An alternative solution to the echo problem in bluetooth phone...

HuseyinOzsut · 11-24-2008, 01:26 PM

Well yesterday I brought back my car pc to home to make the bluetooth handsfree work. I searched for usb microphones; but I couldn't find one in stores. I didn't want to spend time waiting for a mic. so I didn't buy it from internet... Then I found Logitech Quickcam E2500 webcam! This webcam has an integrated microphone which also work through usb. Also the cam has a softwared echo cancellation system... I plugged the webcam, installed the software and just choose the webcam as microphone. Then entered the webcams program and checked the box "Echo cancellation...." The result is incredible! No echo at all and it is relatively cheap... But the program of the webcam should be running in order to use the echo canceling system...

fabworks · 11-24-2008, 08:30 PM

Nice, so you noticed almost 100% echo cancellation?

Is there any way to separate the mic from the webcam?

Punky · 11-24-2008, 09:05 PM

yeah the logitech orbit has a really nice echo cancelation feature, but its too big for me to put into the car, and plus i'm still dealing with centrafuse bluetooth delay.

fabworks · 11-25-2008, 12:27 AM

Yeah, Centrafuse really needs to step up and solve the delay and echo. Hardware based solutions would be best, but they keep digging at a software solution.

HuseyinOzsut · 11-25-2008, 06:55 AM

I think it can be separated; but I didn't open the case of it and split it apart so I'm not sure. For now I have a place to put it; but in the near future if I buy my dream car (2002 9-3 aero convertable) I won't have the space so I'll be splitting it.

And yes there is no audible echo.

HuseyinOzsut · 11-25-2008, 09:13 AM

today I worked over it a little more and found out that this is not also a good solution at all!!

By chance my audio setting, mic, wave and main levels were set up ideal for the mic of the webcam. Today I maximised the volume and wav etc, and listened music, then my phone rang, and opened the call, the person I'm talking said there was a big echo! I think it is because of the wave volume settings.

So this cam is also is not an option I think. Excuse me; but at first I was so happy and I wanted to share; but now I'm frusturated!

I think there is a very simple way to solve this problem... For example in dj softwares the program can control two different cards, so you can play two different music from two different cards and mix it with your hardwared mixer...

Likewise if CF or RR used a phone program which we could assign another sound card, then all we have to do would be to buy a usb speakerphone (which actually they work like a soundcard). They are around 30-40 dollars, which is affordable I think. All of these speakerphones have echo cancellation which works very well...

HiJackZX1 · 11-25-2008, 10:09 AM

well that is what this hobby is all about, trial and error, so dont be too frustrated. Im going to wait for IVT and Flux to fix the echo, after all IVT is the one that created the BT stack for CF, so I am sure they know what they are doing.

Punky · 11-25-2008, 11:24 PM

yeah i didn't even bother installing bt into my car for that very reason, its still very early stage. Its going to be a while, before its as good as everything else, Patience.

HuseyinOzsut · 11-27-2008, 03:08 AM

I can say that this cam is far better than a analog mic and at least I can use the bluetooth stack now. But when somebody calls cf automatically minimizes the sound so that echo will be minimized. By that I solved my problem, but now its like somebody is whispering when I'm talking with phone!

nobb · 12-24-2008, 12:29 AM

Just wondering if your solution helps at all with the delay problem? Ive manage to decrease my echo by lowering the mic and speaker volumes. But the delay is still very annoying...it's like trying to talk to someone internationally over a slow VOIP connection.

HiJackZX1 · 12-24-2008, 06:14 AM

Is this a USB Mic? I know that USB mics are known to have few seconds lag. There is nothing you can really do about it, its a hardware limitation. My solution to all of this was to give the phone software its own sound card. Basically the Mic is in a special area (my headliner) and then the speaker is at the bottom at a angle. Hopefully this lowers the echo. Because it is also on its own soundcard, I can use echo cancellation software like Solicall, without having to worry about my music sounding cr@ppy (some echo software mess up the sound quality). Mind you I have not tested this method, or methods yet, my Processor fried and wont get a new one till the new year.

nobb · 12-24-2008, 10:41 AM

Nope, it is an analogue mic which inputs to the onboard soundcard. I am using a USB soundcard as the output to the speakers.

Solicall looks interesting, but it is mostly designed for VOIP software. I dont know if CF + BT count as VOIP...but Ill test it out later.

HiJackZX1 · 12-24-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by nobb

Nope, it is an analogue mic which inputs to the onboard soundcard. I am using a USB soundcard as the output to the speakers.

Solicall looks interesting, but it is mostly designed for VOIP software. I dont know if CF + BT count as VOIP...but Ill test it out later.

Solicall pretty much works on anything. You specify what you want it to echo cancel, soundcard wise. Problem is that if you also have music coming from that soundcard, it will distort the music because it is trying to echo cancel that too, lol. Thats why I opted to use a independant soundcard for the phone.

nobb · 12-24-2008, 04:58 PM

That's not a problem, I can have the phone output to the internal speaker on my lilliput (
via onboard sound) instead of the main stereo (via USB soundcard). I just installed Solicall...problem is everything is greyed out even after reboot. I have no idea...I dont get the option to enable it.

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