External Microphone for the nuvi - Review

[XopherN71]

Did a quick search so I hope I'm not re-posting info here but I wanted to let you all know that the optional external microphone for the nuvi's with Bluetooth does help quite a bit.

I have a review on Amazon so I'll just paste that here.

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.

[hveich]

Since it works so well, What was the Mic ?

[XopherN71]

The Garmin mic, it's around $15 on their site. If you look at their site under accessories for your GPS you should see it.

[tridebri]

So I am curious, as I have a nuvi 360 too and am hoping to do the same thing...

How did you wire both the mic and the external speakers? My nuvi only has one 1/8" jack...

I am thinking of wiring it into the stereo of my Audi A4 by using the aux input in a Dice ipod adapter...

thanks
Brian

[XopherN71]

Microphone goes into the mount (look closely, you'll see the hole), headphone plugin goes in the nuvi.

[raaurora]

how did you secure the wire so it does not hang down while it traverses up to the sun visor?

[XopherN71]

I actually ran it behind the dash, up behind the a-pillar trim, over the headliner, above the overhead console and out the end of it where an OEM microphone would be.

[junioor]

Nice I will follow it

[Tdub]

The Garmin page for Nuvi 360 assessories doesn't list a microphone:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/search.do?searchStr=microphone

The closest is a micro with an earbud.

Can you provide the Garmin part number for the item?

[XopherN71]

Here you go:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=1445