Suggestion for excellent Hands Free FM Car Cell Ph

[BuddTX]

I have seen the cheapie FM Universal Hands Free FM adaptors, but Are there any high quality ones out there?

Last Christmas, before I had my current Cell Phone, I saw this huge display at CompUSA, and the deal was that you bought a specific cable for your phone, and it plugged into the standard adapter, and it ran through your FM radio.

I like the idea of using electrical cables instead of analog clip on mike to mike or ear piece to speaker accessories. Less distortion, better quality sound.

Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[eluminator]

If you've got one of those awful hands-free phone laws in your state like we do here, it might be easier to tint your windows so nobody will know you are holding it.

 

[eluminator]

I think I have a better idea. How about disguising it as a cup of coffee? You could mount it inside a travel mug.

If it would fit inside a microphone enclosure, you could pretend to be using your CB radio.

Let's see. If it would fit inside a cigarette ... no, never happen. But a big fat cigar might have possibilities.

 

[Empath]

People that talk on the phone at the same time their driving, and think it doesn't impair their driving is little different than drunks that think they can drink and drive.

While there are far too many laws made, complicating and restricting activities, laws restricting your driving to safe driving activities isn't one of them.

Driving safely is serious business. That the law upsets and aggravates the spacey attention impaired telephone obsessed users is only an added bonus.

 

[BuddTX]

I have no law requiring me to use a hands free device, I just prefer one.

I like my 2001 GMC Sierra, and don't want to wreck it while talking on the phone!

Actually, my Sanyo 4900 Cell phone has a pretty decent speaker phone already built into the phone, and I glued one of those auto cell phone button holders on the dash, and it is way cool to be able to talk and drive hands free!

My friend has a BMW, and you actually buy your phone and service when you get your BMW, and the phone plugs into the car, and uses the external antenna, and the phone controlls are on the steering wheel, and you can access your address book and scroll through it and see the names on your dashboard. When you answer a call, the stereo automaticly cuts off, and the caller's voice comes over the stereo speakers!

 

[eluminator]

Is talking on the phone different than talking to your passengers, or talking on a business band or CB radio? Should we prevent pilots from talking to the control tower?

I agree that answering a phone or dialing a phone is distracting and can be dangerous. But these laws don't disallow cell phones, just hand-held ones. You can use the kind that have earphones and a boom mike, I guess.

It's as if holding a phone is dangerous, but holding a cup of coffee or a cigarette isn't. Am I missing something here?

I'm often in vehicles with two-way radios and they are safer because you just grab the mike and start talking. Whereas with a cell phone I have to figure out how to answer the damn thing. But hand-held has nothing to do with it. In one case I hold a mike, in the other I hold a phone.

P.S. I don't own a cell phone, although I occasionally answer the phone when I'm driving my friend's pick-em-up truck.

BuddTX I apologize for hijacking your thread. I keep forgetting to take my medicine.

 

[eluminator]

Thanks BuddTX, now I'm getting it. A better way to answer and dial would be a good thing.

 

[BuddTX]

Hey, no problem eluminator.

It sounds like there is a lot to talk about on this subject. Maybe we should start another thread.

Back on subject, does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations.

 

[highlandsun]

Re: Suggestion for excellent Hands Free FM Car Cel

My stereo has an aux input (pair of RCAs). I suggest you use something like that instead of FM. I'd be concerned about broadcasting my phone call on a frequency that adjacent cars can pick up.

But personally I'd just use a corded headset. I don't want the caller's voice broadcasted to my passengers, either. Short range wireless solutions seem cool, but not when you care about privacy.

 

[BF Hammer]

I looked over a couple of those radio adapters and then bought a headset instead. For in a vehicle, the earbud-style headsets with the mic in the cord or by the ear actually work very well. You can quickly put the earbud in place receiving a call. The kind that fit over the ear with the mic on a boom are just too clumsy to put on while driving. I find the VOX of inexpensive speakerphones to be too annoying to use, and the person on the other end of the call is often not pleased with the arrangement either. The dispatchers were I work approve of the sound quality of my headset.

 

[BF Hammer]

[ QUOTE ]
eluminator said:
Is talking on the phone different than talking to your passengers, or talking on a business band or CB radio? Should we prevent pilots from talking to the control tower?


[/ QUOTE ]

I'll just interject here with this: I personally don't feel any safer on the road with any law restricting cell-phone use, especially when the LEO handing out the ticket is reading and operating a computer and radio while driving (sometimes at the exact same time). How many of those Motorola two-ways have hands free kits anyhow? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

 

[markus_i]

Regarding the original subject - it depends on your phone. I'm working for a manufacturer (and I'm not telling you for which one), and there are several possibilities:
- that FM kit I don't know anything about, you're not allowed to use it in .eu anyway...
- headset is the simplest option. However, like all options that don't use an external antenna, you'll generate a lot of RF inside the car (if you're worried about that) and drain the phone's batteries quite fast
- portable carkit, essentially a speaker w/ amp which you plug into your cigarette lighter, occasionally together with a mike which you can stick/velcro to the dashboard. Works ok, even better if it supports an external antenna (but that requires some permanent installation work) but won't interact with your stereo
- fixed carkit, in several variations from simple to luxury, will have to be built into your car (small black box, antenna, phone holder/connector, mike, lots of cables) and is probably the best option. Depending on the type, total handsfree operation is possible for incoming calls (voice operation), voice dialling still needs at least a button to activate, will usually interact with your stereo (e.g. mute it when a call is ongoing, may even use the stereo's speakers). Usually has some sort of noise cancellation for the mike. Top of the line is then a fully integrated system like BuddTX described, but to retrofit one of those can be a bit problematic, or at least expensive...

Bye
Markus