Louder Google maps lady

[James Morse]

In the XLT when I got it was one of those cassette tape looking things with a wire so you can hook up other stuff. I use it when I use the phone for Google maps directions, then I can turn up the volume as loud as I want so you can hear the lady easy or like if you have the window open and there's wind noise, you can hear nice whereas without it you can't hear that little phone speaker even on full volume.

I think I might install whatever better speakers will fit, in sometime. They're pretty good but might be better. Subwoofer, amp, all that, probably not. Stereo works well plus I have the 6-disc changer. I can live without Bluetooth and all that, wired connection is easy and reliable. Nav screen would be nice, but, really what I need it to figure out how to mount the phone so I can see it and it doesn't flop around. I don't like heater vent clips. There's a ton of space there in front so probably just an aftermarket floor console that fits would do it. In Mazda I had a way to velcro it in so I could see it but Ranger different setup. Nice center console, with the bucket seats, but really no way to put the phone there and not have it in the way of something else.

Whether I can make a phone call and have the other person's voice come out the speaker, haven't tried that yet, might cause feedback. If it worked then you'd have hands free calling, which you do, to make the call, but hard to hear.

It's (cassete device) also is nice if you want to look up tunes online on the phone and play them through the speakers.

 

[snoranger]

Please stop posting EVERYTHING in general discussion. Check to see if there is a more appropriate area of the forum to start a thread before you post it.

 

[James Morse]

I have no "move thread" option so it's stuck here now.
I thought the admins enjoyed moving them to where they wanted them.
SORRY.

 

[snoranger]

I have no "move thread" option so it's stuck here now.
I thought the admins enjoyed moving them to where they wanted them.
SORRY.

Don’t worry, I’ve been moving them.

 

[JoshT]

I didn't think about it when I first read your post here, because my volume issue was a little differet, but my fix may work the same for you. I didn't really have a problem with the google maps voice, but I didn't use that very much either. When trying to use the SiriusXM app over bluetooth in my truck or on a bluetooth speaker the volume was weak. Same phone, same speaker, different music app and stronger volume.

I found a volume booster app to install on the phone. I could launch it before starting SiriusXM and it was louder on the speaker. I'm not going to guess at how it worked, but it did. Unfortunately I can;t tell you the name as I no longer have it installed. Since installing an android auto headunit it hasn't been needed.

 

[James Morse]

That's interesting.
Which head unit did you put? I'm not planning an upgrade currently but who knows, later.
Also I'll check the app you mention. Thanks.
Edit: when I tried the phone through the speaker, the mic didn't pick up. Probably if it did there'd be feedback. Was worth a shot.

 

[JoshT]

The app I was referring to is a volume booster. That is all that it does, boost volume. It's not going to make a speaker louder than it is capable of being.

I don't know what you were trying to connect to that the mic didn't work, but that's something you;re probably going to have to figure out for yourself. I think you were talking about using a wired casette adapter at one point It is entirely possible that the adapoter you were using does not have a built in microphone. When you connect something to the 3.5mm jack it probably disconnects/overrides the microphone built into the phone, and the phone can't tell or detect that there is not a microphone connected to the port.

Find a casette adapter that has a microphone built in, they do (or did) exist. I've had them both ways in the past. IMO a better option, especially if you are using the phone to stream music as well, is probably a FM transmitter that plugs into a lighter socket, includes a microphone, and connects via bluetooth. I've used these as well. In the end I didn't care for any of these adapter devices since at the time I didn't stream music. Instead I opted for standalone a hands free device that clipped to the sunvisor and used that for calls and navigation separate from the radio.

As for bluetooth capable radio installs. At this point I have used 2 double din headunits that alleged android auto capabilities. First was an Atoto A6 Android media reciever headunit in my F-250. The second was an Alpine media reciever unit with amplifier in my Ranger. I also have a large Tesla style Android unit for my Kia Forte, actually had it longer than the Alpine, but haven;t gotten around to installing it.

The Atoto works well enough, but the draw wasn't having android auto. What pulled me to the Android based unit was the abolity to connect an OBD-II adapter, install an app, and display additional gauges to monitor the deisel engine. Bluetooth works well and I generally use my phone to hotspot and run apps directly on the headunit, rather than Android Auto. At the time of installation I couldn't get the third party Android Auto app to work with my phone. It appears that it mayt have been a compatability issue with the software version in my phone. After installing the Alpine in my Ranger AA wouldn't work there at first, and it wouldn't connect in my dad's '21 F-150 (his phone wouldn't either). I removed the Atoto's AA app and haven't tried again since.

After an update to my phone the Alpine AA started working great. I love it. I pay for SiriusXM since my car came with it built in and my local FM radio selection sucks. The only good station (classic rock) is all talk show and commercials while I'm driving to work and I hear the same songs too often during my drive home. I'm happy to keep paying that subscription and since streaming is included, when I drive the Ranger I've got AA running with the SXM app open. After getting AA workin gwith my phone on this unit and in the F-150, I need to reinstall the AA app on the radio in the F-250 and give it another try.

Someday I'll get around to installing the radio in the Kia. Also need to figure out what I'm going to do for radios in the'85 Ranger and '68 F-100. Obviously double dins and touch screens won't work in either of those. I do want bluetooth, handsfree, and audio streaming capabilities, but I also want radios that look appropriate for '80s or older vehicles. I have a few ideas, but I'm not close enough to that stage on either of those builds to really dig into it yet.

 

[James Morse]

I was trying to hook the phone into it to call just like I hook it in to listen to maps lady or music. Yes you are right the jack must not account for the microphone. It was just a wild guess/try.
Seems like the newer F150 should come with bluetooth, that's weird.
Thanks for all the add'l info.
I might well look for the cassette adapter with microphone.
Or bluetooth upgrade at some point. The law here used to be no texting while driving, then they changed it now if you have the phone in your hand while driving that's a ticket. I don't really use the phone that much in the car to make calls but when you want it it'd be nice to have.
Interesting about the FM transmitter; not quite the same, but the hookup for the cd changer runs through the radio antenna. Seriously - that's oem install. There's a Y-connector that runs the signal from the cd into it. You'd think they'd just have "audio out" but no that's how they do it. You have to tune the radio to a selected frequency (you have like 10 in case it duplicates actual radio station, although I've found the cd signal overrides them). Although my changer is oem-type, I think it was not oem for a couple reasons. 1. It's under the passenger seat, and oem would have been on the back wall. I like it under passenger seat much better, you can reach it from your driver seat to swap out the carriers (I have 2) and it's not in the way of anything. 2. The control for it isn't wired into the radio, only into the handheld control. Again this is actually much better because instead of trying to find buttons on the radio, you have a little control box I velcro to the console, out of the way, and you can control the cd really by touch because there's only a few things you can do, it's way easy.
When I got the truck I asked them does it have changer they said no, then I got home and discovered it under the seat, but the radio said "no cd attached" and I thought it was fubar, so I got another one for $40, then after all that found out the reason the radio didn't see it is that it was not connected to the radio controls, it had the little control box which was hidden up under the seat/console. Anyway I ended up with 2 working changers, so it's a spare.
There's a little switch on them to tell it whether it's mounted vertically or horizontally, something to do with vibration damping.
A bunch of useless info about 25-yr old tech there. Not perfect by any means, for instance if you don't turn off the cd it will keep playing even if you are listening to the radio, no harm I suppose but I avoid it. Also if you changed the station on the radio you have to change it back to your cd frequency. If you turn off the vehicle it does turn off the cd so that part of it is wired in. Meaning, cd always has power, since you can change the carriage and it tries all the discs to make sure they can load, with the vehicle power off, but it only plays if the power is on.
Anyway, all klugey things about it aside, which you get used to pretty quickly, it works great and since I never had one I was pretty happy to find it.

 

[James Morse]

Technically you could wire the controls for the changer to the radio, it's in the shop manual, then you could choose to connect that or the little control box, but I wouldn't bother, because I like it the way it is.