beken
MINI CE
Registered: 03/26/07
Posts: 730
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| | 11/24/09 at 01:41 PM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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Jan 1 2010 is when new cell phone usage laws in BC take effect. If you are caught texting while driving or talking on your handheld cell phone, the fine is $170 + 3 points against your driving record.
So if you use your cell phone in your MINI, and do not have a bluetooth speaker set up, you should consider getting one. I don't usually talk on my phone when driving but I'm finding people call me and could care less whether or not I'm driving at the moment.
So I cashed in some Airmiles points and ordered a Motorola MOTOROKR T505. Other than my eyeglasses, I do not like hanging stuff on my ear. This unit hangs on the visor and can link to the car's radio via FM transmitter. The Airmiles site said it would take 4 weeks to arrive.
I ordered it last week and last night, there was a package from the courier. So...less than a week. I opened the package and there was a plastic bag that had a Motorola Sticker on it, but when I opened the bag, I went, Hey! They sent the wrong unit. It was a Blackberry VM-605 that had "for blackberry" on the packaging. I don't have a blackberry. Checking around the package, I found a letter from Airmiles stating that hey didn't have any Motorola T505's in stock so sent me an equivalent unit. After doing some research on the Net, consensus was that this unit, though made by RIM, it would work with any bluetooth'd cellphone. Also, it had better reviews than the Motorola unit.
So after charging it and figuring out how to pair the unit, it works fine. Pretty much the same way the factory bluetooth phone system in our BMW works.
The only thing that sort of annoyed me was the FM frequency search. It was supposed to find an FM frequency to tune to if I wanted the speakers to be my car audio system. At my place, ALL the FM frequencies are used up. The unit sets to 88.1 Mhz every time. It's supposed to look for an open frequency. It didn't. But the built in speaker (instead of using the car's speakers) worked well enough.
Also with bluetooth capablility, the Garmin Nuvi 1260T GPS. The model is available from your MINI dealer with the official MINI mounting kit to mount it beside your tach. It will also link your cellphone to its speaker and microphone. The version (I guess includes install) that comes from the MINI dealer is twice the price of buying the GPS separately from your local electronics shop and get a mounting system from an aftermarket place such as GoMINIGo. But you have to do your own install. I suspect the GPS unit can also charge on the mount from MINI without having to run a wire from the GPS to your accessory socket. This might the advantage you get for the extra dollars (dealer install and a more integrated charging set up).
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 Beken - 05MCS/Alta 22mm rear sway/MINI-Madness Cold Air Intake, Alta 15%, NGK-BRK7EIX, M7 Strut tower reinforcement plates. |
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works4me
VMCC Past President
Registered: 01/02/08
Posts: 314
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| | 11/25/09 at 07:40 AM | Reply with quote | #2 |
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Thanks for the insight Beken. My cell phone contract is up in January and I'll be getting a phone with Bluetooth capability then.
I'm assuming it is false economy to buy those $19.95 speaker/headset set-ups.
My phone is seldom used but I want to have hands-free available. The phone number is first response for the alarm company at work and is used when Brian wonders why the heck I'm so late getting home from work.  Other than that, only emergency use but you can't always pull over when you need to.
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2006 MCS JCW CE CR/W |
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