[DeTomaso] NPC - Bluetooth in your car?
Mike Dailey
panteraplace at hotmail.com
Sat Mar 23 13:36:44 EDT 2013
Larry,
The first car Bluetooth I used was quite a few years ago when I upgraded my
wife's BMW to Bluetooth using a factory upgrade kit. It originally had a
built in phone that eventually was not supported by any carriers. At the
time, I looked at a number of non-factory options, but the main problem was
getting a link between the phone on the cars speakers and microphone.
There were a number of interfaces that used an open radio station for a RF
(radio) link between the phone and the car's radio. They worked OK until
you started moving and then the station I was using would get in range and
you would need to switch stations. I came to the conclusion that RF links
were not the answer, so I went with the factory integration that was super
expensive.
When I got my Mustang GT years ago it had a factory option for Microsoft
Sync that I added that was about $650. It is quite an amazing system and
gives you full voice control including voice response to text message,
Facebook messages, voice dial, USB drive, etc. Music degrades some over
Bluetooth so having a USB port with voice control music selection is a plus.
Of course I use Windows Phones, so some of the messaging features are unique
to Windows phone itself.
I really found the Bluetooth integration handy, so I started looking for
something I could use in the Pantera. The first solution I used connected
inline to the cars antenna and was a RF connection. But, the RF was
injected directly into the radio so there was no possibility of
interference. It was a super inexpensive solution and it worked quite well.
But, the more I used the Bluetooth in the Mustang the more I wanted a better
solution for the Pantera. I ended up installing a high-end Sony Bluetooth
radio that was an unbelievable low price of only $140. I did add an extra
cost remote mic. It has many of the features of my Mustang and I can talk
hands free and NONE of the Pantera engine noise gets through. Not sure how
that is possible! Here is a page I did on the solutions
http://www.panteraplace.com/Sub1/page304.html
There are a number of companies that make Bluetooth radio interfaces that
wire in to your radio like
http://www.parrot.com/usa/products/bluetooth-hands-free-car-kits and
http://audiovox.diceelectronics.com/media-bridge-info-avx
There may be other new solutions, but I don't think you will be happy
without some type of hard wiring into your radio.
Mike
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