8 ms·

The other day, I was taking a call on my iPhone, over the earpiece, in my office suite's lobby. The connection was rock solid, and then out of nowhere the audi

by gffrd 4y ago

The other day, I was taking a call on my iPhone, over the earpiece, in my office suite's lobby. The connection was rock solid, and then out of nowhere the audio just disappeared, without warning … but the call didn't drop. A few seconds later it returned. The person on the other end said they heard what sounded like a child for a second. I was perplexed. Fast forward a week, and this happens again. I look at the call screen, and notice that the audio is being routed to Bluetooth? Opening it, it says I'm connected to my car. Not possible: I'm here, in my office, took a bus in. I look up, baffled, and happen to see my wife drive by, 40 feet away, through a concrete wall and some glass. Damn you, auto-connect. DAMN YOU.

MarcoZavala 4y ago
[dead]
8n4vidtmkvmk 4y ago
I turn my bluetooth completely off for this reason. It's the only way I can figure to prevent this.
- supportengineer 4y ago
  The only way to win is not to play.
- ridgered4 4y ago
  I'm not sure if this is even possible on my car. Is there a hardware module I can remove?
  - 8n4vidtmkvmk 4y ago
    I turn it off on my phone. Don't know if there's a setting in the car. I'm sure you can rip out some Bluetooth receiver in the car if you're really determined
kristopolous 4y ago
I really want an option like this Enable [ X ] Audio [ ] Phone Calls < Pair > < Cancel > Because I never, not one single time, wanted a phone call to blast over my car audio. Not once. I can't be the only one that has wanted the car to be a speakerphone exactly 0 times. Heck maybe someone is the opposite. They love terrestrial radio or their CD collection and also the speakerphone feature. Give people options.
- modeless 4y ago
  Is this not a thing? My phone has the option to disable phone calls but leave audio enabled. Also my car now asks before transferring a call in progress from the phone to the car instead of doing it automatically when it's in range.
  - kristopolous 4y ago
    Oh it is! It might be new. It's yet another reminder to constantly recheck things and not assume things don't change I wonder if it works. Thanks. I'll try it!
    - kristopolous 4y ago
      So now I remember. The car refuses to connect unless I give it phone permissions.
- thejosh 4y ago
  You can do this on android for quite a while on a per decive level. Not sure if that's what you use
- Toutouxc 4y ago
  I don't think my iPhone has this, but my 2018 Škoda has this. There are exactly these two checkboxes, they say something like "phone" and "audio" and they do exactly that. And this isn't even when pairing, you can bring up the menu anytime and just enable or disable each functionality. I usually drive, so we connect my girlfriend's phone to "audio" so she can be the DJ while I leave my phone connected to "phone" so I can take calls. (My car as a speakerphone works beautifully. It's not even about the speakerphone, more about the good microphone, the ability to call someone, adjust the volume and then hang up without having to take your hands off the wheel.)
Tade0 4y ago
This is why I hate that modern flagship phones usually don't have a headphone jack. Once you pair devices, it defaults to this connection. My SO often borrows my noise-canceling headphones and as it stands they're firmly paired with her iPad and will not let go without elaborate ceremony.
- shaan7 4y ago
  I had a similar problem borrowing my wife's NC headphones. Months later I discovered Sennheiser BTD 600 which is basically an audio-only BT dongle (so it shows up as a USB headset). Now whoever wants to use the headphones just plugs in the dongle (it has both USB-A and USB-C). Works without a fuss.
- alexvoda 4y ago
  You are using them wrong. The intended solution is to buy another set of headphones. /s
jfghi 4y ago
Is there some improved BT technology out there? I’ve seldom seen it go more than 20 ft or through a substantial wall.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago
  Wikipedia says this about Bluetooth: > In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limited to 2.5 milliwatts, giving it a very short range of up to 10 metres (33 ft). But that's not really how radiation works. You can transmit more by using more power, sure. The louder you shout, the easier it is for people to hear you. You can also receive more by having a bigger antenna. The harder you listen, the more you can hear, regardless of limits on source volume. So the easiest way to explain this would be to guess that the cars are using bigger Bluetooth antennae than usual.
  - pkolaczk 4y ago
    Antennas are not amplifiers. As long as the antenna is correctly tuned to the impedance of the transmitter output stage, it will radiate most of the power of the transmitter, but cannot exceed 100% (it is a passive element, and exceeding 100% would break the laws of conservation of energy). In this case the size of the antenna does not affect the total power emitted and there will be no range gains from using a bigger antenna. What the antenna size/shape can affect is the directionality of the beam. By emitting the same power directionally, you can increase the range in some directions at the expense of reducing the range in all other directions. But the total power would be still the same. Also the reception gain is actually the same thing as emission gain. You cannot make a passive antenna that has better reception without making it more directional, which means worse reception from some other directions. You cannot improve reception from all directions by making a bigger antenna.
    - flangola7 4y ago
      Bigger antennas can positively pick up more signal. The Mars rovers do not have megawatt radio transmitters, instead we use enormous antennas on Earth.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
sundvor 4y ago
Ironically, perhaps, the car everyone must be complaining about in this thread introduced call transfer controls that avoids just this. Through an OTA update. Yes, it's Tesla. If you're already on a call when the car connects to the phone, you must press an on screen button to transfer the call to the car audio. (Bloody brilliant, if you ask me; and also something that couldn't be introduced to existing cars post release that were buttons only. I was quite anti-screen before I got mine, but now that I've gotten firmly used to it - and seeing enhancements every few months, I'm quite happy. I would like more generic mappable buttons on the steering wheel, but it's not a deal breaker).
- fiddlerwoaroof 4y ago
  I was sort of in the anti-touchscreen camp too, but the early 2020 Tesla has just the right controls on the wheel and stocks that I don’t mind the screen. And, also, the big screen for maps and backup cameras is really nice.
  - afiori 4y ago
    Well the anti touch screen camp is more accurately a "don't take my dials and buttons" camp
    - JasonFruit 4y ago
      This is really it for me. I don't mind having a touch screen; I just want to never have to use it while I'm driving.
    - dghughes 4y ago
      I'd call it more don't make what was one press of a button into five taps on a touch screen. Plus gloves in winter regions we wear gloves 6 months of the year.
      - sundvor 4y ago
        The automatic (#1) steering wheel heater would help you with that, it's the one feature I didn't know how much I needed. And that's just from Melbourne, Aus, where it gets down to about -1c to 2-3c (30-37f) at the most. :-) I don't find myself needing to dig into any menus whilst driving. I use voice control to change music etc, and I tend to enter my nav at the beginning of my trips. You can still control volume and pause with steering wheel buttons. I'd like call answering and hang-up buttons as well for the steering wheel. As a Fanatec Podium owner/sim-racer I'm used to having more physical buttons and there's definitely room for more underneath + on the back. I would like some for immediately folding mirrors and a few other functions. #1) Automation of steering wheel warmer was a recent OTA; previously it was manual.
LLcolD 4y ago
Is this due to car or iPhone option?
tylermac1 4y ago
> and happen to see my wife drive by, 40 feet away, through a concrete wall and some glass. Is she okay?
sedawk 4y ago
And mine won't even hold a steady connection from a few feet away! Not without having to "turn it off - and turn it on again", at least once every few days.

by gffrd 4y ago

MarcoZavala 4y ago

[dead]

8n4vidtmkvmk 4y ago

I turn my bluetooth completely off for this reason. It's the only way I can figure to prevent this.

supportengineer 4y ago
The only way to win is not to play.
ridgered4 4y ago
I'm not sure if this is even possible on my car. Is there a hardware module I can remove?
- 8n4vidtmkvmk 4y ago
  I turn it off on my phone. Don't know if there's a setting in the car. I'm sure you can rip out some Bluetooth receiver in the car if you're really determined

kristopolous 4y ago

I really want an option like this Enable [ X ] Audio [ ] Phone Calls < Pair > < Cancel > Because I never, not one single time, wanted a phone call to blast over my car audio. Not once. I can't be the only one that has wanted the car to be a speakerphone exactly 0 times. Heck maybe someone is the opposite. They love terrestrial radio or their CD collection and also the speakerphone feature. Give people options.

modeless 4y ago
Is this not a thing? My phone has the option to disable phone calls but leave audio enabled. Also my car now asks before transferring a call in progress from the phone to the car instead of doing it automatically when it's in range.
- kristopolous 4y ago
  Oh it is! It might be new. It's yet another reminder to constantly recheck things and not assume things don't change I wonder if it works. Thanks. I'll try it!
  - kristopolous 4y ago
    So now I remember. The car refuses to connect unless I give it phone permissions.
thejosh 4y ago
You can do this on android for quite a while on a per decive level. Not sure if that's what you use
Toutouxc 4y ago
I don't think my iPhone has this, but my 2018 Škoda has this. There are exactly these two checkboxes, they say something like "phone" and "audio" and they do exactly that. And this isn't even when pairing, you can bring up the menu anytime and just enable or disable each functionality. I usually drive, so we connect my girlfriend's phone to "audio" so she can be the DJ while I leave my phone connected to "phone" so I can take calls. (My car as a speakerphone works beautifully. It's not even about the speakerphone, more about the good microphone, the ability to call someone, adjust the volume and then hang up without having to take your hands off the wheel.)

Tade0 4y ago

This is why I hate that modern flagship phones usually don't have a headphone jack. Once you pair devices, it defaults to this connection. My SO often borrows my noise-canceling headphones and as it stands they're firmly paired with her iPad and will not let go without elaborate ceremony.

shaan7 4y ago
I had a similar problem borrowing my wife's NC headphones. Months later I discovered Sennheiser BTD 600 which is basically an audio-only BT dongle (so it shows up as a USB headset). Now whoever wants to use the headphones just plugs in the dongle (it has both USB-A and USB-C). Works without a fuss.
alexvoda 4y ago
You are using them wrong. The intended solution is to buy another set of headphones. /s

jfghi 4y ago

Is there some improved BT technology out there? I’ve seldom seen it go more than 20 ft or through a substantial wall.

thaumasiotes 4y ago
Wikipedia says this about Bluetooth: > In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limited to 2.5 milliwatts, giving it a very short range of up to 10 metres (33 ft). But that's not really how radiation works. You can transmit more by using more power, sure. The louder you shout, the easier it is for people to hear you. You can also receive more by having a bigger antenna. The harder you listen, the more you can hear, regardless of limits on source volume. So the easiest way to explain this would be to guess that the cars are using bigger Bluetooth antennae than usual.
- pkolaczk 4y ago
  Antennas are not amplifiers. As long as the antenna is correctly tuned to the impedance of the transmitter output stage, it will radiate most of the power of the transmitter, but cannot exceed 100% (it is a passive element, and exceeding 100% would break the laws of conservation of energy). In this case the size of the antenna does not affect the total power emitted and there will be no range gains from using a bigger antenna. What the antenna size/shape can affect is the directionality of the beam. By emitting the same power directionally, you can increase the range in some directions at the expense of reducing the range in all other directions. But the total power would be still the same. Also the reception gain is actually the same thing as emission gain. You cannot make a passive antenna that has better reception without making it more directional, which means worse reception from some other directions. You cannot improve reception from all directions by making a bigger antenna.
  - flangola7 4y ago
    Bigger antennas can positively pick up more signal. The Mars rovers do not have megawatt radio transmitters, instead we use enormous antennas on Earth.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

sundvor 4y ago

Ironically, perhaps, the car everyone must be complaining about in this thread introduced call transfer controls that avoids just this. Through an OTA update. Yes, it's Tesla. If you're already on a call when the car connects to the phone, you must press an on screen button to transfer the call to the car audio. (Bloody brilliant, if you ask me; and also something that couldn't be introduced to existing cars post release that were buttons only. I was quite anti-screen before I got mine, but now that I've gotten firmly used to it - and seeing enhancements every few months, I'm quite happy. I would like more generic mappable buttons on the steering wheel, but it's not a deal breaker).

fiddlerwoaroof 4y ago
I was sort of in the anti-touchscreen camp too, but the early 2020 Tesla has just the right controls on the wheel and stocks that I don’t mind the screen. And, also, the big screen for maps and backup cameras is really nice.
- afiori 4y ago
  Well the anti touch screen camp is more accurately a "don't take my dials and buttons" camp
  - JasonFruit 4y ago
    This is really it for me. I don't mind having a touch screen; I just want to never have to use it while I'm driving.
  - dghughes 4y ago
    I'd call it more don't make what was one press of a button into five taps on a touch screen. Plus gloves in winter regions we wear gloves 6 months of the year.
    - sundvor 4y ago
      The automatic (#1) steering wheel heater would help you with that, it's the one feature I didn't know how much I needed. And that's just from Melbourne, Aus, where it gets down to about -1c to 2-3c (30-37f) at the most. :-) I don't find myself needing to dig into any menus whilst driving. I use voice control to change music etc, and I tend to enter my nav at the beginning of my trips. You can still control volume and pause with steering wheel buttons. I'd like call answering and hang-up buttons as well for the steering wheel. As a Fanatec Podium owner/sim-racer I'm used to having more physical buttons and there's definitely room for more underneath + on the back. I would like some for immediately folding mirrors and a few other functions. #1) Automation of steering wheel warmer was a recent OTA; previously it was manual.

LLcolD 4y ago

Is this due to car or iPhone option?

tylermac1 4y ago

> and happen to see my wife drive by, 40 feet away, through a concrete wall and some glass. Is she okay?

sedawk 4y ago

And mine won't even hold a steady connection from a few feet away! Not without having to "turn it off - and turn it on again", at least once every few days.