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.
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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.
Just purchased a speaker mount from www.pdamods.com and am using it with tomtom 3 navigator, the sound coming out of that mount is seriously amazing !!
Hi Jashry
I take it that your mount is the PDAMods 'Silver Shield' mount? I am interested because, after months of waiting for the right kit to come along, PDAMods are now offering a TomTom 3 kit for the Xda2 with the new Rikaline X7 BT GPS. Not only a 16-hr battery life, but a replaceable (and reasonably cheap) battery. too!
I have seen lots of posts on this and other fora about getting (or, rather, not getting) non-phone sound out through the Xda2's cradle connector. The prognosis appears not to be good (at least without a ROM upgrade), so how does the Silver Shield mount do it? The photos on the website show an Xda2 on the mount with the headset cable connector shutter apparently closed, and you couldn't just impale the Xda2 onto a jack fixed to the mount anyway, because the socket is set at an angle.
Any offers?
Gadget :roll:
currently have an ipaq4150 tomtom mount in car, does the job perfectly, it feeds the tomtom bt gps with power, is very steady on the windshield, and powers the ipaq (via cigarette lighter), slotting it and out with ease.
I am about to recieve an xda exec, and I am wanting a similarly neat solution.
I want it powered, off the windshield, and able to power the bt. I dont want a generic one size fits all, they are messy, and dont hold the phones very well.....
Is there a holder that will do this for me?
If not, is there a one that can be clipped into the air vents (mk2 mondeo) to do the same thing?
thanx
I know it would become cable central, but why not invest in a splitter for your 12v supply - one feeds the receiver and the other feeds the mount.
I just bought a gooseneck brodit cradle from bryson (www.dsldevelopments.co.uk) and i'm really happy with it.
I dont need the bluetooth power as I've got a parrot gps bluetooth carkit.
Suggest that you consider the Brodit mount, it comes in 2 parts, 1 that fits the specific car & 1 that fits the specific PDA, you can also get a suction mount.
Looks neet & PDA very secure.
I purchased mine on e-bay along with a Y cable to power my Jasjar & BT GPS unit.
Mike
I got this one, simply perfetct
http://www.pdamods.com/proddetail.asp?prod=A111U2CRIJASMNT
I am looking for a car style mount that will actually grasp my m5000 when in the tablet format, so that it can't fall out (actually for a hot air balloon). It does not need to be powered or anything, only be able to be fixed to a RAM mount. All the ones I see discussed here are slip in.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Have you considered making one?
Get something like an Otterbox, and the appropriate type of clamp/mount for your needs, then glue/screw/bolt the 2 parts together?
The Otterbox looks great, little bit of overkill thought, I am looking for a bracket that basically has a clip at all 4 corners.
I have ordered a couple from RAM (http://www.ram-mount-uk.com, Steve is extremely helpful on the phone), but I think that the PDA is too big for their current models.
must_dash said:
I have ordered a couple from RAM (http://www.ram-mount-uk.com, Steve is extremely helpful on the phone), but I think that the PDA is too big for their current models.
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Did you try the RAM-HOL-PD3? I've been looking for a mount for the Exec that I can attach to the RAM bracket I've got at the moment, but I don't know whether this one's suitable.
I have just received the PD3 mount that is resonably good. It has sides on it which are good, but the end fingers fit over one end properly, but the other end will only go over the keyboard and not the screen when folded over. However I will be keeping it as the most secure so far. The other mount I contemlated is
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/10076.htm.
this has to be the best mount you can get i have the one for the qtek 9100 and the speaker is excellent in tomtom and also charges they do one for your device
http://www.pdamods.com/products.asp?cat=126
eddieitman said:
this has to be the best mount you can get i have the one for the qtek 9100 and the speaker is excellent in tomtom and also charges they do one for your device
http://www.pdamods.com/products.asp?cat=126
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Click to collapse
Be VERY careful when using this holder. You may want to mod the power input to give it some 'slack'. I have one of these, and the USB input port on the Universal has come detached from the motherboard twice, the most recent one provided no end of delays from O2....(are they totally incompetent these days????)
You see the Power output built into the holder is just to rigid, meaning that if it does not line up perfectly with the PDA, it will put stress on the input, and thus detach..... Hope it saves someone from heartache!
O2 XDA Exec
Used on T-Mobile Network - USA