Customer Reviews

Garmin External Microphone (010-10804-00)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Works as it should. No noise cancellation means it can get a little noisy but it's better than my phone's speakerphone option. Personally I find the nuvi's built-in mic too lousy to use, as all my callers will complain that they can't hear me. I also left myself messages in my voicemail to test the quality and my conclusion is that the External Microphone offers the best quality vs using my phone's or the Nuvi's built-in mic.

Also comes with two mounting options - a non-adhesive one that will clip to your visor, and another with an adhesive mounting strip which you can stick to the side pillar or somewhere close to your mouth. :)

Hope this helps!

Installed the Nuvi 760 (Bluetooth). From the dashboard position, the Mike was a little far away. I installed the external mike and got the results I was looking for! Was able to do away with my Motorola Bluetooth car kit and go strictly to the Nuvi. With an FM preset on the car stereo, and the built-in fm transmitter in the Nuvi and the remote mike, I now have superb audio on my phone calls. I'd recommend this to anyone with a bluetooth phone and a bluetooth Nuvi rcvr.

I purchased this external microphone hoping for an drastically improved quality to my Garmin Nuvi 360's speakerphone capability. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the slight improvement this accessory made wasn't worth the additional cost and wiring running around my car. I initially tried the microphone out by calling my wife (who always complains that she can't understand me with just the speakerphone). She stated that the sound quality was slightly better than before. Next, I tried calling my office voicemail several times with and without the external microphone (in different positions). I could not notice a significant improvement in call quality except when holding the microphone very close to my mouth.

Some users may find that mounting the microphone as a lapel mic may drastically improve quality, but that wasn't a practical option for me. The relatively low cost may justify trying this unit out, but don't expect a huge jump in sound quality.

Let me start off with some background. I bought this microphone to use with my Garmin Nuvi 360. Although my wife said I sounded fine with the built-in microphone I thought for the small investment it would be worth seeing how it sounded with the external microphone. Ordered and received in just a few days, packaging is simple and there's not much to it. I knew right where I wanted to mount it based on past experience with a Parrot kit I had in a previous vehicle, which was right at the overhead console of my 2002 Suburban.

On to the test... I hung the microphone over the visor (closest I could get it to the final location without mounting it) and summoned my toughest critic, my wife. I'm a huge gadget nut and my wife... well, she could care less and will rarely share my excitement in a new toy. Who better to get an honest opinion from? Took a deep breath and asked her to call me (kids were asleep and I didn't want to wake them). As I sat in the garage waiting for the phone call I started to wonder what was going to follow. Just then the phone rang, and the display on my Garmin Nuvi changed to confirm that indeed my wife was calling. I clicked the answer button on the Nuvi and the test began.

The result? A crystal clear conversation that got 0 complaints, not even a comment about sounding like she was on speaker phone.

So why only 4 stars?

I rarely give anything 5 stars because there's always room for improvement. I have no complaints at this time and for the money it was definitely worth it.

I should also note that I have the headphone jack wired to my factory stereo so the sound comes through my speakers, not the built in ones... even with this setup it worked like a charm and was a true hand free, crystal clear combination that I look forward to using for years to come.

When I first got my Garmin nüvi 760 Portable GPS Automobile Navigator and started using its Bluetooth feature, I got consistent complaints from callers saying they couldn't hear me. This $15 microphone has made a world of difference. No more complaints from callers!

I only gave this little microphone four stars instead of five, because despite its three different mounting clips, I haven't yet found a way to keep the mic close and the clip/wire out of the way. Just a minor nitpick though!

This external mic is definitively a must have addition to the Garmin StreetPilot C550. It makes hand-free conversation so easy. The quality is outstanding as all the people I have spoken with have never complained about not being able to hear me no matter how fast I drive in my rather noisy car. I highly recommend it.

It works really well and I have it clipped to my visor. People hear me really well, as if I'm talking on the phone it self. The only downfall is that I have a wire that dangles from the unit to the visor but on the positive side, it has a really long cord that you can hand the mic to someone in the back seat and that way everyone can hear the conversation like when you go out with friends or have family calling the grandparents. I recommend it. Also, remember if you visit California, you need hands free otherwise using a cell phone will get you pulled over.

I ordered this thinking it would fit a garmin 765t which it should. I recieved the product and it did not fit the garmin unit. I e-mailed the Car Toys about this issue on on 3/29 asking for assistance but have yet to here from them. I guess I'm just going to have to eat the cost for a product that does not work.

i purchased this for our nuvi navigator. since my husband is in the military, he cant use celfones while driving unless its handsfree. i bought him a bluetooth but he hardly use it and always misplace it. we tried to communicate thru the garmin nuvi without a mic and it's like im inside a hole/tunnel and the echoing is too much i cant even understand myself. i read the reviews and i thoguht it might be worth a try. it arrived quickly and i tryied to call my hubby, no more echoing. the sound is now crystal clear, MOST OF ALL , im rest assured he's not distracted driving.

** please help me if you have any ideas on how do i take care of the wires lol. do i tape it on the corners of the windshiled so it wont distract us while driving? THANKS!

I bought this external mic for my Nuvi 760. Initially I clipped it on the driver's side visor, and people said it sounded too loud and a little distorted, and actually sounded better with the built in mic. I was getting ready to pack it up and send it back, when I decided on a whim to clip it on the passenger's side visor. Immediately, everyone I talked to said the call quality sounded fine.

Of course these same people also thought that the built in mic sounded fine, so I'm not sure there is much difference. When pushed, the general consensus among the people I talked is that it sounded slightly better with the external mic.

My recommendation is to make a few calls with the built in mic, and if nobody complains about how you sound, save yourself $15 and don't get the external mic. On the other hand, if people are complaining about the way you sound, then get it. It certainly can't hurt, and it most likely will help. At $15, even a slight improvement in call quality is worth it.

Concerning the cord length, it is long, but don't let that discourage you from buying it. You can figure out how best to position it. I did. As noted above, I clipped the mic to the passenger's side visor, then ran the wire over the rear view mirror, then down to the unit which I have mounted on the dash with a beanbag mount.