Table of Contents

1. Do you do installations?
2. You are selling Bluetooth Car kits, BMW mic's, etc.; do I have to buy these items from you?
3. What phones work well with your kit(s)?
4. How good is the voice recognition, anyway?
5. The caller sometimes hears a buzz or humm on the line - what is that?
6. Can you help me even though I don't have the 640 phone prewiring option in my BMW?
7. What's the difference between Argos and the BMW OEM Bluetooth System?
8. Which version of the BMW ULF are you shipping with your kits?

Do you do installations?

We do not perform installations on a normal basis.  If you are in or near the Macon, Georgia area please contact us as we will be happy to personally walk you through the installation process.  We can also recommend installers here in town.  Most customers that have chosen to have their equipment installed for them have found it to cost around $50 to $75 (national range).

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You are selling Bluetooth Car kits, BMW mic's, etc.; do I have to buy these items from you?

Of course you do not!  We are offering various components to our customers but you may purchase it from a dealer if you choose.

For the OEM Retro-fit products, we can even modify your own ULF if you would prefer to do it that way. (Please call for details)

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What phones work well with your kit?

Any Bluetooth 1.1 compatible phone will work with our Argos product provided it has Handsfree or Headset profiles.  There are variations amongst manufacturers as to what features work via Bluetooth.  Most of our customers have either Sony Ericsson, Motorola or Nokia Bluetooth phones and have no issues. We suggest you visit the phone manufacturer websites or this discussion group for for more questions about Bluetooth car kits and phones.  You may also wish to check out our own links page for more information sources.

The OEM Retro-fit kits require the Bluetooth compatible phone to have Handsfree profile for operation.  This will rule our some of the "smartphones" on the market today, such as the Sony Ericsson P900.

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How good is the voice recognition, anyway?

That's a mighty good question!  Voice recognition involves so many factors that it can range from great to useless.  It is important to understand that the phone is doing the recognition for the Argos product and performance can vary greatly by manufacturer - ensure that you have recorded the names in a quiet environment in a normal voice.  Other factors include road and wind noise.

You may wish to try recording your voice tag while in the car - some phones support actually recording the voice tag via the bluetooth kit.  Otherwise try recording the voice tag using your cell phone's mic with the phone a couple feet from your mouth.

Voice activation operation (within the OEM Retro-fit kit product line ) functionality varies with the build date and model of your BMW.  Voice tags will need to be recorded in the Bluetooth module (not in the phone) for this functionality. Voice activation of a number of navigation commands is supported with the BMW OEM Bluetooth system.

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The caller sometimes hears a buzz or humm on the line - what is that?

The OEM microphones are a sophisticated bit of hardware with active electronics in the BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar.  It was originally designed for use with hardwired phone systems.  It does, however, have a propensity to pick up RF noise from the GSM frequencies.  BMW is also aware of this and makes reference to in its own Bluetooth installation guides.  We suggest playing with the phone location in the car for the least humm.  Placing the phone directly below the heat/AC controls is a good spot as well as keeping it in your pocket. You may also wish to consider using a cradle that will utilize an external antenna and get the GSM RF energy outside the cabin.

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Can you help me even though I don't have the 640 phone prewiring option in my BMW?

For those of you outside the US where your BMW might have been delivered without the pre-wiring necessary for BMW cell phone installation, you are in luck.  We make a harness that will allow integration in your car.  You can have the steering wheel controls (if your car is so equipped) and radio mute but will likely need to use a non-BMW mic.  We recommend professional installation should you choose this route as you will need to remove the radio.  Contact us for more information.

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What's the difference between Argos and the BMW OEM Bluetooth System?

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What version of the BMW ULF module are you shipping with your kits?

If you are asking the question then you have no doubt done research and are concerned about compatibility.  You may also know that all the ULF modules are made for BMW by Visteon.  Visteon is no longer making these modules so when they are gone from BMWs stock they will be discontinued.  At this point, the only modules available from BMW are the 84 21 69 34 552 versions.  We will help you ensure compatibility with your phone when you purchase your kit.  The only downside to this module is that it does not support SMS text (many phones don't support that via Bluetooth anyway).  There is nothing wrong with these units despite what you might have read elsewhere.  If you do not wish to purchase this module you may acquire your own module and we will still assist you with the other components needed for your unique installation.

We sometimes carry the "387" module for those convinced that the 552 module is not for them.  Please inquire.

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