Another Bluetooth problem

[GIga]

This one's kind of weird, but here it is.

Sometimes, when I make calls on my handset (vs. using the screen which you
can't do when you're moving), I lose connectivity with the bluetooth in the
car, and the only way to re-connect is to shut the engine and re-start. To
make matters more interesting, if I get a call while my bluetooth is in this
weird state, the person on the other side can only hear the radio playing at
a very high volume, and I hear nothing in the car. I have a Motorola Razr,
and other than this weird, unpredictable behavior, the bluetooth works fine.

Any ideas?

-C

[kitzler]

Definitely weird, hope someone has an answer, so I will be monitoring
this chat. thanks for bringing it up

/N.

[greg]

Post by kitzler
Definitely weird, hope someone has an answer, so I will be monitoring
this chat. thanks for bringing it up
/N.

You didn't mention who your service provider is, but Verizon phones
are notorious for dropping calls when on the phone and another call
comes in; kind of like call no-waiting! Although that's not what
you're describing, losing the bluetooth connection sounds like a phone
issue. Try a new phone and if it still does it, then it may be the
car. Or, if you have a laptop with bluetooth, perhaps you could try
syncing it with your phone and monitoring the laptop/phone to see if
the connection gets lost.

[GIga]

Service provider is Cingular (AT&T now), but the problem is not that the
signal is being dropped (at least I don't think that's the problem), but
rather that the connection between the phone (Razr) and the car (via
Bluetooth) is somehow getting disconnected. I tried a different phone, same
results. Personally, I think it's a bug in the software that controls the
bluetooth interface in the car, as it only seems to happen when I try to
control the phone call connection via the phone (as opposed to via the touch
screen, which is deactivated while the car is in motion). My lease is up in
Sept., and I'll be trading it in for a newer version. Hopefully, whatever
the problem is got solved in the later models.

-C

Post by greg

Post by kitzler
Definitely weird, hope someone has an answer, so I will be monitoring
this chat. thanks for bringing it up
/N.

You didn't mention who your service provider is, but Verizon phones
are notorious for dropping calls when on the phone and another call
comes in; kind of like call no-waiting! Although that's not what
you're describing, losing the bluetooth connection sounds like a phone
issue. Try a new phone and if it still does it, then it may be the
car. Or, if you have a laptop with bluetooth, perhaps you could try
syncing it with your phone and monitoring the laptop/phone to see if
the connection gets lost.

[greg]

Post by GIga
Service provider is Cingular (AT&T now), but the problem is not that the
signal is being dropped (at least I don't think that's the problem), but
rather that the connection between the phone (Razr) and the car (via
Bluetooth) is somehow getting disconnected. I tried a different phone, same
results. Personally, I think it's a bug in the software that controls the
bluetooth interface in the car, as it only seems to happen when I try to
control the phone call connection via the phone (as opposed to via the touch
screen, which is deactivated while the car is in motion). My lease is up in
Sept., and I'll be trading it in for a newer version. Hopefully, whatever
the problem is got solved in the later models.

Current gen cars allow dialing by voice: name or number, so you can
now dial while the car is in motion. I suspect you're right; using the
handset controls is the source of the problem. Have you used all your
17 one-touch slots for dialing while in motion? What exactly are you
doing with the handset that you can't do onscreen while in motion?

[The Visitor]

My 07 RX350 does not allow me to use voice dial or screen dial if in
motion. I must use the handset. Which to me seems more hazardous.?

J

Post by greg

Post by GIga
Service provider is Cingular (AT&T now), but the problem is not that the
signal is being dropped (at least I don't think that's the problem), but
rather that the connection between the phone (Razr) and the car (via
Bluetooth) is somehow getting disconnected. I tried a different phone, same
results. Personally, I think it's a bug in the software that controls the
bluetooth interface in the car, as it only seems to happen when I try to
control the phone call connection via the phone (as opposed to via the touch
screen, which is deactivated while the car is in motion). My lease is up in
Sept., and I'll be trading it in for a newer version. Hopefully, whatever
the problem is got solved in the later models.

Current gen cars allow dialing by voice: name or number, so you can
now dial while the car is in motion. I suspect you're right; using the
handset controls is the source of the problem. Have you used all your
17 one-touch slots for dialing while in motion? What exactly are you
doing with the handset that you can't do onscreen while in motion?

[m***@kluge.net]

Post by The Visitor
My 07 RX350 does not allow me to use voice dial or screen dial if in
motion. I must use the handset. Which to me seems more hazardous.?

Does the Lexus Bluetooth phone system allow programming of 1-touch
dial positions? These are the only ones that can be dialed while in
motion on the Prius' Bluetooth phone system. (and I think that there
are voice commands to dial these...)

[GIga]

You can use one touch, and I do have several of them programmed, but often
I've got customer calls I'm making while on the road, and their numbers
aren't programmed. The other problem is that the software only allows me to
transfer one number at a time (yuck), and it's only the "default" number
(first entry on the phone), so if I want to put a cell phone number on one
touch, and the cell number isn't the default, I have to enter a new
(different name) entry on the phone, and then transfer that. There's no way
to enter a number directly into the phone database on the car (yuck again),
so your only choice is to either transfer one at a time, or dial from the
handset when you're moving (and yes, it is pretty difficult and dangerous to
do that). Voice activated dialing wouldn't be bad, but it won't fix all the
other problems I've just described.

Post by m***@kluge.net

Post by The Visitor
My 07 RX350 does not allow me to use voice dial or screen dial if in
motion. I must use the handset. Which to me seems more hazardous.?

Does the Lexus Bluetooth phone system allow programming of 1-touch
dial positions? These are the only ones that can be dialed while in
motion on the Prius' Bluetooth phone system. (and I think that there
are voice commands to dial these...)

[greg]

Post by GIga
You can use one touch, and I do have several of them programmed, but often
I've got customer calls I'm making while on the road, and their numbers
aren't programmed.

You can use voice dial by number now.

Post by GIga
The other problem is that the software only allows me to
transfer one number at a time (yuck),

That's a phone issue. The Cingular Blackberry Pearl will send all
contacts at once. Although it's got to be impossible to keep up with
all the phones as quickly as they are released, lexus.com has a chart
that outlines what features work on each phone they've had a chance to
test.

Post by GIga
and it's only the "default" number
(first entry on the phone), so if I want to put a cell phone number on one
touch, and the cell number isn't the default, I have to enter a new
(different name) entry on the phone, and then transfer that.

That's still the same on the latest gen nav, unfortunately. "John
home, John work, John Cel" all need their own entries (as you've
discovered).

Post by GIga
There's no way > to enter a number directly into the phone database on the car (yuck again),

You can enter name/phone #s directly into the phone database on the
latest gen nav, but then you'd also have to enter it into your phone,
so you're entering it twice?

Post by GIga
so your only choice is to either transfer one at a time, or dial from the
handset when you're moving (and yes, it is pretty difficult and dangerous to
do that). Voice activated dialing wouldn't be bad, but it won't fix all the
other problems I've just described.

[GIga]

Thanks for the insight. Sounds like there's been some improvements in the
next gen Nav, and that I need a new phone. In the meanwhile, I guess I'm
stuck with what I've got! The idea of entering the phone numbers twice
(once in the phone, once in the car) isn't as bad as having to transfer one
number at a time (which takes forever, as the bluetooth link needs to
disconnect, transfer, and re-connect with each number, which takes somewhere
in the vicinity of 30-45 seconds). The voice dial by number sounds great as
long as (a) you know the number you're calling (rare for me, as many of them
are international and REALLLLLLY LOOOOONNNNG) and (b) the voice recognition
software actually recognizes what you're saying (also rare, as the software
is still kind of rinky dink). Oh well. Still love the car, and can't wait
to get my next one in September (LS 600h L).

Post by greg

Post by GIga
You can use one touch, and I do have several of them programmed, but often
I've got customer calls I'm making while on the road, and their numbers
aren't programmed.

You can use voice dial by number now.

Post by GIga
The other problem is that the software only allows me to
transfer one number at a time (yuck),

That's a phone issue. The Cingular Blackberry Pearl will send all
contacts at once. Although it's got to be impossible to keep up with
all the phones as quickly as they are released, lexus.com has a chart
that outlines what features work on each phone they've had a chance to
test.

Post by GIga
and it's only the "default" number
(first entry on the phone), so if I want to put a cell phone number on one
touch, and the cell number isn't the default, I have to enter a new
(different name) entry on the phone, and then transfer that.

That's still the same on the latest gen nav, unfortunately. "John
home, John work, John Cel" all need their own entries (as you've
discovered).

Post by GIga
There's no way > to enter a number directly into the phone database on
the car (yuck again),

You can enter name/phone #s directly into the phone database on the
latest gen nav, but then you'd also have to enter it into your phone,
so you're entering it twice?

Post by GIga
so your only choice is to either transfer one at a time, or dial from the
handset when you're moving (and yes, it is pretty difficult and dangerous to
do that). Voice activated dialing wouldn't be bad, but it won't fix all the
other problems I've just described.

[greg]

Post by GIga
You can use one touch, and I do have several of them programmed, but often
I've got customer calls I'm making while on the road, and their numbers
aren't programmed. The other problem is that the software only allows me to
transfer one number at a time (yuck)

To clarify, the one-at-a-time is a phone software issue. lexus.com
lists all the phones they've been able to test along with the features
that work. For example, the Cingular Blackberry Pearl allows entire
phonebook transfer instead of one at a time.

Post by GIga
and it's only the "default" number
(first entry on the phone), so if I want to put a cell phone number on one
touch, and the cell number isn't the default, I have to enter a new
(different name) entry on the phone, and then transfer that.

That hasn't changed with the latest gen nav... :(

Post by GIga
There's no way to enter a number directly into the phone database on the car (yuck again)

You can enter a name/number directly with the latest nav, but why
enter it into both your phone and the nav when you only need to enter
it once into your phone and then transfer to the nav?

Post by GIga
so your only choice is to either transfer one at a time, or dial from the
handset when you're moving (and yes, it is pretty difficult and dangerous to
do that). Voice activated dialing wouldn't be bad, but it won't fix all the
other problems I've just described.

If you don't have a stored entry, voice activated dialing by stating
the numbers wouldn't be bad? What's not to like? That being said,
you'd still have to read off the numbers from a scrap of paper while
simultaneously driving. Any type of dialing, by hand into a keypad or
even by voice, diminishes your concentration while driving.

[m***@kluge.net]

Post by GIga
You can use one touch, and I do have several of them programmed, but often
I've got customer calls I'm making while on the road, and their numbers
aren't programmed. The other problem is that the software only allows me to
transfer one number at a time (yuck), and it's only the "default" number
(first entry on the phone), so if I want to put a cell phone number on one
touch, and the cell number isn't the default, I have to enter a new
(different name) entry on the phone, and then transfer that. There's no way
to enter a number directly into the phone database on the car (yuck again),
so your only choice is to either transfer one at a time, or dial from the
handset when you're moving (and yes, it is pretty difficult and dangerous to
do that). Voice activated dialing wouldn't be bad, but it won't fix all the
other problems I've just described.

Well, the transfer one number at a time thing is actually phone-
dependent, and not a fault of the car. Some phones can do the entire
phonebook at once (my husband's old Sony Ericsson T68i for example),
while others can only do one contact at a time (his current Motorola
RAZR for example), while some cannot transfer at all (like the
notorious Verizon V710).

Yes, there is the issue that the first number attached to a name is
the one that is transferred. The only real way around that is to only
have one number attached to a name in your phone book, something like
John Smith H, John Smith W, John Smith C (one entry each for John
Smith at his home, work, cell numbers). Hopefully the first number
you entered isn't a fax machine! ;-)

On the Prius and several other Toyotas (Camry, Sienna, Highlander HV,
and Lexus RX400h that I've heard of), depending on the implementation
there may be a screen hack that'll disable the navigation/bluetooth
speed lockouts. (The display used on the 2004-2005 Prius uses this,
but it is not available on the 2006-current Prius...)
Give
http://hybridcars.about.com/od/ownership/ss/navigation.htm
or
http://www.wikihow.com/Override-Toyota-Prius-Navigation-Gray-out
a try...

Is there any chance that you can program your customers as a POI if
you have a navigation package? I think that you can dial a POI while
moving, if you can still access the POI.

You can enter a phone number into the phone book of the car without
the use of downloading from your phone, but it is kinda tricky. On
the newer display I mentioned (for a Prius it's on the 2006 and newer
models, I don't know when the crossover is/was on other Toyota/Lexus
models), you can directly add in a number to the phonebook (while car
is stopped). Otherwise (either display version), you can transfer a
number from the quick-dial location that stores the previous outgoing
or incoming calls and place that stored number into the phonebook
(although without a description). Alternately, you can add a phone
number to a POI in the navigation system and dial it from there.

[The Visitor]

My RX350 must be restarted when the connection is dropped. But it
doesn't happen often.

John

Post by GIga
This one's kind of weird, but here it is.
Sometimes, when I make calls on my handset (vs. using the screen which you
can't do when you're moving), I lose connectivity with the bluetooth in the
car, and the only way to re-connect is to shut the engine and re-start. To
make matters more interesting, if I get a call while my bluetooth is in this
weird state, the person on the other side can only hear the radio playing at
a very high volume, and I hear nothing in the car. I have a Motorola Razr,
and other than this weird, unpredictable behavior, the bluetooth works fine.
Any ideas?
-C

[Bob]

Has anyone firgured out how to use the transfer button?? It only seems to be
lit, and thus able to press,
if I get two calls coming in at the same time. (Talking to one person, and
then another callcoming in.)
However, the book says it is used to have a private conversation by
transfering the call to your
cell phone....

Anyone???

Bob

My RX350 must be restarted when the connection is dropped. But it doesn't
happen often.
John

Post by GIga
This one's kind of weird, but here it is.
Sometimes, when I make calls on my handset (vs. using the screen which
you can't do when you're moving), I lose connectivity with the bluetooth
in the car, and the only way to re-connect is to shut the engine and
re-start. To make matters more interesting, if I get a call while my
bluetooth is in this weird state, the person on the other side can only
hear the radio playing at a very high volume, and I hear nothing in the
car. I have a Motorola Razr, and other than this weird, unpredictable
behavior, the bluetooth works fine.
Any ideas?
-C

[The Visitor]

Post by Bob
However, the book says it is used to have a private conversation by
transfering the call to your
cell phone....
Anyone???

On my rx350 the transfer button is only light up (enabled) while the car
is stationary.

I wonder if they have any software upgrades, I will ask next time I am
in which shouldn't be to far away actually.

John

[The Visitor]

And now as if it knew I was talking about "it", I get teh message,
"Bluetooth connection unsucessful." Grrr.

John

Post by GIga
This one's kind of weird, but here it is.
Sometimes, when I make calls on my handset (vs. using the screen which you
can't do when you're moving), I lose connectivity with the bluetooth in the
car, and the only way to re-connect is to shut the engine and re-start. To
make matters more interesting, if I get a call while my bluetooth is in this
weird state, the person on the other side can only hear the radio playing at
a very high volume, and I hear nothing in the car. I have a Motorola Razr,
and other than this weird, unpredictable behavior, the bluetooth works fine.
Any ideas?
-C

[GIga]

<grin>

Software can be very spiteful. Try singing softly to it and maybe (just
maybe) it will behave better.

Post by The Visitor
And now as if it knew I was talking about "it", I get teh message,
"Bluetooth connection unsucessful." Grrr.
John

Post by GIga
This one's kind of weird, but here it is.
Sometimes, when I make calls on my handset (vs. using the screen which
you can't do when you're moving), I lose connectivity with the bluetooth
in the car, and the only way to re-connect is to shut the engine and
re-start. To make matters more interesting, if I get a call while my
bluetooth is in this weird state, the person on the other side can only
hear the radio playing at a very high volume, and I hear nothing in the
car. I have a Motorola Razr, and other than this weird, unpredictable
behavior, the bluetooth works fine.
Any ideas?
-C

[Ray O]

Post by GIga
<grin>
Software can be very spiteful. Try singing softly to it and maybe (just
maybe) it will behave better.

Post by The Visitor
And now as if it knew I was talking about "it", I get teh message,
"Bluetooth connection unsucessful." Grrr.
John

See, the voice recognition feature works!