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Microphone Mod

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by Cheap!, Oct 12, 2006.

  1. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    It retains the change in memory.

    At least it does until you yank out the MFD and start taking the boards out of the back of it. After I did that little bit of exploratory surgery I had to reset that as well as my radio stations. Taking just four layers of circuit boards out of the back of the MFD to find the GVIF chip and to read the circuit layout resets everything. Who knew? :rolleyes:
     
  2. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <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.
     
  3. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    Derelldd,
    This will show you how to get to the screens on your 2006 Prius. http://www.bobrichardson.com/prius_voice_problems.html

    When you get to the “Diagnosis Menu†screen select the “Bluetooth TEC Check†screen.

    Then “Handsfree Voice Quality Set.†Finally you can set the “Send Voice Level†up to “5.â€
     
  4. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <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. ;)
     
  5. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    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?
     
  6. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    All good questions. Mine was on zero too, but I figured it was because I unplugged the MFD from it’s power source. Although I did take the MFD apart, I did not think that was the reason for the reset. I changed my Receive Voice Level too from 2 to 4. My guess is that unplugging the MFD resets it to zero, but I won't test that until the next time I need to remove it for other mods.
    As far as settings,

    My wife explained to me that when I use the aux jack in the car with my Ipod that the device's volume should be set at half way and not all the way up. This prevents any amplifiers down the line from having to boost a week signal and also causing slight distortions. Likewise if you turn the device's volume all the way up it will pump distortions into any other amps down the line. For the clearest sound all volume levels should be set to half way and only the last amp in the system should be turned up.

    After talking to her on the phone, I re-set my send volume to 4 and the same for my receive volume. She said it sound much better now.

    "How come some folks could still hear me if it WAS at zero?" I think zero only means that the original signal was not amplified more. It is an amplify setting and not a volume setting.
     
  7. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <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.
     
  8. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    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.
     
  9. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <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.
     
  10. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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

    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.
     
  11. Virodeath

    Virodeath New Member

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    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
     
  12. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <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.
     
  13. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Dec 20 2006, 06:44 PM) [snapback]364856[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
    Thanks TheForce! Very interesting indeed. We are not talking about the "Voice Quality Type†that is something different. We are talking about “Send Voice Level.†Two different things! Let’s be clear on that before someone has to speak with a French accent to speak to the car.
     
  14. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <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.
     
  15. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    Sorry, I am jumping between GVIF, Mic, and PHEV while Ms. Cheap says it is time to go do more Christmas shopping.

    Darrell,
    Can people hear you better now? Did you try to talk to people via Bluetooth before the mod?

    Force,
    Left a note on the GVIF page. Get a Bluetooth when you can they work great for transmitting to each other and to a computer.
     
  16. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <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!)
     
  17. jmsmith

    jmsmith New Member

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    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.
     
  18. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    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?
     
  19. Rick Grahn

    Rick Grahn New Member

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    <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.
     
  20. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    I am now wondering how Bluetooth works and is the voice information turned into a digital signal and if so, what is the digital speed of the packets, and is that speed a standard.

    I am wondering if our Bluetooth is sending say 20 packets a second, but some phones can only receive up to 15 packets a second and they are losing 5 packets each second resulting in a lousy connection.

    I have experienced where some people can hear me clearly with little effect of where I happen to be driving relative to the towers. Likewise, some other people can't here me well no mater where I am. From my experience it may be there phone that is the problem. Even a land line has to change the digital signal back to voice somewhere. Therefore some landline network providers may have clearer calls from a digital signal.

    Any Bluetooth/phone engineers out there?