NVR Logo
Hands-free devices: Cheap to cha-ching
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Save and Share Share
Look ma, no hands.

With a new law barring drivers from putting a cell phone to their ears while behind the wheel, a range of devices are on the market to allow people to talk and drive at the same time. And there is something for just about every budget.
Consumers can spend as little as  $20 to $30 for an ear piece or get a sophisticated, and pricey, system that works through the car stereo system. Throw in GPS tracking and connection to an iPod, and expect to spend at least $850, plus the cost of installation.

 Napan Paul Kochli of Mobile-Tech said an added wrinkle for going wireless is that if your phone is more than three years old, you are going to be forced to upgrade to be capable of using the popular Bluetooth hands-free technology.
 Kochli said he will come to your home or office to install any hands-free device you’ve purchased or buy through him. He does installation by appointment only and charges about $85 per hour. A basic system can take two to three hours to install and the most expensive Bluetooth setup going through the car’s stereo system can take three to six hours.

Here’s what’s out there.
Kochli said the Parrot Mini-kit retails for $89. It clips to the car’s sun visor and offers about 10 hours of talk time before it needs to be recharged.

“The sound quality is not as good as a higher quality car kit — it is for someone who does a lot of talking, but is on a budget,” said Kochli. It requires no installation.

Kochli said the Parrot CK-3100 is popular at $199, and it integrates into auto stereo systems. He charges about $150 to $300 for installation.

For the person who wants it all, there is the Pioneer AVIC-F700BT, which retails for around $850, plus installation. It includes GPS Navigation, touch screen, CD player, iPod control and built in Bluetooth.

“It is very user-friendly system and is jam-packed with all the latest capabilities. It was just released in June. It is an amazing unit,” Kochli said.

Bluetooth and ear pieces can be bought at most cell phone stores in town. Technology that runs through the car’s stereo system should be installed by audio shops — where car stereos are installed.

Alex Cortez, a sales associate at RadioShack in north Napa’s Silverado Plaza Shopping Center, said the BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth headset is  popular. It retails for $89.99. The Motorola Universal Bluetooth earpiece, at $119.99, features noise reduction that improves the clarity of the phone conversation.

For people on a budget, RadioShack sells an ear piece for $32.99 that plugs into the cell phone. Nothing fancy but it gets the job done.

Juan Puente, with Cellular World on Soscol Avenue, said a Bluetooth that attaches to the sun visor goes for about $129. The Motorola Bluetooth H700 at about $100 is also popular. It is worn on the ear and is wireless.

For someone working at a construction site — the Jawbone, at $149 is the answer. “It eliminates all background noise. People wouldn’t even know if you were riding on a lawnmower,” Puente said.

Cellular World carries a wired ear piece that goes from the phone to the ear for about $29.

At Drapinski Auto Electric on Vallejo Street in Napa, they’ve been busy installing Bluetooth systems that are integrated into car stereos.

Drapinski’s James Gittings said he has installed at least a dozen such systems in the past month, as savvy drivers have anticipated the new law.

Gittings said Sony and Pioneer offer stereos with built-in Bluetooth, which replaces the factory-installed unit. Sony has a unit for about $230, plus $40 for parts and about $80 for labor, according to Gittings. The Pioneer system goes for $330 plus parts and labor.

It takes one to two hours to install.

Customers know a change is coming, but Gittings said many don’t know the details.

“A lot of people seem pretty oblivious ... all they know is they need to do something by July. They come in and ask a lot of questions.”

Gittings said older cell phones “are not always fully Bluetooth-capable.” As a result, some customers wanting certain bells and whistles may have to upgrade to a new cell phone.

“When people come in, we ask them what they want their phone to do,” Gittings said. “We help guide them through the process.”
3 comment(s)

MommaD wrote on Jun 22, 2008 8:47 AM:

" I was in Jimmy Vasser Toyota and they have some really great buys on bluetooths and other hands free devices that work great. The one that I purchased works great very clear sounds and easy to use. "

NUHS67 wrote on Jun 22, 2008 9:56 AM:

" I hope people buy them soon, before they all start pulling over on the side of the freeway, from the number 1 lane (without looking) to talk "

Oldschoolnapan wrote on Jun 22, 2008 5:16 PM:

" I May be stretching logic here but ... It seems to me that rolling up the window, turning down the ac and car stereo and then finding the button on your visor mounted bluetooth device is a little more distracting than simply answering your phone.

Just an opinion. "

Comment Guidelines
The goal of the story comments section at NapaValleyRegister.com is to have an open, thought-provoking, civil community forum for all issues.
What gets your comment posted?
• Staying on topic
• Keeping your comment to 300 words or less
• Avoiding name-calling
• Addressing your comments to the message rather than the messenger
What gets your comment deleted?
• Personal attacks
• Derogatory remarks
• Name-calling of any sort
• Going off-topic
• Hate speech
• Racially-insensitive comments
• Implying guilt of a subject in a crime story before there is a court verdict
• Posting e-mail addresses
• Posting comments of a commercial nature
• POSTING WITH ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
• Linking multiple comments together with "to be continued..." to get around the 300 word limit.
The fine print
- Comments are either approved or denied. We do not edit comments.
- You are welcome to modify and resubmit a denied comment.
- Comments may take several hours to be posted.
- Comments posted are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of NapaValleyRegister.com, its employees or its parent company.
- Do you have information on a story? Please go to our virtual newsroom to send us a news tip.
- If you feel a posted comment has violated our guidelines, please contact online@napanews.com or add a comment indicating you have an issue and our moderators will review the comment in question.
Search:
Web Search Powered
By Yahoo! Search
Napa Valley Register on Facebook
Copyright © 2009 Napa Valley Publishing, a member of Lee Enterprises, Inc.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy