volume of voice commands

[rhoamish]

When personal CD players first came out, you could buy an adaptor that plugged in to the car's cassette slot, and played CDs through the CD player's headphone socket.



Now I reckon this would be a handy way of getting sound from your pocket PC through the car's speakers. In addition, if you have RDS, you'd still get traffic information from the radio.



I also wonder if there's a way of playing mp3 files through the pocket PC, and having the navigation voice commands override the mp3 files?



The speaker on my Toshiba e330 is a little quiet. Does anyone else think this is a good idea, or does it suck? Can you still buy these tape adaptors?

[gstenson]

Yes this would work fine - if you want some more cables in the car. You can always try and get a FM Modulator to trnasmit the sounds over a local FM signal - although the one brought out for the iPOD was made illegal in the UK due to license laws so I am not sure whether FM modulators in general are now illegal in the UK - can someone confirm this?

[rhoamish]

Wouldn't it be a little cumbersome to fit a modulator to a pocket PC? Does such a device exist?



I've got a CD changer in the car, but it's hard to hear the voice commands above the music (and that's at moderate volumes).

[gstenson]

No, FM modulators are a little battery powered box that you can hide underneath your seat or behind the dash. They then connect to your PPC via a cable that fits in the headphone jack. I am not sure if you can buy them now however after a recent ruling.



I use a simple cassette deck adapter with my PPC as I have a 5gb PCMCIA drive in my PPC - works a treat with TomTom directions.

[Cando]

You sound as impressed with Tom Tom as I was when I first used it!

I use a cassette adapter as you suggest and it works fine.

They are very much still available.

One can be found in the latest Argos catalogue (Page 778.Cat no 534/2488 £9.99)


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Malc

[rhoamish]

Thanks for that, I think I'll try and get hold of one.



I am very impressed:I've used a couple of 'in-car' systems that cost 1500 and 2000 quid, and to be honest, they're no better. Although the map doesn't have all the latest roads on it, it doesn't seem to phase the system! A lot of the ;standard equipment' units (e.g Renault) tend to jump around and try to put you on a different road if you find an unmapped section: this just seems to accept that you're in a field, and carries on when you rejoin its route!

[catken96]

Hi rhoamish,



I use TomTomNav with a Toshiba e330, and the volume level isn't too bad. It depends on the background noise (music) level. I think you will find that the Goodmans CD/Tape adaptor that you mention will not allow RDS info to be heard at the same time, in the way that you cannot listen to a tape and Radio1 simultaneously. I think a separate amplifier/speaker fed from the Tosh output is a possibility.





Tom.

[bobnuts1]

I have an old pair of powered pc speakers placed under the drivers seat - Even if you can't hear the directions you can certainly feel them

[DavidW]

The legality of FM modulators was addressed in detail in this thread.







David

[rhoamish]

I've noticed that (unsurprisingly) the tiny speaker on the PocketPC handles high-pitched sound far better than midrange: whistles come across very clearly.



Perhaps the solution is to get Joe Pasquale to record the voice instructions??



Now that would be annoying...

[Royalty]

Quote: Originally posted by bobnuts1 on 19 August 2003I have an old pair of powered pc speakers placed under the drivers seat - Even if you can't hear the directions you can certainly feel them

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What an excellent idea! I currently switch between the cassette adaptor and standard iPAQ speaker depending on what 'music' mood I'm in. I'll have to give this a go at the weekend, thanks bobnuts1
_________________
Back the Boys, and make some noise!!

www.backtheboys.com

[TonyP]

I have the PPC hanging from the rear view mirror. That puts it closer to my head so it is easier to see and hear.



It is also close to the line of sight of the road, it hangs low enough so that it doesnt obscure the view of the road, I see part of the dash and the bonnet behind it.



The power cable hanging down stops it swinging about too much.



I dont use the navigator every time I drive and I didnt want an empty mount disfiguring the inside of the car.

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