I am not sure. My smartphone does not support the music audio over bluetooth protocol or I would be trying it. I would find a hx4705 forum and ask in there....



Another thing that I wanted to point out about the parrot kits, is since you have a caller ID display, and your phonebook is IN the bluetooth carkit, you can make/initiate calls from the carkit. That means that you dont have to pull the phone out of your pocket, or take it off your beltclip. Open your door, get in, start the truck and the parrot automatically "connects" to your bluetooth phone. Most of the time, my phone stays on my beltclip, under my jacket, out of sight. It is rare that I touch my phone at all, while I drive. The parrot kit has a jog dial to navigate your entries in your phonebook. It also syncs your call list, so you have access to your previous call list. The phone is taken out of the equation, while either making or receiveing calls. You can still call out or answer from your actual phone and the parrot kit will "automagically" take over the call and provide the handsfree experience. You can also transfer the handsfree call back to your phone if you need privacy. The other party does not hear any sort of transition when you are doing it. It frequenty comes in handy when you get to your destination. Grab the phone off your belt, put it to your ear, and hit the green "send" button on the parrot. Conversation is transferred to your phone, so now you can shut off the truck, and still maintain conversation, while walking in the house, office, store, etc...

I bought one of those bluetooth handsfree earpieces, but I havent used it in a year!!! It just collects dust now. I thought it was a little uncomfortable, it didnt sound all that great, and I felt like a Star Trek Cyborg wearing that thing on my ear.

In my experience, the sound quality of the parrot rocks! People tell me that it actually sounds better when I have them on the parrot speakerphone, than when I am talking to them normally, without the carkit.

Hope this helps,

 

Yeah I decided to go with the parrot. I'd really like to do the one with the color screen however, I don't know where to put it.

If I do the LCD screen one I can custom fit it into the ash tray so it's hidden. I don't want to put this on the dash. Do you think the one with the screen would fit in the ash tray?

I also can't decide if I want to go with Sprint or Nextel. My Nextel coverage has been awesome but it won't work when I go up to the cabin. Does anyone know which one has better service? I know Sprint has better phones, if I went with Sprint I'd get the Treo or if I go Nextel then I'd do the I870.

Also, any hints where the color screen parrot could be custom fitted within the truck? The ash tray is the only place I can think of and I don't know if it'd fit there.

Duke

 

I used to have nextel, because a my wife and some of my buddies had nextel direct-connect walkie talkie feature, and it works great! But the coverage is not so great up-north or in rural areas.

If you need coverage in a out-of-the-way place, I would get a tri-band phone that still has analog service. analog service is still up and running in more spots in the country than the digital networks. Normally you wold be in digital mode, but when there is no digital coverage, it switches to analog mode.

I have the treo 650, but I am a gadget techie. It is like a small personal computer that only one of its functions is being a phone. It can do lots of amazing things, I rip and watch DVD movies, get full GPS turn by turn navigation, play nintendo games, use it as a .mp3 player, etc, but it takes effort and time to get it all set up. The treo 650 doesnt offer analog service (triband), only digital.

Look at this phone:
http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/Ph...=1133025759465

It has bluetooth and triband analog coverage.

It doesnt look like they put the online manuals up yet but on the specs page here:
http://www.parrot.biz/products/index.php?id=3200

they list the dimensions as:

Dimensions and Weight
Screen / Keypad 64 x 58 x 20 mm Weight: 62 g
Parrot universal radio mute unit (installed under the dashboard):
54 x 104 x 20 mm Weight: 52 g

The color screen parrots are the newest generation, and if I were buying today, those are the ones I would probably go with.

Good Luck!

 

Hey KC8FLB,

Yeah I had the Treo 650 when I worked for Target and loved the heck out of that phone. The converage was ok, nothing great. I had my Nextel phone at the same time, and I actually got better coverage with Nextel (in MN). The Nextel phone would work four stories below ground in a parking garage or in elevators where my sprint coverage on the Treo would not. I will probably go with the I870 and just check email on the web. (which would stink)

I found the I930 from Nextel that has windows mobile on it and I think I'd really like to go with that as I'd only have to pay $10 a month for data package. However, it's on a four month back order so that might not be possilbe. I'm just hesitant to leave a service provider that so far hasn't been bad. **EDIT: I just read off the website that the I930 is not bluetooth compliant. Is there any news on if this phone will turn into bluetooth compliant? I guess I'll just go with the i870 since it has bluetooth and just check my email from the browser. That really stinks. Oh well, maybe I won't end up using that feature a lot.

Do you think I could get the Parrot with the color screen to fit in the ash tray? Or just the LCD one? I know the other one could, but it would be nice to have the new one.

When I move forward with an install could you help me contact that guy with the Titan in the Treo forum? I'd be interested in getting the adapater wiring harness thing from him so that it's an easy plug and play. Then I also wanted to see if he had dash kit type materials to use to form around either the LCD or Color screen, whichever one I can get to fit in the ash tray.

Thanks again for all your help!

Duke

 

shamless bump for ideas....

 

I have the Ford Mobile Ease installed in my SCREW. There is apictue of the keypad mounting location in my gallery.

Overall I really like the Mobile Ease. Audio quality is really excellent. The biggest reason I went with it was the fact that there was NO wire splicing involved in installing it. The Mobile Ease wire harness that comes with it plugs into the factory radio and then the factory radio harness plugs into the Mobile ease harness. It literally takes 2 minutes to wire it up.

The parrot kits are great kits also. The biggest advantage is the automatic phonebook sync they have. With the Mobile Ease I have to setup any names and numbers I want to voice dial into the system one time. Not a big deal but the auto sync would be nice.

If I had to purchase again I would go with the parrot. I'm more comfortable with wiring now and do not think it would be a big deal to install it.

 

Yeah I will go with either the Parrot with the LCD screen or the one with the color screen.

I'm just trying to see if anyone knows which one or both will fit in the ash tray. Also, where there are moldable dash kits or a material I could use to custome fit it into the ash tray.

I'm also wanting to see if the new motorola i930 can be fitted with an SD card to have bluetooth. Then I would stay with Nextel.

Or maybe I hope my current phone doesn't completely break and wait till Treo comes out with the Treo 700 which runs on windows mobile and then switch my service to Verizon.

Just hesitant on switching providers when I haven't had coverage problems with Nextel. Though the Treo would be such a better phone.

Duke

 

Duke,

the color parrot dimensions are:
Screen / Keypad 64 x 58 x 20 mm

and the lcd parrot is:
LCD screen : 50 x 26 x 19 mm

maybe with those dimensions you can measure it out or maybe you can build a cardboard/construction paper/foam block to help you in positioning.

I dont think I would mount it in the ashtray, because it is too low and it would take my eyes off the road too much (but thats just me).

I think mine is a bit too low as it is.

Let us know how it turns out

 

That's a good idea! I'll make a foam version of the dimensions and test out ways to install it. I really want to go with the ash tray because (no offense) I don't like the look of it on the dash. Opening up the ash tray and taking a quick look at it shouldn't take my eyes off the road any more than changing a CD or taking a look at the time on the clock (which you could make an argument that I shouldn't do that either, but it just happens).

Now I just have to decide whether to stick with Nextel or move to another provider. I can get the i930 (on national back order) through my company for cheap and fast too. But it's not bluetooth so I wonder if I can use a bluetooth SD card to make it bluetooth. If not, maybe I'll go with the i870.

I can't go for the Treo and Verizon because that is uber expensive. I could do the Treo with Sprint though, that would be a reasonable monthly charge of 70 or so with a data package. However, I just read they're coming out with a Treo 700 that runs window mobile in Feb! It would stink to by a Treo now when they'll have windows mobile in Feb. (which would be a lot nicer)

Thoughts on phones?

Thanks again,

Duke

 

When I got a new phone I decided not to go with the Bluetooth kit.. major reason was you must use the phone antenna and if you are in a spotty or marginal area and on a conference call you make noise.

I installed the regular car kit for my Motorola V710. Then I got a Bluetooth ear piece and use that when I am on a conferance call in the truck... and I have a Bluetooth ear piece when I'm out of the truck.. The bluetooth ear piece is outstanding with background noise ... unlike the microphone mounted on the visor..

Jack..

 

I don't think you have to use the phone antenna for the Parrot bluetooth versions. I've read a lot about them and have yet to see anything about that. My nextel has had flawless coverage everywhere I've been in MN (with the exeception of the upper most tip of MN near canada, past deluth, where only verizon gets service, but verizon doesn't have service going from minneapolis to deluth).

Before I actually install the setup I'll test it out to see how the quality is, and if everything tests ok, then I'll install it. I won't bother moving forward with this until January. In the mean time I'll be working on a custom dash kit for the ash tray install.

Right now I'm trying to decide between the i870 and the i930. Decisions, decisions.

Duke

 

Duke,

I would stay away from the Bluetooth SD cards. If you have to go that way make sure the parrot SPECIFICALLY supports the combo of phone/sd card you are going for and make sure you can return it if you cannot verify this in advance. My experience with BT SD cards has not been good.

You are hitting on the second biggest reason I went with the MOBILE Ease system. The way I have it mounted I think it looks pretty OEM & that was important to me also.

 

I believe that is a common misconception. Bluetooth is a radio communication to the phone for audio and commands using the multifunction button. Unless the phone plugs manually into the Bluetooth unit the antenna used will be on the phone.

Before I decided I looked at the Motorola unit on Motorola's website and talked to the installers at my carrier, Verizon . The advantage of the Bluetooth car kit is you don't need to take the phone out of your pocket or briefcase, computer case, backpack.. etc to use the phone... of course that means it will not charge the phone either while you are driving....another reason I went the way I did. Another issue is you may not have good signal if it is buried in the depths of a bag. Probably a good option for a woman that has their phone in their handbag. I have mine in my packet, on a belt type case or in the cradle on the dash.. If I'm in a hot zone, city or on an interstate My phone by itself works excellent no matter where it is but if I'm off the intersate in rural Northeast it will drop unless it is in the cradle and using the 2.5x gain external antenna.. Rural is still analog and will probably be for this pass of my latest equipment. Nextel may not be. In the Northeast Nextel works great near larger cities and on intersates. But that is off point.

According to Motorola the Bluetooth car Kit HF850

What you get:

1. Chrome Keypad
2. Directional Microphone
3. Bluetooth Module
4. Wiring Connectors and Fuse Kit
5. 5-Watt External Speaker
6. Mounting Hardware
7. User Manual
8. Installation Guide

Motorola Website for HF850

I believe that if you expect an external antenna to be included with your bluetooth kit you will be disappointed..


Jack

 

I had the regular handsfree with thru-glass antenna for my V551 in my Mountaineer, but I decided to go with the bluetooth on the F-150. While I have been in areas that i wish that I did have my external antenna again, at least there is an antenna kit for my phone so that I hook my phone to an external antenna. However, I have not gotten it yet since it is lower on my priority list than the rubber floor mats and fog lamps.

 

I plan on calling Parrot customer service tomorrow and confirming whether or not there device will work with the Universal Multi-adapter SD bluetooth card that Nextel told me will make the i930 bluetooth enabled. I also need to call Eclipse and make sure both the motorola and the Parrot will work with the AVN 5495 which I plan on doing in February.

Nextel doesn't have analog service, it's only digital. With Nextel, you either have coverage or you don't. However, it has been my experience (where I live, work and travel) that my Nextel phone had stronger signal and greater coverage then my Sprint Treo. The Treo was a thousand times a better phone though in terms of features.

Then I plan on running the entire setup past my IT department for confirmation.

As it stands, I'll be doing the following: (most likely waiting to do the Parrot or motorola custom install into the ash tray in January)

Nextel Service
i930 (runs windows mobile)
Parrot with color screen custom fitted into the ash tray