FP sound n lights monitor - gives more static than an angry teenager

In our house, the term "baby monitor" is a bit of a misnomer since my youngest is 3 years old. We still find it very useful to be able to monitor what goes on in her room when we're not there. I'm sure this same quest to violate her privacy will extend to her teenage years. But until we can no longer get away with it, the monitor is a very useful tool. However, our old one only had 1 receiver and my wife wanted to be able to hear her in 2 places without carrying the receiver around. So we got the Fisher Price Sound N Lights Monitor Dual Receiver. Has it made the unconstitutional eavesdropping on our 3 year old easier? Does it sound better?

Read on, dear reader...

•• What it is ••
The Fisher Price Sound N Lights Monitor Dual Receiver is a baby monitor with 2 receivers so that you can hear the goings-on in 2 different places.

•• Features and Commentary ••
The Fisher Price Sound N Lights Monitor Dual Receiver looks like a typical Fisher Price product. It is very curvy and round with a large antenna and volume dial. It almost looks like a toy. The transmitter is a little fatter and squatter than the receivers. While this product is not the smallest of the monitors available, it isn't unattractive. The curvy shape and unisex colors make is a perfect addition to a baby or toddler room.

The cool feature of the monitor is the flashing lights that go along with the audio. So if you are downstairs watching Gilmore Girls and don't want to hear the blaring of your child crying for some silly reason like a wet diaper or being hungry, then you can monitor the sounds by watching the bars of light move. There are 4 curved red lines that light up depending on the volume of the sound being transmitted. The lights are very sensitive and will flicker and dim giving the parent a good indication if the baby actually needs something or if they are just turning over in bed.

The range of the monitor is actually quite good. When I'm babysitting the kids, I can easily go next door and still hear the kids while I'm having cocktails with the neighbors. And since it runs on either the AC adapter or batteries, I have full mobility to party like a rock star. And depending on the volume you have the monitor set at, the batteries will last several hours. We usually run the thing on AC power, but when we need it somewhere without, we use batteries. We have yet to need replacing them, so it's been a good 12-15 hours thus far.

But that's extent of the positives of this monitor. The sound quality is quite bad. When our daughter is in her room and the monitor is at a normal volume, the sound is distorted and muffled. I've tried turning it down to get better fidelity, but nothing helps. Of course, I'm not expecting Bose Dolby Digital 5.1 THX quality audio, but I do expect to be able to make out what she is saying when she has a nightmare. This monitor doesn't always allow me to do that.

And the worst part is the noise level. There is constant static on this monitor and yes, I've tried switching to both channels A and B. Same on both. A constant medium level white noise. And to make it worse, since the monitor is picking up static, one red bar glows constantly, making the bedroom look like a Victorian brothel. OK maybe that's not such a bad thing, but you get the point. The static combined with the light meter do not make a good combination. And this happens equally on both receivers in different parts of the house and different distances. Same result on both. A constant static.

•• Conclusion ••
What could have been a great monitor is hampered by constant static and a resulting red bar of light.