Bluetooth headsets on Skype with a Dell Axim x51v Pocket PC

[rocket_pc]

Sven (Nurhisham and others),

- I'd like to ask if okay if I share the info of wired headsets with iPaq forum I visit sometime (I have also a rx 1955,... which is probably slow for skype and has no bluetooth...)

- if the link is from a company you are associated with, I'll buy the product from them, for offering me the free advice. otherwise, I'll patronize local businesses

- a wonder that they discontinued the Dell and iPaq 4700. probably because no money in the industry (wonder if cell phone companies hassling them?) because the cell phone companies make 30 - 40 per month, whereas a person can skype on his ppc for free...

- got to go. I need to make a post sometime soon about the bluetooth stack. Do I install the widcomm hack for the x50 if I have x51v?

Don

[rocket_pc]

Sven (Nurhisham and others),

- I'd like to ask if okay if I share the info of wired headsets with iPaq forum I visit sometime (I have also a rx 1955,... which is probably slow for skype and has no bluetooth...)

- if the link is from a company you are associated with, I'll buy the product from them, for offering me the free advice. otherwise, I'll patronize local businesses

- a wonder that they discontinued the Dell and iPaq 4700. probably because no money in the industry (wonder if cell phone companies hassling them?) because the cell phone companies make 30 - 40 per month, whereas a person can skype on his ppc for free...

- got to go. I need to make a post sometime soon about the bluetooth stack. Do I install the widcomm hack for the x50 if I have x51v?

Don

[Sven]

I don't work for anyone that gets anything out of what I post. I post because I like to try to help. Feel free to pass on anything I have written that actually does help.

Can't comment on the BT 'hack' ref the X50/51. I just recalled the X51 didn't have a stack that supported much (the MS stack) and the X50 did. I recall being able to add the stereo support from an HP add-on when they released their BT headphones. That was pretty early in the BT craze, when phone headsets were just becoming popular, no PPC had BT stereo support, and BT headphones were exotic.

What I believe though is that there are instructions around for the X51 that show how to replace the MS stack with a decent one, not use an X50 hack. May be wrong there. XDA developers is always a great resource for this sort of extreme hobbyism.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Originally Posted by Sven

I don't work for anyone that gets anything out of what I post. I post because I like to try to help. Feel free to pass on anything I have written that actually does help.

Ditto for me.

Originally Posted by Sven

What I believe though is that there are instructions around for the X51 that show how to replace the MS stack with a decent one, not use an X50 hack.

I never owned the x50v/x51v, but I do recall it was very specifically a "x50" hack - there was no other way to obtain a copy of the Widcomm stack that was tailored for the Dell.

[rocket_pc]

I am going to try making a reply here before retiring for the day, to summarize the results.

I've been doing trial and error, trying the links I find on the settings of this Dell (Axim x51v) after installing the "Widcomm hack."

"The hack you mentioned was indeed at Aximsite under 'Tips and Tricks,' http://www.aximsite.com/boards/tips-tricks/209935-attn-widcomm-a2dp-users-new-great-hack-all-a2dp-hi-fi-stereo-headset-users.html"

As explained before, I was uncertain of the instructions on the link you mentioned, if I were to install the x50 hack on my x51v.

"All you need to do is setting the DWORD Registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Widcomm \BtConfig\ SerialTransport\ FlowControl to 0 (from the default 1). (You can, alternatively, import this registry file if you prefer importing pre-made registry files instead of manually editing the Registry.)"

"When looking in my Axim registry, I can find: HKEY... LOCAL...MACHINE...SOFTWARE, but no further, because there is no Widcomm in the SOFTWARE folder. Am I supposed to install Widcomm, somehow? He mentions "importing pre made registry files." How is that done?"

Anxious to do something, I went ahead and downloaded and installed the cab file and then went into the registry, as instructed, to change the "FlowControl" to 0 from its default of 1.

Although the article seemed to say it was only adding registry files, the installation of the cab file appears to have added software of some form. Anyway, it is very cool, much better than the former features of Bluetooth Settings on my Dell. I'd like to post a screenshot to show what it looks like, but I would have to install more software on my ppc, and don't know if I want to do that. After installing these new files, this ppc has slowed down quite a bit. It is very cool though, a Bluetooth Manager with a Wizard showing a whole string of options in the Bluetooth settings.

My results were unsuccessful, at first, and progressed, improving until I did get the bluetooth headset responding (a Motorola H700 earphone handsfree headset.) There was sound and recording from the PPC and nothing on headsets - even after pairing the headset with the ppc. Then I did get the flickering lights on the headset acknowledging installation of the "Handsfree / Headset setup" but still no sound. I don't remember exactly what I did after that, but after random trial and error. I did get sound on my H700! I think it was a combination of pairing and going into the wizard for the Handsfree...setup.


The problems now are:

- To get any results, I have to pair the headset with the PPC. From what I have read somewhere, a device should only have to be paired once.

- The same with the "Handsfree / Headset setup" Wizard...

- When I finally did hear sound successfully on the earphone, volume was very low (even after pressing on the volume button of the earphone). The volume would be too low, at this point, to use the earphone in the public where there is competing background sound.

- The battery on the H700 headset seems to run low very quickly. It was gone the first attempt I did trial and error series. I recharged it, and again discharged after about twenty minutes. It could be that it is improperly indicating complete recharge with a green light, when it isn't or maybe could this product be defective?

- The PPC now runs much slower. I've had no problem with that before - on the PPC.



Note to any new readers here, my PPC is a Dell Axim x51v. My headset is a Motorola H700 handsfree bluetooth headset. I am using the headset to speak and hear when making calls using Skype on the PPC.


Thank you very much for your help on this.

Don

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Originally Posted by rocket_pc

As explained before, I was uncertain of the instructions on the link you mentioned, if I were to install the x50 hack on my x51v...Although the article seemed to say it was only adding registry files, the installation of the cab file appears to have added software of some form.

The article speaks of the registry tweaks required, but the hack does involve adding software - as in my first post, the information is available in the forums, not in the articles section.

Specifically, the cab file replaces the default bluetooth drivers and software in Windows Mobile 5, with the superior Widcomm drivers and software ripped from the WM2003SE ROM image of the x50v.

Glad you're getting somewhere!