New Toy Installed: Bluetooth Handsfree Phone and Music Kit
07-13-10, 10:16 PM
#1
iModerate
Thread Starter
New Toy Installed: Bluetooth Handsfree Phone and Music Kit
My Goal: Wireless phone calls and Wireless iPod / Pandora music from my iPhone through the factory speakers.
I chose the Motorola T605. Why? The T605 delivers Audio (iPod, Pandora, etc) through a set of RCA outs and Phone Call audio through either a dedicated external speaker or two wires that can be spliced into the vehicle audio system. It supports mute, voice controls, and is readily available on eBay for $30-40.
For now I chose to feed the audio into the head unit with a FM Modulator and to use the External speaker for phone calls. These may change down the road.
UPDATE:
I have since removed the FM Modulator. I have used them extensively in the past with nothing but good results. The Lexus system however did not seem to like it very much and after a while produced some static on a few stations.
The T605 is now hooked up using a variation of the PD drifter method. Since I have no need for the CD changer I skipped the relay setup and installed the T605 in place of the changer. This is a always on audio feed meaning the T605 supplied audio will play over the FM if the radio is left in the FM setting. Pressing the CD button provides only T605 audio.
Parts:
1. Motorola T605 – eBay @ $40.00 Shipped
2. WIRED FM Modulator – Frys @ $30.00 (I got one online for $15.00 but shipping was taking too long)
3. Misc.: Wire ties, solderless connectors, T-taps @ $20.00’ish (I already had most of this stuff)
4. Solder on RCA ends from Radio Shack. $3.00'ish
Tools:
Screwdrivers, crimper/stripper, wire cutters, test light probe, factory wiring diagrams, ClubLexus.com’s Hello all (Links to most DIYs for the [2nd Gen] GS) Thread
Wiring Schematic:
First job was to locate the factory Mute wire so that all normal audio would be muted when a phone call came in. I removed the Shift ****, Ash Tray, Center Console Plate, Navigation / Radio Head Unit, and the Center AC Vents.
Using the factory wiring diagram and a test light probe I located the YEL/GRN wire on the back of the deck and verified that when it is grounded all audio goes silent. I then used he test light probe and verify the GRY Ignition wire, RED constant 12V wire, and a good ground point behind the head unit. T-taps were added to the three wires behind the head unit. The ground wire was crimped in a ring terminal and screwed to a grounded support bar between the glove box and head unit.
Once this was done I attached spade connectors to the 4 wires from the T605 and hooked every thing up (the Brain, Mic, speaker, and controller have not been run to their permanent locations yet) I verified that I could pair my iPhone to it and make a call. Also that the radio/CD mutes when a call is placed or received. Everything worked as expected.
Second job was hooking up the Wired FM Modulator. This was simple enough. Disconnect the factory male antenna cable from the head unit and plug it into the FM Mod’s female plug. Take the FM Mod’s male antenna cable and plug that into the head units female. I then crimped a spade to the 12v wire and T-Tapped the the lighter’s pink 12v wire. I plugged them together and attached the Ground to the same place I grounded the T605. The FM Mod was secured with zip ties to a support bar between the instrument cluster and head unit.
RCA ends were soldered onto a short audio cable which was then connected to the CD Audio-to-deck wire. These were then connected to the T605.
I plugged the T605’s RCA’s to the FM Mod, set the radio to 87.9, and played the iPhone’s iPod and…sweet music. It worked perfect.
Third job was routing and installing the T605 Brain, Mic, Speaker, and Controller. I chose to mount Brain in the spare CD Cartridge cubby in the glove box. There is not a lot of room in this car behind the panels and I don’t use this cubby for anything else so it made sense. The main module is now mounted behind the glove box completely out of sight. I installed the Mic at the left front of the garage door opener and routed its wires through the headliner and down the A Pillar to the area behind the glove box. I installed the speaker above the pedals with the wire routed through the radio compartment to the brain. I mounted the controller right above the ash tray. I had to space it our a tiny bit to allow the ash tray to still open. I did this with a specialized spacer. I again tested the system. Everything worked so I reassembled all the panels and pieces. Test drove and enjoyed.
So there it is.
I need to give a special thanks to Kansas for taking time to answer all of my questions and sharing some of his knowledge and experiences with hands free car kits and our Lexus’ with me. Also r00kie for the Center console removal and GS3InPhx for the Radio removal.
Bonus points to the first person to ID the specialized spacer I used. Let me know if you have any questions.
I chose the Motorola T605. Why? The T605 delivers Audio (iPod, Pandora, etc) through a set of RCA outs and Phone Call audio through either a dedicated external speaker or two wires that can be spliced into the vehicle audio system. It supports mute, voice controls, and is readily available on eBay for $30-40.
For now I chose to feed the audio into the head unit with a FM Modulator and to use the External speaker for phone calls. These may change down the road.
UPDATE:
I have since removed the FM Modulator. I have used them extensively in the past with nothing but good results. The Lexus system however did not seem to like it very much and after a while produced some static on a few stations.
The T605 is now hooked up using a variation of the PD drifter method. Since I have no need for the CD changer I skipped the relay setup and installed the T605 in place of the changer. This is a always on audio feed meaning the T605 supplied audio will play over the FM if the radio is left in the FM setting. Pressing the CD button provides only T605 audio.
Parts:
1. Motorola T605 – eBay @ $40.00 Shipped
2. WIRED FM Modulator – Frys @ $30.00 (I got one online for $15.00 but shipping was taking too long)
3. Misc.: Wire ties, solderless connectors, T-taps @ $20.00’ish (I already had most of this stuff)
4. Solder on RCA ends from Radio Shack. $3.00'ish
Tools:
Screwdrivers, crimper/stripper, wire cutters, test light probe, factory wiring diagrams, ClubLexus.com’s Hello all (Links to most DIYs for the [2nd Gen] GS) Thread
Wiring Schematic:
First job was to locate the factory Mute wire so that all normal audio would be muted when a phone call came in. I removed the Shift ****, Ash Tray, Center Console Plate, Navigation / Radio Head Unit, and the Center AC Vents.
How To’s: Radio removal & Center console removal
Using the factory wiring diagram and a test light probe I located the YEL/GRN wire on the back of the deck and verified that when it is grounded all audio goes silent. I then used he test light probe and verify the GRY Ignition wire, RED constant 12V wire, and a good ground point behind the head unit. T-taps were added to the three wires behind the head unit. The ground wire was crimped in a ring terminal and screwed to a grounded support bar between the glove box and head unit.
Once this was done I attached spade connectors to the 4 wires from the T605 and hooked every thing up (the Brain, Mic, speaker, and controller have not been run to their permanent locations yet) I verified that I could pair my iPhone to it and make a call. Also that the radio/CD mutes when a call is placed or received. Everything worked as expected.
Second job was hooking up the Wired FM Modulator. This was simple enough. Disconnect the factory male antenna cable from the head unit and plug it into the FM Mod’s female plug. Take the FM Mod’s male antenna cable and plug that into the head units female. I then crimped a spade to the 12v wire and T-Tapped the the lighter’s pink 12v wire. I plugged them together and attached the Ground to the same place I grounded the T605. The FM Mod was secured with zip ties to a support bar between the instrument cluster and head unit.
RCA ends were soldered onto a short audio cable which was then connected to the CD Audio-to-deck wire. These were then connected to the T605.
I plugged the T605’s RCA’s to the FM Mod, set the radio to 87.9, and played the iPhone’s iPod and…sweet music. It worked perfect.
Third job was routing and installing the T605 Brain, Mic, Speaker, and Controller. I chose to mount Brain in the spare CD Cartridge cubby in the glove box. There is not a lot of room in this car behind the panels and I don’t use this cubby for anything else so it made sense. The main module is now mounted behind the glove box completely out of sight. I installed the Mic at the left front of the garage door opener and routed its wires through the headliner and down the A Pillar to the area behind the glove box. I installed the speaker above the pedals with the wire routed through the radio compartment to the brain. I mounted the controller right above the ash tray. I had to space it our a tiny bit to allow the ash tray to still open. I did this with a specialized spacer. I again tested the system. Everything worked so I reassembled all the panels and pieces. Test drove and enjoyed.
I need to give a special thanks to Kansas for taking time to answer all of my questions and sharing some of his knowledge and experiences with hands free car kits and our Lexus’ with me. Also r00kie for the Center console removal and GS3InPhx for the Radio removal.
Bonus points to the first person to ID the specialized spacer I used. Let me know if you have any questions.
Last edited by Debonair; 10-26-11 at 12:03 PM.
07-14-10, 07:16 AM
#6
iModerate
Thread Starter
Thanks.
The Belkin stays in there full time. I am not a smoker and don't let them near my ride so the lighter is not needed for anything else.
Sound quality is better then I expected from a bluetooth setup. The iPod functions sounds real good. I was able to use the iPhone built in "EQ" to adjust the sound to where it is between FM radio and CD quality. Pandora is a little more muffled on some songs but FM quality for most. A wired solution will always sound cleaner but I hate wires.
Phone call audio from the kits external speaker is superb. I loved the speaker phone on my old Moto Q9H. The iPhones sucks bad. This was actually the main motivation to get a car kit. That and I was tired of the tape adapter cord hanging around.
Sound quality is better then I expected from a bluetooth setup. The iPod functions sounds real good. I was able to use the iPhone built in "EQ" to adjust the sound to where it is between FM radio and CD quality. Pandora is a little more muffled on some songs but FM quality for most. A wired solution will always sound cleaner but I hate wires.
Phone call audio from the kits external speaker is superb. I loved the speaker phone on my old Moto Q9H. The iPhones sucks bad. This was actually the main motivation to get a car kit. That and I was tired of the tape adapter cord hanging around.
Trending Topics
07-15-10, 05:22 PM
#9
iModerate
Thread Starter
07-16-10, 08:08 AM
#10
Rookie
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is awesome. GREAT JOB.....I've been missing my mp3 songs, but don't want to give up the nav or spend too much money....I noticed you have mark Levison system...wondering if it sounds ok on the normal system
how the sound playing from Iphone? Just like MP3/CD quality
Man I wish I am more handy sothat I can do this myself...exactly what i am looking for...cheap but practical...
what is belkin USB is for? can you play MP3 song from this USB input???
how the sound playing from Iphone? Just like MP3/CD quality
Man I wish I am more handy sothat I can do this myself...exactly what i am looking for...cheap but practical...
what is belkin USB is for? can you play MP3 song from this USB input???
07-16-10, 10:25 AM
#12
iModerate
Thread Starter
This is awesome. GREAT JOB.....I've been missing my mp3 songs, but don't want to give up the nav or spend too much money....I noticed you have mark Levison system...wondering if it sounds ok on the normal system
how the sound playing from Iphone? Just like MP3/CD quality
Man I wish I am more handy sothat I can do this myself...exactly what i am looking for...cheap but practical...
what is belkin USB is for? can you play MP3 song from this USB input???
how the sound playing from Iphone? Just like MP3/CD quality
Man I wish I am more handy sothat I can do this myself...exactly what i am looking for...cheap but practical...
what is belkin USB is for? can you play MP3 song from this USB input???
I may try the PureDrifer method of going through the CD Changer audio to see it that improves it at all. I am also considering a Grom AUX in or similar unit.
07-16-10, 10:25 AM
#13
great unit by the way im using on my setup a alpine eX-10 and the only thing wrong with this unit it does not charge the iphone but I can run, well so far thur bluetooth now is my sidekick, blackberry , iphone(when my boy get in my car ). hard wire to the unit is my ipod nano
07-16-10, 12:53 PM
#14
iModerate
Thread Starter
The Belkin is the answer to Neojungles issue. It is a usb charging plug. I can charge my iPhone, or any other USB powered/charged device with the Sync or USB cable.
I left the 3.5mm under the center console cover for now. I really have no use for it yet. I plan on mounting one of these in the center console compartment if i ever find a need for a 3.5MM hookup.
great unit by the way im using on my setup a alpine eX-10 and the only thing wrong with this unit it does not charge the iphone but I can run, well so far thur bluetooth now is my sidekick, blackberry , iphone(when my boy get in my car ). hard wire to the unit is my ipod nano
I left the 3.5mm under the center console cover for now. I really have no use for it yet. I plan on mounting one of these in the center console compartment if i ever find a need for a 3.5MM hookup.
07-17-10, 10:20 AM
#15
Lead Lap
Very nice installation. Thanks for the acknowledgment. Excellent positioning of the T605 controller with the spacer -- the gen-2 GS has few flat surfaces for mounting things like this.
The T605 controller blends in very well with your interior -- much better than the chrome controller for the Motorola IHF1000 Bluetooth kit formerly sold as an official accessory by European Lexus and Toyota dealers.
If I decide to get an iPhone 4 and replace my old Nokia phone kit with Bluetooth, I'll get a System 9 cradle from Bury, the same company that makes the Bluetooth Convenience Kit sold in Europe by Toyota and Lexus dealers. The System 9 consists of two main components -- a "basePlate" and an "activeCradle". Bury has activeCradles for several hundred phones and most support an external antenna connection as well as charging. If family members have different phones, each person snaps their own activeCradle into the basePlate. Its similar to the system sold in the U.S. by Mercedes.
I'll attach some images. The first image describes the Lexus Bluetooth Convenience Kit -- see how the "Bury" logo was replaced by a "Lexus" logo. The second image shows installing the basePlate into an LS460 console. The third image shows how the Bury System 9 works with phone-specific and universal cradles. The last photo is of the Bury System 9 cradle for the iPhone 3G/3GS.
I need to find out if the Bury system can provide an external antenna to the iPhone. There are still many areas in the Midwest where I drive where "no external antenna = no service."
The T605 controller blends in very well with your interior -- much better than the chrome controller for the Motorola IHF1000 Bluetooth kit formerly sold as an official accessory by European Lexus and Toyota dealers.
If I decide to get an iPhone 4 and replace my old Nokia phone kit with Bluetooth, I'll get a System 9 cradle from Bury, the same company that makes the Bluetooth Convenience Kit sold in Europe by Toyota and Lexus dealers. The System 9 consists of two main components -- a "basePlate" and an "activeCradle". Bury has activeCradles for several hundred phones and most support an external antenna connection as well as charging. If family members have different phones, each person snaps their own activeCradle into the basePlate. Its similar to the system sold in the U.S. by Mercedes.
I'll attach some images. The first image describes the Lexus Bluetooth Convenience Kit -- see how the "Bury" logo was replaced by a "Lexus" logo. The second image shows installing the basePlate into an LS460 console. The third image shows how the Bury System 9 works with phone-specific and universal cradles. The last photo is of the Bury System 9 cradle for the iPhone 3G/3GS.
I need to find out if the Bury system can provide an external antenna to the iPhone. There are still many areas in the Midwest where I drive where "no external antenna = no service."