Database Users

GPS testing paradigm

Each time I flash new ROM, I go test GPS performance with GPS Test to see whether something changed.
What I'm interested in is primarily lock on speed, and also how solid the lock to satellites is, but that's secondary. (since froyo, the locks seem pretty solid, no more sudden drops like in eclair)
What I noticed is that even with same firmware this varies quite a lot, even when I try to make the test conditions vary as little as possible (I always test it from the same spot and hold it the same way to ensure similar signal propagation. I can't control the weather, but as it's winter, it usually overcast).
So my question is, do you find you lock on speed varies a lot with same firmware and in same conditions?
Mine can vary from a few seconds (rarely) to losing the patience after few minutes of waiting for the lock! (more often)
Is this normal or am I having some weird issues?
Because if this kind of huge variation is normal, then all my testing is pointless!

Same thing here, but used to me more "consistent" with original rom (2.1 from Bell canada, can't remember wich one). Now on jl2 it takes longer to get a fix and weather seems to impact more.

same problem...
gps works extremely unconsistant.
me and my girlfriend have same phone with same firmware and 99% same apps installed. if we put the phones next to each other the gps signal is sometimes the same somethimes really different. we tried to find out how this could be but didnt find any difference. some days ago i turned my gps on as we were at the city together and it took really long to get the location. and then looke dat google latitude and holy **** my girlfriend got the cirrect position there even without taking it out the pocket and her gps was turned off lol. thats a bit scary sometimes.
now i installed gps tracker booster to stay at the same location if im indoor. otherwise it jumps from one location to another all the times and latitude says ive driven 4000km in a day just because i was at home and walked from fridge to the toilet...

I wonder if it has anything to do with hardware antenna issues. There was a thread here somewhere. It might be, and yet it might not be. I'd like to be able to check if I have this hardware issue before risking my phone and surely voding the warranty.
It does seem to be somewhat software dependent, but that isn't enough. Inconsistency proves nothing
I could also swear it's getting worse with the time. In 2.1 I used to be able to get a lock in half a minute or so in the worst case (even if it wasn't solid). In 2.2 it was better but in 2.2.1 versions it was all over the place. Usually amazing just after installing the ROM, but then going downhill. So maybe it's just worsening with time or oscillating with ROMs. I'd need days of flashing and testing to get it sorted out - possibly.
Total confusion... In the end I'll just buy a dedicated GPS with a big antenna. Exactly what I wanted to avoid by getting the Galaxy.

Well, i did a lot of testing with my Galaxy S.
The only conclusion i got is that different roms impact the time the Gps takes to aquire lock.
I also concluded that is due to GPS hardware keeps losing the sinal makes you apear in places which in reality you're not or showing that you are going across a road when you are stopped.
In this case A-GPS diminuishes your acurracy.

t1mman said:
Same thing here, but used to me more "consistent" with original rom (2.1 from Bell canada, can't remember wich one). Now on jl2 it takes longer to get a fix and weather seems to impact more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got slow fixes with JL2 too. But I am now testing "MS based" which improves lock time a lot (less than 20 seconds). I need more testing to make sure that my device is still accurate however.

bluecluster said:
Usually amazing just after installing the ROM, but then going downhill. So maybe it's just worsening with time or oscillating with ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exact issue here... Lately I thought that I have some kind of bad habits due to installing new roms. But now i see, that I'm not the only one with this.

nalu_pl said:
Exact issue here... Lately I thought that I have some kind of bad habits due to installing new roms. But now i see, that I'm not the only one with this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a "new" issue one time where it got all over the place so I deleted the data and redownloaded it (with GPS Status) and it fixed it. Might be that it keeps old data instead of refreshing it.
But it's not related to the time to fix

[Q] GPS broken

Hi, the GPS in my 32A seems to be broken. I've tried several different roms, both new radio and old radio, and depending on the rom it either gets a fix once in a long while, or never. So I suspect a hardware issue. Could this be fixable in any way?

Unfortunately the fact that I had a working gps for several hours on Sunday proved to be some sort of a random fluke. Well, what I did was I reflashed radio, using a different minor version of 3.22, and that seems to have caused the gps receiver to work more or less correctly for a while. However, today it's back to its usual condition: able to tune in to 1 or 2 satellites at most, and of course no location fix. To make sure I kept it active for over an hour today (outdoors of course), running the gps-status app - its (non) performance was very consistent over this time span. At the end 50% of the battery charge was gone, too - but the display was on and at full brightness for most of that time.

UP I've seen other people have also experienced GPS issues esp. on 32 A and using Gingerbread ROMs. I'm interested in knowing whether this is a generic software issue with this combination, and if it would be a waste of time to try to solve it by downgrading.

Did you try to use the "right" GPS configuration.
I'm in EU - so i made sure that the GPS is using Europe settings.
Most roms use the US settings...
The last rom i used, took like 30 min to get a fix..
Changed the configuration file, i got a fix within 45 sec.

mumilover said:
Did you try to use the "right" GPS configuration.
I'm in EU - so i made sure that the GPS is using Europe settings.
Most roms use the US settings...
The last rom i used, took like 30 min to get a fix..
Changed the configuration file, i got a fix within 45 sec.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you change the configuration - could you please explain how to do it as I have the same issue I think
Sent from my HTC Magic using XDA App

Flash this from recovery:
https://rapidshare.com/files/946871419/GPS_EU.zip

mumilover said:
Did you try to use the "right" GPS configuration.
I'm in EU - so i made sure that the GPS is using Europe settings.
Most roms use the US settings...
The last rom i used, took like 30 min to get a fix..
Changed the configuration file, i got a fix within 45 sec.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get tired of explaining that this does not work. The gps.conf in this zip is exactly the same as the one that came with my current ROM. Its contents only affects how assisting data is fetched from the net. The GPS however should be able to work even in the absence of any data connection, you should just expect to wait a little longer for a fix. Data or not, I usually do not get a fix even in 30 minutes. In the rare cases when it works, location is soon lost or "sticks" at a previously reported position even when I have moved quite a bit since.

the gps conf is using normal servers or is it set for using google servers too? seems to be working better when using google server settings also on gb so i heard

The gps.conf is totally irrelevant here.
I have tried a total of five different GB ROMs, both on 3.22 and 6.35 radio. The GPS does not work correctly on any single one of them. I tried switching between different (but compatible) radio sub-versions underneath the same ROM. Nothing helps.
On Froyo (CM6) the GPS works somewhat better. Fixes are slow and precision is low; accesing the GPS sometimes causes a reboot; but at least this proves the hardware is working.
Interestingly, I checked that the libgps.so files found on Froyo and Gingerbread are bit for bit identical.

cannot connect to gps

i picked up a focus 1.3 for my wife for a replacement because she broke her phone. i cannot get the gps to work. would not work on 7720, i forced update to 8107, still would not work. just installed the clean rom 2.0 (8773) and still will not work with maps, nokia drive or garmin street pilot.
i can't figure out why it's not working, but my wife really needs gps. are there any fixes?

svtfmook said:
i picked up a focus 1.3 for my wife for a replacement because she broke her phone. i cannot get the gps to work. would not work on 7720, i forced update to 8107, still would not work. just installed the clean rom 2.0 (8773) and still will not work with maps, nokia drive or garmin street pilot.
i can't figure out why it's not working, but my wife really needs gps. are there any fixes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try GPSInfo. I used to recommend GPS App (has Bing location), but now that is paid. GPSInfo gives you info about:
- GPS State
- Mode
- Accuracy (H/V)
- Course
If GPS State doesn't state "GPS Started", you have a HW problem.

EnderPsp said:
Try GPSInfo. I used to recommend GPS App (has Bing location), but now that is paid. GPSInfo gives you info about:
- GPS State
- Mode
- Accuracy (H/V)
- Course
If GPS State doesn't state "GPS Started", you have a HW problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it states started, but it's only using a-gps for location. which will not allow me to use on any navigation apps.

svtfmook said:
it states started, but it's only using a-gps for location. which will not allow me to use on any navigation apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should say "Full GPS mode, satellites data" when fully working.
Make sure you turn off ALL data connections, you waited at least 10 minutes under a clouded sky and you are not in (or very near to a building) You do need to see the sky to get satellites.
If after 10-15 minutes under a clear sky you still see "A-GPS Mode" your hw may be affected
LE: A possible cause I can think of would be wrong drivers/firmware issue. As a possible way to fix that you can try flashing a stock rom or a custom rom. Normally I caution people away from custom roms as I've seen several "stuck at boot/samsung logo" through out the forum, all tied to custom roms. A stock rom is the firmware meant for your phone and even if you start from scratch at least you know it's the right thing for your phone. If you want to try that, see the post in my signature.

even with the 7720 update through zune, i had this issue.
i did revert back to stock, turn location off, then did the updates. all the way to 8773, and the gps would lock after a few minutes outside.
however, while driving, with the garmin app, all of a sudden my "vehicle" went shooting about a 100 yards off the road, then it never was right the rest of the trip.
so the gps seems to just be working intermittently, or whenever it feels like it..

svtfmook said:
even with the 7720 update through zune, i had this issue.
i did revert back to stock, turn location off, then did the updates. all the way to 8773, and the gps would lock after a few minutes outside.
however, while driving, with the garmin app, all of a sudden my "vehicle" went shooting about a 100 yards off the road, then it never was right the rest of the trip.
so the gps seems to just be working intermittently, or whenever it feels like it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering 8773 (Tango) was not yet officially released/tested for Focus, I need to ask: is your phone a Focus (i917)? If so, it might explain some if the issues you're having. I would suggest staying with stock 8107 for the moment, but ultimately it is your choice. Also, make sure the phone's drivers are updated properly, 'cause if they don't, what you're going to get is issues...

like i said though, it was the same deal from 7720 on up with the updates from zune. i'm going to try to to revert back to 7720 and install the samsung drivers for mango cab that i have.

GPS
Had similar GPS problems on Focus 1.3, tried different ROMs, etc. Only decent fixes I've found are pulling the battery out for ~30 minutes and turning on find my phone in settings. Not sure why battery thing works, but have seen the same suggestion for a lot of other phones.
Problem is my fixes have been temporary; GPS works for a while, then gets flaky again in a few days, even after reflashing.
Other Samsung phones that came out around the same time as orig Focus w/ similar HW specs had people tearing their hair out with GPS problems (Captivate, Galaxy S). Unfortunately, general consensus in Captivate forum seems to be problem is 75% hardware. Those guys tried endless SW / OS tweaks; some helped a little. Unlocked mine to try to find similar tweaks, but haven't solved the problem yet

[Q] GPS suddenly almost non-functional? Is this possible/software fixes?

Hello,
Recently noticed my GPS barely works. If I'm out in an open field it can get medium strength locking from satellites in GPS Status. My wife has identical phone and gets the type of GPS signal I would expect to get. Side by side my phone simply cannot get much. Indoors forget about it. It use to be so good. I certainly have dropped this phone here and there but in the past it never influenced GPS. Is there any possible software/firmware side of things that could be causing it? I may have installed apps or updated apps but I didn't do any tinkering with the GPS specifically or with flashing roms or whatnot since this summer--and it worked fine then after any tinkering---this is a recent development.
Can anyone provide any ways to troubleshoot this? Possible the GPS chip is partially broken? I mean.. it can get signal.. just piss poor and struggles mightily. Almost can't get it in the car, loses GPS lock under tree cover, etc. Very temperamental.
Seems a little bit like 4G has also degraded but a little more unsure of that.

bump! Any help, methods to trouble-shoot between hardware/software. I tried to erase modemst1/2 see if that would jog anything, no effect.
thanks
water- said:
Hello,
Recently noticed my GPS barely works. If I'm out in an open field it can get medium strength locking from satellites in GPS Status. My wife has identical phone and gets the type of GPS signal I would expect to get. Side by side my phone simply cannot get much. Indoors forget about it. It use to be so good. I certainly have dropped this phone here and there but in the past it never influenced GPS. Is there any possible software/firmware side of things that could be causing it? I may have installed apps or updated apps but I didn't do any tinkering with the GPS specifically or with flashing roms or whatnot since this summer--and it worked fine then after any tinkering---this is a recent development.
Can anyone provide any ways to troubleshoot this? Possible the GPS chip is partially broken? I mean.. it can get signal.. just piss poor and struggles mightily. Almost can't get it in the car, loses GPS lock under tree cover, etc. Very temperamental.
Seems a little bit like 4G has also degraded but a little more unsure of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

It's freaking Christmas, just buy yourself a new phone
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Free mobile app

tempting..and I will in a few months when my contract is up. But this was a spectacular GPS for navigating in the backcountry with downloaded maps. Would love to be able to retain that use after it is no longer a primary phone.
please, any troubleshooting suggestions would be appreciated!

I've had very few problems since switching to Waze and SlimKat. It was horrid under CyanogenMod no matter what I used.
I had been having similar problems under stock KitKat. Here's what I noticed, maybe something will help you:
Resetting aGPS data and re-downloading wouldn't help.
Sometimes GPS would never give a location with plenty of satellites locked to. I modified some build.prop stuff to give me a horribly inaccurate lock in these cases. It was also usually fixed with a reboot.
GPS status would show TONS of satellites overhead, but never be able to lock on to more than one of them. Making sure I had wifi turned on (even if I was in the middle of nowhere with no wifi signals) eliminated this problem.
Something would randomly disable the GPS while I was using it, when it turned it back on a short time later it wouldn't lock (usually due to one of the above issues). I eventually concluded it was how Google Maps and some of the new location stuff works these days. I assume it's trying to save GPS power, other programs were much better. Solution: F Google maps; I only use it as a fancy yellow pages these days. I had stuck with the old, old, version (that still supported Latitude), but had to update when I went to KK and that's when my problems started. This is just another thing that pisses me off about it. I use Waze for navigation now (though I miss lane guidance and using my own text to voice software).

Some GPS bugs can be resolved by flashing to stock firmware, getting a GPS lock and while locked on GPS, reboot straight to recovery and flash your new ROM. After doing that once I have flashed (too) many ROMs with no GPS locking or accuracy issues.
Also make sure your GPS is set to high accuracy and not battery saver.
Sent from my RAZR M on BlissPop Lollipop 5.0.2 from Tapatalk

ezdi and kronik.. thank you for suggestion. unfortunately to no avail even with full reset.
sometimes really seems like my general phone reception, wifi, gps, and data (1x/3G, 4G) are all haywire. Certainly they all work. But the data is never as strong as it should be. Often seems like it needs to be jogged (airplane mode on, then off)/dead areas--while my wife's phone is solid (same razr m but rooted with unlocked BL and stock rom). Likewise on the GPS. it can certainly find and lock satellites but in GPS Status only ever reach 'half bar' strength green.. they use to be able to lock multiple sats at max level.
It's odd...we are talking about the 'radios' of my phone, no? or mostly? I generally consider digital electronics to either function, or not. That they function at all--can receive pings from a satellite, can transmit data to and from towers... tells me the electronics are functional and this is software side. UNLESS there is some radio hardware component that is an amplifier of sorts. If that electronic was broken it would make sense why things function but appear weak/spotty.
thoughts?
aside from my contract being up in a month and what the hell next phone I should get from verizon... haha. But no I'd love to get my phone back to where it was and have a dedicated backcountry/hiking/skiing GPS... which it wouldn't be capable of now (it was..when it worked).
Cheers

bump bump

GPS Performance of g2

I recently moved to g2 from galaxy s3. Every thing is good except for gps which takes as much as 90 seconds sometimes to get a lock. Normally its over a minute most of times, though once its locked its very accurate like error ~ 4m
However this came as an suprise since my old sgs3 i9300 used to get lock under 30s 99% of times.
Is the gps performance of g2 not that great or is it rom related? im on cloudy 3.3 with dorimanx kernel..

Your going to get about 20 different circumstantial answers here... but the GPS performance on the LG G2 has always been crappy. It's a combination of hardware/software issues and barring getting something fixed by LG, there probably isn't a great solution. I've tried a variety of software fixes, to varying levels of success, I've tried taking the cover off and futzing with the antennas... but nothing makes the GPS that great. I actually think it got worse for me since Lollipop dropped.

I have read about the possible hardware fix which also some people do on the Nexus 5 as it has similar hardware internally. It is to do with the parts which form a connection to the back plate of the phone containing the GPS antenna. This is why some people claim if you pinch the phone in the right place with thumb and finger (i.e. thumb over screen and finger behind) it can form a better connection and provide better GPS.
Then I also read of software fixes. The main ones I know of are:
1: Using various different apps which supposedly "fix" your GPS by doing different things, like tests and/or modifying settings on the fly and/or resetting GPS data.
2: Using a dedicated modified gps.conf file. You will need to be rooted for this. Search on these forums for this.
3: Using the "device only" setting in the normal LG G2 menu under location services, as opposed to the "use wifi for increased accuracy" kind of setting.
I have tried none of these yet. My GPS is very random. For some journeys (it seems to be the ones I don't need it to work on) it works fine, then when I am in a rush and need it to work, it does not! I noticed that when pinching the back of the phone on what I would call the "left side" as you look at the screen about 3/4s of the way up, it changes the magnetic field readouts in the GPS status app. Whether or not this is just to do with earthing the phone or something....I don't know.
Annoyingly, I did not rely on my GPS much before Lollipop and therefore cannot tell if it was Lollipop that caused it to become...well.....unusable frankly. For me, it can either fully work or it can fully not work and not even get a lock no matter what I try. or it can do something in the middle. It's totally unreliable and I would take it back but I know what will happen. It will get sent back to me several times with "no fault found" and "phone factory reset" by the shop I bought from. I would rather (even still in warranty) try the hardware mod myself and the software stuff. Maybe the update to Lollipop 5.1.1 will fix it...who knows.
Has anyone tried going back to Kitkat to see if this fixes? The problem is....time to do this. We should not have to test these things out. This is basic stuff and it should work, especially on the latest stock firmware.

oh i see, so its just not me.
That's really disappointing i must say, as rightly said by post above me, this is basic stuff should work perfectly out of the box and that too this device is from a big manufacturer not some cheap Chinese stuff...
Anyway I'll try to see if gps.conf improves things as I think i might have optimized one lying around from my old hd2.
Also did anyone try to experiment with different radios? Back in old days it used to have good impact on gps performance.
And i also felt gps on KK was better but i couldn't be sure as i had KK rom for very small time before moved to lollipop.