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I just updated to 2.2 last night im on sasktel. Now the gps doesnt work where before it wasnt perfect but worked. It sees a couple satelites but does not lock on any. Any ideas on this?
I also tested JL2 and I agree that it doesn't fix the GPS.
Same here.. on GT-I9000 international, I went from JM1 (Eclair) to JPO (Froyo) and the GPS has become practically useless.
If I were in some country where consumer rights are protected, I would have filed a law suite against Samsung. They advertise the SGS with GPS and they charged money from all of us - and what we are getting is Bu****it.
Same here. I updated to JL2 yesterday and gps is not working
Have you tried JPY yet? I can get a quick lock at home, will give it a try tomorrow in real world terms.
get sgs tools or sgs info...go into gps settings.. set it to cold start... clear gps data... go outsde and let it get first fix in about 10 minutes.. then it should work.
lgkahn: Please explain how to do that.
whats jpy and jpl2? On my build number it says FROYO.UGJL2
cant really explain more than i did sgs info and sgs tools are apps you can get from marketplace.. or use dialer code
*#3214789650#
there are gps diagnostic menus you can get into from them.
one is application setings/start mode
set it to coldstart
then there is another button "delete gps data"
then you go outside ad run the first button "get position test"
Tested the GPS yesterday going from nottingham to birmingham UK, using copilot 8.2. Still sucks. Lost GPS fix 6-7 times on a 55min journey.
Shortest losses were around 4-5 mins and the longest outage was around 15-20 mins.
Acer, Sony and Dell to name a few recall laptops if/when they discover battery and other thermal issues, but stupid Samsung, cheap plastic w4nkers, dont bother acknowledging that there is a CLEAR GPS issue. Atleast recall the units and replace/repair the chipset.
I need a solid fully functional GPS. May just have to keep returning the phone to orange UK until they get fed up and offer a different handset (make/model) as a replacement.
Shame though, i like this phone
I also had non existant GPS after installing JL2.
I went into LBA Test Mode and under Application settings changed Operation Mode from Stand Alone to MS Based.
Also, in SUPL/CP Settings, make sure the server is 'supl.google.com and the server port is 7276
Simple, but it worked for me. I now have 7 satellites in use and it only took about 20 seconds to work.
Ian
w98seeng: Thanks for the info, that worked for me. Right away had 9 sats in view and 9 in use!
My SGS see's birds quicker with "standalone"
If my handset is laying on my desk it will pick up around 8-10 birds, within 10-30 sec... if i hold it up it will see a similar amount and perhaps lock onto 3-5...varies ALOT.
Many have reported better GPS signal by bending the contact towards the GPS antenna..here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=878970
May give it ago.
kunjar said:
My SGS see's birds quicker with "standalone"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is your problem, your phone is looking for birds, not satellites.
make sure your wifi/apn work well.
it works great on NERO V3 and V4.1
method:
dial *#3214789650# into lbs
first choose:app setting
1:Sessing Type
(Tracking)
2:test mode
(H/W Test)
3p mode
(H/W Sensitivity Test)
4:start mode
(Cold start)
5:GPS Plus
(ON)
6:
(ON)
7:
(50)
8:
(OFF)
second choose supl/cp setting
1: FQDN type
(Custom Config)
2:
supl.nokia.com
3ort
7275
4:SUPL security
ON
5:AGPS mode
(SUPL)
then back to home and reboot your device.
after it, get into lbs again
1.choose delete gps data
2.get position test
3.after located, change 1st "cold start" into "hot start".
completed.
get more detail from
bbs.gfan.com/android-503202-1-1.html
I had 3 and now running 4.1. GPS picked up within 3 - 4 seconds with v3. With 4.1 my GPS picked up in 2 seconds. I did not have to modify any files.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Here's the best fix:
1.) Install Nero 4.1
2.) Leave it alone.
The end.
If that doesnt work:
1.) Install Nero 4.1
2.) Do the hardware fix
3.) Leave it alone.
The end.
my solution: get a new phone once a suitable 4" replacement comes out on t-mobile.
it works!
this by far is the best solution!
I get 10m accuracy now whereas i used to get 1200m before...
Let me try it a bit more, but it seems it works!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
HOLY ****?
i got 10 satellites in 5 seconds, then they all started connecting and now my accuracy is 12 meters???
I think your all connected to wifi, maybe thats why your getting good locks. Disable it and try again.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
I was out walking my dog this morning (no wifi) and while yes I was in a clearing, I turned on GPS Status for the first time since installing the new rom so it came up with the default html page explaining GPS Status, but I read it before so I closed it immediately and was already locked onto 8/11 birds. 2 seconds maybe. 7m accuracy.
On the flip side when I first got my phone I tried to use it as a GPS to navigate and drove around for 30 minutes without ever locking onto a single bird.
I understand and do believe there is a hardware problem with many Vibrants however I also believe that there has been a HUGE software problem as well.
iwillkillyou said:
I think your all connected to wifi, maybe thats why your getting good locks. Disable it and try again.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using OP's "fix" for 3 days and so far it's working very well. I typically get locks in 10s or less, and accuracy 15-30 ft, inside. I nearly always disable wi-fi when I test GPS, but I've tried it both ways with this setup and it's working virtually the same either way.
At this point my only reservation is I've seen so many similar suggestions to tweak some setting that don't really pan out over time. This one may do the same, but so far so good.
I have done nothing but installed axura rom.ine locks in couple of seconds and works flawllesly. Even the accuracy is fantastic.
My gps went from bad to worst, 600 metter accuracy, maybe its the rom, ill try teamwhiskey. i been crying for a working gps lately.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
I do see a improvement will check it out for a few days to see if it holds
Not perfect but now I actually can get a GPS signal, which is a plus
adiprince1 said:
I have done nothing but installed axura rom.ine locks in couple of seconds and works flawllesly. Even the accuracy is fantastic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had applied both the hardware and software fixes while using many versions of Nero and my GPS would never get quick locks, usually it wouldn't lock at all.
Flashing Axura fixed my GPS too. Locks within seconds and has 7-9 meter accuracy.
Axura also fixed my fiance's GPS (with no hardware fix). She had the same issues with every other rom, slow/no locks. So I know it wasn't only my device.
I don't know what method Devs4Android used to fix the GPS, but it works perfectly. They need to sell the fix to Samsung so customers can get functioning GPS out of the box.
never had a problem with the gps locking on to sats and getting 20-40 foot accuracy. the problem is the drifting and staying locked once you start moving or just standing there. that is the problem i have. driving down the highway and bam your on the other side going the wrong way, or in the middle of the field a mile away. that is problem i have
fioricet said:
never had a problem with the gps locking on to sats and getting 20-40 foot accuracy. the problem is the drifting and staying locked once you start moving or just standing there. that is the problem i have. driving down the highway and bam your on the other side going the wrong way, or in the middle of the field a mile away. that is problem i have
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thankfully, Axura fixed that for me as well. Not only does it lock fast, but its accurate too.
After 2 days.
Last 2 days, I've tested my GPS in some different scenarios. In every one it has been quick and accurate enough.
I got 8 satellites in average, and the accuracy was of around 7-8 meters, something that has never happened before. I did the hardware fix, and it helped with the SNR values, but this is the definite best solution yet!
I'm still testing, but I've got a very good feeling about this method.
The only difference I see between this "fix" and other "fixes" is changing the SUPL server to supl.nokia.com. Since the original thread came from a Chinese forum, I'm guessing the SUPL server might work well in China. Not sure how effective this would be in the US or other countries.
That said, this isn't really a fix. All it does is change the SUPL server, which for most of us (using supl.google.com) works just fine. The Cold Start -> Delete GPS Data -> Lock -> Hot Start method will work just once because it clears bad cached GPS data if you've moved, but it's old news (dozens of other threads on this one) and it's not really a "fix."
The hardware fix is still one of the few real fixes out there.
jamesyl said:
The only difference I see between this "fix" and other "fixes" is changing the SUPL server to supl.nokia.com. Since the original thread came from a Chinese forum, I'm guessing the SUPL server might work well in China. Not sure how effective this would be in the US or other countries.
That said, this isn't really a fix. All it does is change the SUPL server, which for most of us (using supl.google.com) works just fine. The Cold Start -> Delete GPS Data -> Lock -> Hot Start method will work just once because it clears bad cached GPS data if you've moved, but it's old news (dozens of other threads on this one) and it's not really a "fix."
The hardware fix is still one of the few real fixes out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I take it you haven't tried this. I agree with what you say, however, I've been using OP's suggested settings for 4 days and see a significant improvement in lock times (only exception is I leave it set to Coldstart). I've been turning my phone off at night and after booting yesterday morning it locked in 14s first time, this morning in 7s. I know lock times can vary depending on where the sats happen to be at that moment, but this performance is much better than I was getting previously, which was in the 1-4 min range on first lock of the day. It's so simple to try there's no real reason not to see if it helps, unless you're already getting lock times like this. Only time will tell if it lasts, but so far so good.
(Running pure stock JI6, and I've also done the HW fix posted in the sticky, which definitely improved my SNRs.)
tl;dr version:
1) Switch data on. (not wifi, data. Has to be data.)
2) ? ? ?
3) PROFIT.
looong version:
I kept wondering why GPS would find many satellites, but would often not lock onto them, or would take a very very long time to lock (around 10 mins or so). Then I noticed that it works fine when data is switched on, and locks within a few seconds.
You should get a lock as soon as you're "fully connected to Google", and "go green" for people who have that enabled.
This is the a part in agps at work Assisted GPS. Click to check the wikipedia article on it.
Accuracy is still a problem, and testing with a friend's DHD, I was getting around 10-6m accuracy, and he generally got 2-4m.
And Samsung's GPS software sucks too. glgps daemon's internal smoothing algorithms are still there, and it's annoying.
~Rawat
Rawat said:
tl;dr version:
1) Switch data on. (not wifi, data. Has to be data.)
2) ? ? ?
3) PROFIT.
looong version:
I kept wondering why GPS would find many satellites, but would often not lock onto them, or would take a very very long time to lock (around 10 mins or so). Then I noticed that it works fine when data is switched on, and locks within a few seconds.
You should get a lock as soon as you're "fully connected to Google", and "go green" for people who have that enabled.
This is the a part in agps at work Assisted GPS. Click to check the wikipedia article on it.
Accuracy is still a problem, and testing with a friend's DHD, I was getting around 10-6m accuracy, and he generally got 2-4m.
And Samsung's GPS software sucks too. glgps daemon's internal smoothing algorithms are still there, and it's annoying.
~Rawat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go to the Location Settings, and Untick "Use wireless networks" and Untick "Use sensor aiding"
You will get a GPS lock even without DATA. BUT, it will take longer.
Not on my Sgs... with those unchecked and cold start I still get a lock within 10 secs. So something funky in Sgs ii his stuff.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
So does the SGS2 have similar GPS issues to the original? I'm currently on the Samsung Captivate and have a preorder in for the SGS2. One of the big reasons I'm looking to spend 800 bucks to upgrade is to be done with GPS issues on my phone. If this won't be the case maybe I need to give up on Samsung and wait for HTC to release a dual core beast on AT&T bands...
TheSopranos16 said:
So does the SGS2 have similar GPS issues to the original?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no experience with the earlier Galaxy's but I can compare it to a G2 and G2X. There are three GPS settings: Use wireless networks (cell and Wi-Fi), use GPS satellites, and use sensor aiding. With "use wireless networks" checked and Wi-Fi off it just locked and loaded for me in Google maps in less than a minute from a poor location. With only "GPS satellites" checked it took closer to 2 minutes. It was accurate down to my street address both times. In order of speed from "activation" to "usable" I'd rank the phones in this order: G2, G2X, SGS2. While a bit slower to lock than the others it's fine (accuracy, holding lock) for me. Someone from the EU uses Tracks to measure his walks and was complaining about the street-level accuracy. You might want to check out that thread.
I personally never ever would use the WiFi- and Sensor functions as GPS replacement.
Why?
1) It is responsible for the collection of the location data and sending it to Google.
2) It costs battery power.
3) Why using when the GPS fixes fast enough? What's the problem with waiting for 10 seconds for a fix?
The fix can be made quicker by DL'ing the "GPS Status & Toolbox" app and using it for DL'ing the actual valid GPS sat vectors. That helps the GPS to fix quicker.
Cheers
Zap
Mine is very slow to lock, despite having plenty of sats visible with good strength.
This is compared to 4 different ZTE Blades that showed me how quick locking can be, even indoors.
There is a tool on the market called GPS Aids which was developed for the Galaxy and I'm keen to discover whether this can improve the SGS2.
However, it requires rooting and I'm reluctant to do so as I may decide to replace my phone if it can't be sorted.
Is anyone who is rooted willing to carry out some tests using that or other tools to see whether performance can be improved? I'd really appreciate it.
TheSopranos16 said:
So does the SGS2 have similar GPS issues to the original? I'm currently on the Samsung Captivate and have a preorder in for the SGS2. One of the big reasons I'm looking to spend 800 bucks to upgrade is to be done with GPS issues on my phone. If this won't be the case maybe I need to give up on Samsung and wait for HTC to release a dual core beast on AT&T bands...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used GPS a few times, and it works fine. Accuracy is a bit weak sometimes (compared to other phones) but it's fine for navigation, and even using mytracks or similar. (although when it goes off on mytracks it'll take a while to get back due to Samsung's inane smoothing)
prusling said:
Mine is very slow to lock, despite having plenty of sats visible with good strength.
This is compared to 4 different ZTE Blades that showed me how quick locking can be, even indoors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure why it's like this, but you have to have data enabled for it to get a quick lock on SGS II, otherwise it'll take a few mins.
I'll give GPS AIDS a test later on. Maybe.
My gps has been spot on from day one-locks in seconds and google maps always puts me in right room of house or parking space etc. The blue accuacy circle is bigger on sgs2 then sgs1 but the reall accuacy is tons better.
--deleted--
Hi everybody.. i have downloaded an app called GPS aids v 2.0 and this has helped me in getting a lock in under 15 secs after which i fire up Sygic and it hardly takes 10 secs to lock my position.
Do put in a thanks if it helps somebody
There seems to be MANY factors that affect the GPS on these tablets and exchanging one for another *may seem* to get you a better unit. I bought a second a500 unit today and when I first brought up google maps, it had my fix as soon as the screen opened. Cool, this must be a better unit than my other right? Not necessarily because I believe the new unit used my wifi for the quick fix. As soon as I turned off the wifi assistance, the unit no longer gave me immediate fixes. I loaded gps status and the new unit struggled to find just 1 satellite. My other unit which I've had 2 weeks, is now suddenly a gps 'mofo' as it finds and locks position really quick, sometimes in 5 or 10 seconds (wifi assist turned off). The only thing I installed recently is gps monitor, but that's just gives you a monitoring status in the taskbar. It does state that it's turning off gps when you exit maps, which if it does may help conserve battery.
So I'm not sure why my A500 decided to suddenly work really well with GPS. When I first bought it, it was actually kind of terrible. Of course I have the 3.1 update on my unit, but the new one is still 3.01. I don't know how much of a difference that makes either. I had planned on buying an Asus unit today, but could not find the 32gb unit locally (not settling for 16gb).
My unit is stock and not rooted. I don't see a need to root it because so far it's working quite well. If only the microphone pickup was better, but I can live with talking louder at it or into the top of the unit. I have to do that with my samsung galaxy phone also.
Rob
It's funny, the very first time I used the GPS It took forever to find & lock on to sats. Now it's really fast. I'm thinking it has a " learning curve" ?
Update : Tried in the same place tonight , it only picked up 1 sat & didn't lock.
It is aGPS which means Assisted. It uses WIFI to set your location and search for satellites based on that location.
There are a number of factors which affect the GPS on this unit, as the original poster stated. I've been researching this for sometime, and found a number of things that could lead to a replacement unit working better than a current unit.
I've another thread on this subject, but I'll post the cliff notes here.
The following can affect GPS on your unit:
Obstruction (Roof, Cover)
Weather (Clouds vs Sun)
Internet Access
Nearby magnets
Compass Calibration
Your almanac server (gps.conf)
For starters, download a program called "GPS Test", not to be confused with "GPS Status and Toolbox", which you should also have for different reasons.
Plug your unit in and set it up in a spot where you know you can get a signal on other devices (phone, etc). This does not include your basement, but it also doesn't have to be outside. A woodframe house will not usually obstruct the signal enough to interfere. Use your best judgement.
Start up GPS Test and go into the settings menu. Select the option where the screen stays on all of the time. Check to see if your unit will ever pick up any satellites. If it takes more than 30 minutes and you are sure you should be picking up satellites, this indicates a problem. The first step should be diagnostic.
Leave it run overnight. If you look at it in the morning and find a multitude of satellites then your GPS receiver is working fine. This means your GPS can see the satellites, but the only way it can find them is through sheer dumb luck. It needs to be told where to look, and its having problems getting that information. The problem is likely with your compass or almanac.
If you arrive in the morning to find no satellites at all, then your GPS is likely broken (not unheard of) or you need to try again in a better location.
If you know your GPS transmitter is working, the next step is the check your compass. This is where GPS Status and Tools comes into play. The first screen you see when you open the program will be the compass. Make sure north == north. If it does not, almanac data is useless because the tablet won't know which way to look. GPS Status and Toolbox comes with a compass calibration tool. Use it. If your compass will not stay pointed north, then your compass is broken. If it works, then its time to look at your almanac.
Unless your system is rooted, there is no point in reading further. All the following steps require root access.
There are two files that you need to be concerned with. They are /etc/gps.conf and /etc/gps/gpsconfig.xml
You either need to edit them manually, replace them with pre-configured optimized versions for your region (link below), or use a program (fasterfix) to edit them for you. Results with each approach may vary.
I won't go into this step into detail since its been covered a million times on the forums already. I will provide a link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1068416
This is the one that helped me the most, but there are others.
Best of luck. And remember: Hardware failure is a real possibility, but so is a crappy environment. Make sure there is no outside interference and you're not trying to get your location from an underground bunker and wondering why it doesn't work. A little common sense goes a long way.
Cheers,
-PW
long time lurker on this site.
I just bought an A500 and have been trying to get this GPS to work.
The first one I got had 3.01. I first tested GPS and it worked fine. Was able to get connected to the satelites no problem. Downloaded and installed 3.1 on it and now GPS doesn't work at all. Tested it with the two programs: GPS test and GPS utilities.
Stood outside on a clear day and nothing happened. Tested all the settings and still not one satellite.
After reading a lot of the threads and doing a lot of searching I exchanged it for another one.
Did the same thing. Tested it on 3.01 and it worked then installed 3.1 and it didn't work again on this second one. Went throug all the troubleshooting steps: deleted the cache, reset the gps, etc. Even left it on over night sitting at GPS Test and Google Places.
Doesn't make sense that it works on 3.01 and not on 3.1. Sounds more of a software issue than a hardware issue. But for it to work with some others with 3.1 then I may exchange it for another one again.
Wondering if it was during a certain build that other are having the same issue. Both of the ones i got were manufacturered in April. Could April just be a bad month or several months before that?
3.1 does not have any problem with GPS
Wifi assist turned off, get lock with sygic and can use the navigator.
(but)
- if you go under an express way (like I got in my country they are highway), you lost the signal very quick
HOW TO FIX ?
- buy a GPS enhancer and put in your car, that will increase the signal received and give the tablet a very big help
the poor part of the GPS tablet is the antena... the receiver is not that happy behind a metal case, and oftenly... GPS antena should be on the roof of the car, or external for better signal.
I got locked in 15s
sanaell said:
3.1 does not have any problem with GPS
Wifi assist turned off, get lock with sygic and can use the navigator.
(but)
- if you go under an express way (like I got in my country they are highway), you lost the signal very quick
HOW TO FIX ?
- buy a GPS enhancer and put in your car, that will increase the signal received and give the tablet a very big help
the poor part of the GPS tablet is the antena... the receiver is not that happy behind a metal case, and oftenly... GPS antena should be on the roof of the car, or external for better signal.
I got locked in 15s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My guess is that Acer subcontracts out parts production for items like the GPS antenna used in the A500 and the quality of those antenna has been very inconsistent (same with the microphone). I have an A500 with a June build date and it has very good GPS pickup. It doesn't lock instantly like the Xoom does, but usually within 10-20 seconds (sometimes sooner) which is still acceptable. Surprisingly, this unit also has a fairly good microphone that picks up my voice well while holding it at any angle. It's still running 3.01 unmodified since it hasn't got the OTA yet. I previously had an A500 with an April build date (it's on the back of the box) and both the GPS and microphone performed rather poorly even with 3.1.
Rob
going to exchange this one at a different bestbuy store and see if they have a different manufacturer date. I did the exchange on Monday and hope they have a different lot.
tekageek said:
long time lurker on this site.
I just bought an A500 and have been trying to get this GPS to work.
The first one I got had 3.01. I first tested GPS and it worked fine. Was able to get connected to the satelites no problem. Downloaded and installed 3.1 on it and now GPS doesn't work at all. Tested it with the two programs: GPS test and GPS utilities.
Stood outside on a clear day and nothing happened. Tested all the settings and still not one satellite.
After reading a lot of the threads and doing a lot of searching I exchanged it for another one.
Did the same thing. Tested it on 3.01 and it worked then installed 3.1 and it didn't work again on this second one. Went throug all the troubleshooting steps: deleted the cache, reset the gps, etc. Even left it on over night sitting at GPS Test and Google Places.
Doesn't make sense that it works on 3.01 and not on 3.1. Sounds more of a software issue than a hardware issue. But for it to work with some others with 3.1 then I may exchange it for another one again.
Wondering if it was during a certain build that other are having the same issue. Both of the ones i got were manufacturered in April. Could April just be a bad month or several months before that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 3.1 you're installing is OTA or you are downloading it from somewhere ? My first unit failed with 3.1 with a downloaded 3.1 (it seemed to be the correct for Spain) ... I exchanged the unit, and this new one offered me OTA. It's working perfect with OTA 3.1
I did a test one day with GPS and found it to be marvelous if used properly.
Here is what I did.
1. I cleared my agps data with program GPS Status
2. Redownloaded the data and waited until I had like 6 up 11 fixes
Then I went out and waited at bus station and got a lock with Google maps and I travelled about 75 kilometers and had a perfect fix the entire time, I had about 5 satellites fixed constantly on average. And this was using stock everythings I love the GPS it works fine now.
In the 3.01 version I did the exact same test and it didn't work, everytime the train or bus started moving the signal was gone and stayed gone.
Now its fine! You just have to remember. That this is Agps not GPS A is for assisted, so you use the internet abit and download the data and you're fine! Just learn to use A-GPS!
I have tried everything, and nothing works. What a ****ty thing to screw up on a tablet. I'm trading mine in tomorrow, and if I have the same issue, I'm rooting and switching roms. This is ridiculous ..........
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
well well well, this one worked. I exchanged for another one.
3.01
turned it on and opened Navigator. in 10 seconds it locked into the gps. Installed gps test and saw 6 to 7 satellites, in use= 6 looked at the map and it found my location. Opened both Navigator and Places
3.1
Installed 3.1 OTA, once rebooted i opened gps test and now i see 7 satellites! Opened Navigator and worked fine. Opened Places and also worked fine. Both found my location and saw 6 to 7 satellites.
4.010.13.comgen2
wish there was a list of what this update does. installed this update and gps still works. Seeing 6 to 7 satellites. navigator and places still work.
Before i even took this tab i asked the sales guy the manufactured date. This one is from: May
GPS fix
Initially, my gps did not work that well. When I compared my gps.conf with the 2 A500's whose GPS worked very well I found that their GPS.conf contained only this
"NTP_SERVER=north-America.pool.ntp.org". I'm in US, by the way. After I rooted my A500, my GPS worked alot better. After I edited my GPS.conf the fix time was improved.
Before: outdoor : cold start and there.after
Time to fix= 5 min to infinity and 3 mins to infinity
Indoor = no GPS.
After: outdoor= 30 sec to 211 sec. and 10 sec to 90 sec
Indoor= 110 sec to 5 mins. and 29 sec to 90 sec
Hope that helps.
I'm on rooted stock 3.1.
I guess I got lucky then.
When I start mine up, it locates for the weatherbug app update feature and I've never seen it fail.
I haven't done any GPS-specific stuff with it yet, but much of the time I'm using an ad hoc connection from my phone, so it's not a wif AGPS fix.
Interesting read. Makes me want to explore the GPS feature more.
One other thing that is universal across any device using GPS, both commercial and military---your device needs to know where in the sky the satellites are. The initial gps fix will always take more time because the device doesn't have a reference fit the sats. This will also be the case the longer you go between fixes as the device will lose track of the sats over time. Aside from physical obstructions this is often the biggest contributing factor to the length of time required to get a fix.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Noob question here. So this is assisted GPS. I assume it needs the WiFI to access the aGPS servers, but they aren't necessary if a) you have a confirmed working device and b) everything is calibrated properly. Is this correct.
I just don't understand the inconsistency in the GPS fix. I have a rooted A500, with 4.010.13_COM_GEN2, manufactured in April. For some reason, I cannot get a consistent, day-to-day lock on position. I have installed and used successfully in the past:
Fasterfix
GPSFix
GPS Test
GPS Status
I have edited the gps.conf file manually to use, separately, both north-america.pool.ntp.org as well as us.pool.ntp.org;
I have used the "manage A-GPS status" to reset the status as well as downloading the assist data in GPS Status;
After several unsuccessful attempts last night, I was able to gain a GPS lock from my living room in about 20-30 seconds. Today, in the clear open air I could not obtain more than a partial lock on more than 3-4 satellites at a time, and only once obtained a fix, and then for only 20 minutes while stationary. I am now in the exact same position as I was last night, and cannot find a single *blinking* satellite.
While traveling home on the Interstate, I could see more than two satellites at a time and never got a lock on position. In contrast, my Droid (2.3.3) obtained a lock in about 5 seconds with GPS Status. Using a Bluetooth GPS unit and a Bluetooth Mouse GPS, I obtained a position lock in 2 seconds on the A500.
So what gives here? Is it a hardware problem? Why does it work so well one day and then not at all the next, with all other things being equal? It does not seem to be a software issue or sky visibility issue.
UPDATE, 8/9/11: I noticed that in the current configuration as described above, the only satellites that could be seen were those on a bearing of 000, and largely on the horizon. When a different satellite was seen, it would only appear in the northern two quadrants. I restored a back-up from two days ago, and uninstalled FasterFix but manually edited the gps.conf file to us.pool.ntp.org. The GPS fix was improved - not lightning fast, but at least 4 satellites were seen relatively quickly, without particular preference for hemisphere. Position fix still takes a few minutes - two to five minutes or so. Still working on consistency, but may switch to a custom ROM.
UPDATE, 8/11/11: This thing is driving me nuts - no clear consistency on when the GPS works or not. Tried two custom ROMs, same lack of consistent lock. Back to square 1. Droid-1 picks up 10 sats (w/o network checked), A500 only 4. Got a lock away from home this morning, cannot get one at home tonight. Taking it in for exchange tomorrow. Since the first sat it does see is always at 000 and at the horizon, I am wondering if the internal referencing for the GPS unit within the A500 is somehow not set up to handle the assist data format properly. Sort of like it is reading the data, but things are off a space or two. Thus, the GPS unit seems to look, but is looking in the wrong direction. Comments?
hi.
It seems now that every 2.3 based ROM supports GPS, and people say they get a very fast lock.
But I was never able to get a lock with any ROM, I have tried several versions of MIUI and several versions of CM7.
The only ROMs I am able to use GPS in, are Froyo based.
Even there, it takes around 5 minuted to get a lock.
I did the hardware fix half a year ago, it helped very much because I was using Froyo then (it took only 5 minutes vs 15 minutes to lock) but now it doesn't lock at all.
Any solution?
Thanks.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1370910
i applied that fix and noticed no improvement, unfortunately. i had great hopes for it from reading the comments others had left about success using it.
the gps on my vibrant (running CM7) is quite odd.. it seems to 'know' where i am, but won't ever get off of the 'searching for gps' message, and of course, won't switch gears to the point where it actually tells me where to go. but if i want to look at my location on my phone and follow the 'map' it displays, or read the directions, it sort of works, in a hinky sort of way.
Try a program called GPS Aids from the market - Ive had mixed results with it.
the gps on my vibrant (running CM7) is quite odd.. it seems to 'know' where i am, but won't ever get off of the 'searching for gps' message, and of course, won't switch gears to the point where it actually tells me where to go. but if i want to look at my location on my phone and follow the 'map' it displays, or read the directions, it sort of works, in a hinky sort of way.
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I think that you are using the AGPS function, which uses the WiFi and mobile network to determine your location. It is much less accurate than GPS, which doesn't work.
About the GPS fix and GPS AIDS, I will try later and post the results, thanks!
romitkin said:
I think that you are using the AGPS function, which uses the WiFi and mobile network to determine your location. It is much less accurate than GPS, which doesn't work.
About the GPS fix and GPS AIDS, I will try later and post the results, thanks!
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Click to collapse
that makes sense.. its just getting rough position with the mobile network.. (i usually have wifi antennae off)
last night i downloaded a gps test tool from the market... ZERO satellites... and mine worked perfectly when i was running Axura. i'll probably be going back there very soon.