Sure it's got crystal clear reception but that's what you expect from a 900 megahertz phone. The receiver has a solid, sturdy feel; a phone that sells for $200 and up should be tough.

According to Panasonic, the Gigarange's range is 20 times greater than ordinary cordless phones available today, and eight times longer than other 900 megahertz phones.

Ordinary cordless phones use two signals to transmit and receive but operate on a single band. The problem with this is that these two signals can interfere with one another.

Panasonic's Gigaphones -- three models with the most expensive being a digital answering machine for about $300 -- use two different bands: one for sending and one for receiving, resulting in a clear two-way conversation.

The two antennas on the Gigaphones' base must be raised and, according to instructions, the machine should be placed as close to a window as possible to get maximum distance coverage. Panasonic obtained its giga distances in open field outdoor testings which apparently are standard for the telephone industry.

That means the distance you get with the phone most likely will be less unless you live in the middle of an open field.

In my tests in Aina Haina I was able to make calls from the handset at the market about a mile from my house. I used the phone's very convenient intercom to call home but the volume at that distance was diminished and there was some static.

If your distance requirements are such that you need a cordless phone to work from a neighbor's home down the block, the garage, or pool side, the Gigaphone may be for you.