Hands Free Bluetooth Made Easy...and Fashionable.

Parrot currently makes a handful of interesting Bluetooth peripherals that fit most cars on the market. (with the exception of some top of the line models such as: Mercedes Benz and BMW’s which have lavish fiber optic crossovers)

The parrot Hands Free Car Kit (CK3200LS) is the latest of the bunch, and it happens to be so cool that I feel every car should have one just like it.


The CK3200LS is a module that contains an LCD screen and Bluetooth sync functionality so you can connect your cellphone to it. The key is that your phone’s incoming voice will be played through the car speaker(s) so you can drive without having to hold your phone.

Most modules of this type have no LCD screen – usually only containing an LED screen (like a calculator’s screen) which is illuminated in blue or green to make it viewable at night. Motorola’s T605, HF850 have neither type of screen, so it is actually nice to see another 3rd party cellphone accessory maker bringing such a nice device to the table.


FEATURES

The CK’s primary draw is its LCD screen. The screen is bright, vivid and colorful which makes it a nice tech add-on for car’s that don’t have GPS Navigation computers already such as your average Scion TC, Civic, Focus, etc. The LCD screen’s primary purpose is to allow you to add pictures of your contacts to it so you can see their face pop up as they call you – the benefit being, you can visually recognize a face faster tan you can mentally recall a number.

If you have a phone with a Bluetooth that supports voice dialing, you may instantly dial the contact you want to dial by pressing a button on the CK and then saying the name you have recorded in the voice dial menu of your phone. You never have to physically take your phone out off your purse or pocket. All you need to do is make your phone “auto discover” the Parrot when it is within range and it should automatically connect when you get in your vehicle and turn the car on.

The CK supports up to 3 different phones so if you've installed it in a car you and your significant other share, you won't have to reprogram it between drives. Another small feature is color wallpaper for the background to pretty up the screen.

You can also quickly dial recent calls from the CK by rolling the jog dial on the unit’s face to your selection and then pressing the call button.


Installation

Installation of this unit is relatively easy so long as you have a good understanding of car audio systems, and car wiring. For all others, you are obligated to allowing the professionals at Circuit City or Best Buy install it. Installation takes about an hour depending upon the difficulty of accessing the speaker wires behind the head unit.
This is where things get tricky.
The problem is that many newer cars (especially luxury cars) have very sophisticated wiring designs. Cars like the Cadillac STS and Lexus LS460 have 15 speakers. The device is installed only into the speakers that you want to cut off from radio play and switch to the phone call. The CK will only route the phonecall through speakers it is spliced into, rather than routing the call to all of them. The speakers the CK isn’t routed to will continue to play music. It therefore becomes your duty to turn the radio down manually.

This little problem might turn potential buyers away from the unit but, in simple cars with just 4 speakers, it isn’t a major problem. This is an add-on device after all. It isn’t GM’s Onstar or Ford’s Sync – perfectly integrated into the car.


PERFORMANCE

Incoming calls automatically cause the unit to show the picture or just the caller ID number of the caller – and then the device mutes the speakers it is connected to.

When you accept the call by pressing the “call button” the call is rerouted and you speak naturally directly ahead. Your voice will be heard by the unit’s mic and the sound transmitted to the person on the other end of the call. As I stated, you need to adjust the volume of the speakers that are still playing music so you’ll be able to speak at a comfortable volume.

The jog dial also allows you to control the call output volume when you are in a conversation. The LCD screen displays the available connection strength to the phone as well as the battery life remaining and the time spent in the call. Watch those anytime minutes !

If you want a private conversation through your earpiece instead of the car speakers, you can easily press a button using the jog dial to transfer the call to your earpiece instead.

Very Simple right?


PROBLEMS?

The major disappointment with this unit is that the packaging does not clearly explain what car models it is incompatible with. That would save us all a lot of problems so we didn’t end up buying it and then be disappointed. There are vehicle specific cables available from many electronic stores that carry this device and other car add-ons but you really need to do some research before purchasing to be sure yours will work without the need for wire splicing.

Some phones will also not transfer their photos to the unit automatically and you may be required to update the software on your phone, or the unit itself before it will work properly. Again, there is no list that tells you which units are compatible right away.

Furthermore, the unit is designed to be attached directly to your radio console’s center stack. It doesn’t include a windshield mounting kit or your typical dashboard mount like you’d see on a GPS add-on simply because the Parrot isn’t meant to be removed from the car when you get out. It just sits there. Unfortunately, if some nefarious car-part thief sees it, they could very well break in, steal it by cutting the wires behind it and then rewiring it for themselves later on. It might have been more intelligent for Parrot to have designed a cradle dock that was connected to the car itself, so you could take it with you when you get out and pop it in the cradle when you return.


OVERALL for the $210 Circuit City wants (plus $50) installation, this is a very neat device that will help you stay safe while driving and using your cell phone. I wanted it the moment I saw it, because of its looks, and it does not fail to impress onlookers. If you happen to have a car with a center channel speaker in the front dashboard itself, I would opt to have it wired there because it is symmetrical with the interior of the car for whoever is speaking to it from whatever seat.