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Not easy at all. How ever you access music on your android device is how you access the music. So you will have to scroll through your phone to access each file. Not driver friendly at all. I would typically llisten to sirrus xm on my phone by app, you tube search for songs, using voice controls, or downloaded files. The transmitter would just play what is on your phone. So for my commute, I would just set it on one thing. For long trips, I just have a file of downloaded music and play the file.
If I want to find something specific hands free, I will use google voice and say Play "artist name" ant the phone will lead typically to a song or mix on youtube.
Understand. So by that reasoning, hardwiring in a bluetooth transceiver isnt any better right? If you can't control it with the mode control switch or use the voice control of the phone itself, which has limited capabilty in music control, then its just a big jukebox with a bunch of songs that you hit play. People can look at the tech and try it or not. But I do Thank You for the information.
Since my Sc is a very seasonal car and driven only about 4k a year, and I’m cheap, don’t want to tear into my dash and break something real expensive (my local lexus dealer has only 2 techs they will let do airbag replacement on SCs) and with the top down sound quality is not a big issue I went with this:
works great, plug it into the lighter below the radio (have to leave the door open) and when I get paged or a call handsfree phone quality with windows up and top down is pretty good. Never have issues with people understanding me.
I just purchased this yesterday on ebay. Sorry that I can't figure out how to cut and paste.
The biggest factors for me and this particular unit were Bluetooth 5.0 and its ability to sync to two different units.
I'm going to get a cheap bluetooth headset first to see if it works while my phone is streaming music.
Then, I'm going to see if I can get google assistant to run for me and if it all works like I "hope" it does, then I'll get a good noise cancelling headset and I should have everything I'm after.
Paul, if you are talking about getting earphones for you to wear while driving the car, you might rethink that. It is illegal in many states to wear devices that will impair your hearing while driving.
Thanks H. No, actually I was looking at "Headsets", to be more specific "Trucker Headsets " listed on ebay (my number one product research tool .) There are many different types and styles but they all pretty much have noise cancelling and are Bluetooth.
Most have a single earpiece and a mic boom but not all. I just have no idea how the wind from going topless everyday in the beautiful Southern California weather will affect my interface with google assistant or making and receiving calls. LOL.
You might want to give the Bose sunglasses-yes, sunglasses- a try. Speakers built in to the temple ends.You can add prescription lenses as well as polarized. Sound quality , obviously, not as good as ML but pretty good Bose quality.
Hey Bob, I thought about the mode control on the steering column again. It does not have a "Tape" mode for my 02 when I go through the mode select options. Just CD, AM, FM1 and FM2. Does it have a Tape option on other model years? Also, my Electrical schematics say nothing about the Mode switch. Do you know where I should be looking? Thanks.
Paul
Just to update this post, I borrowed a cassette tape from a friend and inserted it into the head unit. I then scrolled through media options and "Tape" was displayed. I then removed my CD's and cycled through again using the "Mode" switch and CD was no longer a displayed option. So, no media, no selectable option in the head unit display in my 2002. Thanks.
Paul
I just purchased this yesterday on ebay. Sorry that I can't figure out how to cut and paste.
The biggest factors for me and this particular unit were Bluetooth 5.0 and its ability to sync to two different units.
I'm going to get a cheap bluetooth headset first to see if it works while my phone is streaming music.
Then, I'm going to see if I can get google assistant to run for me and if it all works like I "hope" it does, then I'll get a good noise cancelling headset and I should have everything I'm after.
OK. My FM transmitter came in yesterday and here is a quick review.
The good, the unit is sleak, small and the bluetooth connected immediately with no issues streaming the music from my Samsung Galaxy S8 with no issues.
The bad, the sound is what I could best describe as "flat." Differentiation of the various tones from low, mid and high is not what I had hoped for. Even after trying to manipulate the sound with the manual Base, Midrange and Treble settings on the ML Head Unit, the results were only moderately effective. I do need to add that one song in particular, an older "Men at Work" song did start playing at a significant higher volume and much better tonal quality. Is it my music file? Is it my phone? I cant say yet.
But, the tech worked great for the hour or so I used it while driving around the San Diego, DelMar area. And the unit I purchased in the link above is the only one I am judging here.
There are many, many different units out there. But an FM Transmitter that has a built in equalizer might be better at reproducing the sound quality that the ML unit is capable of or maybe a different unit would be better. I cannot say.
To summarize my limited experience with this particular unit I can say that I believe that the tech has a place in our cars, but maybe you should consider a different unit than the one I chose. Any comments on sound quality of other FM Transmitter units would be greatly appreciated. Have a great day everyone. And Thanks for all the comments. Keep em coming.
): This receiver is always on, i.e. there is no power button. The minute you turn the car on, the receiver, powered by the car charger, is on. The bluetooth connection, for about 90 percent of the time, is automatic (no need to choose this bluetooth device on the phone) as long as the SC430 bluetooth is slower to connect to the phone. In case when the car bluetooth connects first, I have to also select this unit on my phone.
Monster iCarPlay Cassette Adapter 800 for iPod and iPhone -3 feet (Discontinued by Manufacturer) (
): This is one of the best reviewed cassette adapter. I have had no problem at all for the past year.
The Aux jack from the cassette adapter is plugged into the Homespot bluetooth receiver. On my phone, I have the Android Auto app with the Autolaunch and Use Bluetooth options turned on.
Here is the sequence: When I turn on the car engine, Homepot connects to my phone first (thus enables any audio to stream from my phone to the car speakers under the Tape mode), then the SC430 bluetooth connects as it is an older and slower version of bluetooth. Finally my Android Auto app is activated with media and navigation on the phone screen. This is as close to being hands free as possible, as I still have to touch the phone to skip tracks, but at least the steering wheel volume functions work, and when I receive a phone call, it pauses the audio stream on the car surround sound system and switches to the car phone speaker. When the call ends, the audio stream resumes.
Finally, I also have Amazon Echo Auto in my car, which means I can control music with my voice (when the device works as it is very much an Amazon's work in progress).
All of this has been a nice and definitely affordable experiment, but I may eventually replace the factory head unit with a Beatsonic kit and an advanced 7" touchscreen receiver.
Hey SC430VA. How did you mount this rig? The near field connection (NFC) radiation field is very short since it was primarily designed for the credit card tap type payment system. I could probably mount the receiver under the center console where I set my phone so it would be within an inch or so of the receiver. But then how to get the aux wire there is another issue if I did that.
I use the car center console as my power source with a 3-socket cigarette lighter splitter. I plug the Homespot there and hide it between the seat and the console. The cassette tape aux jack extension cord is long enough to reach the Homespot and tucked into the side.
I put the phone on the vent where I can reach and control the audio stream. The Homespot receiver is tucked between the front passenger seat and the center console.
So SC430VA, do you have to tap your phone on the receiver for it to connect? Or does it have the rage within like a foot to automaticly connect? Thanks.
Paul, it connects automatically, unless I remotely start the car. That's when the phone connects to the car bluetooth first when I approach the car just beyond the 1-ft range you mentioned. As a result, the Homespot receiver can't connect. I have to manually select to connect with it on my phone. It's annoying, but still better than my previous Aukey bluetooth receiver that required me to turn it on every time I'm in the car.
09-18-19, 10:20 PM
.) There are many different types and styles but they all pretty much have noise cancelling and are Bluetooth.
