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I still use my old XDA 1 (Himilaya) for sat nav (running TomTom5 - haven't upgraded to 6 yet) with a wired GPS mouse, so both the GPS receiver and XDA are always charging when the ignition is on/engine running. I leave all that kit in the car all the time. I've also got an MDA Pro (Universal) and am thinking of using that for TomTom instead because:
a) Take advantage of the data tariff on it and subscribe to Traffic Plus (or whatever TomTom call it)
b) I also intend to get a Parrot CK bluetooth add on for the car (allow the car speakers to be part of a speakerphone) so I can make/receive calls and also listen to WMAs whilst driving (I hate all headphones)
So, questions.
1) TomTom5 works really well on the original XDA 1 (no crashes, smooth scrolling, very responsive, etc). Will it work just as well on my Universal?
2) If using the traffic service (over GPRS/UMTS), will voice calls still come through OK? T Mobile UK
3) Would pretty much any BT GPS unit off ebay be OK?
4) How long do the batteries last before needing a charge on these BT units?
5) Are there any wired solutions, so I don't need batteries and the Universal could also be on charge? I'd much prefer that.
6) Is the traffic service good? I mean, does it warn/reroute you sufficiently in advance? Does it know, for instance, that some roads are always slow and avoid them?
7) Anything in TomTom6 worth the ugprade over 5?
Or should I forget the traffic (and still rely on the radio) and just stick to the satus quo, or maybe still get the BT thing for MP3/WMAs? Anyone got any experience of a similar setup to report? TomTom5 on the XDA is one of very few tech products with which I'm completely and utterly happy.
Can no one help on any of the questions?
Hi Xiasma,
I sell a Car Kit for £40, which sounds like it should do what you want.
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/shop/xcart/T-Mobile-MDA-PRO-Handsfree-Custom-Car-Kit-with-speaker-pr-36.html
It'll charge your phone and GPS at the same time, amplify the voice, etc. and comes with 3 different mounts to attach to your car. I haven't sold many and one person is complaining about people not hearing him when he makes recieves a call, although we've proved that the microphone is working correctly. See this thread for an in depth discussion on pro's, con's, etc.
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/phpBB-2.0.18/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=275
I have no experiance of other solutions, but I think that as you have problems with loudspeaker, you'll have the same trouble as the guy in the thread. The thread goes on a bit, but I think you'll find it usefull.
Any bluetooth GPS reciever should work well with your phone, but I'd advise going for one with a Sirf III chipset, people seem to find them much better than sirf II. I have some new ones due in next week around the £50 mark, which sound a better deal than any others I sell at the minute.
HTH
Dave
That's great, Dave, thanks. It's got a built in microphone, but does it have line out so I could have the sound going through my car speakers (ie for MP3 and the like)? That would be perfect. Well, almost, I'd prefer to mount the MDA Pro open with the keyboard underneath - I guess this won't allow that, will it?
How many hours use does a good BT GPS unit last between charges?
Hi Xiasma,
unfortunately it doesn't have a line out, but I've seen Y-adapters around for a few pence which could well serve the purpose you require.
As you wish to plug it into your stereo anyway, you don't neccessarily need an amplified mount. Herbert Richter make several suitable mounts and a body which will hold your device with the keyboard open. (Laptop Style) It has cutouts for most buttons, sockets, etc. So you could easily plug your phone in to charge and connect it to your stereo.
Heres a good GPS reciever, the manufacturer claims the battery will last 11 hours. I honestly haven't tested one myself, so I don't know how accurate this info is.
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/shop/xcart/GlobalSat-359S-Sirf-III-Bluetooth-GPS-Receiver-pr-42.html
HTH
Dave
Is there a decent one out there that will accomodate the screen being opened, will hold it landscape as well as portrait etc...
Info please...
Hermes car kit for the Kaiser?
Can anybody tell me if the current Hermes car kits will fit the Kaiser?
I contacted Proclip and the said they have them in production and will have them no later then November but hopefully sooner. They are in my opinion the best out there.......no I don't work for them!
www.proclipusa.com
Brodit said a similar thing to me in an email. A couple of weeks.
Of course they did -- Proclip is the US distributor for Brodit.
For what will probably be a less expensive solution check out http://www.4ustuff.com/product.php?mode=9&search=htc+tytn+ii -- they're a manufacturer & sell only in the wholesale market.
3waygeek said:
Of course they did -- Proclip is the US distributor for Brodit.
For what will probably be a less expensive solution check out http://www.4ustuff.com/product.php?mode=9&search=htc+tytn+ii -- they're a manufacturer & sell only in the wholesale market.
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Click to collapse
Since they sell only to wholesalers...how do you propose we buy from them?
I don't -- just providing a preview of coming attractions.
This universal kit works well ... especially when you want the keyboard out
http://cgi.ebay.com/Car-PDA-Phone-H...yZ130797QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
~~~
Something that I dont like this kind of universal holder that uses a "spring", where there is a button to release the grip ... the spring will not tight anymore after let say several months.
And I am really afraid if it is not tight, the car bumps into something on the road and then the beloved PDA jumps out of the holder ! It happened several times.
I am not sure with Brodit / Proclip brand, can you share your experience?
I use one from Arkon and the spring is loose now. So, I removed the spring and glued permanently, cut the grip to make it fit for the Kaiser. It is ugly (really) but it can now hold the Kaiser very tightly.
Never had a car kit before, always had a pocket in my car perfect for a phone. Changed car now though and need some sort of holder. Also want to do away with my Bluetooth headset.
Does a kit exist where you put the phone in the cradle, and it both charges and connects to a car head unit/microphone. Obviously not for the Kaiser yet, but if its available for other phones, it will for this in time.
Know some executive cars have this built in and some companies cater for the aftermarket, but they seem to want hundreds. Am capable of installing said kit, just need a place to buy!
How about a Bluetooth car kit? they are available for most cars and head units (be it third party or factory fit units). and you aren't tied to a perticular phone or even make of phone.
gogol said:
Something that I dont like this kind of universal holder that uses a "spring", where there is a button to release the grip ... the spring will not tight anymore after let say several months.
And I am really afraid if it is not tight, the car bumps into something on the road and then the beloved PDA jumps out of the holder ! It happened several times.
I am not sure with Brodit / Proclip brand, can you share your experience?
I use one from Arkon and the spring is loose now. So, I removed the spring and glued permanently, cut the grip to make it fit for the Kaiser. It is ugly (really) but it can now hold the Kaiser very tightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The man speaks the truth - i nearly crashed as i swerved trying to catch my bloody Uni!
lol
dangerous things.. need an alternative!
I like this one
http://www.kidigi.com/Car CHT 9000.asp
as it is much smaller than the mounts which also contain a speaker built into the mount itself. I find these to be fugly and way too bulky.
Also, this is easier to take apart on the end holding the speaker and wire around it so I can run it into my AUX jack in the car. I also have a mic tucked away above the rear view mirror, have wired a spare power socket in the glove box, and tuck the wires under a kuda mount on the dash. It's a very clean look and almost appears original equipment.
All I do is cradle my phone when I get in the car and I have MP3 tunes through the stereo. When a call comes in, I just hit the answer button on the phone and the mic kicks in, while the call comes through the speakers. IMO, better than BT because I can also play my MP3s wihtout having to resort to a downgraded music signal via an FM receiver.
I've been using a very similar setup with my 8125 and also pair to a Bluetooth GPS reciever, which will now be built into my soon to arrive Kaiser Works vey nice.
Downsides? Unless I put some kind of rotation dvice between the kuda mount and the kidigi, landscape mode is a no-go. Could possibly use the seidio model for this at the expense of some additional bulk, but it looks like they have stocked out (www.seidioonline.com). It's also pretty solidly mounted, so if you like the idea of a gooseneck that can be adjusted on the fly, the kuda would not work well.
funkstar said:
How about a Bluetooth car kit? they are available for most cars and head units (be it third party or factory fit units). and you aren't tied to a perticular phone or even make of phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was tempted by that, but if i need to run cables in the car to charge the phone, thought i might as well put one to the speakers/mic too. Im lazy too, dont want to get my phone out and turn bluetooth on and off every time i get in and out the car
Jgermuga - So connecting the original cable from that mount that leads to the speaker, to the Aux in on your HU, when the phone rings will it automatically switch to Aux and send the call audio to the speakers or do you have to switch it to aux on the HU and then answer the phone?
Schooleydoo said:
Jgermuga - So connecting the original cable from that mount that leads to the speaker, to the Aux in on your HU, when the phone rings will it automatically switch to Aux and send the call audio to the speakers or do you have to switch it to aux on the HU and then answer the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need to switch over to AUX on the HU, but still easier than enabling BT on the phone, especially when driving. Plus, unless BT is turned on when the call comes in, I am not sure there is a way to force the connection to go to hadsfree via the car. My change over might involve manual intervention, but it is easy to just ask the caller to hang on a second, cradle the phone and switch over to AUX.
I find it a lot less distracting than trying to get at the BT screen, enable BT, switch to phone pad, hit softkey for menu, enable handfree, and hope I don't hit any buttons inadvertantly, or wind up dropping the call. I have also had the call go into limbo where I had to end it and redial... Trust me, BT is great for headsets, syncs, A2DP, etc, but I am still not thrilled with how it works in the car.
And having it hardwired is pretty impressive when I hit the Voice Command hot button on my phone, say "Play, Dave Matthews" and off it goes!
I had wizard with which i was using holder from Herbert Richter system.
not being disappointed with the quality I'm buying another one for Kaiser.
gps4less have them on ebay for a nice price.
jgermuga said:
I need to switch over to AUX on the HU, but still easier than enabling BT on the phone, especially when driving. Plus, unless BT is turned on when the call comes in, I am not sure there is a way to force the connection to go to hadsfree via the car. My change over might involve manual intervention, but it is easy to just ask the caller to hang on a second, cradle the phone and switch over to AUX.
I find it a lot less distracting than trying to get at the BT screen, enable BT, switch to phone pad, hit softkey for menu, enable handfree, and hope I don't hit any buttons inadvertantly, or wind up dropping the call. I have also had the call go into limbo where I had to end it and redial... Trust me, BT is great for headsets, syncs, A2DP, etc, but I am still not thrilled with how it works in the car.
And having it hardwired is pretty impressive when I hit the Voice Command hot button on my phone, say "Play, Dave Matthews" and off it goes!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sold!
So, i buy this, cut the speaker/charger off, i then need to extend the cables, one to a 12v, one to a mic and one to my aux in? Never tried anything like this before but willing to give it a shot. Any generic eBay mic do the job?
Car Holder
I have had good luck with Herbert Richter with my Vario and I have just bought the cradle for the Vario III and I imagine it will be just as good, they are great quality and do the job straight out of the box.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/T-Mobile-MDA-...ryZ75447QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
If anyone is interested. They do vent, bike, suction based holders so look at other items.
Russ
does anyone make a car adapter that is compatible with a weighted friction mount?
Garmin devices have this thing called a friction mount that is weighted. basically the underside is a soft rubber material that keeps the base from moving, and it is filled with about a pound (1/2 kilo for those across the pond) of sand. the base is very sturdy. i have taken many trips with this base with no movement at all.
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Portab...5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1191742690&sr=1-1
My guess is that Garmin are the only one that would likely make any further attachments as they hold the copyright etc, seeing as the HTC devices are competition for them in so much as the TomTom/Copilot route then I dare say it would only be 3rd party taiwanese/chinese companies that are likely to risk breaching the copyright to make such holders to fit on.
Russ
I'm looking for something like the Brodit active, I don't want to mess around having to push the usb in manually so it's got to be already in the holder so I just slide the phone into place. I'm not so worried about needing landscape/keyboard. Only thing I have against the Brodit Active is no speaker, since some tosser made the kaiser with a naff speaker that points away from me.... I need some boost. (My N95 nokia with it's stereo front facing speakers would make the passengers jump with sat nav instructions at motorway speeds... full volume on the kaiser and I can't even have the radio on it's so dim).
Any suggestions? Or do I have to go with Brodit and make do with no radio and driving below 50mph?
Greg.
STFF (Search the Fracken Forum), you'd find THIS THREAD and a few others with several active car kits that include speakers.
Closing yet another redundant thread.
Oh yeah reminder, one of the things that screws up the forum search function is 5 million threads all asking the same question.
Hi,
This should have a quick answer... can you connect two bluetooth devices to the Touch Dual at the same time? I ask because I'd like to have my bluetooth gps device connected and also my hands free kit...
Cheers,
M
You certainly can - I frequently use the set up you describe
That's great, now for the follow up question, can you get it to play your sat nav directions through the headset too?
Hi,
I tried a few times hear tomtom throrought hands free kit but i never got it.
There was a reg hack for this sort of thing in the Universal forum a few years back that worked. Not sure if it would work with the NIKI or not. I no longer have a copy, but search that forum and see what comes up.
What the heck, checked the wiki, have a look through here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=257415 at the BLUETOOTH VOICE DIAL COMMAND OFF hack iirc this was it.
No guarantees.
Mav
Hello all,
I'm looking to purchase a Tablet to satisfy a couple of my needs and would like to find out if some of my ideas are possible.
I spend a fair amount of my time in and out of my car so I'm looking to use a Galaxy tab for Satnav, music, phone access and emails. I spotted a Samsung dock that looks promising the "EDD-D1B1BEGSTD" (cannot link as a new user)
It charges it and has audio out which is perfect so I don't have to mess about with plugging in different cables everytime im in and out of the car just drop in and go with an aux in car stereo ready. My concern is it doesn't looks like it could take breaking/acceleration forces very well. Do any other docking stations have both charging and audio that are more car specific?
I don't want 2 contracts for 3G connection so can i confirm i can bluetooth my HTC desire to my tablet to access the internet?
As far as satnav goes, is it possible to have google maps offline?
Is it possible to bluetooth my HTC desire to the tablet to make and receive calls? As if the Tablet is plugged into my car stereo it would be a nice to have hands free calls. Would this be able to pull up my contacts from my phone too?
Out of interest would it be able to use a torrent manager and save directly to a network device/nasbox
Hope some people can answer my questions as im almost certain im going to make a purchase
Cheers
Alex
Any dock you purchase will struggle in the car as it is quite large in size - I see the tab as more of a co-pilot/navigator's unit which can be handheld or on a lap. I would recommend looking at reviews carefully and looking for any videos of the mount in action before purchasing. I do find the gps reception excellent and Google Navigation is fairly good though not quite TomTom quality.
For car audio, I'd recommend a bluetooth car stereo as this makes connection and playback much simpler.
Google Maps can be downloaded offline up to about 10-15 "squares" of information but this doesn't work for the Google navigation app. Google Navigation requires an internet connection to create a route and any wrong turns will also require the internet as a re-route is made. Probably best navigation is Sygic which is free to try for a month and then is about €20 to keep the maps and it works all offline.
There are a few apps that link the phone and tablet for messaging but not sure about calls if your car would be connected to tablet then the phone couldn't connect to car stereo if a call comes in I think.
There are loads of apps for getting nzbs/torrents and sending them to your NAS remotely, e.g. Synodroid is the one I use for Synology NAS.
So I'm really after an in car mount with just the one connector... But has audio out and charging... any ideas?
If I'm bluetoothing my HTC Desire to the tablet my understanding is I then cannot pair with a car stereo so would rather the in car month had audio out.
If your Desire has a 3g connection, you can create a wifi hotspot for the Tab... that way you can use Google maps for navigation on the tab (I've tried it with my Tab + Arc, works great!) Ofcourse, it does use quite a bit of data.. so unless you have around 2gb a month this would not be a viable option
Also if your car has bluetooth you can pair it with the phone/tablet to get audio over bluetooth ( no cables required)
I use my Tab for navigation. Google cached maps are useless without a wireless connection if you go off route. You need something like CoPilot (what I use) or Sygic which stores all map data locally on the device. There's no "official" car dock so you'll have to use the single port and a car charger to keep it charged. You can either use the audio out port to connect physically to the car's audio via a 3.5mm jack or some type of BT adapter connected to the car's audio to connect wirelessly.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F8Z492-P-Bluetooth-Music-Receiver/dp/B0047T79VS
The idea of the docking situation is to make it as simple/lazy as possible. I find if I've got to mess about before a journey i just wont use the tech so wont buy it.
Ideal situation is, I walk up to my car with the tablet in bag and desire in my pocket. I step inside the car, drop the tablet in the docking station (no messing about with cables or adjusting cradles) turn tablet bluetooth on via widget on desktop and have everything ready to go. Data connection + phone ready to use when I want it and music/handfree kit through the car speakers via the aux in connection on the docking station.
The idea behind using bluetooth for Data is I could leave bluetooth on my Desire 24/7 (I already do) leave the phone in my pocket (not setup my phone for tethering each journey) push one button on my tablet and I'm ready to go. This could hopefully keep my data plan down to a minimal usage.
I know it sounds petty but in real life I want to get in and go.
Do people kind of understand what I mean? Or am i being too lazy/picky
cr33ch said:
Or am i being too lazy/picky
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^^
This.
At least as far as tablets go. You could probably fabricate something yourself using the Tab media dock and a third party mount yourself, but nothing like what you're looking for currently exists.
I don't think I'm asking too much and I'll still prob go ahead with one but it would be nice to have all the features...
I'm kinda going on this video (though its not in english) that you can tether your data via Bluetooth w.youtube.com/watch?v=5hglunqoZLo&feature=related (I can't post videos as a new user)
But I don't know if the phone's calls\sms\contacts can be tethered to the tablet. Plus it will need to do all the above while sending data...
Navigation im not too bothered about, ill prob just either use data like I've been doing with my Desire or download tomtom
Then all I need to find is either a docking station that's more car friendly with same functions or modify the samsung one some how to make it more secure
cr33ch said:
Hello all,
I'm looking to purchase a Tablet to satisfy a couple of my needs and would like to find out if some of my ideas are possible.
I spend a fair amount of my time in and out of my car so I'm looking to use a Galaxy tab for Satnav, music, phone access and emails. I spotted a Samsung dock that looks promising the "EDD-D1B1BEGSTD" (cannot link as a new user)
It charges it and has audio out which is perfect so I don't have to mess about with plugging in different cables everytime im in and out of the car just drop in and go with an aux in car stereo ready. My concern is it doesn't looks like it could take breaking/acceleration forces very well. Do any other docking stations have both charging and audio that are more car specific?
I don't want 2 contracts for 3G connection so can i confirm i can bluetooth my HTC desire to my tablet to access the internet?
As far as satnav goes, is it possible to have google maps offline?
Is it possible to bluetooth my HTC desire to the tablet to make and receive calls? As if the Tablet is plugged into my car stereo it would be a nice to have hands free calls. Would this be able to pull up my contacts from my phone too?
Out of interest would it be able to use a torrent manager and save directly to a network device/nasbox
Hope some people can answer my questions as im almost certain im going to make a purchase
Cheers
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google maps WILL cache for offline navigation, BUT you have to enable it in the Labs options, and predefine each area you want pre-cached making it pretty worthless. Your best option is to get wireless tethering working on your phone so you have a live internet connection on your tablet.
Docking your tab in the car will be a DIY project. I am sure it can be done but I have not run across any car docks that would work with this device. Charging can be tricky as well. The Tab requires 2 amps in its stock configuration. Very few car chargers put out that power. There are some rooted options that you can learn about.
As far as navigation goes, your best bet is a nav app such as Copilot. I have this app and find that it is as good or better than a stand alone GPS and the cost is very reasonable. My version does not offer voice control but there may be something newer out there that does.
The Tab can be tethered to a phone, (after rooting), but I have no experience with this so I cannot provide any advice. If it were me, I would use the phone for the stuff it does best and the Tab for what it does best. Phones are great for making and receiving calls as well as sending music to your car stereo. With a bit of effort you can do those things with the Tab but why reinvent the wheel. The Tab is best for things that require a larger screen. In the car, that would be Internet, assuming you have 3G access or are tethered along with navigation. The two devices compliment each other but IMO, cannot totally replace the other.
Hopefully this helps.
Bob
I'm fairly confident I can achieve what I'm looking for with a little modification. My Desire is already rooted with MIUI ill prob end up rooting the tab shortly after I purchase one too.
I think its just going to be a case of getting one and playing with it...
Just to confirm theres nothing really between the samsung and the Motorola xoom from a rooting/modification point of view?
No, no difference as far as rooting afaik.
I'd be interested into how you get on with your tinkering
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Well ive done it, ive put an order in for one with a Samsung docking station. Once it arrives ill report back with what i can and can't do