I'm considering getting one of the new Parrot 3100 car kits, but I want to see if it's worth the money. Is it really as good as it's supposed to be? How easy is it to mount, and what's the level of control like?
I'd actually like to know this too. Last summer I met a bunch of people who worked for Parrot. They were all pretty cool. But I never did get to try one.
Visit safewireless.com]Parrot Bluetooth Hands Free Car Kits and Plug N' Play Harness Adapters - (Authorized Rep and wholesale distributor) and contact [email protected] or call his contact number and he will tell you everything you wanted to know about the Parrot Car Kits.
I have one in my vehicle. What do you want to know?
Installation was "fairly easy". Ok, not really. I had to pull the headunit and splice a few wires. If you splurge for the available adapters for your car it becomes way easier....but I'm cheap. Then you have to stick the "brain" of the unit up into the dash somewhere. Its about the size of two decks of cards end-to-end. Some wires go from the brain to the headunit, another wire goes from the brain to a small mic that you mount in the vehicle, and another wire goes to the Parrot display unit that you mount elsewhere. You also need to tap into the power supply. I installed it a year ago so I am not sure, but I think I tapped an unused fuse in the fuse panel. After that, its like any other bluetooth device...you have to "mate" it to your phone.
As for the operation, its pretty straightforward. The only real problem I have is that mine had an older firmware and the only way to update from the version I have is by going to an authorized dealer and having them connect a wire to the brain and upgrade it. Since mine was older, it couldn't be updated via bluetooth, though I think the newer firmware can be. That said, it works well. It sync automatically, though it takes a few minutes before it is truly "loaded". In other words, mine doesn't seem to store my phonebook. Every time the phone syncs, it reloads the phonebook. Thus, if someone calls right after I get in the car, it will display their number instead of the name in the phonebook. After a few minutes, when someone calls it displays the name from my phonebook. Its pretty simple to use, the green button answers, the red hangs up. Pressing the green button when you aren't on a call starts the voice prompt. The unit can be setup to use its own voice dialing or use the one in your phone. My older firmware wouldn't allow the Parrot one to be used and as I mentioned, I couldn't update it easily to do so. Therefore I just use the one built into the phone. It works fine.
My problems are probably more related to the installation than the unit. I do get some people complaining that they can't hear me, but it is probably because I put the mic too far away or have the windows open! There are settings on the unit to adjust speaker and mic volumes too. The only other gripe I have is that it only mutes the radio while the ringer is actually ringing. Its very annoying to have the audio jump back and forth between music and ringtone, music and ringtone, music and ringtone. I'd rather it mute the music the whole time the ringer was ringing (does that make sense?).
There are alot of things you can do with the display unit but I have never ever used them....such as going through my phone book by letter. I use voice dialing and I answer and hangup. And it does that as advertised.
I don't actually own one, but have installed two for salesman at work. They both love them and one of the salesman is not a techie (read kryptonite :superman ::technology:salesman) The installs were pretty straightforward as I got a wiring harness with the needed adapters. These were both done in Chevrolet trucks and all it took was pulling the radio and running some wires as previously mentioned. With a Treo, the Parrot was not kind. With the iphone and a Razr, the Parrot is awesome. Ditto on some of the comments above...doesn't mute radio entirely, will cut in and out as talking and ringing. Also yes, the phonebook must load. When installing, these have two power wires, one fulltime power and one ignition power. This allows the parrot to come on when the car is started. I would recommend running the ignition power through a toggle switch and then to all time power as that gives you control over when the kit is on or not.
If I were to purchase a top of the line bluetooth car kit, I would purchase the Parrot. It is pricey, but worth it.
I have AUX input in my car, Plug in my storm, Put it on speaker, and rest the phone in the cup holder. It works great, and sounds much better than onstar, people on the other line say so as well. But if you don't have aux input, i hear the device you are questioning about is pretty good.
I have the Parrot. It works great, once you get it installed. I have one of those vehicles that there is not a harness for, so it took a lot of splicing and soldering (roughly 24 connections) to get it in. Also be sure to connect it after the amplifier if you have one.
Mine does not cut in and out of the radio however. Some radios have multiple mute connections - maybe it's hooked up wrong on those.
The nice feature is that the volume on the dash unit controls the Pearl, or vice versa. No need to load address books, because the voice controls of the phone are passed through the Parrot.
Good luck. This is not an easy install unless you have an aftermarket wire harness to plug into.
Have it, love it! I installed my own, went for the harness. Hardest parts were routing the mic and control wires, and getting the "clump" of wires back in the dash w/o pinching anything.
Have to agree on SafeWireless, extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Not cheap, but WAY better than any headset I've tried.
I have AUX input in my car, Plug in my storm, Put it on speaker, and rest the phone in the cup holder. It works great, and sounds much better than onstar, people on the other line say so as well. But if you don't have aux input, i hear the device you are questioning about is pretty good.
So if you have AUX input you don't need Bluetooth??
So if you have AUX input you don't need Bluetooth??
i didnt know you could either but i will say i have had it ONE time were the person i was talking to was running through my speakers.. maybe i hit speaker by accident but ill try this out tomorrow
