MOTOROKR T505 reviewed by: ME - Motorola Q Forum

ninjaap · 07-17-2008, 08:26 AM

What came in the box

1. T505
2. Removable visor clip
4. Car charger (mini usb)
5. Manual

Buttons and Functions

There are a total of 6 buttons on the device:
Front:
1. Phone: Connects your phone
2. Play/Pause: Play your phone's media (WMP, streaming radio, etc.)
Rear:
3. FM: Connects to your car's audio system via FM transmitter
4. Power: On/Off
Sides:
5. Plus: Volume/Change tracks
6. Minus: Volume/Change tracks

Charging

When charging, the color turns from yellow to green to show it's status. Green, being fully charged.

Set up is a breeze

1. Throw away manual
2. Power up T505
3. Search T505 using BT manager
4. Connect

Pairing

Once you have done the initial set up, pairing is as simple as holding the phone button for a few secs. You will hear a tone once paired.

Playing media

Play your mp3's or streaming radio. It will play through the T505 speaker or if connected via FM transmitter it will play via car speaker. The side buttons are used to skip tracks in this mode.

FM transmitter

Press and hold the FM button until you hear a woman's voice. Don't be scared (or turned on), it's the device advising you what station to tune your radio to. It will search for the clearest possible station for the current area. If you find that you enter an area with considerable static, you can simply do another search. Just press and hold... and you know the rest.

Field test

I don't have a long commute to work. I only drive 30 mins per day, one way, Monday through Friday. A regular 9am-5pm job, except I work 430pm-1am, but you get the point. When not in use, I turn it off and stick it in my glove compartment. I have an old, yet reliable, 91 honda civic hatchback as my commuter car. Has not failed me yet and saves me a ton of gas. But I digress. The point I am trying to make is that, unlike luxury cars, road and freeway noise is considerably louder to say the least.

I use the FM transmitter because the T505 speaker is not loud enough due to road noise. People tell me that I sound okay and they have no trouble understanding me. I also use my phone as a source of music. I usually go through my mp3's in my SD and play through WMP. Plays great through the transmitter. I found setting WMP's volume to 75 works the best, because anything above that distorts the sound.

To make a call, simply press and hold the phone button on front of T505. WMP will pause and voice recognition will prompt you for a command. Or you can pick up your phone and do it manually. When the call is done, press the phone button to end call and music will resume playing. When a call comes in, WMP will pause and you will hear the caller's phone number (caller ID). Pick up the call by pressing the phone button.

Overall, I am very pleased with this device. I give it

. My BT connection has not dropped, even once, yet. Battery life seems to be good. It's been 5 days and I still haven't recharged it. I want to see how long the battery will last. FM transmitter is awesome with it's "station finder". No wires or installation necessary. Only downside is speaker is not up to par if you have a bucket as a commuter.

The verdict

Buy it.

Update

After 7 days of using the device, I finally decided to charge it. I am getting considerable amount of static using the FM transmitter. But BT still connects and am still able to send/receive calls. Please also note that I play my MP3's through the FM transmitter most of time. So it's very probable that others will experience longer battery life. Pretty awesome standby in my opinion.

A different way to use it

This is gonna sound weird, but my fellow blue collar, factory workers might understand this. I work in an automobile plant, which requires me to wear a hard hat. The job is very repetitive and monotonous, especially after 6 years of service. Sometimes, I just want to put on a headset and listen to my Mp3's. But for safety reasons (to be aware of our surroundings) we are not allowed to wear headsets or earphones. I found that I can stick the device between my hardhat and the insert and set the volume high enough so I can hear the music, but low enough so I can still hear and be aware of my surroundings. The best part is no one else can hear it but me. And no... I don't know if the radio will cause brain damage because it's close to my skull. But I figure everyone else in the world wears a BT device on their ear all day, walking around like a Borg from Star Trek. And they have't complained about brain damage yet. So I think I'm okay.

n99hockey · 07-17-2008, 09:20 AM

great review!!
i have asked for this for my birthday

ninjaap · 07-17-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n99hockey

great review!!
i have asked for this for my birthday

You won't regret it... Happy Birthday!!!!

n99hockey · 07-17-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjaap

You won't regret it... Happy Birthday!!!!

good im glad!
(thanks..almost)

trdspectacoma · 07-17-2008, 05:15 PM

Thanks for the review. I think I like the clean look. with the deck. but that is another option.

ninjaap · 07-17-2008, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trdspectacoma

Thanks for the review. I think I like the clean look. with the deck. but that is another option.

Hardwired to the deck is definitely the best way to go. It's always charged, static will never be an issue and it automatically turns on. I was actually considering your suggestion in an earlier thread. But I decided to go with this stand alone because I can easily take the device between cars. And cost played a big role as well. Most of the newer decks have an input for hands free device. I have an old Pioneer tape deck in my commuter. Yes, I said tape deck. Without the hands free input I would have needed to tap into my speaker wires directly. This would only allow me to play back in mono through one speaker (I would tap into driver side), no stereo. Not good especially when I'm playing my mp3's. Yes, I could buy a new deck with the said inputs, but that drives the cost up. And I am not willing to spend much on my commuter car. Need that money for gas and repairs. I just need it to take me to work and back. But like you said that is another option. What works for me may not work for others. And thank you for a great suggestion. It was well considered.

trdspectacoma · 07-17-2008, 06:38 PM

no problem on the suggestion always there. but yes it does drive the cost up when you have to buy a deck and buy the optional module. but if you have a newer aftermarket deck there is the option. And newer decks have a tendency to have unwanted attention..
Yes it is nice to have a portable devise that can be transfered one car to the next.
That is why for other cars that I go in and drive I usually use my headset (plantronics voyager) or I use the regular speaker phone since most of the cars that I drive in all have MP3 player and don't need that function.

great review though!!! have fun with the new toy

Shavano · 07-17-2008, 09:08 PM

I just bought the 505 with my new Q. What a fantastic addition!! The 505's noise filter really seems to help out with the background din when making a call, and the BT signal seems to be very strong.

Great review, thanks!!

ninjaap · 07-18-2008, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shavano

I just bought the 505 with my new Q. What a fantastic addition!! The 505's noise filter really seems to help out with the background din when making a call, and the BT signal seems to be very strong.

Great review, thanks!!

Welcome to the club... we now have 2 active members in the "505 Club"... Chicka chicka yeah!!!!

Thank you and welcome to EQ!

ninjaap · 07-18-2008, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trdspectacoma

no problem on the suggestion always there. but yes it does drive the cost up when you have to buy a deck and buy the optional module. but if you have a newer aftermarket deck there is the option. And newer decks have a tendency to have unwanted attention..
Yes it is nice to have a portable devise that can be transfered one car to the next.
That is why for other cars that I go in and drive I usually use my headset (plantronics voyager) or I use the regular speaker phone since most of the cars that I drive in all have MP3 player and don't need that function.

great review though!!! have fun with the new toy

Point well taken. I would have definitely gone that route if I had a newer deck with the correct inputs. Thanks again!