|
Review of the Jabra FreeSpeak BT200 Wireless Mobile Headset for Non-Bluetooth phones
By flung
WhiningDog.NET
February 18th, 2004
Introduction
Jabra is a popular manufacturer of headsets for mobile phones. This it was only natural for Jabra to have a product for the Bluetooth market. Today, we'll take a look at the Jabra FreeSpeak BT200 Wireless Mobile Headset for non-Bluetooth phones. This headset will work with both Bluetooth enabled phones as well as Non-Bluetooth enabled phones. This particular package comes with the Jabra Multi-Adapter which acts as a charger base, holder for the headset and a Bluetooth adapter for non-Bluetooth enabled phones. Let's take a look at the FreeSpeak headset and see if it works out as a wireless headset for mobile phones shall we?
Packaging
The following are pictures of the packaging for the Jabra FreeSpeak and the various accessories that comes with it.
Specifications
Headset Weight: 0.8 oz (23g)
- Headset Dimensions: 1/2" d x 2 3/8" w x 4" h
- Multi-Adapter/Charging Cradle Dimensions: 1 1/4" d x 2" w x 2 1/4" h
- JABRA MiniGel: 0.33" (8.5mm) d x 0.55" (14mm) w x 0.86" (22mm) h
- Functional Range : Up to 30 feet (10 meters)
- Typical Talk Time: 4 hours
- Typical Standby Time: 100 hours
- Typical Charging Time: 2 hours
- Battery Type: Rechargeable lithium polymer
- Maximum Bluetooth Radio Frequency Power: 0.0025 watts (1%, or less, of a typical mobile phone's radio frequency power)
- Connection (when used with non-Bluetooth mobile phone): Various plug/socket adapters depending on phone model.
Physical Overview
The Jabra FreeSpeak consists of the wireless headset which wraps over one ear and the Jabra Multi-Adapter which acts as both a charging base, a Bluetooth station and an adapter to non-Bluetooth enabled phones.
The Jabra headset is made of durable plastic and rubber and will easily conform to your ear's unique shape. The spine of the headset contains all the various controls to operate the device. There is a blue LED that shines to indicate a Bluetooth pairing, a single button controlling the Answer/End functionality, a set of volume up and down controls and then finally a pair of metal contact points for when the headset is docked inside the Multi-Adapter.
 |
 |
The Multi-Adapter and the Headset |
The Headset docked in the cradle |
The Multi-Adapter has a 2.5 mm cable for non-Bluetooth enabled phones. It also acts as a simple cradle for when you need to charge both your headset and adapter. The AC adapter (which is a separate unit) connects to another jack on the bottom of the multi-adapter. There is a blue LED light indicating pairing or setup operations.
Jabra bundles a couple of MiniGels to replace the one that is in the headset and also a clip for your multi-adapter. Jabra does not bundle different 2.5 mm adapters unfortunately - this an area where the Bluetrek headset excels at.
Setup
The Jabra FreeSpeak comes paired with the Multi-Adapter so there is very little to set up initially. However should the pairing be broken, it's fairly easy to restore the connection between the headset and the multi-adapter.
To begin the pairing process, take the small stylus that is bundled with the FreeSpeak package and then press down on the stylus switch on the multi-adapter. Press the switch for six seconds until the multi-adapter indicator light stays lit. Then press the Answer/End button on the headset for six seconds until the indicator light is steady. After a short while, the two devices will be paired and both indicator lights will turn off and return to standby mode. That's it.
The Multi-Adapter is then plugged into a 2.5mm jack on your mobile phone. The Multi-Adapter converts the audio signals into Bluetooth signals that are received by the headset.
|
