Monitor questions- esp Sony, Safety 1st Home Connection

[kkb99]

I bought 2 First Years monitors 3 years ago, I think they were called Crystal Clear (or something like that). I needed 2 baby units, one for each child's room, and could not find any monitors that offered that, so bought 2 of the same unit. There are 2 channels on it, so one kid would be A, one B, and it has mostly worked very well. Usually the reception is awesome- you can hear them breathing even though the baby unit is across the room from the baby. After 3 years of a lot of use, they seem to be wearing out. They get a lot more static now, like if I walk in front of it, not from something wireless going near it. One of the recievers has stopped working. So I'm thinking I need a new monitor. Check out TRU, and find this awesome set from Safety 1st called Home connection that has 3 baby units (I now have 3 kids rooms, so perfect) plus 2 parent units. The parent units can be set to listen to just one of the baby units or set to scan all 3, plus the 2 parent units have the walkie talkie feature between them. It was very expensive, $130, but thought it sounded perfect. Now that I've got it set up, I hate it!! There is this constant backgound noise on it, not static really- my 7 yr old son described it as sounding like rain in the mountains. Sort of a soft shhhhhh. I say soft, because it differs greatly in the CRSHSSCR (this is meant as an imitation, no cursing!) loud static I've been getting lately from my old monitor, but it is loud enough that I find it very irratating. And then the worst part is that I can't even hear the baby! Definitely can't hear them breathing, and they have to cry pretty loud to hear them. My dh and I tested it and he could not hear me until I was talking in a regular conversation across the room type voice. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if there is some remedy.

Also, I just did a search on here and saw some people raving about Sony. What is the model? Babycall? Where did you get it? Can you hear them breathing on it if you want too?

Thank you so much!
Kristen

[Judegirl]

I have the BabyCall, after three tries with different monitors, and I love it. It has a voice-activation function and a regular function, so that you can hear what goes on in the room as is (instead of having to wait a beat after there's a noise.)

I suppose if you have it close enough to the crib you can probably hear breathing; I don't know...it's pretty sensitive, though; when dd was a newborn we'd run in there, thinking she was awake because she'd made a few loud noises, but they were barely murmurs in person.

I bought it at BRU for about $40-$50. There's a 9-channel and a 27-channel version. I have the 9.

HTH,
Jude

[June Mommy]

I have the Sony babycall and love it also. I can hear my DS breathing with it, and it is not static-y. Mine is the 27-cahnnel (I think, we have only ever used 1!) I registered for it at BRU.