i-pod and phone kit advice

[Tomson]

Hi all,

Just need some help and thoughts really about a very tidy solution for the above.

Car in question is a Leon Cupra R, It has an aftermarket Becker Mexico head unit in.

The phone in question is a Sony Ericsson K700i.

Basically, My mate 'paul' (top geezer) has jsut bought the leon and wants to install the ipod and a heands free kit. Ideally the ipod should be operated through the head unit and the phone through Bluetooth. We want to make everything as stealth as possible.

Has anyone tackled the bluetooth hands free kit market ?

How do people connect their ipods ?

White plug in adapters from lighter sockets and cd's with wires are siomply not options - this needs to look factory and cool.

Any thoughts anyone ?

[simple1]

Send me an e-mail, have a ball of info about bluetooth and have fitted all my own kits.

[Hutch]

For the ipod, I had a Dension Ice Link fitted last week. My ipod sits in a cradle just next to the stereo but you can have a wire into the glove box. Volume, ff/rwd and some other basic functions work through the stereo but if you want to browse through the ipod you have to use the click wheel. The sound quality is great (a real relief from the itrip!) and there is the option to charge the battery. However the product still needs developing in my mind, it is temperamental and complicated to use (maybe I’m still getting acquainted) Dension do bring out regular updates for the hardware which help. I'd give it 7/10.

Will post some pics...

[Hutch]

Dension ice link.

[niavasha]

Check out Alpine's KCA-420i, you can link it into one of Alpine's lovely head units, and then
control it from there. Touch screen if you use something like the IVA-D300R or new IVA-D310.

Works a treat and all controlled from the HU. Ipod in the glove box.
Likewise for Bluetooth i'm using a Nokia CK7W, which is pretty good (i'm using nokia's mind you)
but i have had the occasional problem, but going to the dealer to replace it.

[Tomson]

Getting back on this subject, I actually now have a new phone coming, will be sorry to get rid of the 6310i as it is a great phone - no nonsense and seems to last for ever. Anyway I am getting a NOKIA6680 - this means I will have to get rid of the current car kit and get the holes sorted by a dash repair company.

Anyway what I want is a compatible bluetooth car kit that also charges the phone. To be honest one of the best things about having a car kit for me is the fact it does charge the phone, no more searching the house to find out what the Mrs has done with the charger etc etc.

Anyway Simon, any recomendations - anyone else ???

[PhilT]

I have the same issue Tom. I had an SPV C500, and now have a C550. My solution was to buy a cigarette charger which I plan to hard wire at a later stage. The good thing here is that I can interchange between charging the phone and the Jabra earpiece. Thought of putting all the bits in the storage area under the steering wheel.

Orange do plan to release a car kit for the C500/550, but unless it is spanking, I think my solution is more cost effective.

[peterb]

My solution was to buy a cigarette charger which I plan to hard wire at a later stage.

Me too! I love the simplicity of the BT car connectivity (I have a Nokia 6230i a Nokia 610 car phone, which uses the SIM Access BT profile).

That way I can leap in and out of the car whilst keeping the phone in my pocket. If the battery is low, I just plug in the lighter socket charger.

Like Phil, I intend to hard-wire the charger.

[Tomson]

News on my solution is that Nokia do make a adapter that will plug into the old CARK91 6310i car kit and enable it to work as before. The only problem is the holder for the phone has been recalled and will not be ready untill september.

I almost went for the Bluetooth option but really struggle with the voice recognition stuff and this seems to be the only way to dial in most bluetooth kits. Alos I can see loads of confusion when having the stereo at full blast and phone in pocket etc etc.

So fo now I will use the plug in hands free and await the new holder with anticipation. Got all this info from a company called www.justcarkits.co.uk top bloke and I will go back to him in september when the cradle is ready.

Cigarette lighter is a nice idea unless the kev side of you has allready turned it into an engine start button..........Doh !!