Hi,
I've done a quick search but nothing jumps out....... I want to install a bluetooth handsfree kit but don't know if the Sony headunit is compatible. Has anyone fitted one? If so, does the kit hide away nicely and does it work ok with the standard sony HU? I don't want to have to dock the phone (i.e. phone can stay in pocket) and want it to work through the speakers preferably. Any ideas?? Thanks.
I use the Parrot CK3300 for both handsfree and satnav on my MDA compact (the Parrot comes with a GPS gizmo). You can get the kits purely for handsfree too.
Its more than just a H/F kit - you get an illuminated display that contains all of your phonebook entries, voice recognition handsfree dialling etc. And it talks to you!
(http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/1919/car411qn.jpg)
A cheaper version is available without the display and its features too.
Microphone is very effective - even better top-down! (?no resonance) and the ducking/crosstalk electronics work great - people calling in don't get grief from their own voice coming back at them!
Connection is via harness which shunts between an ISO Head Unit and cables, so with the right wire IDs there's no reason it can't be made to fit the Sony stocker .... and the unit can be used again once/if you change H/Us.
The unit has its own amp and effectively interrupts the speaker feed from the H/U via relay and shunts its own signal through during calls - after which it reverts back to H/U.
Small control box and relay box stash nicely behind the centre console. Firmware is upgradeable.
Only downside I've had is occasional connection grief running both phone and GPS simultaneously, but that's down to the naff Microsoft bluetooth stack that comes with the compact PDA (grrrr!). I've got a setup sequence worked out now where its pretty much flawless.
.... or you could go to MrT for an overpriced handsfree install?
MDA compact? whats that?
Like a PDA but smaller! Its the T-Mobile name for it - other networks call it other things (eg i-Mate Jam)
(http://inew.mport.ru/150920042863/T-Mobile_MDA_Compact_1_S.jpg)
Got a free upgrade long overdue ... might go for a black one (or pink! yeuuuuch) I'm wondering if the new BT stack is less naff though: doubt it.
Ahh I see.,... go for the pink one, real men have pink phones s:) :) s:)
In Durham, maybe, but certainly not round our way s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Besides, it doesn't match my new shoes!
[/drift....please]
Another Parrot user here, only I'm using the CK3400LS-GPS which I believe is the colour version of the one Spit's got. This unit also displays the photo of whoever's calling you (as long as you've uploaded it), not sure what the other differences are. It works pretty well with TomTom 5 on my XDA Mini S although there have been a few issues with phonebook sync. To be fair to Parrot though, this is mostly Microsoft's fault, their p*ss-poor bluetooth implementation in Windows Mobile 5 is really no improvement on the older OS. The issues were fully resolved pretty easily with a couple of free bits of software on the phone.
You can have a look at the users' forums at w www.parrot.biz (http://www.parrot.biz) w to see if there have been any issues with your particular handset. On the whole though, I think it's a pretty solid bit of kit. HTH
I just got the MDA Compact 2. Just over a month of ownership and its already been sent back to get it fixed.
Mine came with the Copilot SATNAV which is excellent. Well it will be when I get it back from the shop
Phil
Hey Leeber,
Im looking at the Parrot 3400 LS-GPS, looks great, i had not heard of these before i read this thread.
This one and the one you have is bigger than the one pictured above. I was just wondering where you have located yours?
Thanks
I got mine from a company that was selling them via Ebay, they were based in Chessington just off junction 9 of the M25 so I drove down and picked it up (I live in Sevenoaks and work at Gatwick so it's not too far out of the way for me). I think it was about £140. I'll try and dig up the name of the company.
After much thumbing through credit card bills, bank statements and lot's of swearing here is their Ebay site:
m http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Frequency-3G-M ... sories-Ltd (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Frequency-3G-Mobile-Accessories-Ltd) m
Doesn't look like they've got any in stock at the moment though, might be worth dropping them an email.
HTH
s:oops: :oops: s:oops: s:oops: :oops: s:oops: s:oops: :oops: s:oops:
Ok, so I just re-read your post James and realised that that wasn't what you asked at all was it? You'll have to excuse my utter ineptitude, I've been up since 3am.
To answer your original question, I mounted the display on the far right just above the driver's vent, it's attached to the plastic trim that runs down the inside of the windscreen post. I did plan to post a couple of pics but have no idea how to (Mods?).
OK, the Parrot sounds like what I am after...will have a look. It works OK with the O2 PDA...I am planning on upgrading to the XDA Exec so hopefully it will work with that one too. How much is the Parrot? WOuld be keen to get it wiotht SAT NAV. Does it come with the SATNAV software for the PDA?
The model with the colour display but without satnav is the CK3200LS. I think it's only about £30-40 cheaper than the GPS version which is why I thought the latter was better value for money (last time I looked, a decent bluetooth GPS receiver was at least £70, don't know if that's still the case). The CK3400LS-GPS cost me about £145 as I said above, it doesn't come with the satnav software though, you have to buy that seperately. If you are going to buy either of these units, have a look at the Parrot user's forum, I can't stress this enough. There is no logic to which phones work well with it and which ones don't. The same phone as supplied by one provider sometimes has different issues to that of another. It's all down to what software is on the phone itself. When it works properly though, it's great. HTH
Thanks Leeber thats very helpfull, and the search for who you got it from wasnt in vein either, ive had a good nose around their ebay store mate.
Perhaps you should have a word about some commission from parrot!
I already have a stand alone bluetooth gps receiver but im going for the gps parrot as you cant make more than one pairing at a time. Well thats my impression anyway, feel free to correct me if im wrong.
Cheers again Leeber
James. The linking of both GPS and Handsfree via bluetooth simultaneously is down to the crap-ness or otherwise of the bluetooth stack in your 'phone. I had intense grief getting the MDA to work (dman you, Gates!) and had to resort to a retrograde patch. Lee explained the latest Parrot features to me and it certainly seems to help ease the BT setup. Must go back to the Parrot site s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Quote from: "Leeber"To answer your original question, I mounted the display on the far right just above the driver's vent, it's attached to the plastic trim that runs down the inside of the windscreen post. I did plan to post a couple of pics but have no idea how to (Mods?).
Worth piccing up Lee - your install looks very neat!
Ste
*Mod - to post a pic, get it hosted somewhere on the interweb (I use http://www.imageshack.us) and paste the link that they give you into your narrative with the "IMG" and "/IMG" square-bracketed either side of it. Imageshack gives several linking options. If the photo is a sensible size I'd use the last one (direct link to image).
Handy to "preview" your post to make sure it all looks neat and tidy before clicking "submit"*
can e-mail them to me if you like
There's always that option I suppose, but "teach a man to fish...." and all that. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Here we go then:
(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/566/p1010097qf8.th.jpg) (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010097qf8.jpg)(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5858/p1010101tg5.th.jpg) (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010101tg5.jpg)(http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5260/p1010102qb7.th.jpg) (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010102qb7.jpg)
You'll have to excuse the dusty dash though.
Hey, I just learned to fish! Thanks guys.
Before getting the parrot I was also using a Rikaline 6033 stand alone GPS receiver which has 32-channel parallel aquisition, it's supposed to be the proverbial mutt's nuts as far as these things go. Sickeningly though, the parrot seems to work better. I think I've only ever had to wait for a signal aquisition once, normally when I fire up TomTom, it's just there ready and waiting. I would really love to sl*g the unit off, because I have to say that between Microshaft and Parrot, the level of support is just woeful, but as I said before, when you do manage to get it to work it's brilliant.
Incidentally though, even with the stand-alone unit and the ericsson bluetooth kit in my old car, I never had any trouble using both at the same time.
Hey guys, thanks for all the info on this so far, pay day has just arrived so revisiting the idea, want to get it ordered this week.
A few websites offer installation with these units. Is it worth it? How long did it take you to fit? Did you have to damage any of the trim to attach the unit.
Im thinking about placing it so that it covers the passenger seat belt indicator in the middle like spits. Would this require much dismantling of the dash? If so is that easy? Ive not had my mr2 long so havent tried to do anything like this before.
Perhaps ive missed it, but where/how did you place the microphone?
Thanks again guys
ps cheers for the photos!
Personally, I wouldn't let any old "Professional" installer loose on the wiring of my pride and joy unless I was 100% certain that he knew what he was doing. My other half's employer paid for a professional installer to put a wired hands-free kit in her Ford Focus a couple of years ago. I had to take her HU out recently to get it fixed and was absolutely dumb-founded at the amount of cowboy-style slicing and dicing that had gone on behind her dash.
How difficult it is to do yourself really depends on whether or not you have still got the the stock HU in your '2. If you have, and you don't want to start hacking away at the car's existing wiring then the easiest way would be to get hold of a couple of ISO to Toyota plug adaptors. One can be bought but I think you'll have to make the other one up yourself (anyone who knows better feel free to correct me here). Basically, the hands-free kit is wired in between the head unit and the speakers and it has ISO plugs on it. You'll need one adaptor to go from the HU into the hands-free kit (this is the one you'll probably have to make up), and one to connect the output of the HF kit to the car's wiring loom (this can be bought from just about any ICE dealer).
If you already have a decent after-market HU with standard ISO plugs on then things get a lot easier as long as it's driving the speakers directly (i.e. no seperate amps are involved). In this case the HF kit plugs directly into the back of the HU and then into the ISO to toyota loom adapter that was probably already connecting the HU to the car's wiring loom. If there are amps involved though it's probably still possible, but it'll take a lot more head-scratching and planning.
In addition to the speaker connections above, you'll need to connect the phone-mute lead to the correct terminal/lead on the back of the HU (which is normally quite straight-forward). The last thing you'll need to do is swap the live feeds over. All this entails is undoing the two fuse holders on the red and yellow power leads for the HF kit and re-connecting them the other way round.
The only things left to do are mount the display (Spit?), the control box and the microphone. I put my mic right next to the interior light. The wiring runs along the inside of the trim, most of which is quite easy to remove and replace. The only difficult thing here is removing the bracket that the hard/soft top clamps onto, so that you can run the wiring inside the trim, for this you need a socket and spline set. It's done up surprisingly tight (no idea what the torque settings are). I'm sure there are better/easier places for the mic though. The control box can go pretty much anywhere that's within reach of the wiring. Mine's velcro'd to the inside of the plastic trim directly under the steering wheel. You've seen where I fitted the display, the answer to your question about damaging the trim in my case is yes, to the tune of one small screw-hole in the plastic trim that runs up the windscreen post.
That's it, you should be good to go. I know it sounds complicated but it's really not too bad. It took me about as long to fit as it did to write this post (I have an after-market HU).
Hope this helps.
Quote from: "Leeber"The last thing you'll need to do is swap the live feeds over. All this entails is undoing the two fuse holders on the red and yellow power leads for the HF kit and re-connecting them the other way round.
Took me a while to work this one out, but it seems to be because the permanently live and switched live feeds are incorrectly labelled, or opposite colours to the '2s - I forget which! s:oops: :oops: s:oops:
Quote from: "Leeber"The only things left to do are mount the display (Spit?), the control box and the microphone.
Your choice for mounting really. I lost the control boxes by sandwiching them between the base of the heater box and the carpet - just enough room and held in place with a bit of double-sided.
My mic is half-way up the pillar trim, mounted on the ball-joint clip supplied with the kit so its free to slide up/down and pivot if necessary. Works well there and is free from buffeting with the top down.
My central mount for the control panel was simple enough - removed the fan control panel, peeled off that irritating passenger seatbelt graphic and routed the display wire through the hole that was left behind (it unplugs from the display unit). Careful reassembly required to avoid trapping the control wire. More double-sided to hold the display in place.