Hands free systems for cell phones?

[Bill]

Has anyone seen the custom built-in monitors/tvs yet?

Talk about distractions.!. sheesh!

A co-worker told me a story about some fancy-dan car that was going really slow in the middle lane of a busy street. He and others pulled up along side too see what was going on.
The passenger was having some disagreement with the driver about the movie they were watching.

Hey SB.

Back in those good old days I was in a caravan heading to the Colorado river.
We all kept in touch through CBs. My X needed to have a pit stop so I rang out to the gang
-Hey guys. 10-100 time. Catch up to ya later.-
Once we got back on the road and was getting closer to the caravan could hear all the chatter going on "Mary. What does your book say 10-100 means" type of yacking.
I'm sure most already knew .... think its called a women's portable telephone just to kill time. <gr>

[Bill]

Bruce F.
Many years ago I had my mother-in-law and my mother in the back seat during a holiday.
We decided that year to join together and go see both grandparents on both sides.
Trouble was her grandparents were over a hundred miles north and my grandfather was 70 miles in the other direction.
Make a long story short. by the time that sixteen hour plus nightmare was over my nerves were numb ... dead as a door knob ... called my mother the next day. She said don't YOU EVER do that to me again!! Then hung up!! Later she told me Nancy (mother in law) seems like a nice person but does she ever shut up!?!

[jguti]

QUOTE(Bruce_F @ May 26 2003, 5:33 PM)

Talk about multi-tasking... Women drivers seem to have a knack for it.

While driving, I am constantly on the alert for what's behind me. The only accidents I have been in were other people who ran into my car from behind. How many were women? Not one...

One morning, driving to work, I was particularly concerned for my well being. I was driving a VW Fox. The two vehicles behind me were those humugous SUV's with women driving each. The one immediately behind me, the lady was eating a bowl of cereal! You don't know how close I was to slamming on the breaks to see what she would do.

The drive behind her was so busy putting on makeup it's a wonder she didn't drive off the road.

 

I wish I could say that!  But I got hit by a woman running late with a "humungous" coffee mug to her face (stated witnesses) at time of impact.  She hit me @ 60 MPH and I was @ a "Dead Stop" waiting for traffic to let me through at a busy intersection.  Was in pain for years.     I still get the gitters when I see a fast approaching car behind me as I wait on traffic to clear.

[Bill]

Found one of these for under $20 new on (of all places) ebay.
Bid on it.

Then found a forum (through google) were there was some negative and positive replies on it.

Made a few calls using the cheap-o headset type which you just plug into the phone jack on top that I have.
Incoming receive is fine.
Later tested the outgoing transmit on the two separate type phones.
Transmit was fine.

Started thinking about that bid .... why do I? ....
Someone out bid me at the last two minutes.    

[sandbox]

Bill, I know what you mean about being saved by a bid!
I just recently bought a beach wagon (long story) and thought I’d like to have the owner’s manual, someone outbid me and I was glad, cause now I don’t have to.

There were times when I could talk to my brother in his Kenworth out in Oregon from my GMC in Vermont, on my Cobra double side-ban. CB’s were very cool back then, heck I wish I still had it......... just because!

I don’t know what your cheapy does, but mine has a button inline. (like your picture)
The thing works great!

[Bill]

Saved by the bid is soooo right SB.

Found two others that were funky city. Think one might of been for an old cell and perhaps the other for a cordless landline.
Bought another the other day which I returned. Bad in every sense.


Honestly can't recall where I picked this headset up. Garage sale,swapmeet,store?

 
Found it in my Tempo (which has been sitting around collecting dust) wrapped up in a gallon sandwedge bag.Made by Plantronics.
Been at their website trying to find the model number. Couldn't. Guess it's an outdated model. Looks very close the pic above though.
I'm almost positive it is a much less expensive model than that pic!
By their site,they range from the mid ($) hundreds down to $29.
Bet mine is a $6.99 reject! <gr>
Don't know cus no can find "CHS142N"! Perhaps someone else can have better luck.

----

OH YEAH.
For a few years I went bonkers with CBs.
Get a new sideband and tweak the puppy out the same day. <gr>
Foot warmers that needed there own or extra car batteries. <gr>
The combo of a quite frequency,four quad beam antennae on a hundred foot crank up tower, designated time and enough horsepower that could give Anaheim Stadium a run-for-the-money I kept in contact with an old friend in Flagstaff, Arizona on a daily bases.
The setup on his end made mine seem like a walkie talkie.
Now if skip was in ... all bets were off! <gr> Actually was yacking away to some folks in your neck of the woods when the skip was flying high and my signal went around the globe ... back at me. <double grin>

My X was into horses bigtime. Mainly the equestrian riding. Everything (work,etc) always took backseat behind the shows no matter where they were at. She actually quit two very good jobs Johnny-on-the-spot when they gave her some flack even though she would always give notice way ahead.
Anyways...
She was either up in RHPs area (sometimes farther north) or Arizona.
I set her truck up like a roving radio station so we could keep in touch.  
Worked out pretty good.
If conditions were right,sometimes I'd go along. Not to often.
Most of the time had her mom for company. That's one horse to many.<g>

Those CBs days were some fun times. As every behind-the-times-'stag-nick' technology.
Fades off into the sunset.

[krissel]

I've had the same cellphone since fall of '94 so it's obviously old. But the interesting thing is that it came with a headset jack way back then, though at additional cost. I always thought they should be mandatory in cars. Even so, I don't believe any conversation is worth the risk of killing or maiming yourself or anyone else.

I never liked the idea of people wearing headsets to listen to music while driving or riding bikes either. Then they passed a law saying only one ear could be covered if using a headset. At least that helped some.

These days there are so many distractions, most of which are the choice of the driver, be it music, eating, drinking, conversations, etc. Each of these are under the control of the vehicle operator as to whether and when to engage.

Our family is keenly aware of the dangers of distraction.
My uncle was hit, head-on by a teenager who was fiddling with the radio in his truck.
The kid was fine, my uncle died instantly.

Personally I almost never even turn the radio on while driving, I like to use the time to think. Guess most people are afraid they will be bored with their own mind.

 

[RHPConsult]

Years ago, when the late Herb Caen was writing his legendary column for the San Francisco Chronicle (or Comical, as some people used to designate it, for its often hilarious typos) he asked people to submit accounts of what they actually observed other drivers doing in their cars, while also driving to work on the freeway.

The roster of human activities described was mind boggling . . . waaaaay beyond eating, arguing, or PDAing (in those pre-Palm days = personal displays of affection) . . . e.g. brushing teeth, curling eyelashes, reading the paper, or a book, eating soup w/spoon, drying hair, changing clothes, clipping nails, and so on.

I know, I know, I can hear you out there...."Well, they are Californians right . . ."

I think multitasking problems are more individual than species-wide.

Bill, I'm engaged in the same search you are. The best I've found was/is called Navigator, a charger/speaker which is vehicle independent, energized by attachment to the dash lighter, and using in some instances a transmitter that transforms the cars FM receiver/speakersinto part of the "system". Problem: they are hard/impossible to find for newer instruments.

Hard wiring, I find, costs about 300 bucks. The best plug-ins (i.e. no ear buds, no behind the ear gadgets) with sufficiently large built-in speakers are  only about 75-100. The best I've found are in this catalogue/webpage. Griot’s is an upscale emporium for car fanciers . . . emphasis on fancy! (No, I have no $ interest in the place!)

My newest phone (best I’ve ever had) is a Nokia 3590, but it’s not listed as applicable by Griot’s catalogue. I’ve inquired of them by e-message. No word yet.


Griot's Garage

[sandbox]

Hey Dick aren't the Nokia Kits functional?
http://www.nokiausa.com/nokia_accessories/...431,,00.html#50

[Bill]

Agreed,hole hardly krissel.

Unfortunately the phrase "Let us all strive to make this a perfect world" was probably thought up by someone sitting on the can and ran out of toilet tissue.

Doesn't mean one shouldn't shoot for such a personal goal. Never ever happen but still.

Just thinking while driving is a distraction unless your thoughts are on the surroundings and your driving.
Steve mentioned above in his post something like life is a risk.
I see no reason to go there. Entire books of been written on those ideals.

You had your uncle killed in an auto accident Kris. Sorry to hear/read about it.


 
Unless you were born and raised in a bubble, one grows up honing their physical and mental abilities.
Never stops. Sports in my youth (baseball,football,swimming,batmitten <-gr,pocketpool) still to this day shows in my physical abilities. Can't tell you how many times I've worked along side some bozo who has two left hands.    

I'm very aware ... errr ... distractions.

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do even though you know it is wrong driving and using a cell.
Trick is to get it down to the bare minim.
Many laws that are shoved down our throats I don't agree with. This one about cells and driving I do.
BUT again. For instance I HAD [no choice] to drive close to two hundred miles today in all directions just to take care of unexpected business garbage by two-left-handers on separate jobsites. Was on the freeways and cell coordinating unnecessary replacement deliveries/repairs these yoyos managed to ****-**!!


RHP.
I ran across somewhere on the net ...?... where some outfit or an ebay store ...?... that had a setup which turned your car radio/speaker over to the cell.
Memory serves correct (yeah right): Hardwired with a toggle single pole/single throw switch so one could bounce between the two.

SB.
Found out mine is the predecessor of plantronics M-170. No in line answer/end switch.
So! I did a pit stop for a late lunch this afternoon at a (only game in town) CircuitCity.
They had a 'belkin 920-av3' model that looked just like mine only with a inline answer/end/volume control switch.
Was so fuming due to the left-handers ... did a Snuffysbluff. Brought it $27.
Took it out to the parking lot and gave it a whirl. The switch didn't cook.
Checked my settings on the phone and the handsfree readme. Still zilch.
Took it back in for a refund. "Didn't you just buy this a half hour ago" Yep.
"What's wrong with it?" Broke!!! "ok" <gr>



Sheeesh! Here we go again. Past midnight.