I have 2 problems. 1. The orange message light will not stop flashing no matter what I do. 2. Some how the system was switched from touch tone to dial tone. I can't seem to that switched either.

The pulsing dial tone usually indicates a message on the service provider's server, not on your phone. Contact your provider to find the procedure to access these messages.

If your charge light is flashing and you have no messages on your answering system, you may have voicemail. Voicemail is provided by your telephone company and they would be able to assist you with retrieving those messages.

Once you have listened to the new messages, the blinking light will stop. You may also be hearing a stutter tone before your dial tone when turning on your handset. This is also indicating you have a new voicemail message.

Calls are signalled in two ways. First, check the Ringer switch on the left side of the phone. It's a 3 position switch OFF/LO/HI. If the outside lines are blinking the MESSAGE light, then the ringer is probably turned off. If your intercom calls are toning but not ringing, you may have the AUTO ANS light lit. Press it until it's off and intercom calls will either start ringing or send an audible tone.
If it tones, then you have a programming problem where intercom calls are set to tone instead of ring. That's corrected in system programming.

Carl

nschutz,

Remote Operation

You can operate your answering system from a remote location (when you are away from home, or from another room using a handset).

Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or delete message. When using any touch-tone telephone, you can even record a new greeting message.

Remote Access away from Home
You can operate your answering system from a remote location using any touch-tone telephone.

1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming messages, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command from the following chart:

*For Memo Record and Greeting Message Record function, the first time you enter the corresponding command, it starts the Recording function. If you want to stop the recording, enter the command again.
5) After all of the voice prompts have been played, you hear intermittent beeps indicating that the system is in the command waiting mode. You may enter another command at this time from the chart.
6) When you are finished, hang up to exit the system. The answering system automatically returns to standby.

0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 4 Delete a Message 0 then 9 Answering System Off
0 then 5 Stop Operation
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming messages, press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system on. You hear the outgoing message and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

Respectfully,

Adam04

Can you please specify the exact model of the phone? Because the steps in accessing it remotely varies from model to model. Anyway, you can try to follow the steps posted here and then test:

Remote operation allows you to control the functions of the Answering System when you
are away from the Base,and call from an outside telephone line. The Answering
System cannot be accessed from another telephone on the same line. You can access
many of the Answering System functons from a remote location, such as listening to
messages, changing recorded announcements, and recording memos.
Remote operation can only be accessed from a touch tone telephone. If the remote phone
is set to pulse dialing, switch it tone. If tone dialing is not available, you will not be able
to access the Answering System.
Note: All function codes should be entered within 2 seconds in order to activate Remote
Operation.
To Activate Remote Operation From a Different Telephone Line
1. If the Answering System is OFF, you can dial your telephone number and wait for
the Answering System to answer your call after 10 rings. An announcement, "Please
enter your security code" is given, and you enter your security code to use remote
operation.
2. If the Answering System is ON, it will answer your call and begin playing the currently
selected announcement (as with any incoming call).
3. Enter # followed by your 2 digit security code during the announcement. The
default security code is 19.
4. Once the security code is received, a double confirmation beep will be given, and
you are in Remote Operation mode. You can then control the Answering Machine
functions using the telephone keypad.
5. The user can also enter the Remote Operation mode during message recording. The
procedure is the same as step 3. The recording will be stopped after entering the
valid security code "s#xx " and the incomplete message will be deleted. If " 0s"
is entered, the Answering System will release the line, but the recorded message
will still be retained.
6. If the user enters a wrong security code, the system will release the line.
Playing Messages Remotely
1. Press " #1 ", " #2 " or " #3 " on the touch tone keypad to play the messages in the
corresponding mailbox.
2. The system will announce "Mailbox X. You have XX new messages and XX old
messages" and the system will playback the new message only. If there are no new
messages, the system will announce "Mailbox X. You have XX old messages. On
the other hand, in the absence of old messages, the system will announce only the
number of new messages.
Repeat Messages During Playback
1. Press "#4" once during message playback to repeat the current message.
2. Press "#4" twice within 2 seconds to skip to the previous message.
Skip Messages During Playback
1. Press "#6" once to skip forward to the next message.
Stop Message Playback
1. Pressing "#5" during message playback will stop playback.
Deleting Messages
1. Press "#9" once during message playback to delete the current message.
Note: Playback will pause if "#" or " " is entered. Answering System will wait for the
command in the following 2 seconds. If no further tone is entered, playback will be resumed.
Memo Recording
1. Press " 8".
2. After selecting the mailbox by entering command "1", "2", "3", You will hear, "Now
recording", followed by a beep.
3. Enter "#5" to stop recording when you have finished.
Change OGM Remotely
1. Enter " 7" to record a new OGM. You will hear, "Now recording", followed by a
beep to signal start of recording.
2. Press "#5" to stop recording. Your new OGM will playback automatically.
Check OGM1 Remotely
Enter "#7" to review OGM. You will hear playback of OGM followed by a beep.
Turning Answering System ON or OFF
Pressing "#0" toggles the Answering System ON/OFF. "Answer machine on", or "Answer
machine off" will be announced, followed by a beep.
Voice Menu for Remote Operation
The system provides two pre-recorded voice menus to help you during remote operation.
Press " 5", and you will hear the simple voice menu.
The simple voice menu is as follows:
• Press "#1" to play mailbox 1.
• Press "#2" to play mailbox 2.
• Press "#3" to play mailbox 3.
• Press "#5" to stop.
• Press "#4" to repeat the message.
• Press "#6" to skip the message.
• Press "#9" to erase the message.
• Press " 5" for other functions.
(To advance voice menu)
The advanced voice menu is as follows:
• Press "#7" to review outgoing message.
• Press " 7" to record outgoing message.
• Press " 8" to record memo.
• Press "#4" twice to repeat previous message.
• Press "#0" to turn the system on or off.
• Press " 5" to return to the simple voice menu.
Pressing any function code will stop the voice menu, and perform the corresponding
functions.
Exiting Remote Operation
1. Enter " 0" on the touch tone keypad to exit remote operation mode. The Answering
System confirms your action with a long beep and then disconnects.
2. The Answering System also automatically disconnects if no key is pressed within 20
seconds during remote operation.

See if this works for you.

Remote Operation
When you are away from home, you can operate your answering system with any
touch-tone telephone.Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or
delete messages, even record a new greeting message.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code.
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages
stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming message, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command
from the following chart:

Command Function
0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 4 Delete a Message
0 then 5 Stop Operation
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 9 Answering System Off
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

If you forgot to turn on answering system the directions for that are here:

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely
from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the
number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming message,
press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system On. You hear the outgoing message
and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

Try this...
See if this works for you.

Remote Operation
When you are away from home, you can operate your answering system with any
touch-tone telephone.Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or
delete messages, even record a new greeting message.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code.
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages
stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming message, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command
from the following chart:

Command Function
0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 4 Delete a Message
0 then 5 Stop Operation
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 9 Answering System Off
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

If you forgot to turn on answering system the directions for that are here:

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely
from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the
number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming message,
press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system On. You hear the outgoing message
and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

Don't know about other models, but I just called RCA small business phone support (800-511-3180) to find out how to clear the message light indicator on my 25210 2-line cordless phone when it continues to blink but there is no message.

All you have to do is hold down the delete button for a few seconds and it will clear. Hope this helps someone else from going batty!

Accessing the Answering System from another location.
from any touch tone phone by entering your 3 digit security code after you hear the outgoing message.
1. Dial the phone no. to which the answering system is connected to .
2. Enter the security code after you hear the tone.
3. Follow the voice menu to use the answering systems remote functions.
Review messages press 1
plack back messages press2
Stop message playback press 2 again
Erase message press 0 during playback
Skip message press 3
Turn off/on answer press 4
Review voice menu options press 7