9 replies to this topic

[Captn_Awesome]

So in my search for a new car for the minister of war and finance I'm struggling to find a vehicle with the accessories I really want - namely bluetooth handsfree and satnav

Sat nav is easy enough to get around as there are plenty of after market alternatives out there - many better than the OEM offering.

But getting integrated bluetooth is seemingly difficult. The Discovery 3 has a 12 digit tactile keypad that forms part of the headunit for use with an OEM hands free kit or OEM bluetooth. Now I can get an OEM bluetooth kit but its about $1000US and no australian dealers seem to want to supply me one (although I can order one online).
Enter mObridge ...
It would seem mObridge have a fully integrated after market bluetooth kit available that works with the factory keypad system. Now mObridge is distributed in AU by Stinger so I was wondering if any installers had any experiance with the mObridge gear and indeed if they have used it in a Discovery 3/4 or RRsport (I believe the FFRR uses a different system) if so how well does it work and what (guideline) price would I be looking at for the mObridge unit.
Also can I get steering wheel control upgrades with the mObridge like the OEM has or not?

[sphell]

I've fitted a few Mobridge systems in Beemers and Mercs however not to a Discovery 3.....VERY expensive for what it is. Are you dead set on integrating completely with the factory radio? You could fit a Bury CC9060 Music kit (also does bluetooth) which gives you a small touchscreen that sits on the blank panel on the side of the radio, integrates iPod audio into the factory system and also has the phone voice come through the factory radio (it will display phone on the display and let you adjust audio volume via steering wheel etc) so it's semi-integrated. Also gives you iPod audio through the factory system either via cable or bluetooth audio.

Or if your gonna drop $1000 on just bluetooth then your halfway to replacing the factory system with something like an Alpine nav with everything included.

[Captn_Awesome]

Interesting - something else to look at.
I've had mixed experiance with bury kits in the past but might be worth a look.
At the end of the day $1000 on a bluetooth doesnt really bother me - It's a company vehicle I'll roll it into the lease.
Im not overly interested in changing the OEM headunit to a alpine or similar. Yeah they are good - but they never look right at home like the OEM unit does.

[af3556]

I've just installed a mObridge M1000-M-BT in my 2008 Disco3 (HSE, high-line audio, i.e. the keypad to the left). It's working very well, audio quality is very good and sound system integration is good - though one caveat is the phone book doesn't distinguish multiple numbers for a given record (i.e. John Smith with mobile, work and home all show up as "John Smith"), but apparently that's a LR audio system limitation. I've an Android phone (Samsung Galaxy Nexus) - pairing didn't work straight-up but mobridge have a support doc for that (http://www.mobridge....ompatiblity.pdf).

Paid around the 500 mark, from motivauto.com - who were very responsive.

~Sparkles~, on 19 January 2012 - 10:02 AM, said:

...
Enter mObridge ...
It would seem mObridge have a fully integrated after market bluetooth kit available that works with the factory keypad system.
...

[Captn_Awesome]

Thanks mate. Like you say thats a LR issue the phone book (My parents have the same issue in their RRSports)
Did you get the OEM steering wheel control for the answer/hangup on the RHS of the steering wheel?

Having trouble finding a LR D3 in the right colour/trim and trim spec (really want an HSE) for the right budget. They are out there but I just dont seem to be able to get one in Bonatti grey or stornaway grey or white with ebony interior. Ideally I'd like a MY09 facelift model especially if I can get a white one. The D4 is about $10k out of my budget unfortunately.

Mums about ready to trade her 08 TDV8 sport in stornaway grey with ebony interior so I might just take that but its a much smaller vehicle cargo area wise which might pose an issue when we need to load up a pram and the dog. Its a shame the disco never came out with the TDV8 although the new D4 (and sport) with the SDV6 goes like crap off a chrome shovel.

[bigwillystyle]

I fitted the first couple of these in Australia a couple of years ago... since then I have done plenty... the only advise is if you going to do.it order locally.. because if you receive an Audi/Porsche/merc unit reflashed with lr firmware you will never make it work.. this is due to the lr software being slightly different from the others and the software needs to be modified to work in a field flash. If the unit is a factory lr unit happy days. If you get any other breed of car you can field flash the unit to a different firmware in 5 mins be sorted. The first one or 2 took 3 days to get right but once I spoke to mobridge themselves (its actually an Aussie company) all good..

Change the radio is out in most disco 3 ESP the ones your looking at due to the optic/most audio path in these cars... optic to the amp then active out of the amp..

Un
.

[af3556]

No steering wheel controls - but for me that's no biggie at all.

bigwillstyle: have you installed these into a D3? I physically located it above the radio in the space behind the hazard/door lock panel, cable tied to the pocket/nav frame. Fitted perfectly, won't move around, has some ventilation and there's room for the fibre to coil loosely behind. One question I came across was power: I don't generally like the idea of devices permanently connected to battery, and I've no idea what the idle current draw is on the mobridge (could've measured it I guess) so I powered it from the switched 12V line normally used for the DVD & Nav (not fitted on my vehicle). This has the added benefit that when the radio (and amp) is turned off the mobridge gets powered off and thus my phone disconnects straight away (cf. staying connected via BT until I walk out of range).

Ben

[bigwillystyle]

The system shuts down anyways when the optic ring powers down... the reason you power the system from constant as opposed to ign in most of these newer cars is due to all kinds of crazy can us networks the cars like to stay powered up after you remove the key until you open the door or even lock the doors.. once the system shuts down idle power draw should be 0 or very close to it..

[Captn_Awesome]

Here we are in April and I still don't have a new car I put a Parrot MKi9200 in SWMBOs Mazda3 which is a pretty good kit but definately want to get her into a D3/4 ASAP now things have picked up a bit again for the business.
Spewing though as a really nice white E61 530i Touring came up forsale on carsales.com on the weekend for $50k so tempting but I promised her the disco now.

[blanketman]

gheyness

show her the car again