GPS acting weird - Epic 4G General

Okay so I know there are many GPS threads, I went through all of them but didn't find a simliar issue.
When driving around Bartlett, IL (a 4G area, not that it makes a difference but just indicating that the suburb isn't small)... I could not get the GPS lock for the life of me. It thought I was mile away, seemed like it was only picking up the cell tower.. and no turning 4G on or off didn't make a difference.
now here is the kicker,
I drove back to my home town, Rockford, IL (only 3G).... and baam...I got a lock right away and the GPS knew exactly where I was on the road.....
I really dont think it's a 4g/3g issue, as GPS should be independent of them (at least form what I know)....
the question is...if it was google maps, why would it lock in one area and not the other....and same with the phone...you'd think if the phone is jacked/ it wouldnt work in either case...
any thoughts?

Gps is weird in general on the Epic, I have to toggle GPS on, Toggle Off, Toggle on and then it works..
it's expected. welcome the the GPS woes club.

jackal424 said:
Okay so I know there are many GPS threads, I went through all of them but didn't find a simliar issue.
When driving around Bartlett, IL (a 4G area, not that it makes a difference but just indicating that the suburb isn't small)... I could not get the GPS lock for the life of me. It thought I was mile away, seemed like it was only picking up the cell tower.. and no turning 4G on or off didn't make a difference.
now here is the kicker,
I drove back to my home town, Rockford, IL (only 3G).... and baam...I got a lock right away and the GPS knew exactly where I was on the road.....
I really dont think it's a 4g/3g issue, as GPS should be independent of them (at least form what I know)....
the question is...if it was google maps, why would it lock in one area and not the other....and same with the phone...you'd think if the phone is jacked/ it wouldnt work in either case...
any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a 4G issue.
When you have 4G or WiFi on the GPS will not lock. Once turned off, it takes SEVERAL minutes for it to snap back to reality and be able to update it's cache to find the sats.

othan1 said:
It's a 4G issue.
When you have 4G or WiFi on the GPS will not lock. Once turned off, it takes SEVERAL minutes for it to snap back to reality and be able to update it's cache to find the sats.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said it occured without even using 4G. All I know is I opened google maps in one area and it works and in another area it didn't.
Difference was only turning gps on/off.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

This is the same GPS issue that is affecting the rest of us. Outdated ephemeris cache bug.

Related

Unique GPS/Location problem....anyone else?

I think i am having somewhat of a unique problem with this. My "use network to determine location" setting isnt working. When i first turn on or reboot the phone it will find my location as usual. But as soon as i have turned the GPS on this setting will no longer work. Once i turn GPS off it no longer uses the cell towers to determine my location. In fact, when i turn GPS off, my location on google maps jumps back to where i was before i turned GPS on. So when i did this at home, it told me i was still near my work, which is 10 miles away. Anyone else have this issue? It is very frustrating when using an app like sherpa or yelp because it is lot looking for stuff anywhere near where i am.
odd problem. i've read similar things about the gps. Maybe i'm just close to the sattelites, but i get great GPS. In fact, this is the best GPS i've ever gotten from a phone. I've had a ton of smartphones with GPS including blackberry, iphone, iphone 3g, Htc Hero, HTC EVO, and now this Vibrant.
This is the first time, i've had a phone GPS that stayed in the lane the entire way i drove home. Plus it was always right on the spot without delay. The only grievance was it took about a minute to sync up. Reminded me of the old TOMTOM devices and their 1 minute syncs. But once it got going, it was spot on.
This is not a GPS issue. It does take me a little bit to connect to GPS, but i am mainly concerned with being able to use the network to determine my location. This function uses less battery than GPS but still works for things like sherpa and Yelp.
Wow...I wsa hoping this was going to be a hot issue that other people were experiencing. This makes me think i should exchange my phone because i have some sort of defect. Please, any opinions...

[q] gps help

Opening up Maps app I get close within a block of where I actually am... but never is quite right. GPS is turned on, 3G is strong, cellular signal is 4 bars... and the area was midtown manhattan... so it's always worked there.
Is there any way to calibrate, re-initiate, zero-in on my GPS. It really should be accurate I think.
I am rooted, running 2.2.
I'm not sure what the problem is. My friend has an Ally that always reports her position in Latitude way off. Not sure how to fix it.
My gos is spot on. I do know that I have all three check boxes checked in the location services menu for the gps.when I zoom all the way in puts me in my house and in the right area of the house
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
I actually found something that said to download GPS Status... calibrate it... and then it really did improve my Maps and GPS accuracy.

searching for GPS

had the phone a couple of weeks and never tried the GPS on it ,so this morning decided to give it ago
in premuim navigation or google navigation it just says searching for GPS all the time with m3g on or off, out side with 3g on i get a spot on fix in no via that in no time but if i try to get the gps to get a fix it just keeps saying searching for GPS
i know it normally takes longer for its first ix and then should be ok but i cant get a gps fixe and yes GPS is enabled
any help would be great thanks
Just a update with 3 g on good navigation provides a fix and directions but with 3g off Google says mobile data lost,on premuim navigation it just searches for god and can not provide directions even with 3 g on
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
just a update after a bit of trying things out today
got GPS in car panel after a while and now it gets a fix very quick
premium navigation works well on 30 day trial and is very acurate for proximity to junctions etc,this does work with 3G turned off no problem (although 3 g does need to be on to activate the trial)tried it tonight in awful weather and never once lost the GPS during the journey
google navigation again gets a very quick fix but will not work unless 3G is on other wise you get the voice saying loss data connection when trying to plan the route
google maps very quick fix and only needed GPS on
locations, not sure how this is working but im sure even with just GPS on i was getting acurate info or maybe it was pre-cached info not sure
Thanks, this helpful.
So after you got your initial fix, the next time you start navigation, the fix was quick?
Did you also test that without using 3g, so creating a fix without 3g, and if so, was that quick as well?
paulus_01 said:
Thanks, this helpful.
So after you got your initial fix, the next time you start navigation, the fix was quick?
Did you also test that without using 3g, so creating a fix without 3g, and if so, was that quick as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes fix without 3g was quick
mine just will not fix the GPS....it finds 8 satellites in couple of seconds, but then just keeps "determining position"
without a determined position, my nav app can't do anything (copilot btw)...
Anyone any suggestions?
paulus_01 said:
mine just will not fix the GPS....it finds 8 satellites in couple of seconds, but then just keeps "determining position"
without a determined position, my nav app can't do anything (copilot btw)...
Anyone any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The same here.....
Antonio
Locations sadly does not work without data connection, even with gps turned on.
So whats the use of preloading the maps?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Pre-loaded maps?
matthiasdeblaiser said:
Locations sadly does not work without data connection, even with gps turned on.
So whats the use of preloading the maps?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly! I pre-loaded with maps of Europe so as not to incur data charges - but Locations is useless without a data connection. How do you use the maps with GPS only? Does anyone know??
You guys are doing something wrong. I'm in Australia and Locations works fine without data connection after having downloaded the maps. It just takes some time to get fix (some 2 minutes) if it was a long time since I last got one. I can get directions fine without any data connection as well.
I'm also having problems with gps, worked fine when.I got the phone but now after I think the third ota update it just keeps searching if I only have gps switched on and not wireless networks. With wireless networks one (with or without gps, dosnt make any difference) I'm consistentlyplaced 2km away and it dosnt.improve the accuracy with time.
So I'm thinking that the updates have messed it up? Did email HTC support but nothing yet from that.
I'm always unable to get GPS fix, even if I'm in an open space. I used an app called "GPS Status", I was connected to 7/8 GPS satellite, but I wasn't able to get my position (in Maps, Locations, Latitude and Nav). How is that possible?
xazac said:
I'm always unable to get GPS fix, even if I'm in an open space. I used an app called "GPS Status", I was connected to 7/8 GPS satellite, but I wasn't able to get my position (in Maps, Locations, Latitude and Nav). How is that possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're not able to use navigation stuff? I'm still waiting to get mine, no availability here in Milan, but for me GPS is a critical feature, so if not works properly it will be a big deal!!! Let me know on that!!!
I've noticed that I am unable to get any GPS fix indoors, even when I am sitting close to a window. I presumed it was because I wasn't outside but this thread is worrying. I'll try to get a fix outside and report back. One thing's for sure - the GPS on the HD doesn't seem as good as the one on my Desire, which found GPS indoors.
bobbyelliott said:
I've noticed that I am unable to get any GPS fix indoors, even when I am sitting close to a window. I presumed it was because I wasn't outside but this thread is worrying. I'll try to get a fix outside and report back. One thing's for sure - the GPS on the HD doesn't seem as good as the one on my Desire, which found GPS indoors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't get the fix even if I'm outside. I was in Rome in the past 3 days, and I never got the fix! The iPhone 4 worked fine...
UPDATE: I got a fix, pretty quickly, outside (in a city) but it is still unable to get one indoors - including on buses and trains. My Desire managed this.
Does the HD's sat nav work in a car? Are people using it for in-car navigation?
I had problems getting my GPS to get a fix, so I downloaded GPS test from market and noticed I actually had 11 satellites that i was connected to. When GPS test showed how accurate the tracking was I exited out of GPS test, and to my surprise I got a fix almost instantly in Google Maps/My Tracks and even Locations.
I then took a drive, first with my DHD laying in the passenger seat on the first trip, and then with the DHD in my inner pocket of my jacket. Using my tracks I recorded the route and it had tracked me perfectly on both trips. Only time it stopped tracking was when I went in to a mall, but it picked up again when I left.
I live in sweden and the car is not a convertible, and 3G was off.
If the gps test thing actually helped I do not know, so feel free to test and report.
edit: I tried it again and the only thing about gps test "helping" is to see when the DHDs gps actually get a fix. It seems to be slow as crap on fixating but once you get the fix it tracks you very good. Right now I'm indoors(wooden house out in the countryside) and I had to wait about 2-3 minutes with 8-12 satellites in use and standing near a window before it got my position. After that I went back to where I tried before and it is still tracking me with 15-30meters accuracy and currently 7-8 satellites in use.
Those with GPS issues can try this, remove the battery for 10-15 mins then try GPS app again, ports can get messed up if we try out multiple GPS apps, removing the battery for a length of time should clear cache and or memory. Just try it and report back.
I tried alreay couple times, no luck, only fix is reset phone, but not happy, working fine couple days, and issue again, reset again, really not happy, this only one thing i am not happy on my dhd. ANY ADVICE or HELP ?? thanks..
Hello,
I have some problems too with my GPS. Some times the fix can be very quick but it’s not systematic.
What I noticed:
- When I activate the GPS option all the time, the fix is almost always fast. Sometimes it’s still very long: so in GPS status I reset the cache and the fix is after very quick.
- When I activate the GPS only when I need (turn on and turn off before and after using Navigation), I never get a fix. Resetting the cache in GPS Status or restarting Android does not solve the problem. So I launch several times GPS Status to reset cache and several times Navigation and after a while I can get a fix…. I think there is a real problem with the management of the GPS, because in GPS status I can see 11 satellites and Android is still searching!!!
Is there anyone who noticed that turning on and off GPS can seriously degrade the performances to get a fix?
I done few very similar things, clear cache, reset phone, but still I had feeling something was wrong, then I find I had faulty gps receiver, hardware issue, replaced for new one, thanks to very good store manager, and now I have black DHD, before was brown, and already new one is have all latest update installed, GPS lock in couple seconds anytime on open air, inside house It will lock in around 1 - 2 minutes longest, no more resets, no more clearing cache, working on 100 %..., this is just what I find myself, and I glad I had replaced mine old for brand new - and not just repaired..
Damned, I hope this is not an hardware issue ! Maybe you have some updates installed on your new phone which solve the problem ?
Is there anyone who noticed the same issues or I am the only one ?

(SOLVED) GPS signal lock issues

Since my phone arrived that i can't get a GPS signal lock.
GPS Status can indeed see the sattelites but phone can't lock a signal...
After a lot of cache and factory wipes still no luck.
Anyone else having this problem?
How fast can you get a GPS signal lock?
I would like to see some other opinions before i send it back to warranty because it might be something fixable..
P.S: I've searched all around the forum and the web and i couldn't find a solution for this.
Cold boot lock 180 - 250 seconds .
jje
I had similar strange issues the first 2 days.
Then when I finally had a lock, I started using gps more and it works fine now.
It's almost like the gps module had to be warmed up
I read somewhere someone had a similar issue in the beginning and then it worked fine.
I'm also keeping an eye on my gps functionality..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Gawis said:
I had similar strange issues the first 2 days.
Then when I finally had a lock, I started using gps more and it works fine now.
It's almost like the gps module had to be warmed up
I read somewhere someone had a similar issue in the beginning and then it worked fine.
I'm also keeping an eye on my gps functionality..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think i'll keep trying until i get a first lock before i send it back to warranty..
Just flashed back to KE2 to see if it's really not fw related.
I'll post the results after some tests
Do you guys have location service turned on? Not the one based on wifi but cell service?
try the following and tell us if it helped:
1) turn off the wifi- and cell based gps support (this doesn't help you much and sends your pos data to big G)
2) download "GPS Status & Toolbox" app from the market
3) download the actual satellite vectors with this tool (this you will have to do regularly, around once a week)
4) go out, start your nav app, do NOT move (easier for the GPS to get a fix)
5) come back in and tell us if that helped.
Cheers
Zap
Zaphod_b_1 said:
try the following and tell us if it helped:
1) turn off the wifi- and cell based gps support (this doesn't help you much and sends your pos data to big G)
2) download "GPS Status & Toolbox" app from the market
3) download the actual satellite vectors with this tool (this you will have to do regularly, around once a week)
4) go out, start your nav app, do NOT move (easier for the GPS to get a fix)
5) come back in and tell us if that helped.
Cheers
Zap
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do.
I'll report back as soon as i test it
Thanks
Also make sure you have 3G data (not wifi) turned on.
I noticed that when 3G data is not on lock takes ages.
clubtech said:
Also make sure you have 3G data (not wifi) turned on.
I noticed that when 3G data is not on lock takes ages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything works fine now.. I didn't know that was necessary to have 3G enabled.. At least the first lock.. After that, with 3G ON i was able to get locks within <15 seconds. Also, after this, with 3G OFF, and after rebooting phone, i got a lock within <15 seconds..
I guess my GPS is not broken after all
Thanks everyone who helped
I don't have 3G and neither do I enable any network. Here is a screenshot i took todays while sitting at a caffee. Maybe the fix takes a minute or two, but then it's very stable, does not loose the connection easy.
ive always locked in about 10 secs from day one every firmware ive tried, always held a solid lock too,best gps ive used yet phone or otherwise.
I'm now having fast locks too without 3G.. Even inside my house, on a 4 floors building (i'm on first) with all windows closed, i'm getting locks within 30 seconds.. Not bad. With 3G ON, it gets a lock within 20 seconds max.
Haven't tried outside yet though.. Will do tomorrow with 3G ON & OFF so i can compare both.
h20pt said:
I'm now having fast locks too without 3G.. Even inside my house, on a 4 floors building (i'm on first) with all windows closed, i'm getting locks within 30 seconds.. Not bad. With 3G ON, it gets a lock within 20 seconds max.
Haven't tried outside yet though.. Will do tomorrow with 3G ON & OFF so i can compare both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it may have been the timing but i couldn't get a lock as soon as i got out of the subway station on saturday within 20~30 sec ish. So i closed google maps and enabled location service and bam 5sec and lock
I tried it with wifi earlier this evening and it jumped around a bit (never had this issue before)
ph00ny said:
it may have been the timing but i couldn't get a lock as soon as i got out of the subway station on saturday within 20~30 sec ish. So i closed google maps and enabled location service and bam 5sec and lock
I tried it with wifi earlier this evening and it jumped around a bit (never had this issue before)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't tried google maps outside yet, but inside i can say it takes forever to get a lock.. even with 3G ON. However, when it does get a lock, accuracy is really bad (>60m).
On GPS status, GPS accuracy is also kinda bad.. I can't get down of 20 m of error (20 m min.. usually it's around 40/60). However, lock times are faster than on goole maps.
Is there a way of improving accuracy?
Being inside and trying to get a better accuracy is not really possible. With 3G on the GPS will use Cell tower triangulation to get A-GPS which is not very accurate indoor.
Use GPS outdoors!
CEPi said:
Being inside and trying to get a better accuracy is not really possible. With 3G on the GPS will use Cell tower triangulation to get A-GPS which is not very accurate indoor.
Use GPS outdoors!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will.. Tomorrow
Enough of testing for today.. Time to go to bed.
Night all

Verizon Galaxy Nexus no GPS lock

My Verizon Galaxy Nexus sucks at locking onto the GPS when I try to use Google Navigation. Sometimes it locks right on, other times it will not lock on at all. I use various ROMS, but it still does this. Also, I at one time applied whatever GPS fix, but that was not for 4.2.2. What to do...
Do you have all the checkboxes checked under the Location Settings?
MrObvious said:
Do you have all the checkboxes checked under the Location Settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do when I want to use Navigation. Sometime I turn on GPS right before I use the Navi. Maybe that is it. But it is still a pain because I commute in Chicago and sometimes i need to know, literally within a minute, which highway is congested more.
coupster69 said:
I do when I want to use Navigation. Sometime I turn on GPS right before I use the Navi. Maybe that is it. But it is still a pain because I commute in Chicago and sometimes i need to know, literally within a minute, which highway is congested more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about leaving it on? It almost sounds like it is doing a cold GPS lock meaning it has to physically read the GPS satellite signals and calculate position.

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