9-5 HANDSFREE CAR KITS - OPTIONS

[Polaris]

Hi all,  (nice new shiny forum - thanks guys!)

Not sure if I placed this in the right place - but it is 9-5 related.
I have a 5 year old (yes shame) mobile phone with a fully wired handsfree car kit (Sony) that works wonderfully as it connects to the Saab 95 (Kenwood) satnav radio and uses the car speakers and has radio mute and uses the outside shark fin antenna sending all the radio waves outside. All nice and safe as per the Saab handbook that warns us of using internal car antennas.

What are people doing for car kits now? I want to get an android phone - to date the best solution I can find is to use a Parrot bluetooth kit and use a radio mute and use the antenna on the phone inside the car. And maybe a Brodit holder and hard wired power?

Are there any (better) options that I can get to connect hardwired to the car using the shark fin and the radio mute? Or are those days sadly gone?

Does anyone have any experience of this please? Thanks in advance.

[phoenix]

If your phone has bluetooth then you can use something like the Nokia CK7-W.

Mobile phone antennas have improved enormously over the last few years so there is less need to have an external antenna. Just pop it in the cradle of your choice with power to charge from the cigarette lighter.

[sgould]

Welcome!

I think the days of external carphone aerials are over.  I used to have a Nokia car kit with a holder that connected to the Saab connector and the sharks fin.  But that car has moved on and I have fitted a Parrot CK3100 kit in my 2006/7 Dame Edna.  No external aerial connection. It works well in all the places that I have needed to use it.  Both UK and the further reaches of Europe.

I got the correct SOT convertor lead from Parrot to Saab from http://www.justcarkits.co.uk and it was virtually "plug and play"   The only thing that was a problem was that I tried to used the inbuilt microphone, but broke the terminals while trying to alter the impedence.  So I used the Parrot one in the box.

Details of my install can be found here.  This is a "phone only kit. If you want music via an AUX connection, you will need to provide an AUX socket and connect it to the audio.  The most elegant one I have seen is this one for the Kenwood.  There's a similar one for the cars with a Denso system.

[jmblack]

I've found the Parrot kit excellent for quality in my 9-5, using the Parrot mic.

[ScarbSaab]

Agree with sgould on both the Parrot (in my case a CK3100 in both cars) and the aux-in. My Android phone works fine with the Parrot as has every other Bluetooth phone except the Windows Mobile 6.1 phone I used to have. (It connected, but the Bluetooth stack on the phone was buggy and rarely worked properly.) I use the inbuilt mic with no problem.

The aux-in works great, though I did have a glitch yesterday. After receiving a phone call it cleared back to the aux-in but I got no sound. Switching to radio and back to the aux-in corrected it.

[zzf00l]

Personally I really like the Brodit holders... I have one for my Blackberry and one for my Satnav (Garmin Nuvi 1490) also doubles as hands free, connects automatically when turned on and really impresses.

[pauljdh]

Brodit all the way!

[Audax]

Parrot ck3100 here along with some brodit mounts for my Android phone. Very happy with the setup, less happy that SAAB never put an aux-in port into the car in the first place

[Geoff1951]

Parrot 3100 from justcarkits.

I followed sgould's VERY helpful guide to install one in my pre-Edna 9-5 a couple of years back and it has immediately identified each new phone I've had without problems. Just replaced a Nokia E-5 with an android (Orange's own San Francisco, worth googling for info on an excellent value alternative to HTCs etc) and it works fine. Phone sits nicely in the cupholder while charging .

I use the Parrot mic clipped into the trim where the A pillar joins the roof. All gubbins hidden behind stereo. Took me about two hours including working out exactly where all the bits and wires would go. Fortunately have small hands and skinny arms so can do an impression of a vet, but not crucial for the 9-5.

[Al]

As above - parrrot (3200)  and just car kits lead- but I used the existing SAAB mic.

The only prob I had was the first telemute lead that arrived didn't fit 'cos my MY 2000 9 5 was made about the time SAAB changed the connector - replacement sent as soon as I rang them to let them know - thoroughly recommended.

Works great, as did the parrot already fitted in the last 9 5 when I bought it.... with parrot mic on the A pillar

I bought a used telephone console off fleabay for a fiver and have the display fitted to that.... Just need to set up the voice dialing on the Blackberry.....

Cheers

Alyn

[longman]

can sgould's guide still be found somewhere on the net? the link above doesn't work:(

[sgould]

If you want to connect a Parrot to the 9-5 you need a wiring harness from someone like www.justcarkits.co.uk they may have something that works with the 9-5 satnav.

Which kit (if any) will depend on the version of the Parrot that you have.

http://www.justcarkits.co.uk/acatalog/Saab_Leads.html