Amazon echo dot

[Dave_E]

Has anyone got one of the above fitted to their van.Other than listening to spotify,the radio and asking it the time and weather do you have any other use for it.

 

[kevenh]

Has anyone got one of the above fitted to their van.Other than listening to spotify,the radio and asking it the time and weather do you have any other use for it.

You can listen to Amazon music.

But unless you’ve other connected devices like switches, heating devices, etc. a voice assistant is a for alarms, reminders, Q&A device, etc.

 

[MisterB]

why use expensive data (unless its free of course) for the radio?

 

[tonka]

I have the echo auto version ( a fathers day present).
Cant say I have any other use for it except for music but our radio headed is pretty poor so it does the job allowing me to either listen to Deezer or live radio. I think once we start travelling abroad again it will come into it's own when I can ,listen to the live UK radio.

 

[Bolti]

Has anyone got one of the above fitted to their van. Other than listening to Spotify, the radio and asking it the time and weather do you have any other use for it.

Would you not be better using your phone? To improve the sound you could add a Bluetooth speaker.

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[chaser]

Would you not be better using your phone? To improve the sound you could add a Bluetooth speaker.

Completely agree with this, we have Alexa's in the house and for radio for what we listen to are fine, but in the van I think you will have trouble having to find different WiFi for it every time you stop, and end up having to connect it to your hot spot on your phone, therefore having both going to do what the phone would have done on its own without having to find WiFi.

 

[Dave_E]

That's the point really.It's either or, echo or bluetooth speaker.I think I'm probably leaning towards bluetooth.

 

[tonka]

In reply to the above 2 posts...
As said the Echo Auto that i have fitted was a gift, not something i would have gone out and bought myself.
I have a cheap phone package £8 a month with unlimited txt and calls plus 10gb of data so ample spare data for my requirements.

The devise is very small and i have it stuck down on the dash. On start up it connects to my radio headend unit for audio output and my phone for data use. The most use it gets is from playing live radio from an app or my Deezer music. The biggest advantage i think is that its all hands free so no tuning. It also operates the phone hands free.
My radio system is pretty crap and reception is poor, rather than spend money on a replacment the echo has sorted that issue. As it uses the internet it also gives me the ability to listen to local or UK national radio almost anywhere.
We have hit a few spots where phone signal is weak and lost reception but rare.

In effect the Echo is acting like a bridge between the phone and headend unit, making the fitted system one big bluetooth speaker..

ps.. I think mine was bought when on offer so around £29..

 

[cmcardle75]

Has anyone got one of the above fitted to their van.Other than listening to spotify,the radio and asking it the time and weather do you have any other use for it.

I've got a Echo Show 5. This has a screen, which is good for showing the weather and song lyrics! It is connected via Bluetooth to the main stereo for better sound. It makes an excellent alarm clock. You could watch TV on it, but the screen would be a little small and we have a proper one anyway.

 

[kevenh]

Do consider Google Assistant devices.
I had an Alexa VA on a SONOS One but, after not really getting on with it, when the option arose I switched to Google Assistant on it and I like & use that a lot more than when the box was Alexa. Now I've a Google Home Hub for the other floor of my house.

A little contrary to the above, for the MH I use a Pure Highway for the bluetooth streaming to an old ICE, and an Anker bluetooth speaker when parked up.

Both solutions work well with my iPhone/iPad, etc. I would not pay to add a VA to the MH at the moment...
There isn't the home automation in the MH that I have in the house for one

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[Lenny HB]

At home we have an Ultimate Ears Megablaster, thinking about getting a smaller version for the van. Big advantage over the Echo is they have Li-on batteries & fully waterproof great for using outside.

 

[Dave_E]

Thanks one and all.Probably going to go with the bluetooth option for live and listen again radio and music.Not sure about the Ultimate Ears Megablaster though Lenny HB might be a bit OTT for radio 4.

 

[chaser]

You all seem to be techno's on this subject, so fine, you can get your heads around it and I can sort of keep up, but for ordinary folks who just want a bit of radio and Google and stuff , Alexa is way over the top for in van use and just don't see the point, when you have three things doing what you can quite easily do with just a phone.

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks one and all.Probably going to go with the bluetooth option for live and listen again radio and music.Not sure about the Ultimate Ears Megablaster though Lenny HB might be a bit OTT for radio 4.

Sounds good & does have Bluetooth.
They have a small unit - Wonderboom, it's what I am thinking of getting for the van.

 

[Lenny HB]

You all seem to be techno's on this subject, so fine, you can get your heads around it and I can sort of keep up, but for ordinary folks who just want a bit of radio and Google and stuff , Alexa is way over the top for in van use and just don't see the point, when you have three things doing what you can quite easily do with just a phone.

But then you have to play the phone through the stereo which uses a lot of power (2 to 8 amps depending on the stereo), whereas something like the Megablaster gives you good sound quality for low power consumption.

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[chaser]

But then you have to play the phone through the stereo which uses a lot of power (2 to 8 amps depending on the stereo), whereas something like the Megablaster gives you good sound quality for low power consumption.

Yeah but you don't need Alexa for that do you?

 

[kevenh]

Thanks one and all.Probably going to go with the bluetooth option for live and listen again radio and music.Not sure about the Ultimate Ears Megablaster though Lenny HB might be a bit OTT for radio 4.

You'll need to buy a speaker within your budget & sound requirements.
My Anker is an Anker SoundCore 24-Hour Playtime Bluetooth Speaker

I don't have to trouble the max volume settings to fill my MH with alt. indie rock noise
And runs off it's rechargeable battery for a decent amount of time

Plus there's space for a "w" on the front for the lols

 

[Dave_E]

You all seem to be techno's on this subject, so fine, you can get your heads around it and I can sort of keep up, but for ordinary folks who just want a bit of radio and Google and stuff , Alexa is way over the top for in van use and just don't see the point, when you have three things doing what you can quite easily do with just a phone.

Well thank you for calling me techno.I will treasure that and show the kids.I'm not though I'm just a boring old bloke that loves his radio.

 

[Dave_E]

Whilst on this subject I have read somewhere that you can't use the BBC Sounds app outside of the UK but that there is a way of fooling it into thinking it is in the UK when it's not.Is this the case and if it is does anyone have any knowledge of how to fool it.

 

[jwells]

I can highly recommend the Minirig bluetooth speaker system, which can be extended so your hearing will never be the same again!!!!!!!!!! I just use one speaker in my small van, really good quality unit and sound is also!

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[duane0001]

Echo show 5 in the kitchen
Echo show 5 in the dining room
Echo show 8 in the living room
Echo studio in the hallway
Echo spot in the bedroom
Echo auto in the van as a test piece (29 quid on offer as tonka said)
If I can get the show 8 to work from the 12 volt I think I may go for that that when I eventually pick up my new motorhome

 

[kevenh]

Echo show 5 in the kitchen
Echo show 5 in the dining room
Echo show 8 in the living room
Echo studio in the hallway
Echo spot in the bedroom
Echo auto in the van as a test piece (29 quid on offer as tonka said)
If I can get the show 8 to work from the 12 volt I think I may go for that that when I eventually pick up my new motorhome

Why?
The OP asked

Other than listening to spotify,the radio and asking it the time and weather do you have any other use for it.

They'd like to know - at a basic level - how you use one if not all of those VA.

I have a google assistant speaker upstairs & the Home Hub downstairs. Mostly for home automation routines or just turning on/off individual devices.
Plus weather updates and radio

 

[St3v3]

We ask Alexa to put the kettle on while still warm in bed so not having to go into the cold kitchen and wait for it to boil. Don't normally run any heating in the kitchen overnight and the 2 mugs worth of boiling doesn't take a massive amount out of the batteries.

 

[duane0001]

Why?
The OP asked
They'd like to know - at a basic level - how you use one if not all of those VA.

I have a google assistant speaker upstairs & the Home Hub downstairs. Mostly for home automation routines or just turning on/off individual devices.
Plus weather updates and radio

I like the fact they all sync so I get radio throughout the house, as for in the van, it’s someone to talk to

 

[Bolti]

Whilst on this subject I have read somewhere that you can't use the BBC Sounds app outside of the UK but that there is a way of fooling it into thinking it is in the UK when it's not.Is this the case and if it is does anyone have any knowledge of how to fool it.

No BBC sounds app works fine all over the world no VPN needed.

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[kevenh]

I like the fact they all sync so I get radio throughout the house, as for in the van, it’s someone to talk to

I'd love it if my all over the house Sonos moved around the house as I did - i.e. came on and off in a specific place as I entered the room then left.
Google Assistant can start & stop individual Sonos but doesn't know about groups or where I am

Anyway, that's straying off topic...

 

[Zigisla]

We use ours in the MH for more than music, weather and the time. As at home, we have reminders, "add .... to the shopping list", wake up alarms, google enquiries, when I've used a spare, "Alexa add .... to my amazon shopping" so I don't forget and when you need it again!!!. It has find your keys function from "Tile", show me my "Smart Cam" function as well.
We started using one this Summer Leave and wish I'd had it before. We (I) often forget what I wanted or need or just ran out of, so a quick "Alexa..Act as my memory". Always will have one and unlike a bluetooth speaker; that probably needs charging or your phone does, it is very versatile and has multi uses and is plugged into the USB permanantly. Doesn't need a phone signal, just a WiFi connection which it gets from our MiFi unit.
If you were on EHU, you could add smart plugs etc to control things - Don't know what, but you could if wanted.

 

[AdamH]

I have Alexa in my MH. I’m full time so it works well for me.
it controls all the moody lighting, I have routines set up to turn off lights & tv when I want to go to sleep (I was really bored during lockdown 1)
I have a mini router that connects to the site WiFi or MiFi. Saves having to put in passwords on 10+ devices.

 

[Bolti]

I have Alexa in my MH. I’m full time so it works well for me.
it controls all the moody lighting, I have routines set up to turn off lights & tv when I want to go to sleep (I was really bored during lockdown 1)
I have a mini router that connects to the site WiFi or MiFi. Saves having to put in passwords on 10+ devices.

Can you please tell us about your mini router it sounds like something I am looking for.

 

[scotzsue]

Granddaughter, 7, just has to have one for christmas. she always makes good use of the things she asks for, delivery date? December 24th here's hoping. Had no idea such a thing existed. Still happy using my pure cd and radio

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