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North

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Bluetooth Headset as a PC Microphone

Hi,

Like most I am new to bluetooth, I have done some digging on the net but can't seem to find anyone claiming to support using a BT headset as a PC Microphone.  

If you can use it to send voice to a phone and data between devices, can you use it as a mic?  If not, does anyone have any idea why not, it seems possible to me.

Is it just there is no real market at the moment so the manufacturers haven't bothered?  Have any of you written or seen a utility that will do it?

A lot of questions I know, but any light shed will be appreciated,

North
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mtasalloti

As I recall, Bluetooth headsets implement the Headset profile.  I believe that you have to find a bluetooth stack on your PC that implements this Profile.  Try Widcomm at www.widcomm.com.
I agree with mtasalloti, WIDCOMM offers a PC solution that supports the Headset profile and works well with other headsets. There are several vendors out there shipping the WIDCOMM software with their devices, one being TDK for example...
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Hi,

sorry for my silence on this subject but I have been investigating ways to do this and involved in long discussions with CS.  I have now actually bought a TDK adapter and it does connect and communicate with the headset but when I record my voice and play it back, it sounds like it has been speeded up by 50%.

I have installed all patches, upgrades, etc. including one which hasn't been officially released yet sent to me by TDK CS.  But i still have a problem.  Have you got this working?

North
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GAZZA

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Cheers, I will try that, but can I set that as default somewhere as I was wanting to use Speech recognition and I have to speak in a drawl for it to recognise me!

I don't know... The speech software on the PC should know what the Bluetooth Audio settings are and set their settings and record correctly.
Can I ask where you bought the bluetooth device and for how much, and also how long the battery lasts and how you recharge it?

I am looking for a replacement mic and headset to use as voice application for msn etc. thx.
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ASKER

I bought my headset from a mail order company called Inmac in the UK, about £80 if memory serves.  I used the TDK Go Blue USB adaptor from ebuyer, but still have not managed to resolve the topic of this question.  There may be new firmware available but haven't had time to chase it up.

North
I have found a way of actually making it work. It requires two special pieces of hardware

1. www.Jabra.com makes a Bluetooth headset called the BT200 for non-Bluetooth cell phones. It comes with a small Bluetooth receiver that plugs into the cell phones 2.5mm jack.

2. a store on E-bay makes an adapter that plugs into you PC's audio out and mic. in jack and has a 2.5mm female plug for the Jabra adapter.

I have used this combination for months now with MSN Messenger and Teamspeak on my PC. People are always commentiing on the sound quality and I hear everything perfectly. Jabra does sell the adapter seperelty for about $59.00 US and can be paired with any Bluetooth headset that supports Bluetooth 1.1
I also feel I must mention a couple of things before I recommend my last post.

The Jabra 2.5mm Bluetooth receiver adapter will need an AC adapter from Jabra and you will also need to download the PBF document on the BT200 headset for non-Bluetooth phones to pair the adapter with your headset. Battery life for the adapter is about 3 to 4 hours and charges in an hour.

The PC audio adapter on Ebay is about $10.00 US and can be found by searching for "Freespeak".
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ASKER

Thanks for the info falconn, guess you must be browsing the archive!

I now have it working fine, but it needed an unreleased beta firmware download from customer support at TDK.  

As the question is closed I can't award points but thanks for your contribution, I will pass it on to a friend who got a jabra headset with his mobile.

North
I bought a Plantronics m3000 headset that I use with my Dell laptop with Dell's bluetooth 300 adapter built in. It works great for NetMeeting and other voice chat programs. Worked from the start ith no problems.

j
I purchased a Plantronics m3500 headset and I am trying to get it working as a PC Mic with HP Bluetooth (built in to my tablet pc).  Is there any configuration necessary for the HP to see the headset as a microphone?

Thanks.

Bobrin
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ASKER

Hi ebobrin,

First off welcome to EE.

I have no experience with this particular combination of Mic and adapter, but I do know some adapters do not support the "Headset profile", also some claim to but are buggy.  All I can suggest is to contact HP and check compatibility, they may have new drivers / software to support it.  If it does not then get hold of a TDK Go Blue adapter, this works for me using the latest driver set.  

Please Note: As this question is closed, the only people who will know you have made a new question will be those people who contributed to this question and are still recieving email alerts.  If you need to ask a question it is best to start a new question in the relevant topic area then everyone on EE will see it and will help if they can.

Regards,

North
I got a Jabra BT250 ( http://www.jabra.com/europe/bt250.htm )and a Conceptronic USB Bluetooth Adapter
( http://www.conceptronic.net/product3.asp?g=9&p=*CBT100U ). But I cant get the microphone to work with my computer. I've been able to listen throught Jabra's but I cant use its micro. My objective is to turn one Jabra and use its micro. Ive changed in the control panel my sound card input and output for one new that appeard called "Bluetooth Audio" and it works fine for listen music and other PC sounds but micro doesnt work. When I try to run the hardware wizard to test the micro it seems to be unpluged. Note that if I go to the control panel->audio devices->hardware the Bluetooth Audio component manufacturer is WIDCOMM (May this means it is not a profile options because is WIDCOMM????)
Anyone got an idea or a bluetooth adapter thats works or any software?
This is the second headset I try; I tried a Cellink one and happened the same.
Thanks! (And sorry for my English, Im just a Spanish guy! )
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ASKER

Hi vicio,

Welcome to EE!

As you are new to EE you may not be aware that EE does not operate like a traditional newsgroup, questions should be posted from the "Ask A Question" link in the relevant topic area.  This way all vistors will see your question and greatly increase your chance of getting a rapid answer. :)  

EE woks on a points system in that you offer points for answers to your questions.  Asking your own question in another's post in generally considered to be rude as you are trying to get a question answered for "free" and it distracts experts from the original question.  Also, posting a question in a "closed" question such as this means only those people who participated in the original question will ever know you have added this question and you will generally not get an answer.  But, as you are new here i will forgive you! :)

As in my other post above the only adapter i have used successfully is the TDK range of adapters.  Any problems you encounter with bluetooth headsets is likely to be the fault of the software for the adapter, not the adapter itself and certainly not the headset as these are all very similar internally.  It depends on whether the supplier has bothered to spend time perfecting the firmware/drivers to properly support the Bluetooth Headset profile.  Check for drivers/firmware downloads for your adapter and try them first.  then contact tech support (for the adapter, as the headset manufacturer cannot advise on individual connectivity issues).  They may have BETA drivers for you to try as TDK did with me.  If all else fails then buy a new adapter, the only one i know to work being the TDK product range.  http://www.tdksystems.com/products/range.asp?id=1

Once again, welcome to EE,

North
can any one isure that what falconn said in his two posts are true??(about the jabra adapter)
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ASKER

Not a clue as I dont use a jabra headset.

Do as he recommends and search ebay and the jabra website, if you contact their sales team i'm sure they can advise you further.

North

Some problems with connecting headset to PC's maybe caused by your USB-to-bluetooth adapters not recognizing the headset as a device. This especially true for wicomm drivers. The encompasses many different brands of usb/bluetooth dongles. (Look for wicomm reference on the disk).

Look to the adapter manufactuers web site for updated driver, or you may try to update from  www.wicomm.com. When those don't work, and they probably wont, consider this site for a possible solution: http://www.jonsguides.com/bluetooth/driver.html

You could always develop your own: http://www.avelink.com/Bluetooth/index.htm
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ASKER

Hi,

Thanks for the links, my connection is now working fine thanks to a firmware & driver update from TDK, but I will check out these links and see if they provide anymore information re: bluetooth.

Cheers,

North
Hi

Any one know how to use a bluetooth enabled cell phone as a pc headset? via a bluetooth dongle.
cos it can be really useful when making VoIP calls.
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ASKER

Try pairing the PC and Phone, if the Phone doesn't offer the Headset Profile then it won't work as the phone doesn't support it.  

My first instinct would be it won't work as telephones expect to use a headset, not be used as one.  Also the microphone and speaker are likely to be turned off to conserve power when the phone is not in use.  

It's worth a try but a cheap bluetooth headset may be the best solution, bear in mind the poor battery life of these devices.  If you use the phone a lot then you'll find yourself sitting with the power cable plugged in during use, kind of defeats the object really ;)

North
Thanx, will giv it a try!
I realise this questions is a little old however the following links may be of help to anyone else interested in using a BT Headset with their computers:

http://www.bluetoothpcheadsets.com

http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=10822&start=0

Cheers
Does anyone know if there is, in fact, a standalone hardware receiver that will send audio to another device such as a mixer via analog connections?  I know that using the PC to operate as a headset router(basically) would work, however I would also need a separate, HIGH output, sound card to send it to an analog mixer.