I gather from replies on here that most of you keep your phone's bluetooth "on" all the time? Thought that was supposed to be a security issue or was that another scare story?
I always keep my bluetooth off unless I am linking it up to my Jabra "Mr Spock" headset thingy. Phone manual also states that keeping bluetooth on drains the battery quicker (Nokia 6230).
|
I highly recommend the Parrot CK3100. I've been using it for over a year now and it's great. It self answers and hangs up. I can voice dial people and a clear blue lit screen shows who's calling. It's very neat on my dash. It also cuts off the radio when a call comes in. I was so impressed i got a the company fleet fitted with them and they are all delighted with them. You may pay a bit more for it but it's worth every cent. I give it 10 out of 10. Hope this helps you.
Dermot.
Dermot
|
I've heard good things about the Parrot kits. But I had to stick with the company provided kit.
Years ago THB was very poor (lots of broken clips) but the latest generation is now very, very good. And with interchangeable holders for the phone which charge. I said it earlier but I can recommend THB Bury Universal system to anyone. And they do BT stuff too.
Rob
|
|
|
Thought that was supposedto be a security issue or was that another scare story?
Depends on whether you've got the setting on your phone 'hidden' or 'shown to all'. But yes, leaving BT on all the time does drain the battery quicker.
|
|
>>Thought that was supposed to be a security issue or was that another scare story?
Is this the - "somebody will download a virus to you" or the "someone will use your phone to make international calls" scare ? Or perhaps the "someone will download your address book" rumour.
Rubbish whatever. The only issues that I am aware of are that it does use a little mroe battery power and someone can send you anonymous texts [without even a number showing]. But who cares ?
|
BT is on permanently, but set as "hidden" As said the only issue is the battery runs out a bit quicker, no biggy.
|
Even if it isn't hidden, you have to accept whetever's being sent don't you?
I left my bluetooth on all the time and showing but only because I was lazy and the battery lasted forever. With this phone I'll have to turn it off - not for security reasons but so the battery lasts more than a few hours!
|
Thanks for all the replies.
Parrot seems to be coming up repeatedly, so I'll take a peek.
IIRC, the security issue was that a scrote walks past your car with his bluetooth on on his mobile, finds out that there's a response from something in your car and breaks in knowing they'll get either a laptop or a mobile.
V
|
Would have to be parked in the middle of nowhere.
|
I have the Parrot kit too and it's a superb piece of kit.
--
\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
|
|
|
IIRC, the security issue was that a scrote walks past your car with his bluetooth on on his mobile, finds out that there's a response from something in your car and breaks in knowing they'll get either a laptop or a mobile. V
Not at all, if your car is parked the unit is powered off, therefore no bluetooth signal, If you have parked your car and left the ignition on Jonny P Scrote is going to be knicking your whole car not just your car kit :o)
Also why would you leave your laptop in the car tuned on?
|
Also why would you leave your laptop in the car turned on?
It's been previously mentioned on here that if a laptop is left in standby mode (as opposed to being completely shut down) then it could still emit a bluetooth signal.
|
|
|
|
|
Little more battery power? Hm.... I use a clip-on Motorola HF820. Works OK, excellent battery life. Can struggle on noisy roads, but good VFM. Always turn Bluetooth on the phone off when not used, though, as it has a serious effect on battery discharge rate of my Nokia 6320. Daughter, who worked for while selling mobiles, said that bluetooth is a 'battery monster' and had many complaints of rapid battery discharge when bluetooth was used.
JS
|
I use a Visorblade or Supertooth II, it uses a clip on the sunvisor which is metal & has 2 powerfull magnets. Built in mic & powerful speaker (needed in the 944!) mine was £70 from a T Mobile shop or a mate got one for about £55 on ebay. 900 hours standby, 8 hours talk & car & mains chargers. I've got it paired with both my personal & work Motorola V3's.
|
I'm seriously considering getting one a Parrot CK3100 kit to fit in the Mondeo as SWMBO is in the car for 500+ miles a week now, so a wired in hands free seems more justified than ever.
JamesH and TU, I note you chaps have fitted your own. I am intending to do this, is it really as simple as it sounds with no wire cutting etc?? Are the brackets for mounting the display screwed on or self adhesive?
The instructions on the Parrot website don't make it sound quite so simple.......
Also, any suggestions where to mount the display and mic in a current model Mondeo?
Thanks in advance.
|
As long as you get the correct cable (making the assumption that the ford stereo is not an iso connector) then it is really quite easy.
If the ford is an iso connector then it is even easier. The hardest part for me was to find somewhere to hide the 2 control boxes as there was not enough room behind or below the stereo in the car I fitted it to, so it had to go under the dash on the drivers side. The display can be screwed on if you so wish or it comes with self adhesive pads and a variety of different mountings. I have the mic mounted on top of the display and the display is mounted on the steering wheel cowl, this means that you would normally talk directly into the mic when driving so gives a very clear sound for the other person. The only bit that I have realised that have done wrong and need to go back and correct is that I have the switched live and the permanent live the wrong way round - not a major issue and the kit still works well, just does not do the voice dialling as it keeps loosing the settings, just a matter of swapping two bullet connectors over as the Honda seems to have these reversed, so I would check that if I were you to make sure Ford has not done the same (next time I will use the multimeter I had with me instead of just rushing and wanting to play)
I have also just fitted the parrot Rythem N Blues all in one unit in our other car, and I am also impressed with this, call quality is excellent and fitting was even easier - well more straight forward.
|
I've just had a Parrot CK3100 fitted at £160 inc VAT. Why do it yourself, when it can be professionally done for that price? Its really very good.
However the leads that mute the radio have to be spot on. The first one did the job, but stopped the illumination lights for the radio and heater controls working. A new lead sorted that out.
|
Espada - who did it for you? I'm thinking of getting a proper wired-in set up
|
|
|
Thanks for the quick reply TU :-)
I just need to find out if the Sony 6006 head unit has the ISO connector by the sounds of it. Can see a new thread coming on in Technical Matters.......
I have no electrical experience to talk of, so want to make sure fitting is easy enough, I don't want to buy the unit then have to pay the same price again to have it fitted!!
Thanks again.
|
I should have said I'm paying £82 inc VAT & delivery.
|
Look on expansys www.expansys.com/f.aspx?i=112175 there is a whole forum dedicated to the ck3100, it has some useful hints etc.
|
I'll be on that forum all night now, cheers TU
|
I have a Parrott 3100 and rate it very highly. If you're often in and out of the car and often on the phone it's a very good tool that IMO is well wotth the extra cash. I don't like handling calls when I'm driving but this works as well as anything I've seen or heard and if I've left the phone in my jacket or the boot, I can still run everything from the Parrot unit. Pays your money ....
|
What year is your Mondeo? A 6006 stereo suggests Mk2, but the mention of a Sony unit would make it a Mk3 facelift if it's a standard fit item. Neither have ISO connectors, the Mk3 facelift used the new Quadlok system which was originally started by the German marques.
I have a Nokia CK-7W kit in my 2005 Mondeo and I'm very pleased with it. To fit a CK3100 in a Mk3 facelift it seems you would need an Autoleads 06-092B Telemute lead and an 06-0423B adaptor lead as you are using a Parrot kit - the Telemute leads are wired for Nokia kits.
You will also need a set of radio removal keys - even with them I struggled for half an hour to get the stereo out on mine!
I get all my phone gear from www.siocommunications.co.uk and have had excellent service from them.
|
Hi Quinny, the car is a 55 plate 2005.5 yr model Ghia with the Sony 6 disc CD radio. Thanks for the info and link, I've had a look. If i'm understanding it right I only need one lead (which is in two parts) - the SOT-092 model at £19.99, I can live with that. The removal keys are about £7 on ebay for the required four so again that's not too bad. Even at £27 to install myself it still beats £90 even if I do end up losing some skin off my knuckles....
|
Am I right to assume that the Parrot unit is powered via these leads between the car loom and the radio or is there another power connection that needs to be made?
|
It is powered from the car loom - loom goes to parrot kit then passes onto to car stereo if you see what I mean.
|
son has just fitted a pioneer deh-p75bt head unit to his car. it picks up the blue tooth signal from his sony ericsson mobile, no wires , just programme head unit to phone and bobs your mothers brother, also comes with a remote control. jag.
|
PeterPerfect, everything has been pretty well covered by TU, I don't have much to add. In my car, I have a fairly flat area to the left of the steering wheel where I have used an adhesive mount to save putting a hole in the dash. It does mean it's partly obscured by the steering wheel, but that hides the brightness of the display and I don't use mine hugely often. I put the microphone at the top of the A-pillar, with clip wedged between where the A-pillar plastic trim meets the headlining. The cable is hidden behind the door seal.
One gripe was that on switching on the ignition, it made a series of bleeps but a recent software update cured this. I couldn't park the car close enough to the PC in my house, but borrowed a laptop, put my Bluetooth dongle in and did the update from that.
Only very minor glitch is that the display will show any other operator name, or show 'O2 - UK' with a PAYG card, but only shows 'Network OK' with my 3G O2 contract sim in a Sony K800i. More of a bugbear with this phone is that the Parrot won't synchronise with the phonebook properly. This was 'cured' by putting the Parrot in the right mode and sending all my contacts to it from the phone. The synchronisation on start-up now adds any new phonebook entries as it should.
James
|
Forgot to ask, where can you get it from for £82? I know someone who's impressed with mine but has never seen it at that low price.
|
Have you considered the Jabra BT250v?
This is the thing that sits on your ear - yes, you can look like a wassock, but, it works and is portable.
Costs around £40 - can be set to vibrate - if you are on foot you can still take the thing with you and then you have both hands free for message taking.
If you are using it in the car, your passengers cannot hear both sides of the conversation.
Mine has just been through a wash cycle in the dishwasher (no, it was accidental) and still works fine.
|
Have you considered the Jabra BT250v? Costs around £40
Recently replaced my duff BT250 with the BT250V. Cost £32.45 (inc p&p) from www.mobilefun.co.uk
www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/5446.htm
|
JamesH thanks for your reply too.
I ordered from www.foneshop.com it was £83.98 including VAT and delivery. I chose the cheapest delivery option, but it still came next day Special Delivery before 1pm too which was impressive.
I couldn't find it cheaper, but I did find it on one site for £149.99 plus delivery!!
I'll post a further update once i've got round to fitting it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|