Develop Bugs

O2 XDA II Car Kit Query

Hi all
Has anyone any experience of the O2 Car Kit like this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=57252&item=6382293875
I'm well past the stage where I should have installed and be using one, (the car is a Diesel L/R Disovery Tdi, and not exactly quiet), but I'd like any opinions on the best to use, or any problems that might arise.
Althogh I have a BT GPS Unit, I dont use any Route Planning S'Ware, cause few have any usefull maps of Northern Ireland, so its the call audio I'm really interested in.
TIA for any opinions

Based on the pictures this carkit is the same as the QTek2020 / T-Mobile MDAII carkit.
It is said to be of very good quality.
BUT: It is also said that when using ie TomTom Navigator (or the like) your car-audio will be muted permanently.
This carkit was sold in Germany for approx 170 euro (about 110 gbp). So I would say the current auction price is rather high . . . .
I was not aware that O2 sold this carkit. I am using the XDAII carkit that is/was sold by ie. Expansys. The quality of that thing is not as good. Especially the mic sound is horrible for 'the other side'
BTW there are many threads on this (all approx 1 yr old)

Car Kit Query
Hi Ed
>>Based on the pictures this carkit is the same as the QTek2020 / T-Mobile MDAII carkit. It is said to be of very good quality.
Yes I agree, part of what drew me towards this one is the look of it.
>>BUT: It is also said that when using ie TomTom Navigator (or the like) your car-audio will be muted permanently.
I have considered this, and I'm not sure when or if I would use anything other than 'Pocket Streets', (and its maps of this area aren't that good either).
Most of the mapping I have been able to view provide street level detail, only in Larger Built up areas, and main routes connecting these.
Fortunately I already know my way between Belfast and other towns, As a result I dont know if TT or indeed any of the others would be of any real use. As a result, I really am more curious about the Call audio from the Speaker and Mic, during calls.
>>This carkit was sold in Germany for approx 170 euro (about 110 gbp). So I would say the current auction price is rather high . . . .
yes I found it on the T'mobile (D) site still on sale,
fully agree re the price but .... if it works ... then ... maybe ..
>>BTW there are many threads on this (all approx 1 yr old)
Yes and I think I managed to read most of them, I was sorta looking to see if someone else has lived with one of these for while, and have a experienced opinion on the it, any Rom Upgrades needed etc ...
I'm not sure how much more stress I am prepared to endure to get various aspects of this great unit to work as I hoped it would, (can't afford to be pulling on my hair much more these days)

I have yesterday just bought this car kit from the company advertising it on ebay, first of all the compnay are absolutly brilliant to deal with and would recommend them highly.
As for the car kit i have found three little niggles:
1) it isn't as easy as other car phone kits to place the xda2 into the holder, this is probably the case for most xda2 car kits due to the body of the xda2 itself.
2) any sound from the pda will mute the car radio, this so far hasn't been too much of an issue, but you can always just disconnect the car radio mute lead, but side effect of course is that you would have to turn the radio down when you recieve a call, however it is nice that the tomtom directions etc come out the car phone speaker loud and clear.
3) now this one may not be the car kit itself and maybe just that i haven't managed to find optimal settings or have missed a setting up procedure (if there is one). Basically there is a lot of background noise through the microphone, speech can be heard ok but i haven't experienced this amount of noise from any other kit, however i am going to try and relocate the mic to the middle of the car instead of up the windscreen frame near the driver door, this may solve this.
Apart from that it is a very easy kit to install (would recommend a professional install due to problems of bodged installs and car air bags!), it is of a very good physical quality and have seen it advertised for over £150 in the UK.

O2 car kit query
see now thats what I was hoping for.
thanks macca
I'm just about convinced
now just need to know where my wife hid my c'card ???

macca: Just a tip for the mic: Make sure the airstream from then vents does not reach the mic. I read several threads on background noise and most of them appeared to be created by the airstream blowing over the mic.

thanks edsub, i'll investigate that furthur, i maybe moving over to a orange m2000 soon as i have been offered an upgrade, unfortunatly it won't fit in my car kit, so i may have to sell it and get a xda2i instead. xda2 is great, i just miss the wlan.
david young, glad to have helped.

Brodit kits
I wonder if anyone has any experience of these Brodit Car Kits at pdahut? I do like the idea of ProClip Brodit have so you don't have to drill holes anywhere in your car. Any other suggestion?
http://www.pdahut.com/store/home.php?cat=378

I have Brodit and Carcomm cradles installed and they are both excellent. At the moment I have my XDAII in a Carcomm cradle which is powered and has a serial input cable to which you can connect a GPS Mouse or charge a BT GPS.
The Brodit cradles also have the option of an amplified speaker, in the photos you'll see my 2210 on the right of the steering wheel is connected to this type.
In the UK TotalPDA sell Carcomm and Handnav are the appointed Brodit resellers.
See here for images of the cradles in my car.

I too liked the idea of not drilling in my (leasecar) dashboard.
Afaik there are two options then:
Brodit Procip (plastic)
MTU dashmount (metal)
I opted for the MTU and decided to imitate it myself from a metal plate strip. Its quite easy from the MTU specifications:
http://www.mtu.no/english/DashMount/DM_pdf/70224.pdf
I managed the get the cables through the airvent that is now blocked by the carkit.

Now did I get a bargain or did I get a bargain.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5196552992&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

So long as you want it for an XDA rather than an XDAII then yes.

I have my 2i in a Brodit kit connected to the cigarette lighter and then a bluetooth Motorola HS810...works a treat. Luckily the 2i fits perfect as I got the cradle originally for the XDA2.
I've also got my TomTom wireless BT receiver on the dash...all work nicely (other than ongoing issues with phone mast transfers causing TT lockups)
Aww hell, I'll just take a picture and show you...my only wish is that on the Mini the holder was locked in a bit higher to show off when people drive past
A
PS - yes that IS a Care Bear...that my girlfriend puts there to "watch over me". I have one of those little dog things that Clintons Cards do (the ones with the big heads and little bodies) in the other cup holder. Thought I'd get that in now to avoid the "errr....is that a care bear?" questions!!

griffog said:
See here for images of the cradles in my car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Errr....just how many PDAs and phones do you want in your car?? Hehe...

They're not all used all of the time but I need them when performin comparison testing
Actually I tend to use TT Mobile 5 on a C500 most of the time now!

Griffog, yes it is for xda however I had an official car kit, the original I think for xda in the past and that would take an xda 2 quite happily although I never tried it out in the car it charged the xda 2 on the bench ok, what are the issues, is there a wiring difference preventing it working?

In-car holders: What r u using and what's the best?

I'm looking for a holder for my Qtek 2020i.
I was thining of this: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/5827.htm
Just wondered if anyone has used these before and if they're any good?
What's everyone else using?
I want to link my PDA to my head unit so I need it to be fairly close...also have to be able to reach it so that I can activate the Voice Command
Only prob for me is lack of dash space - I have a mkII MR2
Cheers
Wayne

I use the similiar, if not the same product that was bought from PDA Hut.
http://www.pdahut.com/store/product.php?productid=16897
It's a well made product.

forumjunky said:
I use the similiar, if not the same product that was bought from PDA Hut.
http://www.pdahut.com/store/product.php?productid=16897
It's a well made product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me if this holder obstructs the headphone socket in anyway?
I want to link my PDA to the headunit in my car via the headphones socket ya see.
Cheers
Wayne

if you want the best go for brodit at www.brodit.com or
http://www.gpsforless.co.uk

forumjunky said:
I use the similiar, if not the same product that was bought from PDA Hut.
http://www.pdahut.com/store/product.php?productid=16897
It's a well made product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick update:
I emailed PDAHut direct with the question and got a quick response saying that there would be no problem using the headphone socket.
I placed my order yesterda (Friday) at 2pm and my PDA holder arrived this morning (Saturday) via Recorded Delivery!
I'm very, very, very happy witht he product - not fitted it to the car as yet but it's deffinately worth the money in my opinion. The suction cup is unbelievably secure (I couldn't pull it, shake it or slide it off my bedroom window once attached!)...this was a big conern for me as I drive a sports car with stiff suspension and I was concerned that the holder would just come loose when driving over uneven ground.
The item itself is posable in any number of positions and is easily adjusted via thumb screws (so no tools nesceary). Becasue it's all held in place via these screws (rather than bendable extension arms) it doesn't move once you've got it in the position you want.
I've had another look at the products I suggested in my first post and I can confirm that the one I have purchased (at a fraction of the cost by the way) is almost identical if not the same product.
Regards
Wayne

Just found this...this IS the product I got from PDAHut - note that I have the STABILO holder so it can't be swiveled - I think PDAHut sell both types though.
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/hrmounts.php
Cheers
Wayne

PDAMODS - MDA3 Mount
Hi All,
Probably too late now but here is the link for the Vehicle Mount I'm using.. Does the job perfectly, doesn't block the Headphone Socket and mantains a secure environment!
http://www.pdamods.com/proddetail.asp?prod=A11XDA2SMNT&cat=113
Runs TomTom 5 too without any problems.. I'm currently using a wired GPS that plugs straight into it but this does require a power supply to it!
Hope this helps..?
Cheers

In Car Holder

For all of my last phones (SPV E200, C500) I've used the Brodit "Proclip" mounting system. I also used a Brodit base for my Ipaq, onto which I attached my Seidio holder.
I intend to use the MDA Pro for Sat Nav in the car, therefore I need (ideally) an active holder for it, with power input from the bottom, so I can sit the MDA Pro in landscape, with the screen facing out, so I can see my TomTom.
At the moment, by swivelling the screen, I can rest the base between the gear lever and aircon knobs of my S4, but it is way too low.
Brodit aren't showing anything on their website yet.
I don't favour "universal" style mounts which grip the device using ratchet arms - I like to be able to slot the phone / PDA straight in like a cradle.
I don't need the cradle to offer anything else (GPS, power to GPS, speakers or anything like that) simply need it to hold (and possibly power) the MDA Pro. If it doesn't power, I'll simply wire a charging cable into my electrics and leave it terminating close by, so when I slot into passive cradle, I just connect the power manually. Active solution preferred tho!

I contacted Akron about a Jas Jar car mount and received this resonse:
The JasJar and Kjam will be hugely popular PDA's. At this time, we are working on solutions for these. Unfortunately, creation time can be longer than 6-8 weeks. We have to create PDA specific cables/modules for these units.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there should be many options soon, just need to give the accessory developers a little bit of time.

timetex said:
For all of my last phones (SPV E200, C500) I've used the Brodit "Proclip" mounting system. I also used a Brodit base for my Ipaq, onto which I attached my Seidio holder.
I intend to use the MDA Pro for Sat Nav in the car, therefore I need (ideally) an active holder for it, with power input from the bottom, so I can sit the MDA Pro in landscape, with the screen facing out, so I can see my TomTom.
At the moment, by swivelling the screen, I can rest the base between the gear lever and aircon knobs of my S4, but it is way too low.
Brodit aren't showing anything on their website yet.
I don't favour "universal" style mounts which grip the device using ratchet arms - I like to be able to slot the phone / PDA straight in like a cradle.
I don't need the cradle to offer anything else (GPS, power to GPS, speakers or anything like that) simply need it to hold (and possibly power) the MDA Pro. If it doesn't power, I'll simply wire a charging cable into my electrics and leave it terminating close by, so when I slot into passive cradle, I just connect the power manually. Active solution preferred tho!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I contacted Brodit earlier this month and received a prompt response saying they should have an active holder available at the end of this month

The toyota echo has an almost perfect little cubby for the Universal to rest in.

skearon said:
timetex said:
For all of my last phones (SPV E200, C500) I've used the Brodit "Proclip" mounting system. I also used a Brodit base for my Ipaq, onto which I attached my Seidio holder.
I intend to use the MDA Pro for Sat Nav in the car, therefore I need (ideally) an active holder for it, with power input from the bottom, so I can sit the MDA Pro in landscape, with the screen facing out, so I can see my TomTom.
At the moment, by swivelling the screen, I can rest the base between the gear lever and aircon knobs of my S4, but it is way too low.
Brodit aren't showing anything on their website yet.
I don't favour "universal" style mounts which grip the device using ratchet arms - I like to be able to slot the phone / PDA straight in like a cradle.
I don't need the cradle to offer anything else (GPS, power to GPS, speakers or anything like that) simply need it to hold (and possibly power) the MDA Pro. If it doesn't power, I'll simply wire a charging cable into my electrics and leave it terminating close by, so when I slot into passive cradle, I just connect the power manually. Active solution preferred tho!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I contacted Brodit earlier this month and received a prompt response saying they should have an active holder available at the end of this month
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's excellent news. I always found the Arkon stuff slightly "plastic"...

galt said:
The toyota echo has an almost perfect little cubby for the Universal to rest in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Such a big phone for such a small car lol.
I'd almost consider carving out a whole in my dash like that. Only problem is how to activate voice command???
Bluetooth headset I guess?

check out my car cradle below
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=29351&highlight=

I have been liaising in quite some depth with Brodit about this. The current state of affairs is:
1. A holder won't be available for 2-4 weeks
2. It will be passive, not active (i.e. just a lump of plastic, no charger)
3. It will hold the device vertical, not horizontal
What a waste of time! :roll: All good SatNav systems have a horizontal screen. Of course in-car we want it held horizontally, with a charger. Presumably the guys at Brodit all drive cars with vertically oriented windscreens! :lol:
Any other 'active' car kits anyone knows about coming soon?

CJSnet said:
I have been liaising in quite some depth with Brodit about this. The current state of affairs is:
1. A holder won't be available for 2-4 weeks
2. It will be passive, not active (i.e. just a lump of plastic, no charger)
3. It will hold the device vertical, not horizontal
What a waste of time! :roll: All good SatNav systems have a horizontal screen. Of course in-car we want it held horizontally, with a charger. Presumably the guys at Brodit all drive cars with vertically oriented windscreens! :lol:
Any other 'active' car kits anyone knows about coming soon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a BIG disappointment!
Do you know if the passive holder will have the space to allow a charging cable to be plugged in ?

Yes, just got this response:
“ The holder will be with a tilt swivel and You should be able to both have it horizontal and vertical. You should also be able to have it both with the screen flipped in both ways. The only thing is that You have to put the charging cable manually each time.

Brodit has a carholder for the 9000/MDAPro/Jasjar etc
http://www.brodit.com/news.jsp?path=static/news/int/051101.html

Re: Brodit has a carholder for the 9000/MDAPro/Jasjar etc
sammylvb said:
http://www.brodit.com/news.jsp?path=static/news/int/051101.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a nice neat holder (thanks for the link ) but sadly not powered. I was really hoping for an all-in-one holder/charger/audio interface.
Maybe O2 will launch one..... before 2008.

Any UK stockists yet? This is a must have for me. Not bothered about power yet, as I've got my own curly cable...

I ordered mine from www.incardiscount.co.uk . Ask for Martin Wright and tell them Christian sent you, as I'd been liaising with him to get the info for this thread for quite a while. I ordered mine a few days ago.

CJSnet said:
I ordered mine from www.incardiscount.co.uk . Ask for Martin Wright and tell them Christian sent you, as I'd been liaising with him to get the info for this thread for quite a while. I ordered mine a few days ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Price?

£19.99, quoted 2 weeks delivery.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=32352
New, Active holder !

geovass said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=32352
New, Active holder !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is exactly like the passive holder! 8)

Not quite, it has the charger included and attached to the holder, with a short cable that is loose for connection manually to the device after inserting into the cradle. The passive holder doesn't come with a charger, or a holder for the cable.
However I have literally just received the passive holder, and using my existing car charger and a small self-adhesive black cable-clip stuck to the back of the passive holder, it is essentially just the same, only £19.99 instead of £34.99, and available now instead of in 2-3 weeks

Warning: There is a major design flaw with both the Brodit holders. Part of the bracket unnecessarily covers the left speaker. When using SatNav this means that 50% of the speakers are covered, so effectively 50% of the volume is lost. A BIG problem when driving on a noisy motorway. I'm sending mine back.
Anyone know of an alternative out there?

Artemis VS Orbit. Which one?

Hi. I'm selling my XDA EXEC soon so i can buy a smaller pocket PC. I really like the look of the Artemis/Orbit but i can't decide which one to get. I was all set to buy the the Orbit but now after seeing a couple of YouTube vids i'm starting to change my mind. To me the Artemis looks a bit smaller but i can't really tell, any suggestions?
Also as i said previously i'm getting rid of my EXEC, if anybody wants it here is the description:
6 month old XDA EXEC which is in great condition and has had a screen protector on it from day one. Also i'm throwing in my Bluetooth GPS box with it's wall charger and car charger. Also i have a in car holder for the EXEC as well. I'm also including a 2GB SD card with the phone!
Exec has TOMTOM installed on it as well as some games (virtual pool and monkey islands games etc). Also got a stylus with a pen in it!!!
The ROM is a bit on the old side so i can upgrade it before sending it out or leave it as is.
£300 Or nearest offer.
I accept PAYPAL and if u wanna check my ebay account it's called shun_di12 (100% positive and 100 feedback!!)

Shun said:
Hi. I'm selling my XDA EXEC soon so i can buy a smaller pocket PC. I really like the look of the Artemis/Orbit but i can't decide which one to get. I was all set to buy the the Orbit but now after seeing a couple of YouTube vids i'm starting to change my mind. To me the Artemis looks a bit smaller but i can't really tell, any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The P3300 and Orbit are the same size according to the official specs for both (H 108, W 58, D 16.8).

We had the Artemis, Orbit and MDA Compact-III together earlier today, they are all the same size, the different colour gives the illusion of differing size but they are the same.
The screen size is small (well compared to an Exec) - but you can carry the Artemis and MDA in the same shirt pocket and combined they weigh less than my Exec, the screen resolution and contrast on the HTC units is very good, although in the car you can get quite a mirror effect from it under certain lighting conditions, you can reduce this through the use of the screen protection film to some extent, very nice devices though.
Big plus point with the P3300 Artemis you get the pre-installed TomTom Navigator software (correct version for the device), a car decent car charger (although I would prefer the un-coiled style) and a good quality car holder/ mount that will tilt/ Swivel - Mike

Thanks for the replies guys. I went into the T-mobile and O2 stores today to have a proper look. I've decided to get the Artemis/P3300 version, quick question though is the only difference between the MDA compact III and P3300 the logo? On ebay.co.uk there aren't any HTC models at the moment, only T-mobile ones!

No the T-Mobile unit doesn't have WiFi on board and it isn't supplied with Pocket MSN, car charger, holder etc - if you don't need the WiFi then its a good bit of kit - Mike

Thanks for the heads up mike. I almost bought a compact iii recently. Having WiFi would be nice as i'm used to having it on my EXEC. I'm thinking about importing one from America as there seems to be loads of HTC ones over there. If I import one will it be alright to use over here (assuming it's unlocked) on the T-mobile UK network? And am i right in thinking i would have to buy an english AC adaptor?

FOR SALE - XDA 2s (x2) + BT-338 Sirfstar III GPS + 1GB SD + Car kit

Due to an upgrade to a Kaiser, I have the following for sale:
TWO O2 Branded XDA IIs - One complete, one lacks stylus - Both are UNLOCKED.
One, my spare second one - the battery *may* be faulty. The reason I have two is that I had issues with it rebooting when i first got it, O2 sent a replacement and neglected to send a return bag . It ended up that it seemed to be the battery, so I used the original handset but the replacement battery, and I slung the replacement handset and original batt in a drawer. After rooting it out of the drawer (where it had lain for a couple of years) the battery seems to work fine and power was still over 84%. I will run it some to check. Maybe I was just being a noob or the backup battery hadn't charged.
Both handsets have some minor wear on the corners but otherwise are fine. No loose sliders etc. The rubber cap over the headphone socket on the main one is starting to split.
Also, there is a GlobalSat BT-338 SirfStar III Bluetooth GPS unit. I should have the wall charger lying around somewhere lol, I never used it though, I always used the car charger (Which I definately have and is included). A really great unit.
Also, there is a windscreen sucker mount for the XDA. Just a cheapo halfords one, but it fits perfectly and doesn't obstruct power or headphone sockets.
Also included is a retracting mini-sync cable - USB one end, custom XDA connector the other. Get a car lighter -> USB adapter (No! You can't have mine!) and leave that in your car, then you can use the mini sync you keep in your pocket with any PC or in your car to charge or transfer files.
Also included is a 1GB SD card. It is Integral branded card, it shows no speed but it seems to have enough bandwidth to play DivX off the card
Also included are two cradles - one for work, one for home
There should be two holsters, but I mislaid one the other day, I am sure it will turn up lol.
Would anyone be interested in the job lot? May split the 2nd phone off for a spares sale, but would rather sell the lot as one.
I can provide pics, I will need to bring the 2nd cradle from work, and see if I can find the missing holster / GPS wall charger first...
I live in the UK, but I suppose I would consider sending elswhere in europe. Would be unwilling to send to Nigeria even if were is for £10,000
Offers please

I think you will get your best deaL on on ebay here.
I suggest you list them separately
Might be interested in bidding on the spare one...
hardingt0110