Microphone Mod

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Dec 20 2006, 04:47 AM) [snapback]364519[/snapback]</div>

Thanks Cheap! I'll be interested to see just where this is set from the factory.

And I'll admit right here and now that after reading WAY too many threads about the Diagnosis Screens, and still am not confident about the best way to get in there. Different for different years?

Once I get this part down, I'll document it on my page as well.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Dec 20 2006, 10:19 AM) [snapback]364690[/snapback]</div>

Awesome. I'll try and get on it today. Man, we're a great group.

 

Well, here's an odd one for everybody to ponder:

Of course I *have* had my MFD apart a bit. But not for quite some time, and not enough dissassembly to have caused the power interruption that Cheap! speaks of. I've used the BT handsfree many times just recently. Sometimes my outgoing voice is terrific (I'm told by the person on the other end) and other times my voice is so faint as to be useless. This can be from back-to-back calls. So today I go and check that "Send Voice Level" and mine is ALSO at zero. In fact so is the "Recieve Voice Level." I've set my send level up to four now.

So three questions now come to mind:
How did mine get to zero?
How come some folks could still hear me if it WAS at zero?
What do you suppose Recieve Voice Level is? Just gain before the amplifier that shoots it over to the left speaker? Should it be something higher than zero?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Dec 20 2006, 02:36 PM) [snapback]364821[/snapback]</div>

Hmm. Would sure like to hear from some others on this now. So yours was zero for talk, and two for listen? Mine were both zero. How odd. I'm starting to wonder if unplugging the microphone for this mod is somehow to blame? We need somebody to check before and after the mod to be sure about that one. Or I could just unplug mine again, and see what happens.

 

I just checked mine. I've never used a blue tooth phone in the car and have never messed with that area in the diag screen. Every thing on mine is set to 0.

I cant wait to get a BT phone so I can use that feature.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Dec 20 2006, 04:17 PM) [snapback]364854[/snapback]</div>

Thanks TheForce! Very interesting indeed. Now we need somebody to check in who hasn't messed with the MFD at all. Anybody???

My BT phone is the first one I've had. Had it about a week now. When the system works, it is FANTASTIC. I mean REALLY good. But then I've had that problem where some folks can't hear me while others can. I don't drive the car all that much, but I like to go sit in it with my phone and make calls. I've transferred my whole phone book, set up the speed dials - Almost makes me wish I drove more, or that my bicycle had the same technology.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Dec 20 2006, 07:44 PM) [snapback]364856[/snapback]</div>

HAH!

I'm just guessing here but wouldn't it be set at 0 from the factory? Maybe quality control might set it later?

Looking at the tech docs its all set to 0 and it says the "Voice Quality Type" should not be changed. in big bold letters with a picture of everything set to 0.

 

On my 05 both were set to "0" and Voice Quality is set to +3 but it is not an option to change the voice quality only the other two. Going to try upping the send volume before trying the additional mic. Will report tom. with findings.

Viro

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Dec 20 2006, 04:56 PM) [snapback]364863[/snapback]</div>

I found it quite amusing that the screen says "read the service manual" and when you read the service manual, it says "Don't change anything." I think they could have skipped a step and just written "Don't change anything" on the screen.

That Voice Quality thing can be changed from within the phone menus. The regular "user" phone menus. It says that if it understands you not to change anything. But if you have an accent, you can train it. In theory, that would then change that number for you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Dec 20 2006, 05:28 PM) [snapback]364874[/snapback]</div>

You are correct! I think those of us discussing it are clear, but reading back, I can see how it could be confusing to others who have not fooled with the diagnostic menu yet.

Yes, we're just dealing with the Send Voice Level. The manual (and screen) only warn about setting the Voice Quality to something other than 00... yet you can train it to be something other than 00 at any time.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Dec 20 2006, 05:48 PM) [snapback]364881[/snapback]</div>

Hey, I'm designing a User Interface for an LED bike light and fighting off City inspectors for a PV job we just completed. Good thing we're all staying out of trouble....

Here's the poop on my experience. I guess I've used the Hands Free system in the Prius for about two weeks now. Normally, I sound GREAT to folks on the other end. Sometimes, right after I sound great to person A, I call person B and they can hear me just barely enough to tell that it is me, and not much more. I turn off BT, and call person B again, and I'm good to go. I call them back on BT, and they can't hear me. Then I call Person A back on BT, and they can hear me fine. So there's *something* odd going on before this mod that I can't figure out. Now that I've performed the mod, nobody will answer the phone, and my 6-year old isn't reliable for tests like this. Why or how this mod would help the odd situation I've experienced is beyond me, but it didn't stop me from fooling around, did it? Same with the Voice settings. If it was consistenly bad before, these things would make more sense, but alas, that isn't the case.

Ditto. It ain't perfect, but it mostly does what it says it'll do. One problem I had after turning off the Prius and getting out, I had to make a phone call. My phone was still frantically searching for the Prius, and would not let me use the handset. I ended up turning the car back on to use my phone (since I couldn't quickly remember where in the phone menu to turn off BT - since found and added to a short-cut button!)

 

I haven't modified anything on my 2007. I went in to the diagnostic screens for the first time <that was fun> and found all my voice settings at 0.

I'm getting a new phone in January so I'll get one with Bluetooth compatability. I've tried other people's BT phones and most people have said that it sounded like we were in a tunnel. I could hear the person just fine. I changed the volume settings to 4 and left voice quality at 0. I'll be curious to see what that does to the Bluetooth experience.

 

Well, crap. I just did some testing with me on the *other* end of the line, and my daughter in the car with the BT. Now I see what others complain about. I could barey hear my daughter even when I could tell she was yelling (enough to distort, certainly!).

I have the Voice Send Level set to four, and both mics installed. I wonder what else it could be, and I wonder why some folks can hear the BT connection just fine? If anybody else hears what I just heard, there's no way we could hold a conversation unless they were in a totally silent location. And even then it would suck.

Not a happy camper about this right now! The service manual certainly is no help on the matter.

And remember, I had this "issue" before I touched anything. And now after doing all the stuff that should have made it better - well, it ain't. My phone doesn't seem to be wiggy... but who knows?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Dec 20 2006, 07:47 AM) [snapback]364519[/snapback]</div>

Thank you. I noticed that most of the posters have 06 or 07 cars. Mine is an '05...does that make a difference in the screens and mic setting procedure.