Quality Hands Free Car Kit for Universal?

[Guest Blakey]

Anyone have a hands free car kit which will do the following:

1. Mount your Universal on the dash board/window.

2. Amplify anything it says to you (e.g. TomTom or telephone calls) such that you can hear it above the stereo.

3. Enable a caller who calls you to hear what you are saying (some sort of microphone set up)

4. Power a GPs unit from the cradle. i.e. have only 1 power plug in the ciggie lighter which powers the cradle and then that cradle has a plug to power the BT GPS via mini USB.

Thanks

Blakey

[Guest AlanJC]

Anyone have a hands free car kit which will do the following:

1. Mount your Universal on the dash board/window.

2. Amplify anything it says to you (e.g. TomTom or telephone calls) such that you can hear it above the stereo.

3. Enable a caller who calls you to hear what you are saying (some sort of microphone set up)

4. Power a GPs unit from the cradle. i.e. have only 1 power plug in the ciggie lighter which powers the cradle and then that cradle has a plug to power the BT GPS via mini USB.

Thanks

Blakey

Any old PDA mount, such as an Arkon to mount on the window, then use a bluetooth headset or speakerphone with it?

[Guest Blakey]

Any old PDA mount, such as an Arkon to mount on the window, then use a bluetooth headset or speakerphone with it?

Hi Alan,

I'm trying to avoid using a bluetooth headset. Do you think standard speakerphone mode is loud enough to hear a conversation when driving? Potentially with the radio on (quietly) as well?

Also, I'm after a solution which would allow me to hear TomTom when driving along so some sort of amplified solution would be good.

Whilst I'm here, is there a way to switch the phone into "handsfree" mode? I couldn't find any concept of "profiles" like I have on my MPX220?

Thanks

Blakey

[Guest AlanJC]

Hi Alan,

I'm trying to avoid using a bluetooth headset. Do you think standard speakerphone mode is loud enough to hear a conversation when driving? Potentially with the radio on (quietly) as well?

Also, I'm after a solution which would allow me to hear TomTom when driving along so some sort of amplified solution would be good.

Whilst I'm here, is there a way to switch the phone into "handsfree" mode? I couldn't find any concept of "profiles" like I have on my MPX220?

Thanks

Blakey

To be honest, I find TomTom easily loud enough when I am driving, so rather than spend money on something to amplify it, why not simply turn your stereo down if you are heading into an area where you will want to listen to it clearly?

As for calls, no, there is no handsfree mode, you have to select it after answering a call, but you can get lots of different bluetooth speakerphones, I have an Icon visor mount one, but I use a K800i as my phone, I simply use the Universal for PDA and data use. I hate Windows Mobile for phone use.

[Guest Blakey]

I use a K800i as my phone, I simply use the Universal for PDA and data use. I hate Windows Mobile for phone use.

How do you cope with this as regards SIMs? Do you have two phone accounts? One for your MDA Pro and one for your K800i? Or do you swap the SIM over a lot?

[Guest AlanJC]

How do you cope with this as regards SIMs? Do you have two phone accounts? One for your MDA Pro and one for your K800i? Or do you swap the SIM over a lot?

Seperate SIM in each. I have tried time and time again to just have one device, but WM smartphones are useless, s60 smartphones are better for my needs, but too slow, and WM pocketpcs are just too big and fiddly for phone use.

A normal phone is still the best phone, you can walk along and call, text, and read messages easily, quickly, and one handed.

I just use a PAYG SIM in my PPC for IM and email use, and use it as a PDA, which, let's be honest, is what they were designed for. Yes, you *can* use them as a phone, but the phone was an added bonus for adding mobile data capabilities in them.

[Guest Blakey]

Seperate SIM in each. I have tried time and time again to just have one device, but WM smartphones are useless, s60 smartphones are better for my needs, but too slow, and WM pocketpcs are just too big and fiddly for phone use.

A normal phone is still the best phone, you can walk along and call, text, and read messages easily, quickly, and one handed.

I just use a PAYG SIM in my PPC for IM and email use, and use it as a PDA, which, let's be honest, is what they were designed for. Yes, you *can* use them as a phone, but the phone was an added bonus for adding mobile data capabilities in them.

You are talking about a Universal, right? So have you managed to get a PAYG 3G SIM card then? And do you have web n walk on that or do you have to pay for the data used?

I like your idea and I'm tempted to follow it - but equally I don't want to waste money on multiple contracts or paying extra for data if I can avoid it...

[Guest grey]

I have a Parrot CK3100 and a XDA Exec and have been having connection problems since the day I purchased them, I have all the latest software and firmware but still I have constant disconnections?? I am now in contact with Parrott direct but they seem to be at a loss to why this keeps happening. I did think it was this type of phone and have considered a new model but reading this is not filling me with confidence. I know for sure it has something to do with the operating system on the phone or the BT software as I have a couple of other handsets that the car kit works perfectly with.

Has anyone managed to get the XDA Exec or SPV 3100 working with this car kit with NO PROBLEMS straight from the box and for more than a month? If so please get in touch as I would love to hear from you.

[Guest xerxes]

You are talking about a Universal, right? So have you managed to get a PAYG 3G SIM card then? And do you have web n walk on that or do you have to pay for the data used?

I like your idea and I'm tempted to follow it - but equally I don't want to waste money on multiple contracts or paying extra for data if I can avoid it...

I have an XDA Exec from O2 on a pure data tariff which costs about

[Guest boyled]

Hi,

I've had the Parrot CK3300 (phone kit and GPS) working successfully with my Universal for several months now. I've got a car mount kit which also powers the Universal. I use TomTom Navigator 5 and it works great.

[Guest lowbug]

THB Bury do a full car kit. Although the M5000 Bluetooth has issues ie it is crap.. :)

[Guest AlanJC]

Oops lost track of this thread sorry.

K800i build quality is very good. I think the thing people are worried about is the plastic camera cover, but it's more a feeling it's not sturdy, rather than actually being a problem. Mine's not in a case, is in and out of my pockets all day, dropped on the floor a couple of times (although carpeted) and is fine, without a mark on it. There's some hairline scuffing on the camera lens cover, but nothing else.

As for Bluetooth on the Uni, I think the same can be said of any device using the Microsoft stack, but trust me, later AKU and Operating Systems do improve things. The former is upto AKU 3.5 if you want to chance it over on XDA Developers, I have used the helmi and indra ROMs, but currently the 3.3 versions are the most stable, and don't seem to have any memory leak issues. The latter will probably only surface after the commercial release of WM6/Crossbow, and they can release a version for the Universal without getting into trouble.