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satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options??

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:46 am
by DannyRocco
For those that use the Satnav on your mobiles a lot, how do you handle the audio output? Can they work with Bluetooth over the car speakers?

What is your setup?

I currently use an iPhone 4s and a tomtom mount, but I want a new phone! The mount has am inbuilt speaker which helps a lot, and I don't think I could really hear directions without it, or via Bluetooth though the cars speakers - if that is even possible?

FWIW I have an RCD510 and no built in Bluetooth. If I were to add a module will I be able to output the Satnav voice directions to it?

Any help would, be appreciated.

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 9:45 am
by Paradox1
If you had a MDI(which you should) in the glovebox, you'll need to buy a MDI to aux cable.

Setup your destination on the phone then plug in the phone. Click (media in) on the head unit and it should work

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 10:14 am
by shrink
yep. My iPhone 6 plugs into MDI.

if im playing music, and nav directions come up, the phone itself mildly mutes the music and gives directions.

TBH I don't really need sat nav on a screen so this cheap / free solution works for me :)

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 10:25 am
by DannyRocco
Thanks for the replies.

I do have MDI, but the cable to too short to use the iphone plug and use it as a display, but AUX should be easy to extend - I never considered that option.

I take it that I can't listen to the radio and have it still work tho? I've not tried...

Anyone else?

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 11:30 am
by shrink
no it will only work if you're listening to media on your phone.

If you have Bluetooth phone in your car, you can set google maps to relay sat nav instructions over the voice Bluetooth, at which point it'll interrupt any source on your system.

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 3:40 am
by DannyRocco
Can't seem to get audio on my VW/Bury Bluetooth from googlemaps - I generally prefer the TomTom app anyway, google doesn't tell you to turn until half way through an intersection!

I guess there is no good option to have TomTom output over the car speakers? I'm not convinced a bluetooth module would even solve that? Does anyone use iphone/android tomtom, or a tomtom satnav unit and manage to have it broadcast via bluetooth?

I'd get one if I know it'd work.

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 2:35 pm
by shrink
theres a setting on google maps where you tell it to use the phonecall Bluetooth for maps rather than the audio bluetooth

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 2:38 am
by DannyRocco
shrink wrote:theres a setting on google maps where you tell it to use the phonecall Bluetooth for maps rather than the audio bluetooth
Doesn't work with the Bury sadly - I'm not surprised, its really a piece of junk...

I'm surprised more people aren't using their phones regularly as satnavs...

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 10:06 am
by charliegilmanuk
I used my phone as a sat nav (Google Maps/Navigation) on my old car with bluetooth, and that used to quieten the music when directions came on and the directions would come through the speakers, I have yet to use it on my Scirocco with bluetooth but I imagine it'll be the same. Can let you know next week as I'm doing a 700 mile round trip haha.

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 4:01 pm
by DannyRocco
charliegilmanuk wrote:I used my phone as a sat nav (Google Maps/Navigation) on my old car with bluetooth, and that used to quieten the music when directions came on and the directions would come through the speakers, I have yet to use it on my Scirocco with bluetooth but I imagine it'll be the same. Can let you know next week as I'm doing a 700 mile round trip haha.
I would be interested to know if you can listen to the radio and have satnav interupt or if its just when you are steaming bluetooth music. I have a feeling google maps will if you set it to output as a phone signal in the settings, but I wonder about apple maps, and tomtom and the like, as google maps are a bit slow on the turn directions I find.

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 4:35 pm
by shrink
we seem to be at cross purposes here:

1) if your car has Bluetooth phone capability, and you listen to something via radio or MDI, then google maps can interrupt music from any source for nav directions.

2) if you don't have Bluetooth capability and you're plugging phone in via MDI, it has no way to interrupt radio / cd to give you directions. It'll only interrupt if you're using the MDI for music.

Re: satnav on your mobile - audio output/Bluetooth options?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 5:30 am
by DannyRocco
shrink wrote:we seem to be at cross purposes here:

1) if your car has Bluetooth phone capability, and you listen to something via radio or MDI, then google maps can interrupt music from any source for nav directions.

2) if you don't have Bluetooth capability and you're plugging phone in via MDI, it has no way to interrupt radio / cd to give you directions. It'll only interrupt if you're using the MDI for music.
Got it - the question is other sat nav apps (not google maps) programs and if they can interrupt radio via bluetooth? ie. TomTom and Apple Maps and Waze etc.

Google maps has the ability to output bluetooth as a phone call, but other apps do not, and I have a feeling it makes a differance. So, can anyone confirm if other map apps will output sound to Bluetooth while listening to the radio?