[nycfonephreak]

Been reading up on the different BT headsets in the "boom" thread and it looks like there are at least 3 worthy of consideration: Plantronics Voyager 510, Logitech Mobile Pro and Scala 500.

I need to choose one to use with a Treo 600 in conjunction with a Jabra A210 BT Adapter.

If you've used any of these headsets with a 600 and A210 I am interested in hearing how well the combination works. Specifically, can I hear the phone ringing in the headset earpiece as I can with my wired headset? Will the on/off button on the headset answer and hang up the phone?

Are there any limitations or gotchas because I need the A210 between the phone and the headset?

Thanks!

[bclinger]

I use a setup similar to what you have described. I have a Sprint Treo 600, a Jabra A210 bluetooth adapter, and a Motorola HS850 bluetooth headset. The software I use includes CallFilter to filter calls for announcement with pTunes, Freedom to forward everything when enabled to the headset, PAR Pro to record voice call announcements, and VoiceIt for voice dialing and application launching.

With my HS850, a call is received and subsequently announced through the headset. To answer, I press the MFB on the headset or the center 5-way on the Treo. To terminate the call, I either wait and let the caller terminate it, press the MFB on the headset one time, or press the center 5-way on the Treo.

To make a call, I have the option of using VoiceIt or the dialer. I use TakePhone. Once the number has been dialed (VoiceIt or manually), it immediately rings in the headset and no further action is required - just talk. No extra steps. When finished, tap the MFB on the headset or the middle 5-way button.

Freedom by Toysoft is the software that channels everything to the headset. As a result, all of the software that I use that interacts with pTunes, such as Bob's Alarm/MobileClock, ends up sounding through the headset - meaning I no longer have to worry with the speaker.

At night, I disable both Freedom and VoiceIt, resulting in all audio hitting the speaker. In addition, I also unplug the headset. The Treo, the bluetooth adapter, and headset are charged while sleeping.

The Jabra A210 bluetooth adapter mimics a "wired headset" setup, hence it provides only basic bluetooth operation. You will not get caller id; however, with CallFilter, the corresponding notification is received via the headset. I frankly have no intention of removing the headset to see who is calling.

Had I known the setup I have works so well, I would have long, long ago gone this route.

More questions? Ask.

Ben

[nycfonephreak]

Ben, that's very impressive and I'm encouraged to know that this is all possible. How did you figure this all out?

My requirements are a lot simpler... I'd be very happy to just hear the built-in ringer (or any kind of notification) through the headset when a call is coming in. The CallFilter features include the ability to announce incoming calls by speaking the caller's number digit-by-digit. This would suffice as well.

I already have Freedom and PTunes (older 2.3.2 Basic version). So, am I correct in assuming that all I would need at this point is CallFilter to get my more limited requirements to function?

BTW, I should have also mentioned that I already have the original Jabra Freespeak headset (which I hate) and I was not able to get this to work, which is why I posted. I'd like to get a better headset that will work with the 600 for now.... and will work with the 650 (which I may upgrade to when my contract renews in January).

Thanks!

[bclinger]

I own both CallShield and CallFilter and switched to CallFilter due to its superior handling of what I needed and at that time, much better support. As a note, it does not handle digit-by-digit announcement, hence the use of WAV or MP3 files with pTunes Deluxe for announcement. I have annoucement files for everyone in my contact list and also one for "unknown caller." Blocked ID goes directly to voicemail which has a detailed explaination of why they ended up there.

I belive you will have to up to pTunes Deluxe for call announcement, though I am not sure. The version of Freedom I am running is 1.3.6 and Danny Wong's support with this program has been good, as is the support from pTunes.

If you have not looked at CallFilter, then give it a go; however, support is not provided by the author and there is no update in the works for the Treo 650. CallShield by Mantra Group (which I also purchased for the 600 when it first came out), works to a degree on the 600 (bugs) and the new beta works also to a limited degree (the bug is due to resets on the Sprint version and it insists upon using the built-in ringer instead of the announcement files). Mantra Group is also rather weak in the support area. However, since the 650 is in your future, CallShield is the one to work on.

Also, if you do not mind it just ringing in the ear, then you do not need a call filtering application. All you need is Freedom.

My primary headset is a Motorola HS850 and it works very well for me. I get good distance in most environments (about 25 feet straight shot), it does not care which side of the body versus the headset, reception is clear, outgoing voice quality is good - though it is sensitive, so I have a piece of heavy tape across the microphone. The HS850 activates within a second and often times activates as the Treo is coming alive. I have had to pair it twice - not bad.

The backup headset is a Motorola HS805 - the AAA battery release. Due to my often long days, 14 hours is not unusual along with lots of phone usage, the 805 is a good backup for me. Good quality, light, et cetera. It's only problem is that it turns itself off after an extended period of inactivity. The
850 never turns itself off.

To date I have owned for varying lengths of time a total of seven headsets. The Motorola headsets I currently have had been the best for me. As a note, I also had the Motorola HS820 and would have kept it had I come across it later in my purchasing frenzy - it was my first. I got rid of it at CompUSA and replaced it with a LogiTech Mobile Freedom, which I got rid of VERY fast due to its ear-killing feature.

I have a LogiTech Mobile Freedom Pro on order, but being out here in the middle of nowhere, 2,500 miles from somewhere, shipments take one week to 6 months (seriously).

Also since you are purchasing the 650, there are a number of good headsets worth looking at - lots of reading there. I want to up to the 650, but stability is an issue for me at this time.

Ben

----------------

Ben, that's very impressive and I'm encouraged to know that this is all possible. How did you figure this all out?

My requirements are a lot simpler... I'd be very happy to just hear the built-in ringer (or any kind of notification) through the headset when a call is coming in. The CallFilter features include the ability to announce incoming calls by speaking the caller's number digit-by-digit. This would suffice as well.

I already have Freedom and PTunes (older 2.3.2 Basic version). So, am I correct in assuming that all I would need at this point is CallFilter to get my more limited requirements to function?

BTW, I should have also mentioned that I already have the original Jabra Freespeak headset (which I hate) and I was not able to get this to work, which is why I posted. I'd like to get a better headset that will work with the 600 for now.... and will work with the 650 (which I may upgrade to when my contract renews in January).

Thanks!

[nycfonephreak]

downloaded the trial version of CallFilter and it DOES support digit-by-digit announcement. However, with the Jabra BT200 I cannot get it to ring in the headset unless it is in TALK mode (not Standby). I don't know if this is an incompatibility with this particular headset.

There is a feature in CallFilter to Turn ON or OFF a compatibility fix for the BT200, but, this doesn't seem to do anything to fix the ringing in the headset. I CAN however answer an incoming call by first pressing the ON button on the headset to switch it from standby to talk mode... and then pressing ON again to answer the call. This was NOT working when I first tried this headset with the Treo months ago.

So, I guess I'm still questioning whether I'll be able to hear the ringer in the headset on the 600 with one of the newer BT headsets like the LMP, Voyager 510 or Scala.

FWIW, in the meanwhile until I get a new BT HS, I can continue to use my wired HS and now hear the incoming number announced without pulling the phone out of its hiding place - thanks to CallFilter. This is reason enough for me to purchase it. Hopefully, with another BT HS, I'll get this to work without wires.

Thanks for your help.

[bclinger]

My release of CF does not support digit-by-digit announcement. My Motorola HS850 wakes up when a call is received and in fact, any time the Treo is turned on, a tone is heard in the ear indicating PDA activity and a couple of minutes later, the headset sets another tone to indicate it is going into standby mode. With the HS850, one button press does it all, whether it is on the handset or the headset. No second pressing of any button is required to answer.

The Motorola units, HS803, 820, and 850 all operate basically the same. The HS803 shuts down totally after a period of time and requires a key press of the MFB to begin operation and a second button press to answer. As long as it is active, only one button press is required to answer the call. The 820 and 850 do not shut down. So, maybe your unit shuts down totally, which is what the Logitech Freedom headset I had for one day did.

Your wired headset should allow you to answer the phone if it has a button - on mine it did once I discovered where that button was..........

Ben

[nycfonephreak]

How's the audio quality of the HS 805 on both ends - especially in noisy environments? I'm deciding between that (I like the AAA battery) and the Logitech Mobile Pro and Scala 500. I live in NYC and it's very noisy out on the streets. So, good volume and good noise cancellation is a must.

[bclinger]

The audio quality of my Motorola HS805 is good; however, it is not a "boom" unit. In noisy environment, well, I have tape over the microphone, it is that sensitive and I also keep the volume down low to keep it from picking up from the ear piece. Noice cancellation - ok from what my wife tells me, she uses the HS805 exclusively.

In my situation, the HS805 shuts itself down, the wife is on the phone much more than I am and I use mine a lot. I have to turn the HS805 on when a call is received and that is not too convenient. The wife has not complained about her's turning itself of.

The Logitech Mobile Pro is on order for me and has been for about a month. I'll probably never receive it - about time to reorder again. The Logitech Mobile Freedom was just too awkward and heavy for my ears - tore 'em up.

Ben

[Big Tone]

I have a Treo 600 (Sprint), a Jabra A210, but a different bluetooth headset (SE HBH 300). I have PT Deluxe and CallFilter. I get the digit-by-digit announcement and also can hear MP3s through the headset. I don't have Freedom and don't seem to need it to do what you need to do. CallFilter is a GREAT application, but like bclinger said, there haven't been any updates in some time and there is no version for the 650 available.

I had a BT250 and was able to do everything with it that I do with the 300. I don't know why it won't work for you. You are probably better off with a new headset anyway, because the Jabra headsets do not perform well outside due to its sensitive mic.

[Big Tone]

Oh, I also have VoiceLauncher and am able to use voice activated dialing using the headset by either phshing the button on the phone, or the headset. The 650 can't even do that!

[bclinger]

You have VoiceLauncher and I have VoiceIt. It is truely amazing at how well they work with the external bluetooth adapters and like you write, the 650 cannot even do that!

If I want to redial the last number dialed, I just say, "phone redial" and it is done. The thing we are missing is caller id and frankly, I have no intention of removing a headset to see the number. CallFilter and pTunes and a couple of others make it a handy device. Almost makes me not want to move to the 650......

Ben

[nycfonephreak]

I finally made a purchase - thanks to the reviews and info I received here.

I went for the Logitech Mobile Pro + Jabra A210. Won't have 'em for about a week. But, as soon as they get here, I'll report back on the LMP's performance on our noisy streets.

[bclinger]

It has been 3 weeks since I ordered a Logitech Mobile Pro and gosh, no show yet. However, being 2,500 miles west of somewhere in the middle of nowhere, such is not that unusual. It could be today or it could be never. Who knows. Anyway, last night I ordered the HBH662 from Dan's Cellular and am going to give it a try - not that I am at all unhappy with the Motorola HS850. It's good for me and fast, but the thought of something faster...........................

Anyway, the Jabra A210 is great. I have one, my wife has one and the somewhere in route from the mainland is the third one. When ordered it was not availble here in Honolulu - Sprint now carries it for about $100 or so (70 more than I paid for any of the ones I have).

You might also consider purchasing Freedom to move everything to the headset (if you're a Treo 600 user) and one of the voice dialing programs (I use VoiceIt). Makes a hard to beat combination.

Ben

[Big Tone]

You have VoiceLauncher and I have VoiceIt. It is truely amazing at how well they work with the external bluetooth adapters and like you write, the 650 cannot even do that!

If I want to redial the last number dialed, I just say, "phone redial" and it is done. The thing we are missing is caller id and frankly, I have no intention of removing a headset to see the number. CallFilter and pTunes and a couple of others make it a handy device. Almost makes me not want to move to the 650......

Ben

Where can I find info on VoiceIt? VoiceLauncher is ok, but I have issues using it outside or in noisy areas.

[bclinger]

The link is: http://www.groverind.com/

Also, they all have problems in a really noisy environment. Ben

[nycfonephreak]

Thought I'd post a quickie 1st impression of the LMP + Jabra A210 + Treo 600 combo...

My first few calls were horrible - I sounded totally choppy on the other end. But, I quickly remembered reading about the 3-position switch on the A210. It came pre-set for Motorola phones (anybody know why their phones require a separate setting??). When I switched this to the setting recommended for "all other phones" I sounded very loud and clear on the other side. I hear a slight echo in the headset and the A210 manual says that the middle position should reduce this. I haven't experimented enough with that yet. I also haven't gotten to test it in noisy environments. But, so far, in my limited tests indoors, I'm very, very impressed with the sound quality on both ends.

[bclinger]

Yep, just uncomfortable for me. The sound was ok, just tore the ears up!

However!

I just received my Sony HBH662 headset today - it's charging. The wow thing is that I was able to use it while charging.

Anyway, it paired in 23 seconds. Anyway, operation was similar to the HS850. Remember, I use Freedom by ToySoft. Anyway, I made a call and I immediately heard it in the headset. Anyway, I received a call and it was sent right to the headset - took the same length of time to hit the headset that the HS850 did, so maybe that's a function of the Jabra A210 bluetooth adapter.

Eight hours to charge - bummer. Reading the manual was a waste of time - had to take my glasses off to read the paperwork and nothing of value was there.

Comfy and tight against the cheek, much tighter than the Motorola HS850. Weight wise, just a tad bit lighter. The HS850 ear piece sits on the ear, the 662 sits a bit into the ear.

Volume level - that will take a bit of time to get use to - ok, but the volume selection is on one side only. The MFB button is also much smaller.

In my situation, it appears to go head-to-head with the Motorola headset. My next concern though - will it make it through the day without turning itself off. The manual indicates it will only turn itself off when the power gets low.

Also, kudos to Dan's Cellular - less than a week on the delivery time.

Ben

[nycfonephreak]

Ben, in your original reply to my post, you mention that you use VoiceIt for voice dial. From what I can see, this is Voice Dialer Pro?? I had tried an earlier version and it didn't seem to work reliably. However, I just received notice of a newer version - 1.0.3. Is this the version you are using? If so, how reliably does it perform and does it work any less reliably with your BT headset than without?

Their documentation states that they do not support BT headsets because of how it was implemented on the 650. However, with the A210, BT is a function of how Jabra implemented it, right? So, I guess I'm just looking for confirmation that Voice Dialer Pro 1.0.3 will work with my 600 + A210 + LMP combination.

Thanks!

[bclinger]

It is Voice Dialer Pro V1.0.3. Reliabilty: the high 90s. It is as reliable as...for instance, if it is trained using the headset, it is reliable with the headset. If done without the headset, it is reliable without the headset. If recorded without the headset, it's not too good on the headset. If done with one headset, it's oh gosh. What it is trained with is what it is good with.

Trained and used with the Motorola HS850 is in the 90s for me. I just received a Sony HBH662 and it is so-so. VDP with the 600 and the Jabra A210 and a good headset should work fine for you. It does for me. I have not used the handset since going bluetooth.

Take care. Ben