I have a double-din satnav/media player thing in my car which I hate, and it occurred to me that my phone does everything that the player does much much better (apart from having an external video output).

The only thing is that if it were perched on my dash and I received a call, I’d have to use speakerphone. Does speakerphone work nicely in a car or do you have to shout?

I would add that you have to shout with my current unit cos the mic is badly positioned I think. Or just rubbish.

It’s rubbish on every phone I’ve ever tried, pretty much useless. The microphones just don’t seem to work.

you really have to shout – not worth it

the phone wont go loud enough for the music either ….

I use my phone in a cradle very often for sat nav duties.

If I get called while using it like this then I can converse, but it’s not very good. People can generally hear what I am saying, but the speaker isn’t good enough for me to hear particularly well.

For short conversations it’s OK though. How about a bluetooth handsfree thing that clips on to the visor? I keep considering one.

EDIT – presumably you’d still need to the double din thing for music?

I have a bluetooth avantalk thingy from tesco 19.99 clips onto sun visor, excellent, use it every day.

edit 19.99 here

the phone wont go loud enough for the music either .

It would be plugged into the stereo for music! I suppose that phone calls would come out that way too..

I want to avoid having loads of crap clipped all over my car. I hate it. I could maybe manage the phone put somewhere neat…

The double din thing would be replaced with the original CD player/Radio, not a hole in the dash.

If it’s plugged in to the stereo for you to hear them, it’ll be fine. Use mine like this all the time (and my last one too)

If it is a proper mobile phone (think Nokia) then the loudspeaker will be fine….if it is a new smartphone where calls come a distant second in the design process to multimedia functions then it will be rubbish.

I had only Nokia phones from 1998-2010….as phones i couldnt fault them, 5 day battery life, excellent call quality, some even had good cameras on them (Carl Zeiss lens etc)….since then i have had smartphones and while the apps are great and the ability to connect to the internet is sometimes a godsend the call quality is rubbish, loudspeaker is a complete misnomer.

But of course – you really shouldn’t be using the phone in the car…. 😉

Whatever you get, don’t forget the receipt so you can claim your expenses 🙂

molgrips – Member
I want to avoid having loads of crap clipped all over my car. I hate it.

A Bluetooth handsfree isn’t exactly crap clipped all over your car…..

Both of these get good write ups. The Parrot has a band that stays permanently around the visor, which might be an indicator to a thief that you have a bluetooth handsfree stashed in the car. The Jabra uses a sprung clip to secure it to the visor.
They also do FM transmitting, so you can play music through your stereo from your phone, although I bought a specific device for doing this once with my iPod and it was utterly useless…..

Radical thought here…try it and see?

cynic-al – Member

Radical thought here…try it and see?

That’s crazy talk Al, and would require actually going out and doing something, without first asking for advice from a bunch of random folks on a mountain biking forum.

erm…isn’t using a phone on speaker in the car (presumably whilst driving…?) illegal?

I could try it and see, yes. But I’m at work and I want a response NOW!

Morgs, I think the courts would have a hard time proving that a phone attached to the dashboard on speaker was not a hands-free set-up and hence legitimate.

Still shouldn’t be using it.

Our firm has an absolute ban on drivers using phones whilst driving.
I thought this was OTT when I joined, but there is plenty of convincing evidence that hands free is just as distracting as hand held.

ETA – Plenty of client companies would sack you off a job for using a hands free

Morgs, I think the courts would have a hard time proving that a phone attached to the dashboard on speaker was not a hands-free set-up and hence legitimate.

it needs to be answered without physical interaction to be ‘hands free’ iirc.

Patience (and trying things out for yourself) is a virtue.

how can you answer the phone handsfree then?

I’ve got bluetooth built into my car and it is really handy, but I’m still conscious of using it whilst driving

When I’m driving my wife picks up the call, puts it on loudspeaker and holds it near me so I can hear properly … 100% hands free, although an expensive solution 🙂

how can you answer the phone handsfree then?

If I’m ever so careful and concentrate, I can actually lean down and touch it with my nose to answer. Hands firmly on steering wheel and no accidents yet.

rkk01 – Member

ETA – Plenty of client companies would sack you off a job for using a hands free

Plenty of places put a lot of pressure on people to answer their phones wherever they are. Place I used to work used to ring me everyday at about the same time as I was driving into work even though they knew I would be driving in. I just used to let it ring in my pocket. I asked about a hands free, but it was a no-go.

thomthumb – Member

it needs to be answered without physical interaction to be ‘hands free’ iirc.

I think that button press is permitted, but am not sure whether that applies to the phone or the handsfree kit. Most specific handsfree kits are one button to answer, so I assume this is legal.

I will try it. I am just talking about it now. This is a forum, don’t reply if you don’t want to chat idly about rubbish.

I thought this was OTT when I joined, but there is plenty of convincing evidence that hands free is just as distracting as hand held

I can understand that, but you have to learn to ignore the phone conversation to concentrate on driving. I do – talking to me in the car is frustrating cos I drift off a lot.

learn to ignore the phone conversation to concentrate on driving

Just not tolerated in our business. Anyone answering a call from a colleague would have serious questions asked.

Anyone answering a client call could jeopardise international contracts.

It’s a real NoGo, and I suspect this attitude will become more prevalent across business as it is pushed out through supply chains.

http://www.mobilecarkitsolutions.co.uk/Parrot-Hands-Free-Car-Kits/Parrot-MKi9000

I have one of these and it is fantastic. Really good sound quality on both music and calls. Worth it.

Rachel

I would support that, rkk01. Good idea.

joao3v16 – Member
When I’m driving my wife picks up the call, puts it on loudspeaker and holds it near me so I can hear properly … 100% hands free, although an expensive solution

That sounds like a great solution. Can I book your wife please as my answer to hands free? I have to drive to Barnsley in the morning and fancy chatting on the way. 🙂