... they already have the mic in place on the 08's with OnStar, they would only need some sort of control module for the bluetooth itself. Maybe a plug in unit into the existing Nav/Radio ...

 

Could someone please give me a good source for buying the Parrot? Also, are you using the CK3100?

Any advice on buying and installing would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

If you are installing it yourself ... try eBay ... otherwise the prices at most install shops around me are the same ... I would just find one with the best rep.

The CK3100 is what my dad has in his car, it's a great unit ...

 

Yes, I'll install myself. Thanks!

 

Ebay has great deals ... also swing by the Audio Section, check out the C6 FAQ and there are instructions in the FAQ.

 

I bought a visor mounted unit from Motorola... Works fine. Top up or down and I can take it with me(fits in my pocket) Total cost... wait for it....$39.99! Do people really need to hear a person talking in stereo i.e, through their speakers, during a phone call? Phones are distracting enough. Just my $.02. ;~)

 

Need NO ... Want ... Yes

 

Joe, I would not assume that retrofitting BT into an 08 (assuming it's available on 09's) would be a straight forward hardware swap out.

If you look at some of the more elegant implementations of BT that are out there, or that could be rolled out, I believe there would be significant integration with displays and other systems in the vehicle's electronics systems that would involve manipulation of the OS code and drivers used by the electronics. For example, most BT implementations pop up both dialed numbers and numbers of incoming calls in the equivalent of the Corvette's DIC (and possibly the HUD for 3/4LTs). Making something like that execute would most likely involve revising the OS SW. There are others that integrate the POI database in NAV systems with the BT implementation so that numbers stored in that database can be accessed and dialed via BT....that's another SW interface external to whatever HW is added for BT to be implemented. The most obvious case is integration with the SW that controls audio sources being fed to the speakers. Another of course is the new voice commands that would have to be added to the existing voice command set. And I'm sure there would have to be some programming to manage contention between OnStar (assuming it continues to be fielded) and BT for other system resources.

I am totally ignorant of how the existing GM/Delphi electronics/infotainment package is architected, but in the ideal scenario a backfit like this might be able to be accomplished by dealers reflashing the OS SW to a new version that accounts for all of these new interface integrations. That's assuming GM made the business case for recovering the NRE required to develop and test that reflash, which would not be a trivial expense.

At the other end of the spectrum, if the system is architected in a way that this is not possible (i.e., the OS SW is not open and modular), then it may not be possible to retrofit BT at all, or you may be relegated to implementing a small feature set compared to what is offered in the 09 vehicles.

The possibilities for new and innovative infotainment services that could be developed and implemented in cars is limited only by the imagination and the existing of an open computing and communications architecture upon which those services can be layered. I just don't think that foundation exists with the current system. I think the direction Ford has taken by subbing out that entire subsystem of the car to a company like Microsoft is exactly the way to go.

 

Don't you have to have your head unit set to FM and tuned to the same FM frequency the external NAV system is using in order for that to work seamlessly?

 

The system the GM uses is built on the same base hardware as some of the Pioneer and Kenwood systems, they all have bluetooth, which might mean that it is not that hard to do the upgrade ...