Question for Scala users! Voice Dial issue.

jeero

jeero

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Hello fellow GTAM'ers.

I found a fantastic deal on a Scala Q2 set (BNIB) for me and the gf. I know its old, but it'll still do the primary job it's intended for.
I set mine up with my favorite radio station, bluetooth'd it with my phone and can also hear my music. Had the gf call me from her phone and I can accept a call just fine.

The only thing I can't figure out is how to Voice Dial.

I am using an iPhone 5, even with Siri disabled the "Voice Dial" feature is still enabled. I know the phone supports it.
The documentation of the Q2 says a short press of the CTRL button should allow me to Voice Dial. When I do that, nothing productive happens. I just hear the typical "you pressed a button" tone from the Scala unit.

If I press and hold the home button on my phone to bring up Siri manually, I can hear her in my helmet and at that point I can give commands and initiate a call and whatnot.
If I use my regular Motorola in-ear bluetooth device (the ones cagers should be using more often), a single press of the main button allows me to Voice Dial normally. I know the feature exists and it works.

My question to other Scala and iPhone users: Are you able to Voice Dial using the Scala unit and your iPhone? Am I missing some easy setting on my phone? Is there an incompatibility between the older Q2 and the newer iPhones?

I appreciate any feedback!


Cheers,
jeero
 
Scudzo_2 said:
http://mentalhealth.about.com/library/sci/0701/blcellphone701.htm

Don't do it!
Click to expand...

I understand what you mean. I failed to mention that my intention is not to actually make phone calls. Out of the 200 minutes I get a month, I use about 3 on average. The Voice Dial is what would be needed to conveniently ask Siri for directions or things like that. It's not that I want to make phone calls while I ride, it's more to know if I can make this feature work.

Thanks for the caring link though. :D
 
Those studies are a crock. Cell phone use has skyrocketed - accidents have not.

If you want to Voice dial you have to set the iPhone up with numbers already. I touch the button to invoice the Voice Dial on the iPhone 4 and say Call Peter and it dials his number. It's very straight forward and I've been using it for years.

Chatting with another rider or on the phone or getting the nav program to direct you is simply one more task and since 99% of riding is automatic there is really little issue. Trying to peer at a GPS IS an issue.

It's all about judgement. I chat all the time when riding. Scala are really moisture sensitive so keep that port closed. I have both Q2 and G4 - both work fine for comm and nav - neither for music.
Both can be used with earplugs or earphones.
 
MacDoc said:
Those studies are a crock. Cell phone use has skyrocketed - accidents have not.
Click to expand...

Google only reports 45,600,000 hits for information regarding "accidents due to cell phones".

http://www.nsc.org/Pages/NSCestimates16millioncrashescausedbydriversusingcellphonesandtexting.aspx

The coles notes version:
NSC updated its annual attributable risk estimate in 2011 using new data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The updated assessment estimates that at least 23 percent of all traffic crashes - or at least 1.3 million crashes - involve cell phone use per year. An estimated 1.2 million crashes each year involve drivers using cell phones for conversations and at least 100,000 additional crashes can be related to drivers who are texting. Cell phone conversations are involved in 12 times as many crashes as texting.

People don't multitask, they just do the multiple things slower and with lesser results.
 
MacDoc said:
If you want to Voice dial you have to set the iPhone up with numbers already. I touch the button to invoice the Voice Dial on the iPhone 4 and say Call Peter and it dials his number.
Click to expand...

Hey MacDoc. What do you mean "set iPhone with numbers"? I obviously have a populated contact list. I can get Siri to recognize when I say "call home" if I press and hold the Home button manually. The problem I am having is when I single press the CTRL button the Q2, I hear a beep that I pushed a button but nothing happens no matter what I scream into the mic.
The phone is definitely paired with the Scala properly because I can play music just fine. I can even skip songs by pressing and holding the Volume Up button. The communication between Scala and phone is definitely there. It just won't start the Voice Control feature when I press the main Scala button.

Weird.

Its not a deal breaker for me though. Me and the gf bought the set so we can communicate on long rides. All other features are simply a bonus.
 
I have the Scala Q2 and iphone 4S. I got it used but a real good deal. I initally bought it because I wanted GPS directions from my iphone via bluetooth. But it doesn't play music or gps directions without the audio cable, all other voice stuff works great tho...

Do you have the Q2 Pro?
 
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Where's the huge spike in accidents? It's not there. You can't legislate using technology responsibly.

Graph_of_cell_phone_use_compared_to_number_of_car_accidents.jpg



•••

I don't use Siri but rather another Voice control app - wonder if that is the difference. WIll check
 
MacDoc said:
Where's the huge spike in accidents? It's not there. You can't legislate using technology responsibly.

Graph_of_cell_phone_use_compared_to_number_of_car_accidents.jpg



•••

I don't use Siri but rather another Voice control app - wonder if that is the difference. WIll check
Click to expand...
Cancer rates have been on the rise for decades, yet people have been living longer and longer every year. Therefore, cancer must be good for our health, right?
 
MacDoc said:
False analogy but nice try.
Click to expand...

You're saying:
Cell phone subscriptions have been on the rise
Automobile crashes have been declining at the same time
Therefore, there's nothing to suggest that cell phone use is a risk to drivers.

I'm saying:
Cancer rates have been on the rise
Life expectancy has been increasing at the same time
Therefore, there's nothing to suggest that cancer is a risk to our health.

It's exactly the same rationale
 
I have the same scala, with my blackberry i can not use that feature neither. I don't think it works no matter what the manual says
 
MacDoc said:
Where's the huge spike in accidents? It's not there. You can't legislate using technology responsibly.
Graph_of_cell_phone_use_compared_to_number_of_car_accidents.jpg
Click to expand...
Every parent giving their 11 year-old a cell phone skewing the statistics?

I started searching google for details on those stats, and stumbled upon a screen capture of an ABC news story mentioning that Bill Cosby was killed in a fiery crash while he was texting. Cosby ain't dead, so the interweb is both a source of great information, and misinformation.

We will just have to agree to disagree. I don't believe that driving/riding while screwing around with a cellphone is safe, but you can go right on believing it if you wish.
 
we are not talking about screwing around with a cell phone.
We are not talking about texting which is seriously stupid.

We are talking about talking into a duplexed mic.
Last time I checked those damn unsafe pilots did it all the time.

I suspect but cannot prove more lives are saved by having cell phones around than banning them.
You gonna pull over and pull out your map on a busy highway or let the VoiceNav guide you.
I bought the Scala as it would prevent a repeat of a serious accident waiting to happen with my riding partner.

He took off down the 401 with a long strap dangling and very hard to catch him and get his attention.
We both got Scala's the next day and it improved our safety and enjoyment. No more missed turns and "hey I gotta get gas arm waving" we just chat.

And when it's a boring ride I chat with friends and family or client - keeps me alert.

ALL technology carries risk and reward.....knowing which is which is what experience teaches.
 
Pilots have a bit more room to manoever and move in 3D space and don't spend a majority of their time a few feet from their nearest neighbour. All studies I've seen show a decrease in situational awareness and response time as extra activities beyond just driving are added and jabbering on a phone is one of those activities.
 
and yet accidents go down despite an increase in cell phones of many multiples....you cannot duplicate real world in a lab.
I'm quite sure the study authors are happy to get paid for their work.

Here is one you haven't seen. It's the physical aspect that is an issue - NOT the talking

I. Talking Sometimes Prevents Crashes, Texting Dramatically Increases Them

Ford Senior Technical Specialist Louis Tijerina, a 20 year safety industry veteran who co-authored the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's first wireless telecommunications traffic safety report during 4-year stint with the agency, says that his company's exhaustive review of both internal and third party safety information reveals that the blame is often misplaced when it comes to cell phones and driving.

He points to numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation "Safety Facts" publications, which reveal that although wireless subscriptions have increased exponentially, crashes per 100 million miles travelled have actually declined in recent years.

The punch line, he says is that talking -- be it interacting with passengers, or on the cell phone has a mixed effect on driving safety. In fact, in the case of drowsy drivers (e.g. truckers), talking on cell phones can actually reduce crashes.

This stands in sharp contrast to past industry (and government) perceptions. And it seems particularly ironic given that many states and municipalities have implemented strict regulations where if you get caught talking on your cell phone while driving, you get a ticket. If the studies Ford pointed to are accurate, these kinds of laws may actually increase accidents among drowsy drivers.

Mr. Tijerina says that evidence shows that so-called "cognitive distractions" aren't much of an issue, but physical distractions are. Some physical distractions -- such as eating, adjusting instruments, putting a CD in your entertainment system -- are relatively low risk. However, by far the most risky behavior is texting while driving. Ford's compiled numbers show that texting while driving increases crash likelihood 23 times or more.

Where past studies may have gone wrong is lumping texting and talking on cell phones together, when in fact these two behaviors have radically different impacts on the driver's danger level.

He comments, "Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel is not just an advertising slogan, it's summarizing research."
Click to expand...

http://www.dailytech.com/Ford+Talki...Accident+Rates+in+Some+Cases/article23132.htm

If I need to concentrate for a few moments at an intersection its very easy to say hold on just as I would with a passenger.
You can't legislate common sense and the numbers simply say your argument is wrong...as does the study above.
 
MacDoc said:
and yet accidents go down despite an increase in cell phones of many multiples....you cannot duplicate real world in a lab.
I'm quite sure the study authors are happy to get paid for their work.

Here is one you haven't seen. It's the physical aspect that is an issue - NOT the talking



http://www.dailytech.com/Ford+Talki...Accident+Rates+in+Some+Cases/article23132.htm

If I need to concentrate for a few moments at an intersection its very easy to say hold on just as I would with a passenger.
You can't legislate common sense and the numbers simply say your argument is wrong...as does the study above.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm going to trust the experts from the likes of MIT and also common sense on this one. Misinterpretation of statistics is very easy in this case.
 
hardk0re said:
I have the Scala Q2 and iphone 4S. I got it used but a real good deal. I initally bought it because I wanted GPS directions from my iphone via bluetooth. But it doesn't play music or gps directions without the audio cable, all other voice stuff works great tho...

Do you have the Q2 Pro?
Click to expand...

Yes I have the Q2 Pro Multiset. The music works great. Once I turn on the Scala it automatically pairs with my iPhone via Bluetooth (as long as I leave it on) and then double tap the main button, iPhone starts music in random mode (just the way I like it) and it never cuts out no matter how fast I go, pretty neat.


ZX600 said:
I have the same scala, with my blackberry i can not use that feature neither. I don't think it works no matter what the manual says
Click to expand...

Ya I've given up on it primarily because I would use that feature maybe twice in my lifetime. Just wanted to see whether the issue was me being a derp or on the Scala's side.

Next item on the list: replace/upgrade the speakers...
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