Author Topic: Hands Free Telephone (Read 2850 times)

andruec · « **on:** January 18, 2017, 05:47:36 PM »

I very rarely use the HFT because I don't believe in mixing telephony and driving. But still..my phone is paired just in case. With the Mk2 it wasn't a bad system really. The speech recognition was a bit ropey but the buttons seemed obvious.

I took a call this evening (that'll be the second time someone has called me this month

) and found that things have changed a bit. First off the steering wheel buttons didn't seem to pick the call up so I had to use the screen button. They also didn't seem to drop the call so again I had to use the screen.

The buttons do do something though. Either of the top two will put the infotainment unit into phone mode. The bottom one will tell me that I have no voice tags (I guess when I replaced my phone they got lost). But none of the three phone buttons seem to cancel and put the infotainment unit back where it was. Instead I had to use the menu button right of the selector. Interestingly a brief study of the manual appears to confirm this behaviour

Does anyone here have more familiarity with the HFT?

andruec · « **Reply #1 on:** January 18, 2017, 07:03:28 PM »

So I've just spent fifteen minutes in the car investigating and here's what I've found:

* The HFT is a bit 'iffy' about picking a call up using the steering wheel buttons. However if you manage it then you can cancel the call using the buttons and the infotainment unit will go back to showing what it was originally. Exactly what's going on is weird but it takes a definite button pull to pick a call up.
* But it looks like if you use the infotainment unit to accept the call that puts the it into 'telephone mode'.
* If the infotainment unit is in 'telephone mode' you have to use the top of the two buttons next to the selector to put it back in 'audio mode'. Furthermore when you select audio mode you then have to press 'back' (the middle button on the wheel will do) to exit source selection mode.

What you do if you weren't previously in 'audio mode' I don't know. My only choices using that button were 'telephony' or 'audio'. There was no 'just go away' option :-/

Oh and the voice tag system is disappointingly crap. I mean fair enough the Mk2 was irritating and I often nearly shouted myself hoarse just getting it to dial a number but still..it worked. This system can't tell the difference between 'call me' and 'call Andy' even though the same person recorded both tags in the space of ten minutes and tested them shortly afterward.

I help develop digital dictation software (your GP almost certainly uses it) and it includes voice recognition features. It really isn't rocket science, not these days :-/

Paulwhitt20 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 18, 2017, 07:27:29 PM »

Thank you for taking the time to investigate and post your findings.

ColinS · « **Reply #3 on:** January 18, 2017, 10:03:02 PM »

Well mine works exactly as it says in the manual, including the steering wheel buttons and I've never had a voice tag call fail.

Still as far as functionality and usability, it's not a patch on my old Parrot that I had installed in the CR-V.

I do agree though, phone calls and driving don't really mix, even if it is hands free so I only use mine when work dictates that I need to and then only when traffic conditions allow. I always park before hand if I am able.

guest6425 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2017, 09:04:50 AM »

On a Mk2 and whilst I can use the HFT it's annoying that to dial a preset number I have to ask it about 5 things (with confirmation) I get round this by pairing with the car then simply using my car mode on my phone mounted on the dash, HFT works but I push 1 button to tell it who to call - works.