Bluetooth for phone in car

**Strommer** · 31-03-2019, 06:53 PM

My car has built-in bluetooth so when someone rings me I simply press a button on the steering wheel to answer the call. My wife's car does not have bluetooth and I would like to add this for her. Is there a unit that would automatically answer a phone call without having her press a button?

I found this one which is a Promate carMate-7 which has a rechargeable battery (rather than connecting to the car ciggie socket). It automatically turns on and off via a proximity sensor and clips to the visor, so it seems fool-proof and easy-peasy to use which is what I need for SWMBO (who is very 'tech challenged'). However I don't know if it will automatically answer an incoming phone call without her having to press a button (as I do on my steering wheel). It also has good volume and a sensitive mic.

If you know of a good bluetooth unit that auto-answers a phone call, please let me know. BTW there is a cheapie unit at Noel Leemings but it has bad reviews and plugs into the ciggie socket.

Thanks.

**Strommer** · 01-04-2019, 01:04 PM

No reply yet

I thought someone would have an add-on car bluetooth phone unit that works well. I'll wait a few days and if no info from this amazing PF1 group, I will go ahead with the Promate and hope it works OK for SWMBO.

**kahawai chaser** · 01-04-2019, 01:25 PM

When you say built in your car - to where exactly? A stereo or a kit/device? Because if wife has a car stereo, with a Aux port, you can buy bluetooth adapter to the aux port, and possibly a speakerphone/with auto answer. I did a little research - mainly on eBay - which has heaps. Not saying you buy from them - but research what's available.

**Strommer** · 01-04-2019, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by kahawai chaser

When you say built in your car - to where exactly? A stereo or a kit/device? Because if wife has a car stereo, with a Aux port, you can buy bluetooth adapter to the aux port, and possibly a speakerphone/with auto answer. I did a little research - mainly on eBay - which has heaps. Not saying you buy from them - but research what's available.

"Bulit in" is my car - the phone connects automatically to the radio/stereo sound system. With my wife's car there is no bluetooth so I will need to add a BT unit - either one that will play through the radio/stereo or one that stands on it's own. My main question is if the BT unit in my post [Promate carMate-7 ], or any other such unit, would automatically answer an incoming phone call - without my wife having to fiddle with the BT unit.

**Strommer** · 02-04-2019, 05:14 PM

Update: I have ordered the Promate (see link in 1st post) so when it is installed and used a few times I will report back. There was no other option that I could see unless I used eBay or Alibaba and waited a month or so for delivery.

**Strommer** · 10-04-2019, 12:32 PM

*Update* We have had the Promate bluetooth unit for a week now and it works great! To answer an incoming call all my wife has to do is say YES (or to say NO if she doesn't want to talk). She has also simply pressed the big top button to answer a call which is easy since the unit is clipped to the visor. Speaker volume is excellent. So, I am impressed with this bluetooth gadget and pleased that SWMBO can use it and doesn't fear/hate it (she has sort of a tech-phobia, especially for new things). Also I will give thumbs

up to Ascent Technology for the quick next-day delivery.

**Jen** · 10-04-2019, 07:37 PM

Thanks for the update. Been watching this thread as I have been thinking about a hands-free kit. I will keep the Promate in mind.

**Strommer** · 11-04-2019, 12:51 PM

Footnote: When the driver's car door is closed the Promate unit is supposed to disconnect the bluetooth, but sometimes it does not. When it does not disconnect and when my wife's phone is within range of her car, she cannot hear an incoming call or when making an outward call the recipient cannot hear her (because she is not in her car). I have tried it using her phone, leaving the driver's seat and closing the door and it did disconnect so it is an intermittent problem. If you / your phone is far enough away or in a shielded building/house then the bluetooth will be out of range and disconnect. Anyone who is not tech-phobic (like my wife) can simply disconnect bluetooth on their phone if they see it still connected (the two little dots on either side of the bluetooth symbol) but then of course you have to remember to turn the bluetooth back on when using your car. There is an on/off slide switch on the side of the Promate which can solve the problem as long as you remember to turn it back upon using your car again.

Jen, thanks for the note. Glad to see someone finds this info useful. There is a cheaper, half-price unit at Noel Leemings which you may want to try as long as you can get a refund if it does not work for you.

**1101** · 11-04-2019, 02:03 PM

Just wondering, whats the audio quality that the other person hears ?
is the road\car noise supressed ?, does it sound sort of distant like some phones in speakerphone mode ?

Another option would be just using smartphones hands free mode & put the phone on a holder , Ive never tried that though

**Strommer** · 11-04-2019, 03:23 PM

The audio quality that I hear is good when my wife is talking while in her car. However if she has the visor flipped down (for sunshine) then it is not as good but still ok. Road noise suppression seems to be quite good but actually I have not tested it with her car at 100 km and her car is quite noisy. Summary: It all seems good but I have not tested it enough times.

Having the smartphone in hands free mode would be good for some people but not SWMBO who is tech-phobic. She will usually leave her phone in her purse on the back seat (cannot hear it ring) or hatchback 'boot' so to have it automatically connect to a bluetooth unit is the only viable option.