MTCB/PX3 Background noise on calls after external mic mod - MTCB Android Head Units Q&A

Hi,
As reported by many people the internal mic was terrible on my unit for calls. So I had the installer replace it with an external mic. However, my wife still reports that it sounds like "there is an alien on the line". I have attached a picture of the work done by the installers - is there anything else I can do to improve the call quality?
(in the photo, the external mic cord is unplugged but can be seen - it plugs into the 'socket' next to the bluetooth board. I was thinking that the external mic cord is not shielded all the way to the plug, so this may be an issue?)
The other issue I now have is I seem to have lost the ability to use voice on the unit. I can see the original mic wire has been cut, but I had assumed it would plug in to the socket near the bluetooth board anyway, so the external replacement is just moving the mic nearer to my position - if that makes sense
Thanks in advance!

Related

HTCext to 3.5mm audio adapter mic problem

Hi!
I have this for some time: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846
(Actually, I baught it in a store so I'm not sure it's excatly the same but it looks the same)
Recently, I baught this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphone-HTC-VIVA-exclusive-Duragadget/dp/B001LIM8F0/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2
When I plug the old one in my HTC Touch Cruise and then stereo headphones, to it's 3.5mm jack (without microphone), I can use phone's mic and plugged headphones to talk.
When I do the same with new one I can't use phone's mic. I can hear the other side through headphones but I can't be heard.
What might be a reason for this?
And can I fix this problem somehow so I don't have to unplug headphones each time I want to talk if I'm listening to the music?
Thank you very much in advance!
P.S. FM Radio works with both adapters.
there is no std for 3.5mm mini-jack with mic included
the org spc is only audio out
some headset makers add another ring which don't interfere with the
left, right and ground connectors
but there is no std they can follow
thumb rule is if mic is not mentioned in relation with the 3.5mm adaptor
mic is not supported as they use the pure audio out mini-jack std
thumb rule 2 is if mic is mentioned but it's not the same manufactures
in both end they may not implement mic in 3.5mm the same way and it will
only work with audio out
Thank you for your quick answer but I'm not sure you understood me.
I do not use external mic.
In first case I use 3in1 adapter and my stereo headphone with 3.5mm connector without microphone.
In second case I use this simple in-line adapter and same headphones.
In first case, during call, I can hear the other side through headphones, and the other side hears me through built-in-phone microphone.
In second case, during call, I can hear the other side through headphones, but other side can't hear me.
In both cases FM radio works well. I mention this because I saw that mic and FM antenna are on the same pin in USBext (if that's important since I don't use external mic)
about fm then all it needs is an antenna connected to to it
any stereo maybe even mono connected with a wire will do
heck you can cut off the airplugs from a cable and use it for fm
normaly when one connects a headset speaker and mic on the device itself
are muted
even if it's a headset without mic so cool that your fist case works at all
This first one adapter is original HTC. It has 2.5mm, 3.5mm, USBext for data and charging and USBext for headset connectors. And unfortunately it is too big for any other use except in car (to connect to car's audio aux input) or at home (to connect to home AV reciever).
So I baught this cheap simple in-line adapter. And it is suprisingly well built. And it works great as stereo adapter. Only problem is that it turns of microphone.
Anyhow I did some additional testing.
I tried SE Xperia X1 since it has built in 3.5mm connector. and it works like this first one. That means microphone works.
I also tried plugging this first adapter into my touch cruise and then plugging this second adapter into it's USBext for headset. The result is the same as if I plug second adapter directly into touch cruise. Microphone doesn't work.
Interesting thing is that in all cases (including Xperia) when I listen to the music with external headphones soudn comes only out of them. But when phone starts ringing sound comes from both headphones and from built-in-phone external speaker.
!!! Maybe the most important thing is that microphone doesn't work even if only second adapter is plugged into the phone, without headphones plugged in it.
Obviously this second non-HTC adapter doesn't work as HTC originally planned that kind of adapter to work and now I need a way to fix this.
It seems to me that this adapter is maybe stereo adapter with mic, but I don't have that kind of headset to try it. And if I had it I'm not sure it would be the right one since there's no standard for them.
As I see it when I plug in adapter phone somehow detects it and changes some registry key which mutes microphone.
Does anybody know what to change in registry so that phone doesn't mute microphone?
Or how can I see what changes in registry when I plug in the adapter?
Do you think if I manage to fix this, will that affect bluetooth headset also?
Thank you very much for any help!

Problem: Stuck in headphone mode after using 3.5mm audio jack

I was listening to music in my car today with my Sprint TP2 hooked up via the 3.5mm audio jack. When I disconnected the phone from the jack, the phone remained in 'headphone mode'. I knew it was in headphone mode still because it displays the little headphone icon on top and I could not hear any audio unless I reconnected the 3.5mm jack. So basically, I can't call anybody from my phone right now unless I hook it up to some speakers via the 3.5mm jack. That or use my BT headset.
Things I have tried to fix the phone;
- Unplugged and replugged in the 3.5mm stereo jack numerous times.*
- Soft reset
- Removed battery for 30 seconds and restarted
- Connected BlueTooth stereo headset and disconnected
* Extra weirdness; Gives me a voice commander error when I reconnect the jack. Voice Commander is not even enabled.
Nothing worked. So I just did a backup of my phone and I'm going to attempt a hard reset. We'll see if that fixes it.
Update: Right after I posted this thread, I tried plugging in several different devices with 3.5mm jacks and the headphone icon disappeared. However, I still did not have any audio. So I did a soft reset and surprise surprise... audio is back!!!
Anybody else encounter this bug? I'm not sure if it's a software or hardware bug, but it's definitely a bug.
guys, do you mean you have already have the 3.5mm specification tp2 ?
i didn't see it yet..
sounds like a hardware issue? especially if the soft reset did not resolve the issue...
czbenson said:
guys, do you mean you have already have the 3.5mm specification tp2 ?
i didn't see it yet..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint and Verizon versions of TP2 have a integrated 3.5mm jack.
I just had the same problem being stuck in headset mode
I tried a soft reset with no luck so I was pretty sure it was something physically wrong. Instead of plugging my headset all the way back in and taking it out, I used the tip of the plug (like a Q-tip, 1/4 of the way in) to see if there were any sensors or metal still depressed and after a few light sweeps, the headset mode icon disappeared. Keeping my fingers crossed, I didn't use the 3.5mm jack for the rest of the night and I was able to use my headset and removed it without a problem this morning.
Ultimately this is most likely a physical issue, but I'd rather not send my phone in for a replacement (even though this would probably qualify as a manufacturer defect). Hope this helps if anyone experiences this in the future.
sniczz said:
I tried a soft reset with no luck so I was pretty sure it was something physically wrong. Instead of plugging my headset all the way back in and taking it out, I used the tip of the plug (like a Q-tip, 1/4 of the way in) to see if there were any sensors or metal still depressed and after a few light sweeps, the headset mode icon disappeared. Keeping my fingers crossed, I didn't use the 3.5mm jack for the rest of the night and I was able to use my headset and removed it without a problem this morning.
Ultimately this is most likely a physical issue, but I'd rather not send my phone in for a replacement (even though this would probably qualify as a manufacturer defect). Hope this helps if anyone experiences this in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a hardware issue and is common to most 3.5mm jacks. I had also experienced this last year with my Treo Pro and since I really wanted to know the problem, I opened up my phone and voided all warranties. Inside the 3.5mm jack there's a lever type copper that bends to make contact with another copper metal, some kind of switch that's supposed to connect and disconnect the contact between these 2 metal pieces whenever a head 3.5mm plug is inserted.
What happened is when you disconnected the plug, the metal that's supposed to bend back to it's original position never did. That's why it's permanently stucked in headset mode because the phone thinks the plug is still inside. This probably happens due to age and possibly has something to do with moisture and rust, not to mention that copper is highly malleable.
Sad to say that until now this technology hasn't changed and is still being widely used. Hopefully someone will give this issue a real solution.
I had this problem recently and took a dry q tip and rubbed it back and forth across the little pin on the bottom of the headphone jack until it cleared up the problem.
Does anyone know if a USB to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter works on the CDMA tp2? I'd really like to use regular headphones but don't want to jeopardize getting my phone stuck in headphone mode.
Drache said:
I had this problem recently and took a dry q tip and rubbed it back and forth across the little pin on the bottom of the headphone jack until it cleared up the problem.
Does anyone know if a USB to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter works on the CDMA tp2? I'd really like to use regular headphones but don't want to jeopardize getting my phone stuck in headphone mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the USB headphone adapter works on the CDMA versions. If you plug in a second headphone set to the other open port, which ever one was connected lastly will be the one to have sound.
Fixed the problem!
I had to disassemble the phone, voiding the already expired warranty and solder the contacts together on the audio jack. I can't use a 3.5 mm jack anymore, but I can at least use the phone now without always using a bluetooth. I'll get a usb adapter for when I want to listen to music.
Here is a picture of the contacts I soldered. I used a 20 w soldering iron, I wouldn't use anything larger.
Drache said:
I had to disassemble the phone, voiding the already expired warranty and solder the contacts together on the audio jack. I can't use a 3.5 mm jack anymore, but I can at least use the phone now without always using a bluetooth. I'll get a usb adapter for when I want to listen to music.
Here is a picture of the contacts I soldered. I used a 20 w soldering iron, I wouldn't use anything larger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would hate to do this on my vibrant lol, media sound recently gave out on me after unplugging the headphone. this sucks. id look around for replacement parts..til then.. gotta get busy with the q tips til i get it to work.

DIY FM Antenna With 3.5mm Audio Jack

This is not something new and have been shown many times in YouTube. It is interesting to have for any phone with 3.5mm audio jack that can be easily done within a few minutes. I do not use my headset with my phone so this would be a nice hack to have around to listen with your friends on some local radio without consuming your data plan and phone battery.
Find a headset that you do not need. We only want the part with the 3.5mm audio jack. Just trim it down to about 20cm in length and fold it in half and tie a knot at the end. I tied a lasso knot at the end just so I can adjust the length of the receiver later on though it may not help much in reception quality.
Tested several length from 1 meter all the way to 20 centimetres and found not much difference in reception quality for a fact that you will be using your loudspeaker to listen to the FM radio. The same with whether to loop or not to loop the receiver but looping the receiver gives it a cleaner look while maintaining the same reception frequency.
Putting your phone too close to a human body greatly interferes with the FM signal. On the other hand, placing your phone on a metal table may enhance the FM reception.
Perhaps those who have knowledge in electronics can shed some light to optimize this simple hack further.
Have fun...
I didn't know. Works like a charm !! Thank You
Doesn't work for me. When I plug in the trimmed headset cable with the ear pieces cut off, the FM App keeps asking me to plug in a headset. Works OK when I plug in an untrimmed headset and switch to speaker in FM App menu.
Is there a further trick to getting this to work? Are you using the stock FM App?
I had the same problem myself, and it stems from the fact that smartphones will interrogate any headset you plug in to check if it is suitable. There are basic stereo headphones with three contacts on the jack plug (from the tip they are left, right and ground) and should work on any phone regardless. But there are two variants of headset (i.e. those with a microphone) that use four contacts, the difference being whether they connect the mic on the third or fourth contact.
As of 2016 most manufacturers have standardised on one system (left, right, mic then ground), but there are enough older phones and matching headsets out there that use the alternative pinout scheme. For example my old Sony Xperia used L-R-G-M (the same as say Blackberry), necessitating the use of an adapter for certain accessories. My latest Z5 however, has moved to the L-R-M-G pattern, which means I can no longer use my favourite old Sony headset anymore, not even as plain headphones, the Z5 just refused to talk to them.
That explains why a dumb wire might not work with a smartphone, because it is looking for a signal loop on all four (or three) contacts to try and figure out what's been plugged into it. The solution is to short out the wires to fool the phone into thinking there actually is something on the other end. Simply bare all of the wires at the cut end of the cable, burn off the fine lacquer or cotton that is used as an insulation, then twist the wires together to short them all to the ground. Better still, solder them together and cover with a bit of heat-shrink for a proper finish.
Found some pre-made antennas in ebay, you can try searching for 3.5mm antenna. They look pretty decent. I am also looking for compatible antenna, if any, that is compatible for steven303's new headphone jack.
Edit: did some research and found that the 3.5mm steven303 mentioned is called '3.5mm 4 conductor' or 'TRRS antenna 3.5mm', you can try searching for them in ebay or look for similar ones lying around with wires long enough to be loops around to be used as antenna for new phones with the new type of head jack.
I got two item I think can be suitable for this purpose; search with the following keyword in ebay;
1. 3.5mm 1/8'' Male To Male 4-Pole 3 Ring TRRS AV Audio Extension Cable 1.2M/4Feet
2. 4-Pole 3Ring TRRS 3.5mm (1/8'') Male To Female AV Extension Cable 3FT/1M Black
I have an additional issue. I use my phone's fm radio feature with an old pair of headphones for an antenna and listen via blue tooth headphones when I'm running or just working around the house, etc. My problem is that as the phone moves around in my pocket, the movement causes the phone to think the headphones came unplugged for a second and the radio turns off. When that happens I have to take the phone out and turn the radio back on. This happens often enough that it is a pain in the neck.
A separate but related issue. With some old, non functioning headphone cables the phone doesn't think there is anything plugged into it. I am lucky in that my phone gives me the option to "Play anyway through speaker or bluetooth". So even though it thinks there isn't anything plugged into it, I do, and I have good FM reception.
Here is what I want: I want to know what to do to my old headphone wire so that my phone doesn't think there is anything plugged into it when it is, in fact, plugged in. I hope that makes sense!

External microphone in radio MTCB works or not?

I have a radio Eonon GA5155F (MTCB) with integrated microphone. I wanted to add an external microphone to improve the quality of my voice during calls. I have no problems echoing or of disturbing background noise. I would just make me feel as close and clear, approaching the quality of my voice to that during a normal call with the phone without a hands-free, because sometimes refer me to feel a little bad.
I bought a Kenwood external microphone (KCA-MC 10) and I connected at female placed on the back of the radio, but the microphone is not detected appears. I have done the test of blowing the external microphone during a call, but the receiver could not hear no noise; on the contrary if you blew on the built-in microphone on the front of the car radio bezel, the receiver feels the annoying noise of the breath on the microphone.
I tried 2 different microphones equal, therefore exclude that both are defective.
I would understand if my car radio accept a second external microphone, or my car radio has something wrong.
Or if I'm wrong type of microphone
and above all I would understand if a second microphone functioning, would function as main microphone, or in union at least built-in microphone, so as to increase the quality of my voice and make me feel stronger and clearer.
robox88 said:
I have a radio Eonon GA5155F (MTCB) with integrated microphone. I wanted to add an external microphone to improve the quality of my voice during calls. I have no problems echoing or of disturbing background noise. I would just make me feel as close and clear, approaching the quality of my voice to that during a normal call with the phone without a hands-free, because sometimes refer me to feel a little bad.
I bought a Kenwood external microphone (KCA-MC 10) and I connected at female placed on the back of the radio, but the microphone is not detected appears. I have done the test of blowing the external microphone during a call, but the receiver could not hear no noise; on the contrary if you blew on the built-in microphone on the front of the car radio bezel, the receiver feels the annoying noise of the breath on the microphone.
I tried 2 different microphones equal, therefore exclude that both are defective.
I would understand if my car radio accept a second external microphone, or my car radio has something wrong.
Or if I'm wrong type of microphone
and above all I would understand if a second microphone functioning, would function as main microphone, or in union at least built-in microphone, so as to increase the quality of my voice and make me feel stronger and clearer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must check if chassis connector is mono and your mic is stereo it might be connected wrong to the wrong channel.
I know that the microphone should be mono , since it has only one circle into the jack . But how do I control the radio ?
however, I have only one connector for the microphone on the back .
robox88 said:
I know that the microphone should be mono , since it has only one circle into the jack . But how do I control the radio ?
however, I have only one connector for the microphone on the back .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try a stereo connector on your mic and test both channels.
I have tried to insert a splitter that I had at home that has the stereo connector , but nothing changes .
but I did not understand how I should " test both channels " I only have a female connector on the back of the stereo
robox88 said:
I have tried to insert a splitter that I had at home that has the stereo connector , but nothing changes .
but I did not understand how I should " test both channels " I only have a female connector on the back of the stereo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use a male stereo connector push it in to the female connector unscrew the top. Use clips to test the top and than the middle
track. Ground connected all the time of course.

Will just Disconnecting The Front Mic Connection Fix the Issue?

I just bought a JY 2.73 Double Din unit and have the poor microphone quality issue for phone calls. I've seen threads about rerouting the external microphone wiring to connect to the internal microphone wiring. I understand this is done because the internal and external microphones are thought to interfere with each other.
My question is whether we can leave the external microphone connection as is (maybe add some shielding to it) but just cut the microphone connections between the bluetooth card and the main board. Can anyone say whether this worked for them?
Thanks,
Hish
hish747 said:
I just bought a JY 2.73 Double Din unit and have the poor microphone quality issue for phone calls. I've seen threads about rerouting the external microphone wiring to connect to the internal microphone wiring. I understand this is done because the internal and external microphones are thought to interfere with each other.
My question is whether we can leave the external microphone connection as is (maybe add some shielding to it) but just cut the microphone connections between the bluetooth card and the main board. Can anyone say whether this worked for them?
Thanks,
Hish
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Desoldering the internal mic worked well in my mtcd (as an option to remove a jumper or component was not an option) and for my mtcb, tracing the mic+ from the display board to the main board I was able to remove a jumper/zero ohm resistor. The latter is desirable as lowest noise option.
Would putting a small piece of tape on the internal mic hole not achieve the same?
Flavio said:
Would putting a small piece of tape on the internal mic hole not achieve the same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.

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