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The CallPod Dragon V2 can double as a cell-phone headset and a short-range walkie-talkie.
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By Bob Gatton
Enter the dragon.
I've been a fan of the original Jawbone Bluetooth headset, and later theNew Jawbone. Both of the Jawbones are expensive, over $100, but the voice quality, noise cancelation and comfort sold me.
I hadn't really looked at other Bluetooth options until I was sent a press release by the folks from CallPod. Their new Dragon V2 Bluetooth headset that has some interesting features:
- dual microphone with noise suppression;
- a walkie-talkie feature is you have two Dragons;
- and it has a claimed range of 100 meters (328 feet).
Many Bluetooth headsets have some form of noise suppression. I tested the Dragon while driving with the windows open and in a crowded restaurant. It did reduce noise better than many Bluetooth headsets, but not up to the level of either the original or new Jawbones.
Incoming call quality was very good. Outgoing was usually good but a couple of people that I called reported a bit of a hum, and one person said it sounded like I was using a speaker phone. For best audio performance you need to aim the dual microphones toward your mouth. This is not difficult; just spend an extra minute or two during the initial setup adjusting the ear hook to insure that the microphones are pointed toward your mouth.
I was not that enthused about the walkie-talkie capability, but I called Mack Watlington, co-owner of Statement Media and Design, one of Knoxville's leading home theater and home automation companies. He had a different opinion; he told me that installers at his company would probably use this feature almost every day. The ability to quickly and easily communicate between installers at the job site would increase efficiency. When using two Dragons in walkie-talkie mode, they connect directly with each other, so a cell phone (and cell phone minutes) are not needed.
In the Bluetooth standard there are three basic classes, each with a different range -- approximately 1 meter, 10 meters or 100 meters, respectively. The Dragon V2 fits into the latter category. To test the Dragon's range, Mack and I went to a parking lot; I called his cell phone, had him hold onto my phone and started to walk away with the Dragon. Call quality was good to about 260 feet. From there to about 360 feet, we could still understand each other, but there was increasing noise. After 360 feet, the Dragon was still connected to my phone, but the amount of noise made conversation impossible.
This first test was done under the best possible circumstances -- line of site. To test it in more of a real life situation, we went back to Mack's store. I went in a room at the front of the store and closed the door. Mack took my phone and started to walk to the rear of the store. Except for one brief moment of static, call quality was very good, no matter where Mack went in the building. The Dragon maintained a good signal through doors and multiple metal stud walls for over 75 feet. The range when using the walkie-talkie function was slightly longer and the sound quality was a little better than when the Dragon was used with a cell phone.
My New Jawbone is a class 2 Bluetooth headset. At best it has a range of about 33 feet, but I've not had much success much beyond about 20 feet. Using that as a benchmark, the Dragon's range is very impressive.
The Dragon was easy to set up and use, and the controls are intuitive after a few minutes. At first, the Dragon was uncomfortable and felt loose on my ear. When I leaned forward the Dragon would flop around and feel like it was going to fall off, but adjusting the ear hook fixed this problem. Once adjusted properly, the fit is secure and comfortable.
CallPod claims a talk time of eight hours, but I've not put this claim to the test. (Who wants to make an eight-hour phone call?) However, I did talk for more than six hours over two days before the battery was exhausted.
The CallPod Dragon V2 has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $99.95, and it comes with a USB cable for charging, an AC adaptor and a car charger.
I still prefer the New Jawbone. To me the noise suppression is more important than range, and it's a little more comfortable to wear than the Dragon. But if you want greater range or you like the walkie-talkie feature, check out the Dragon V2.
www.callpod.com
Bob Gatton is a consultant and designer for home theaters and home automation systems. Check out his blog: Bob Gatton's Tech Talk.
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