OESF Portables Forum

Model Specific Forums => Gemini PDA => Gemini PDA - Hardware => Topic started by: bogomips on March 14, 2018, 04:59:43 pm

Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: bogomips on March 14, 2018, 04:59:43 pm
Hi

Would like to hear if anyone has managed to get the Gemini to pair with their car stereo to get audio going?

I've tried a number of times, and just cannot get it to pair.
I can see the stereo show up in the Gemini's BT list, and I can initiate pairing.
The stereo shows something is happening, but then reports "connection failure".

I know car BT is typically crap, but I've managed to get it working with my old phone, to stream Spotify...

I have managed to use BT on the Gemini to send a file from the Gemini to PC, so I guess BT is not totally dead.

Not sure if this is bad PDA or bad car stereo.

Anyone have any success stories?
Or even connected it to another BT audio device like a speaker or headphones?

Thanks
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: Lyall Pearce on March 14, 2018, 07:42:55 pm
My Gemini paired with my third party Bluetooth in my Honda.

In actual fact, it works better than my iPhone 5s, which seems to flip a coin as to whether to actually push sound to the car, whereas the Gemini worked great!

Also works well with my skullcandy bluetooth headset.
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: vader on March 14, 2018, 11:01:47 pm
Mine paired with no issues to the built-in BT in my Nissan. Works well.
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: PJS on March 17, 2018, 04:51:46 pm
Sounds like you may need a new car!



My Gemini paired fine with SYNC in my 2011 Ford...  calls and media streaming (from VLC) are working fine.

I also paired the Gemini with a Jabra earpiece without issues.

Granted, it's an interesting thing trying to figure out which thing will answer a call when I'm driving around with the roof down.  

Good luck,

PJS
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: Rosie on March 17, 2018, 07:13:34 pm
It paired fine with the telephone in my 2010 Freelander 2.  Also a couple of different sets of QY7s I've got and my Pebble.  I've not tried it with the plug-in Bluetooth receiver in the car yet but don't have any reason to think it won't work.
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: PJS on May 05, 2018, 07:17:48 pm
Hi All,

After a couple months of calls and streaming audio to my car, I've noticed
a few glitchy things...

If I first tell my car to connect to the Gemini as a phone (pressing the
car's "Phone" button like I'm gonna make a call), then things go fine.

On the other hand, if I first hit the stereo's "AUX" button to continue
streaming audio from the Gemini, then I run a 50/50-ish chance that it will
work.

This could just be the black magic that is Bluetooth, I dunno enough about
how it's "supposed to" work.

It could also be a problem with Android and the way it kills off apps.  If
the media app on the Gemini (F-Droid's "Odyssey") isn't front and center,
that also can lead to a dead connection.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

PJS
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: Mikael on June 14, 2018, 11:04:27 am
I have problems as well with Bluetooth to a Volvo.

BT headset mode for making calls seems to work pretty well. The media-playing side often fails to connect.

If the Gemini is open and awake there seems to better chanses for it to work.
Changing song with the car-buttons seems to stop working if I close the gemini.

Anyone heard of some fix for this? It worked well with my old Blackberry priv.

Best regards
Mikael
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: zsalab2 on July 03, 2018, 02:53:26 am
Opel Zafira:

- BT connection for phone works instantly.

- I have not idea how to send audio (music) to the car.
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: novaldex on July 03, 2018, 04:04:25 am
Quote from: Mikael
I have problems as well with Bluetooth to a Volvo.

BT headset mode for making calls seems to work pretty well. The media-playing side often fails to connect.

If the Gemini is open and awake there seems to better chanses for it to work.
Changing song with the car-buttons seems to stop working if I close the gemini.

Anyone heard of some fix for this? It worked well with my old Blackberry priv.

Best regards
Mikael

What model/year Volvo do you have?

I've got a pretty new one, 2017 V40, Gemini paired & calls work fine but haven't tried playing audio yet. I'll try to give it a go tonight on my way home..

N
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: novaldex on July 04, 2018, 06:37:15 am
Okay tried it last night, worked pretty quickly & immediately started playing the next track queued up.

I did get a lot of stutter though, perhaps as at that point i'd closed my Gemini.

Only had a few minutes to test, but it did seem to work okay.

N
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: Primitive Person on July 04, 2018, 10:07:49 am
I initially had problems getting music out of my Gemini on my car audio (Dacia Sandero Stepway), but I've figured out a solution. When it connects, it shows up with no problems but won't play music. I worked out that I needed to go to the settings in the Bluetooth menu on the Gemini, and select the settings gearwheel next to my radio on the BT devices list. If I unselect and then reselect "Media Audio", the phone will disconnect, reconnect and then work properly for streaming music.
Title: Bluetooth working to connect to car?
Post by: Ifanafi on July 04, 2018, 11:22:22 am
Perhaps your Gem's music player app has settings to tweak?

My Gemini pairs (slowly) with my car's 2017 Kenwood car radio. And the Gem is sometimes fails to keep the connection or is slow to re-connect when restarting the car when out-and-about on Honey Do days.

Since ditching my Samsung phone for the Gemini, the music player app lost some display features (transmitted to the radio) like song title text scrolling and lost use of the radio's tiny remote.

Song quality is sometimes intermittently jittery.

What I've done is set and activate strict DO NOT DISTURB rules such as no calls except from select few, and disallowed (either blocking or silencing) all notifications, mitigates against playback interruptions.

On balance, I find the Gemini's Bluetooth functionality to be 80% as good as the Samsung which is acceptable, for now.

Ifanafi

P.S. Testing various BT management apps for one that will fix the tolerable things mentioned above.