Oct 04: Hands-free kits
Holding a mobile while driving is illegal, so we’ve tested a selection of hands-free kits | |
MOBILES AND THE LAW
We all know that driving with a phone to your ear is now
illegal, but it’s less clear what we need to do to legally use
a mobile at the wheel. There are two rules you need to stick to. First, the phone should be placed in a dedicated clamp or holder on the dashboard. That way, you can operate it with no more concentration than using other dashboard switches. Second, you should never have to touch more than one button on the phone. So set the mobile to auto answer for incoming calls. Also, those you call should be, ideally, on single-touch
presets. Dialling numbers
manually is not allowed.
In this test, we check that each kit has some form of clamp that allows the phone to be mounted near the driver, and check for an earpiece. These are useful if you don’t want your passengers hearing the other half of your conversation.
If you’re not sure what Bluetooth is, let us explain. The earpiece/mic connects to your phone purely by radio waves. It means no awkward cables or wires are needed, and because Bluetooth is a universal standard, Bluetooth kits will work with any Bluetooth-compatible phone, regardless of model or manufacturer.
Our tests assess each unit’s features (volume controls, voice dialling etc), ease of use and sound quality. Can you hear the other person clearly through the kit, even at motorway speeds? And can they hear you?
DETAILED WRITE-UP FOR EACH KIT, MAY BE FOUND IN THE OCTOBER 2004 ISSUE OF THE MAGAZINE. |
Argos 546/4926 Nokia PPH-1
Price £49.99
Tel 0870 600 2020
Website www.argos.co.uk
Compatible with Nokia 3210, 3310, 3330, 3410, 3510, 3650, 6510, 8310, 8910
This may look like a natty piece of kit, but it isn’t actually that versatile. The first problem is the unit’s shape. Many car manufacturers now put cigarette lighters in ashtrays, which are often sited low on the centre console. So, assuming it will fit without fouling, you could well end up with the speaker facing down – which doesn’t do much for sound clarity.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Nokia Boom Headset HDB5
Price £8.00
Tel 01332 290555
Website www.mobilesolutions.uk.com
Compatible with Nokia 3310, 3330, 5210, 6510, 8210, 8310, 8850, and 8890
A boom microphone personal hands-free kit is well worth having. In the car, it’s more usable than a bog-standard set because the speaker in the earpiece seems more effective, and the boom mic picks up the user’s voice much more clearly than one simply clipped to your
collar.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Car Parts Direct Hands-Free Kit
Price £69.95
Tel 01332 290833
Website www.carparts-direct.co.uk
Compatible with most current popular mobiles
Imagine a hybrid between a professionally installed hands-free kit and one that’s simple enough to fit yourself, and you’ll probably end up with this. Like most
professional sets, this has its own remote microphone that can be positioned close to the driver for optimum voice pick-up.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Jabra Freespeak BT200
Price £49.99
Tel 01332 290555
Website www.mobilesolutions.uk.com
Compatible with all Bluetooth mobiles
Although basically a cut-down version of Jabra’s Freespeak 250 (see p.72), this still works incredibly well as a car
hands-free system. Here again, you have the convenience of an earpiece that doesn’t have wires connecting it - and you - to the dashboard.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Halfords Pama Clip'n'Go
Price £29.99
Tel 08457 626 625
Website www.halfords.com
Compatible with all mobiles
There’s versatile, there’s very
versatile, and there’s the Pama Clip’n’Go. This kit works with practically any mobile ever made and, probably, any mobile yet to be made.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Sony Ericsson HBH-25
Price £69.99
Tel 01332 290555
Website www.mobilesolutions.uk.com
Compatible with any Bluetooth mobile
In terms of specification, this kit is broadly similar to Jabra’s Freespeak 200 (above). The earpiece sports a boom microphone, ringer volume control, speaker volume control and an answer button. No spare ear inserts, but its shape is more comfortable than the Jabra’s.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Argos 546/4892
Price £24.99
Tel 0870 600 2020
Website www.argos.co.uk
Compatible with Nokia 3210, 3310,
3330, 3410, 3510, 8210, 8310
There are two ways of looking at this. On the one hand, it’s a perfectly legal car hands-free system for not much money. But you could also argue it’s just a mix of personal hands-free kit, car charger, and bracket.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Nokia HDC-9 Personal Hands-Free Kit
Price £6.00
Tel 01332 290555
Website www.mobilesolutions.uk.com
Compatible with Nokia 6310
Personal hands-free kits, like this one, are available for all phones. And most start at a similar low price. But how legal are they for car use? To satisfy
legislation, you must invest in a mobile clamp, or bracket, so the phone’s facing you on the dashboard.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Halfords Pama Plug'N'Go Anywhere 6310
Price £59.99
Tel 08457 626625
Website www.halfords.com
Compatible with Nokia 6310
Halfords’ more expensive, phone-specific kit is a bit of a mixed bag. It undeniably works well, but it’s a bit too clever for its own good. It amplifies your phone’s sound, but relies on your mobile’s mic to pick up your voice.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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CCM Universal Roadster
Price £29.99
Tel 01332 290555
Website www.mobilesolutions.uk.com
Compatible with most popular mobiles.
Dedicated adaptors cover current models from
Ericsson, Nokia, Siemens, Motorola and Samsung
This kit is versatile and comes at a very reasonable price. The same basic bracket connects to hundreds of different phones through interchangeable link cables. Like many budget kits, this one simply amplifies your phone’s signal and plays it through its own speaker, but relies on the phone’s own microphone to pick up your voice.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Jabra Freespeak 250
Price £69.99
Tel 01332 290555
Website www.mobilesolutions.uk.com
Compatible with all Bluetooth mobiles
This Bluetooth set may look rather pricey but it makes for a
versatile and well-equipped
hands-free kit. That unusual clip you see in the picture fits cosily behind your ear, and includes a
microphone and speaker.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Argos 546/4878
Price £7.99
Tel 0870 600 2020
Website www.argos.co.uk
Compatible with Nokia 3210, 3310, 3330, 3410, 3510, 8210, 8310
There’s no excuse for not
having a car hands-free kit when they’re as cheap as this. This model gives you a leather carry case, an
earphone, car charger and a bracket.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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