I Need Hands Free Cell Phone Advice

[alank22181]

Now that I know that Bluetooth and ES330 do not communicate with each other I'd like to know what alternatives are there for hands free cell phone operation and the ES 330.

Recently several local and state governments have passed laws banning the use of physically using cell phones while driving. Hands free devices are OK.

I have a Motorola T 730 phone, the full Nav system and there is a mic in the rear-view mirror.

Has anyone found a hands free alternative? If so- please let me know.

Thanks

Alank

[1990LS400]

Here is a link to Motorola's web site where you can buy the S9708 car kit (only $149) for your T730 phone: http://commerce.motorola.com/cgi-bin/ncomm...amp;type=249147

The kit comes with a speaker, mic, cradle, wire harness and junction box and is similar to our Nokia kits. I did not notice if it can work with an external antenna. Pro-fit lists an ES330 bracket to hold the cradle and there are probably other companies who have them: http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/Adobe/LX-52-01-p2.pdf

From my experience the key to a successful installation is connecting the phone kit's mute wire so that the audio/Nav system mutes automatically when a call is made or received. If your phone rings loudly in a car kit and if you can here it over the audio system, this may not be as critical.

I've hooked up the phone kit's mute wire on both our current LS and Camry and they both work very nicely. (My wife and I both missed a lot of calls before I hooked up the mute wires.) But how to find the mute point on your ES330... Maybe your dealer can help. Mine didn't want any part of it except for one parts department employee who printed the electrical diagram for the audio system which showed which wire colors are for the mute. None of the local phone installers would help either.

Since you are in Fairfax, a high population area, you might have better luck finding a phone installer who can hook up the mute wire and do a decent job installing the entire kit if you want him to. Personally, I have not had much success with phone installers and prefer to do it myself.

Installing a car kit is not all that difficult if you have the repair manuals although it can seem daunting at first. Here is a a link to another thread with a doc on how I did it on our 00 LS: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...?showtopic=7791 If you are successful in installing a phone kit and connecting its mute wire, please report back on how you did it so others can benefit.

My guess is that the mic in the rear view mirror is for the voice actuated Nav - I doubt if it can be used for a phone. Phone kits come with mics which usually are fairly inconspicuous - see the photo of the mic in my doc.

[SKperformance]

I just put another one in my civc today and it works great just like the one in my lexus for my nokia phone

[SW03ES]

I know what you mean about the Washington area and the new anti-cell phone laws. Downtown in DC its now illegal and Montgomery County, MD where I live is trying to get a similar law passed. In all reality its stupid as all of the research has shown that handsfree kits or not makes no difference, but whatcha gonna do.

Anyways you're in luck because installers in Washington aren't as afraid of these Lexus vehicles as in some other parts of the country. In fact if you have the parts I can give you the contact info for the guy that installed my Sirius satellite radio. He did great work and knew the dash of the ES inside and out.

The ES is pre-wired for a cell phone but the best location is most definately off to the side of the dash with a pro-fit mount. External antennas really aren't neccisary. I've been majorly considering this myself although right now I don't talk on the phone a lot in the car (I use an earpeice downtown but they're a PITA) I'm looking at getting into some real estate so I may be moreso in the future.