Related
I came across this product and had to order one for my tomtom kit, it is the loudest speaker moutn I have ever heard, and the XDA 2 fits in the mount perfectly:
http://www.pdamods.com/products.asp?cat=78
I used to have a ipaq 1910 and the speaker on that was rubbish, then upgraded to an XDA 2 and thought it was better than the 1910 but could not hear the voice directions if the radio was loud, however this mount is seriously amazing, it has its own built in amplifier with full volume control.
I have got this holder for the car, unfortunately the TomTom GPS receiver has a RJ11 connector and the holder has a mini USB port, so therefore i can not use it.
It came with a PS2 to mini USB connector and thats it.
Very sad if you ask me
I'm now waiting for a lead connector from TomTom RJ11 to Mini USB
Sorry to hear that they may have made a mistake cos I chose tomtom cable and they sent me the RJ11 cable - believe me when you get the right cable you will love this device !!
On ebay is sold a little rechargeable device called car baby, it clips over the speaker and then you get the audio from the xda or any other device through your car speakers.
Arkon PDA Mount
Hi guys,
I'll let you know my experience with the Arkon car mount kit.
First what I have?
1) O2 XDAII
2) Arkon car mount kit for Vent and Windshield mount.
3) Arkon cables for XDAII
4) Emtac CRUXII/BTGPS
What you gain?
1) A complete car kit that charge both devices (XDA and BT Gps)
2) A handsfree car kit with a good speaker
3) A handsfree Navigation system
Hope this helps a choice.
All these powered mounts are great (i've got the Arkon PDA Mount) except that they all pick up the background radio signels that the phone transmits when it is active or syncing with the network and that's really annoying if you're driving along trying to listen to anything else.
I've had the same problem as you jashry but I've found a little S.P. (Service pack) to that.
Just turn the 3,5 mm cable so that it touches the Arkon device on the backside. And you'll hear less noise due to GSM signal.
Hope it helps!
Arkon 700 car mount for XDA2
I called a well known supplier of kit based in Manchester and asked for a car mount for the XDA2, to run with (and charge) a Bluetooth Tom Tom headset.
The first set came without an audio lead - so rendered the XDA2 useless for receiving calls.
I called and was rudely told of the company's arcane returns policy which made me see red (working in the legal profession) as the kit was clearly defective. To save time, I bought another one subject to some concessions re postage and return of the original etc.
The second kit arrived - complete with a 3.5mm audio lead. The XDA2, which I specified, has a (standard for mobile phones) 2.5mm audio socket. So, it is still useless.
Tried it with a jack adapter (3.5 to 2.5mm) - sound is barely audible, even with everything turned up and "loud' selected on the Ultra Profiler. So, both are now going back with a terse note regarding the Sale of Goods Act.
Can anyone recommend a good car kit (and where to get one from, ideally quickly). Basically, I need something loud and reliable, that will charge a TomTom bluetooth GPS. Ideally, I would like something that can be vent mounted (neater, less 'shake') tha can be hard wired (neater).
I am afraid that finding a jack adapter was at the limit of my technical abilities - suggesting that I splice this and patch in that is akin to suggesting that I learn to fly or communicate by ESP. I wish...
Thanks
PDAMOD Speaker mount for Qtek
Bought one of these mounts that Jashry recommended, but I'm having all kinds of problems with it!
To use the amplifierfacility I have to use the audiosocket in the corner of the Qtek, and they do indeed supply a small cable for that.
But when this cable is mounted, the Qtek barely touches the bottomsocket of the mount, and the connection is lousy!
Actually I HAVE heard the voice, because I can "rock" the Qtek to the side a little, and then I can test the TOMTOM voice, and it sounds great, problem is this prohibits the connection to the GPS, so at the moment it is useless.
On their homepage I can find pics of a Qtek in the mount, but without the little cable in the corner....!
Wonder if anyone uses this device, and if they have had the same problems and maybe somehow solved them?
/HM
angusmcintyre said:
All these powered mounts are great (i've got the Arkon PDA Mount) except that they all pick up the background radio signels that the phone transmits when it is active or syncing with the network and that's really annoying if you're driving along trying to listen to anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I'm a bit late on this thread, but have you tried using an external antenna lead on your device? This should direct all of that radiation where it belongs.
I have to add that I haven't chosen my amplifier cradle yet because of this issue, but I am eager to know whether the antenna theory does work.
I too tried the mount recommended (after the Arkons which went back) and the loudest sound I have ever heard is interference from the radio signal of the 'phone.
Anyone want one? At the moment it is just an overpriced charging cradle.
I now have a 'Silver Shield' mount, and yes it does sqawk when the phone transitter is operative. However, it also does that when I hold it near my nokia, but not when the nokia is in its car-kit. I should be receiving an external antenna tomorrow, so I'll let you know whether the theory works in practise. In the meantime Dr. Fresh, I'll take any unwanted goods!
I tried the Arkon mount, it landed somewhere near the service station at Bristol on the M5 when I launched it out the window, interference was so loud, it should have been returned to the designer and inserted up his ass....sideways.
It works!!!!
Just got my external antenna and adaptor; plugged it into the XDAII, inserted this into the amplified mount and hey-presto, you can hardly hear the interference, whilst the audio signal is strong enough that you could leave the whole lot at home and hear it on a trip to France! (Well, almost!)
My only problem now is that the Antenna adaptor is a bit bulky, sticking out of the back (about 11mm or so), which makes it a little lop-sided in the holder. I now have to take a look at modifying the mount to fit the connector in. Will let you know how I get on
Inspecta. I am interested to know if using an external antenna fixed the problem. I think it will probably make it worse, it is direct rf breakthrough from the phones radio causing the problem and I think the antenna lead is just another place for it to splash its unwanted interference over.
Interference
Hiya Cruisin,
absolutely, it is the external antenna which rectifies the problem.
When using the internal antenna, all of the r.f. energy is in close proximity to the speaker and amplifier. By using an external antenna, you have the same amount of energy, but it is radiated from the antenna located on (in this case) the windscreen. Energy is radiated in all 3 planes, so the interference reduces by the CUBE of the distance, therefore, by doubling the distance from the speaker/amplifier, the amount of interference reduces by eight times. You can verify this effect by placing any mobile up to your car radio; it will eventually pick up the noise, no matter how good the radio.
........ sorry about going off on one! Yes it does work; I removed the external antenna, and the set-up went back to its bad old ways, replaced it and everything is great!
(Now got to get some shares in external antennas!)
And now I will admit my stupidity by telling you I was pretty stoned when I wrote that reply and for some reason i thought you were referring to an external gps antenna, now I cant blame the dope so i will accept all responsibility, thanks for the lowdown on the rf.
or you couyld get a holux like received this morning just tried it and its great amplified speaker and built in gps receiver worked with my xda2 no problem
Must have missed something here.
I've got an arkon powered mount CM532 with built in speaker and gps connection but the voice prompts from the nav software only come thru the internal speaker on my XDA2. I can't get them thru the mounts speaker.
Any suggestions?
ROM 1.60.00WWE
ExtROM 1.60.50
Radio 1.10.00
Did you get a cable to plug into the handsfree socket and into the amplified mount? You need this for all of the mounts that I looked at. If you ordered the mount specifically for the XDA, you should have received a cable to go with it.
In a fit of enthusiasm I ordered the PDAmods.com TomTom5 powered cradle for my SPV M5000, and I was remarkably impressed to have it turn up the next day. Works a treat too, but only now do I realise it *doesn't* have an inbuilt microphone for hands free call, like the spiffy GPSforless.co.uk one.
So, is there any way I can activate the mic to make hands free call with the cradle I've got, or am I going to have to bite the bullet and just buy the one with the inbuilt mic too?
The only way you can do it with the cradle you have is to not plug in the speaker mounted in the cradle (the lead that connects the cradle to the universals earphone jack plug). As soon as this is connected, although it enables the external speaker, it disables the internal mic, which stands to reason when you think about it. I find it quite loud enough without the external speaker plugged in to be honest...
I notice there is alot of disussion over BT headsets, and several threads adressing range/crackling/'static' noise .
However, none of them clearly identifies several BT headsets which won't have problems with using range with Universal - as our pet gadget definetly have it's own issues performing considerably worster then other BT phones / PDA-s with headsets.
So I would kindly ask you all to identify me few models of BT headsets you are using and which can normally communicate with universal in most common situations without crackling/static/disconnections.
I have used old Nokia HDW-3 - and it performed excellent, I could walk all arround the room, turn my head in any direction, stand in between phone and headset (even with universal) and it would sound flawlesly. However, I got the new headset X-sport - very tiny (less then 8g) and fitting me comfortably, but alas, when I charged it and tried to use it - it crackles even if my Uni is on the desk infront of me and I turn my head away.
Please advice on models I could mail order without fear of showing this flaw.
Dalm said:
I notice there is alot of disussion over BT headsets, and several threads adressing range/crackling/'static' noise .
However, none of them clearly identifies several BT headsets which won't have problems with using range with Universal - as our pet gadget definetly have it's own issues performing considerably worster then other BT phones / PDA-s with headsets.
So I would kindly ask you all to identify me few models of BT headsets you are using and which can normally communicate with universal in most common situations without crackling/static/disconnections.
I have used old Nokia HDW-3 - and it performed excellent, I could walk all arround the room, turn my head in any direction, stand in between phone and headset (even with universal) and it would sound flawlesly. However, I got the new headset X-sport - very tiny (less then 8g) and fitting me comfortably, but alas, when I charged it and tried to use it - it crackles even if my Uni is on the desk infront of me and I turn my head away.
Please advice on models I could mail order without fear of showing this flaw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using Sony ericsson Stereo Bluetooth Headset HBH-DS970. The coverage and sound quality are excellent. It offers full A2DP funtionality with Windows media Player as well as pocketmusic. The hardware controls on this headset include Forward and previous track button (which really work with my universal with Darkforce Rom), volume control and an OLED display which displays the caller ID (number only). Voice dialing works perfectly. The earpiece looke like normal earphone (no buldging contraption on the ear like most bluetooth headsets.
Bottom Line:
Any radio freq. is line of sight. So if you turn your head and the two radios (Receiving & Transmitting) are not in LOS, it means that the signal needs to bounce off something else, or go through something, (in this case probably your Head ) which causes the signal to fade, hence the interference.
Laubscherc said:
Bottom Line:
Any radio freq. is line of sight. So if you turn your head and the two radios (Receiving & Transmitting) are not in LOS, it means that the signal needs to bounce off something else, or go through something, (in this case probably your Head ) which causes the signal to fade, hence the interference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bluetooth range is also sometimes ROM specific
I'm quite aware that line of sight provides optimal radio connectivity. But in theory as well as in my experience, good bluetooth connection should be able to cope with such an obstacle as my head providing that distance is about 50 - 70 cm.
However, I guess that most of Universal users are well aware that our devices have inferior performance to most 'regular' mobiles on the market. Is it location of the BT module or ROM - I don't know - it would be great if it's ROM as it would make it relatively fixable. I'm using QTEK latest shipped ROM 1.30.77 WWE together with R.13.00 radio ROM - but willing to change if it helps.
However, by what I red in other threads on this forum, inferior performance is more likely caused by location of BT module in the device.
Thus some headsets which have better BT transmission and reception (more radiated power and better reception) due to their construction should provide us with better BT performance). Thus the 'field test' is only good pointer which headset to buy or not to buy. For me, BT headset which can't communicate from my belt to my ear when I break line of sight by my hand swinging while I walk - is unusable - I'll much rather wear a wire
I tried my old Nokia HDW-3 and it performed great. On the other hand I tried that X-sport tiny one - it was disaster. Now I'm waiting new examplar of good old Nokia as well as Jabra BT800 - I'll report about the field tests
I've tried two options with my QTEC 9000 and using Windows Media. I bought Motoroka S9: really nice concept with the BT unit embedded in the back of the headband, and the sound quality is excellent, and switched between music and calls easily, the track forward (but not backward) control worked, buttons easy to manipulate. Several drawbacks however: it becomes uncomfortable on your ears after an hour or so due to the the design and the hard plastic used (may depend on the shape of your head) and the phone mic only works through one earpiece not in stereo (this is stated in the documentation, it was not a problem with my setup). The fatal flaw however was the BT range. It worked fine when I hold the phone behind my head, inches away from the headset BT unit, but this was impractical for extended periods of time When I put the phone in my jacket pocket or shoulder bag, the continual breakup of the signal made it unuseable. The phone signal performed better but for music this has very limited success and certainly doesn't work as a mobile device, which is sort of the point.
I then bought a Sony Ericsson HBH DS200. The range problem is resolved, music streams fine with my device in my pocket, shoulder bag or briefcase. I can walk around a room and listen to music and make calls no problem, although the music signal drops out when blocked by my body and the distance is about 2m or more. The swithching back to music after taking or making a call is a bit flaky, sometimes i need to reset the devise again to reestablish the connection, but sometimes it works OK. No caller ID on the headset, no volume control, no track back/forward, so it's a bit basic, but after the previous experience, I'm just happy it works. The supplied earbuds are good, and you can unplug them and use anything else you want with a 3.5 jack.
Hope this helps.
Jabra BT800 Jabra BT250V Plantronics A510
The Jabra BT800 (or 810, whatever it was with the LCD) would not get very loud with my Universal. It also wasn't very secure. The LCD would have been cool though...
The Jabra BT250v was very secure, could get plenty loud (most times), but had crappy reception, and worse reception when/if an SD card was inserted. When I say crappy reception, i mean bad. At arms length the headset started having static. As far as I could tell it was only I who heard it, but when I started hearing static, the person on the other side couldn't really hear me.
Plantronics A510 is the bomb!! (in a good way). I have only had it for a few days, but it is super lightweight, gets plaenty loud enough, and I can walk almost 30 feet form the Universal and keep a connection. AND thats while I have an SD card in! It's less than $50 on amazon and is their #1 selling product! It has 1700+ reviews on the site, which I found impressive.
AllanonMage said:
The Jabra BT800 (or 810, whatever it was with the LCD) would not get very loud with my Universal. It also wasn't very secure. The LCD would have been cool though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm the issues with the volume for noisy conditions. In that case I have to manually raise the volume on the headset.
In my silent office the volume's just fine, but yes, it could be higher by default.
I never experienced problems with the range or any disturbances.
With the Universal on my desk I can even wander around on my balcony, which means being about 4 meters away and having no direct line of sight.
With a direct line of sight static gets noticable at about 8 meters, which is living room couch to kitchen sink
I got the BT800 from a good friend who felt uncomfortable wearing it and he told me, that he experienced range problems if the phone was in his left pocket and HS on his right ear. He was using a, mmh, i believe a wizard at that time and the behaviour didn't change after switching to a btv 500 or 250.
This brought me to the theory that range problems in case of small distances are closely related to the belly size of the user.
EvilJogga said:
This brought me to the theory that range problems in case of small distances are closely related to the belly size of the user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PRICELESS!!!!
Does anyone know of a way to use the internal speaker/mic on the TP2 with headphones attached?
I want to use the Brodit 3-in-1 car adapter, but this connects to the TP2 as if it's a set of headphones, so the internal speaker is muted (no sat nav directions). Is there some registry switch which can get the audio to come via the internal speaker as normal?
elyl said:
Does anyone know of a way to use the internal speaker/mic on the TP2 with headphones attached?
I want to use the Brodit 3-in-1 car adapter, but this connects to the TP2 as if it's a set of headphones, so the internal speaker is muted (no sat nav directions). Is there some registry switch which can get the audio to come via the internal speaker as normal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
elyl, did you get anywhere with this I've just bought one of these and holders and have got exactly the same issue, I want to either fix this or to return it and get a standard active holder.
Cheers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=4250590&highlight=Brodit#post4250590
Ah, looks like I'm guilty of double-posting, but I too have the same headache with the three-in-one Brodit holder.
I don't have an answer but I'll add my query to this thread in the hope that somebody who knows more about these things than me will note our plight
Paulplex said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=4250590&highlight=Brodit#post4250590
Ah, looks like I'm guilty of double-posting, but I too have the same headache with the three-in-one Brodit holder.
I don't have an answer but I'll add my query to this thread in the hope that somebody who knows more about these things than me will note our plight
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Paulplex:- I was going to buy an adapter to output sound from the phone to my Aux input on my car stereo head unit, but that still doesn't give me the flexibility of being able to listen to the radio/CD as wouldn't then be able to here driving instructions from TomTom, so I've decided to send my Brodit holder back and get a passive one.
Sorry haven't got any answers for you though, am sure someone far wiser than I, will work out something to fix it.
I've done a little testing and I may have found myself a kind-of solution: although I've not figured out how to disable the automatic 'headphone' profile, you can still output sound if you connect a bluetooth headset to the phone after you've connected the ExtUSB connector from the Brodit car mount.
This means that although you can't use the Brodit car mount and the phones own speakers and microphone, you can still use it with a bluetooth headset - or car stereo that supports bluetooth.
Thats my solution - I'd like to know how to ensure sound goes through the speakers on the phone too, if you've got it connected via an ExtUSB three-in-one adapter, but this now works for me
Paulplex said:
I've done a little testing and I may have found myself a kind-of solution: although I've not figured out how to disable the automatic 'headphone' profile, you can still output sound if you connect a bluetooth headset to the phone after you've connected the ExtUSB connector from the Brodit car mount.
This means that although you can't use the Brodit car mount and the phones own speakers and microphone, you can still use it with a bluetooth headset - or car stereo that supports bluetooth.
Thats my solution - I'd like to know how to ensure sound goes through the speakers on the phone too, if you've got it connected via an ExtUSB three-in-one adapter, but this now works for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Paulplex, this is a good solution but not sure I wan't my TomTom bleating in my ear all the time, I've returned the 3in1 holder I bought, am probably going to go back to a passive one, I might try and pick up a 3in1 adapter, which some apparently don't switch off the internal speaker until a headset is plugged into them, that way I can output to my radio AUX from the 3.5mm headphone jack that these adapters have but will have to think about and do some more research. Good luck!
Cheers
Hi huys,
I too have this 3-in-1 holder. awesome! But indeed when not using the aux of my car and listening to the normal radio I want to have my TP2 docked and be able to listen to tomtom instructions directly from the phone...
Technically this should be possible, the ultimate proof is that when docked all sounds go through the aux out (line out) but the normal ring tone of the phone doesn't. So there is not something like a physical switch that doesn't allow you to plat any sounds directly from the TP2 when docked...
smart guys with solutions?
In the box:
The speaker comes in a simple grey box that is branded with Lumsing on it. On the box, they are basic stats about the speaker, features of the speaker, and the colors the speaker is available in. When you open the box, the speaker is wrapped in a piece of plastic, secured between two pieces of styrofoam. Along with the speaker, you get a 3.5mm audio cable, an instruction manual, a "Join our Power User Program" booklet, a micro USB charger.
First Impressions:
On the front of the speaker, there are four buttons that control answering/ hanging up calls, pausing/playing media, raising the volume, and lowering the volume. Under those buttons, you will find a battery indicator light that flashes green when charging, stays green when fully charged, and flashes red when the battery needs to be charged. Beside that, there is a microphone, and a Bluetooth indicator light that turns red when 3.5mm cable is in, solid blue when the speaker is paired with a device, and flashing blue when the speaker is not paired. There is also a clamp attached to the speaker so you can attach it to whatever you wish to. The speaker feels very sturdy and is made very well. There is no rattling when the speaker is shaken. When you turn on the speaker, the speaker says, "Power On. Bluetooth" letting you know that Bluetooth is on and "Powering Off" when you turn off the speaker. When you turn the speaker up to maximum volume, the speaker says, "Maximum volume." When you plug in the 3.5mm cable in to the speaker, the speaker also says, "Line In." The power button is located at the bottom of the speaker.
Review:
This speaker is unbelievable. For such a little speaker, it packs a punch. This speaker can get very loud. The sound quality is very good also. The battery life on this battery is amazing. After three days use, the battery still didn't need to be charged. I had to finally leave it on all night to kill the battery. The speaker takes about 3 hours to fully charge. Lumsing claims that this battery is waterproof. I tested this claim and I am happy to report that it's true. I put the battery in my tub and poured about two cups of water onto the speaker while it was playing some music and it didn't even affect the speaker. I also performed a drop test from about 5 feet while playing music and the speaker wasn't phased again. The sound didn't muffle when it fell or anything. This speaker can take anything you throw at it. All four buttons work like advertised. The microphone works very well also. I was able to talk on my phone using my speaker and the other party was able to hear me very clearly. I used both the 3.5 mm cable and Bluetooth to stream music and the sound is great both ways. The Bluetooth transmission range of this speaker is very good also. I had my phone in my room and put the speaker in my basement which is two floors down. I was able to position my speaker and get clear music streaming. I wish there was a seek button so I don't have to use my phone to skip tracks but it's not a big deal. If your in the market for a good portable speaker, this is a great choice.
like this kinds of speaker ,i guess many people will go for it ,waterproof
and mini portable size will be very suitable for outside people to travel .