Smartphone Q (yes I've searched, a lot)

[ucla1995]

Does the Smartphone integration option work with the Bluetooth turned OFF on the iphone? I.e. does it reduce radiation inside the car? Thank you.

[southlight]

It still needs Bluetooth to connect, but it should reduce the radiation inside the car because of the (at least inductive) connection to the roof antenna.


Best regards,
south

[///M Rakete]

Originally Posted by southlight

It still needs Bluetooth to connect, but it should reduce the radiation inside the car because of the (at least inductive) connection to the roof antenna.


Best regards,
south

+1

Smartphone Integration just gives you charging, connection to the external antenna, and iPod function access via iDrive. All phone operation is still done by Bluetooth.

[ucla1995]

Originally Posted by southlight

but it should reduce the radiation inside the car because of the (at least inductive) connection to the roof antenna.

Can you please explain what this means in layman's terms?

Does it turn the phone's normal antenna off to instead run through the car's antenna? Or is the phone's antenna still on while it's also using the car's antenna as well?

[///M Rakete]

Originally Posted by ucla1995

Can you please explain what this means in layman's terms?

Does it turn the phone's normal antenna off to instead run through the car's antenna? Or is the phone's antenna still on while it's also using the car's antenna as well?

As I understand it the iPhone does not support an RF antenna connection in its dock connector. Some other phones do. Cellular phones and cell sites cooperatively adjust the transmitted power of the phone to optimize signal quality while minimizing RF power transmitted, which equates to battery drain. Using an external antenna, even one used via an inductive radiator, means better signal quality for a given situation, hence the phone will need to transmit less power. The inductive aspect is the signal transmitted by the phone is picked up by a passive antenna in the cradle, sent to the external antenna and re-radiated. I assume, but I don't know, that the car's transmitter is not participating or providing amplification. It can't support CDMA/Verizon phones for example as the car uses a GSM/ATT system. Smartphone cradles are not CDMA or GSM specific so I expect that the inductive re-radiation is strictly a passive process.

I do rockets, not radios, so the above may have some errors.