extension number 195, and all the phones with buttons for extension 195 would ring, and someone could then tap the flashing button (which could be labeled "TECH"), and answer "technical support."

The same person might also have a button for extension 191, and answer "sales."

She would still have her normal extension number, and if her phone rang while her intercom button was flashing, she could answer "This is Sally."

In addition to voice processor transfers, calls can also be sent to phantom extensions when transferred manually by a human being, and you can use "DIL 1:1"  (programs 407 and 408) to direct a specific phone line to a phantom extension group.

The Phantom Extension numbers have to be numbers that are not used anywhere else in the system.

The KX-TD308 can have up to 16 phantom extensions. Some good ones are 100, 190, 200, 290

The KX-TD816 and 1232 can have up to 128 phantom extensions. Some good ones are 100,189,190,195, 200, 265-290

You can use other numbers, if you take them away from their programmed functions, and reassign new numbers for those functions.

You also need to assign the numbers as phantom extensions before you can use them (system program # 124). The phantom list starts with 001, 002, 003... only as a numbering scheme. Don't let that confuse you. If you want to make phantoms 100, 190, and 200, they will be 001=100, 002=190, 003=200 etc.

• If you have a small business and want to seem big, create a big menu in your voice processor and load your phone with a bunch of phantom buttons and you can answer for sales, service, accounting, human resources, legal, import, export, men's room, or whatever you want. You can answer with different voices, foreign accents, even foreign languages... and you can transfer calls to yourself.
• You can't forward a call from a phantom extension with the FWD/DND button..
• If your phone system is a KX-TD816 or KX-TD1232, version 4 or later, you can establish voice mailboxes for phantom extensions, and you can have message waiting lights on several phones.
• For older systems, you can have messages automatically forwarded to another mailbox.

 

 

 

 

Photo of creepy guy shows Lon Chaney, in "Phantom of the Opera."