Database Users

Has anyone ever stopped to think that maybe the third party GPS apps are wrong?

Okay so now that I have my vibrant I tested it out (only a few times) but I did test it in different applications, websites, and maps and navigation. Yes in the gps and compass apps it doesn't pick up at all compared to my slide BUT in every other application, on google where it finds your location, on yelp, movie phone, maps, and navigation it finds my location each and every time. It doesn't get me lost, it doesn't show me going in a different direction, and it doesn't show me somewhere else.
What if the configurations or settings are different with samsung, what if the third party app is not completely accurate? Why else would every other program find my location if the app says I am not found by even 1 satellite? I think the"fix" is just a change of setting that helps the app not the gps or the phone.
Time will tell but for me it us working fine for now.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Well you can do gps tests within the os that say basically the same thing...

Ive used my gps with google navigate nermous times with no problem. in fact, it guided me on a 160mile trip just fine... What problems are people having with their gps?

Well, I've only had the phone for a day, so I'm still getting used to the quirks coming from a G1. GPS so far is the biggest disappointment. Android has been pushing location based stuff since the beginning, so the lack of a solid GPS is really screwing up some of my favorite apps. Locale for instance, it's worthless. It can't ever find me. The G1 always worked fine with it on Donut, Eclair, and Froyo.
Google Maps is the ONLY app I have that seems to even be able to get a rough idea where I am, and even then its circle is pretty big, about 4 city blocks. That's not GPS, that's network location, and it's fine for what it is, but not good enough when there aren't a lot of cell towers around. At home, it puts me out in the middle of a corn field. All the time I'm in maps, the GPS icon is up there blinking at me, telling me it can't lock. I've seen it work a couple times, for a short while. In GMaps and in GPS Test. But it takes a LONG time. The G1 could get a lock indoors in about 10 seconds. The Vibrant takes minutes, even with the A-GPS turned on in the test menus. That's insane. And it's not any better outside with a clear sky view. That might be acceptable, if it could hold the lock, but it doesn't.
Even stranger, in GPS Test, I get a single colored bar saying it's using that signal. There are 6 more with the same or higher signal strength being ignored. Very odd. Something is wrong with this GPS. It could very well be software, but Samsung needs to get on this and fast. If I can't find a way to get acceptable GPS performance within my 14 day period, I will likely return it. That will really suck, as otherwise I really like the device, but I need a decent GPS.

ttabbal said:
Even stranger, in GPS Test, I get a single colored bar saying it's using that signal. There are 6 more with the same or higher signal strength being ignored. Very odd. Something is wrong with this GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been my experience as well, and I found the same thing when trying a friend's phone. If only T-Mobile/Samsung would acknowledge that there is a problem and say they are working on it...

No problem here
But as I came from the G1 I use Google Maps exclusively. I haven't had a single problem with it. Inside my house I can get a fix on my location on the map, exactly where it should be. Are you guys using the TeleNav?

ttabbal said:
Even stranger, in GPS Test, I get a single colored bar saying it's using that signal. There are 6 more with the same or higher signal strength being ignored. Very odd. Something is wrong with this GPS. It could very well be software, but Samsung needs to get on this and fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same issue... I can only ever lock on to 1 sat. This is not right. My G1 would lock on to many birds.

zoid_99 said:
I have the same issue... I can only ever lock on to 1 sat. This is not right. My G1 would lock on to many birds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if GPS Test is either wrong about that, or more likely, getting bad data from the OS or GPS driver. IIRC they are just parsing the NMEA data from the GPS driver, so "garbage in, garbage out". You don't get 20ft accuracy with 1 satellite being used.
I fooled with the settings in the "GPS fix 101" thread and got the thing working decently. Took a number of tries, and we'll see if it keeps working over time.
This really is something that TMO and Samsung should acknowledge and at least promise a fix for. Preferably with a close release date. And we shouldn't have to wait for Froyo either, get us a fix for JUST the GPS and a lot of people would be VERY happy. Well, that and the compass, that thing is even more worthless than the GPS before the fixes.
For the poster with Google Maps working, did you try with network locations disabled? Is the GPS icon in the status bar flashing or solid? If it's flashing, you DON'T have a GPS lock. Maps seems to be really good at using the network location stuff. I also enabled Skyhook in the GPS settings screen and Maps really seems to like that. Doesn't help with GPS performance though.

This thread is idiotic.

cashless said:
This thread is idiotic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow.. that statement was idiotic. Maybe you aren't having the GPS issues that others are having but this thread is helping me debug and decide weather or not I'm keeping the Vibrant or returning it.

You guys are not alone. There is obviously something wrong with either the hardware, or the software. Either way, the buyer's remorse period is halfway through, and neither company has said so much as a peep.
I will definitely be returning my device by the time the remorse period expires. What a shame that would be, because I really love this screen. All it would take is for T-Mobile and Samsung to acknowledge the problem, and state that a fix is on the way.
Here's my post, detailing my contact and findings with the two companies.
It's been a few days now, and I've heard nothing back. Never a good sign.

EDIT. Got it working

Care to share?

I might be on to something for the GPS issue.

Well like everyone I had the GPS issue and it was frustrating. I do run an app killer and I always notice many apps (especially the preloaded ones) Keep launching themselves. It got rather irritating. Specifically Telenav.
I noticed with Telenav my GPS would be very flaky. Once I got "killed" it the gps seemed to improve. I thought to myself maybe I'm just being paranoid.
Did a bit of research and found an app called "Start UP Auditor" which completely kills an app and restricts it from every starting up again. My gps seems to be working much better now.
I drove a few miles and on the Verrazano Bridge here in NY and the GPS was super percise. When I was at the end of the block it was at the end of the block as well at the same time. Not like it was before.
Now I can launch google maps and it will find me exactly in front of my house and not 200 feet away.
Takes a solid minute to lock on. Not more but not less unfortunately. So there still is a bit of a problem but for me at least it has exponentially gotten better. Versus it not even locking on previously.
I think I might be on to something. I cannot give all credit to me because I saw on a Tmobile forum someone say that they think the problem might be with the self launching apps so that's where I started to draw conclusions.
EDIT: Scratch that one min thing. It seriously just now took me 10 seconds to lock on and the GPS to start talking to tell me where to turn inside my house. Issue fixed?

I completly removed TeleNav and I still have GPS issues... It is not any software causing this problem. It is a Hardware / Firmware / Driver issue.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

gravis86 said:
I completly removed TeleNav and I still have GPS issues... It is not any software causing this problem. It is a Hardware / Firmware / Driver issue.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, one of the first things I did after rooting was remove all the bloatware, and Telenav was one of them.

gravis86 said:
I completly removed TeleNav and I still have GPS issues... It is not any software causing this problem. It is a Hardware / Firmware / Driver issue.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... Interesting.
My GPS issues seem to have disappeared after killing Telenav.
This just takes me back to the drawing board once more. I just do not understand...
I would like to see others responses. Does there happen to be vibrants with different firmwares?

So what happened to me?
Was it some magical stroke of luck?

Wow.
Initially, disabling TeleNav gave me a significant improvement in GPS performance. Indoors, I went from having 50-60ft. of accuracy (with multiple locks), to 12-15ft. of accuracy with a single lock. Initial accuracy was in the upper 40s, but quickly dropped to the highest accuracy I've seen with the device (the 12-15ft. figure) - indoor or outdoor - within a minute. Crazy.
Outdoor, on a perfectly clear sky, the best I've achieved was previously 25ft. of accuracy.
I rebooted (the phone froze, wheee!), with TeleNav still selected as disabled, and now, I'm only getting 30-52ft. of accuracy with a single lock. This took about two minutes to come down from 170ft. or so.
GPS settings have been switched to 'Automatic', from the stock supl server, for all of these tests.
Maps still shows me in Issaquah, initially (incorrect data), but quickly updates my position my exact location (within a few seconds). Previously, Maps would take at least a half hour to place me in even the correct city! Margin of Error: ~50ft. or so (shows me on the street, rather than on my property), within seconds.
Compass, as expected: still totally ****ing broken and ****ty.
I can confirm that - besides not being able to lock onto more than a single sat - I'm seeing drastic improvements. Thanks for pointing this out.
Still, I'm not sure the improvement will be enough to convince me to hang onto the device while we wait to hear from Samsung. :/

Jon C said:
Wow.
Initially, disabling TeleNav gave me a significant improvement in GPS performance. Indoors, I went from having 50-60ft. of accuracy (with multiple locks), to 12-15ft. of accuracy with a single lock. Initial accuracy was in the upper 40s, but quickly dropped to the highest accuracy I've seen with the device (the 12-15ft. figure) - indoor or outdoor - within a minute. Crazy.
Outdoor, on a perfectly clear sky, the best I've achieved was previously 25ft. of accuracy.
I rebooted (the phone froze, wheee!), with TeleNav still selected as disabled, and now, I'm only getting 30-52ft. of accuracy with a single lock. This took about two minutes to come down from 170ft. or so.
GPS settings have been switched to 'Automatic', from the stock supl server, for all of these tests.
Maps still shows me in Issaquah, initially (incorrect data), but quickly updates my position my exact location (within a few seconds). Previously, Maps would take at least a half hour to place me in even the correct city! Margin of Error: ~50ft. or so (shows me on the street, rather than on my property), within seconds.
Compass, as expected: still totally ****ing broken and ****ty.
I can confirm that - besides not being able to lock onto more than a single sat - I'm seeing drastic improvements. Thanks for pointing this out.
Still, I'm not sure the improvement will be enough to convince me to hang onto the device while we wait to hear from Samsung. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea like I said in the OP the fix is better but there definitely is a problem that needs to be addressed. That might be either hardware or firmware, All thats left is to wait for sammy to fix it up. However my GPS performance for my needs is more than exceptional.

I have noticed that while running GPStest, Google Maps starts to work. Something is wrong with the API.

If anyone is getting black screen freeze ups, disabling GPS will clear that right up.

And, we're back to square one. So much for that.
Location services can no longer locate me, and show that I'm in a neighboring city. Nothing I adjust fixes this for more than a short period of time.
Oh, Samsung...

dattaway said:
I have noticed that while running GPStest, Google Maps starts to work. Something is wrong with the API.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to me that it is definitely a software problem. I don't think the hardware is bad. (The gps chip?)
heygrl said:
If anyone is getting black screen freeze ups, disabling GPS will clear that right up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I drove for miles and had nothing. Though if I am not using GPS I always turn it off to conserve battery.
Jon C said:
And, we're back to square one. So much for that.
Location services can no longer locate me, and show that I'm in a neighboring city. Nothing I adjust fixes this for more than a short period of time.
Oh, Samsung...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if they can't even find the issue yet. It will probably be fix in the 2.2 update.

I removed TelNav within 4days of owning my phone and it really for me hasn't changed a thing.
What helped me was turning off the wireless location feature. From what I noticed it looks for your location based off the cell towers first then it looks for your location via GPS. If its slow to find you via wireless then well its slow to find you via GPS too.

I didn't really tried the GPS when I saw the threads saying there was a problem with it and I read somewhere about "how to fix it" so I applied the fix before even using the GPS before, so I have no clue if I had problems or not, but after the fix, the GPS locks in about 10 to 15 seconds and gest my location on the spot, even indoors.
just change the GPS settings to google servers

Directly after rebooting my gps/navigation seems to work much better.
To make it more clear... I'll be using my phone throughout the day and then i'll try to use navigation. Usually it will just keep trying to find the route but it never actually finds it. I'll reboot the phone and it'll find my location and the route in <10 seconds.

kizer said:
I removed TelNav within 4days of owning my phone and it really for me hasn't changed a thing.
What helped me was turning off the wireless location feature. From what I noticed it looks for your location based off the cell towers first then it looks for your location via GPS. If its slow to find you via wireless then well its slow to find you via GPS too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the wifi and GPS share the same antenna. Anyone know which antennas do what for sure?

Our cellular antenna is at the bottom under the bump. The one at the top next to the antenna port does the rest.

heygrl said:
If anyone is getting black screen freeze ups, disabling GPS will clear that right up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this tip, I hadn't caught this in the other GPS threads.

I ran and used My Tracks but forgot to turn on GPS. When I tried nav it could not get a fix until I restarted. Next time I'll try killing conflicting apps.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I just deleted the Tel-Nav app and now my GPS locks on in about 10 seconds and is dead on accurate. I even drove 165 miles today and never dropped a GPS signal. I could never do that before.

Does anyone know why the times are off one the gps sensors? My local time is 10:51, but gps test has it as 18:51 that is about 8 hours off.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

How's your GPS since the update? and other issues.

MINE SUCKS
I have been using the (new gps fix) and here are its issues;
When on the freeway and driving around town at twenty five miles per hour my position is one block behind my location. the navagation tells me to turn when I am way past the street I was suppose to turn on.
The GPS still loses signal constantly
The accuracy on the Google map is way off in comparison to what the GPS program says the accuracy claims. It claims 30 to 40 feet and its 300 to 500 feet on the map. You better not be walking next to a cliff in the dark
and yeah I rebooted the phone, reinstalled Google Maps, and cleared the cach, and nothing has changed
Why did I wait for the update
I no longer trust Samsung.
The phone lag is getting worse every day and I have lost the ability to go to the market unless I reboot.
The battery life sucks as well, I cant make it through a day with out recharging.
Hey but the hardware is great if it works
Unfortunately I bought this phone for the supposed functionality and this includes the GPS.
Has anybody done any testing and what are your results or issues?

Did you miss the other threadS on this?
Delete GPS data
Wipe data, reinstall from fresh flash of JFD
Disable Use Wireless Networks.

Mine sucks too. Position in Maps jumps all over the place, it's usually at the far end of the error margin, and is relatively slow getting a fix (compared to a Nexus One)
Accuracy has never been consistent (usually above 10m)
The compass is really bad too.
There were improvements with JI6, faster lock, more satellites, fixed gmt and local time, smoother compass, but still far from reliable.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

heygrl said:
Did you miss the other threadS on this?
Delete GPS data
Wipe data, reinstall from fresh flash of JFD
Disable Use Wireless Networks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry heygirl, your optimism is appreciated but that solution is no more than wishful thinking.
Drive a 1000 miles and your gps is still usrless. Wait a few days, abd your gps is useless.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

heygrl said:
Did you miss the other threadS on this?
Delete GPS data
Wipe data, reinstall from fresh flash of JFD
Disable Use Wireless Networks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you delete GPS data?

mine is working awesome i did it last night and is working way better than before, in some places where i used to have 0 or 1 bar i now have 3 bars, the gps working without problems.

I have noticed bugginess still.
Twice now-- When turning on GPS, opening Maps, clicking the FIND MY LOCATION button.. it sits for a moment.. and then reboots my phone. brilliant, right?
Other than that, it is a bit more usable.. still not reliable like my G1 was.
When sitting still in MAPS, my blue arrow spins, jumps a millimeter, spins back... doesnt know which direction I am moving/facing.
Compass is still absolute trash.

pb3000 said:
mine is working awesome i did it last night and is working way better than before, in some places where i used to have 0 or 1 bar i now have 3 bars, the gps working without problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cannot complain about the GPS anymore. I flashed the ROM myself, formatted and repartitioned before...just to make sure. Quick GPS locks on plenty of satellites. It does seem that it works best in standalone mode on my phone.

My gps accuracy sucks (usually ~30m), but it does lock pretty quick. Subpar while driving, had me jumping around at stop lights and even lost the signal entirely for a few mins. In my opinion, not yet worthy of the title "gps." i'm on stock ji6.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

My GPS seems pretty good, although it was good before the update since I used the leaked GPS fix.
The only thing I've noticed since I odin'd the official JI6 is that my battery seems to drain a bit faster than before, but I might be using it a little more than before as well, so it's hard to tell.

My only complaint is that when I turn on the navigation app it takes several minutes before the gps locks. Once that happens it seems fine.
The same is true of my Garmin standalone gps, so maybe I'm expecting too much.

Hey in case anyone is interested, GPS is working great on the Bionix 1.8 ROMS. I get a constant viewed 11 and locked 9-10 within 3-4 seconds and the tracking is very accurate.
Thought I would share if you are rooted and want to try it out, oh and did I mention it's a great ROM

Jdom58 said:
Hey in case anyone is interested, GPS is working great on the Bionix 1.8 ROMS. I get a constant viewed 11 and locked 9-10 within 3-4 seconds and the tracking is very accurate.
Thought I would share if you are rooted and want to try it out, oh and did I mention it's a great ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Bionix 1.8 and it will take minutes sometimes to lock and then for no apparent reason the lock will drop. Mytracks still has me driving through buildings as well. It's better but not fixed (at least on my vibrant).

mine works flawlessly. All I've done is root with Ryans OCLF and never removed any bloatware. I do have the recent JI6 update.

Working great after the update..
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I don't have any of those issues.
I just tried looking for my location... and it's very accurate.
Before the update, it was off by a block, and constantly moving around.
Never put in a custom ROM or kernel.
I just MOD a few things.

I Concur
Jdom58 said:
Hey in case anyone is interested, GPS is working great on the Bionix 1.8 ROMS. I get a constant viewed 11 and locked 9-10 within 3-4 seconds and the tracking is very accurate.
Thought I would share if you are rooted and want to try it out, oh and did I mention it's a great ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------
I totally agree with you on this, I had stock ROM, flashed to Bionix 1.8, after the initial waiting period to grab a bird, I have since seen consistent locks (within SECONDS) using this ROM with JI2 baseband (to avoid data improvement/battery issues). It is now working in my house where it wasn't before. In particular with Wireless Networks turned off, that little satellite icon locks right quick.
Can endorse the Bionix ROMs highly enough, this thing is truly butter as advertised.
Also, this is with factory GPS settings (not supl.google.com).
Salud, happy vibrant-ing!
Kelly
Samsung VIbrant with Bionix 1.8 JAC/OC/Voodoo Kernel.

GPS & everything works great for me after the update. I did have to calibrate the compass but that was it...

There was an update? My wifes phone did an update yesterday from tmobile but my phone hasn't.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I upgraded yesterday through mini Keis, and locked on to 9 of 11 satellites, indoors. I tested this morning while driving to work, it was accurate, and navigation App works like a charm. Loving the layers and satellite view!
Before, I could rarely even get a GPS lock.

gps fixed without hardware changing. located in 10s

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.)

Interesting GPS find

So my GPS works pretty well when I am outside, but when I am inside it can be pretty bad, I live in the first floor of a 3 story condo complex and its pretty rare that I get a lock inside, without using GPS Status or any AGPS download tool, which I personally find is not needed when it comes to getting your GPS working.
Well I installed the MapQuest app, please don't flame me for not using google, but that app has been getting pretty fast GPS locks now.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mapquest.android.ace&feature=search_result
So just from my observances it seems like a mismatch in coding with the GPS and Google maps, and Mapquest can atleast turn on and good a good/decent lock with it.

People don't need gps indoors.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App

Avelnan said:
People don't need gps indoors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ever been to the Smithsonian Museum or Library of Congress?
For the OP, the app has nothing to do with the fix time, the GPS is run via Android API, not direct hardware access. You just happened to get lucky or had recently run the GPS and the satellite positioning cache was still recent.

I always thought it was just a bug in Google Maps. Whenever I have trouble getting a fix, I switch to something else, like Bing Maps, and it locks instantly.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Domush said:
Ever been to the Smithsonian Museum or Library of Congress?
For the OP, the app has nothing to do with the fix time, the GPS is run via Android API, not direct hardware access. You just happened to get lucky or had recently run the GPS and the satellite positioning cache was still recent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree with you, but I rebooted a bunch and tested it, and it had been about 3 days since I used the GPS, I used Mapquest and it it locked pretty quick.
And this morning, which normally after not using not using it for about 8+ hours it doesn't work. It wasn't locking this morning, I opened map quest and it started working again.

+1
Hate to admit this, but this works for me. I've had issues with locks as well as accuracy (always zeroes in to a not-so-nearby spot). I've done the ntp pool edits (which helped a tad). But Mapquest somehow "unblocks" and gets a more accurate location. Then when you open Google Maps it somehow works okay now that Mapquest paved the way. On the other hand, Mapquest forces your WiFi on without asking.
EF 3.3.2 + ED03

Sounds like maybe mapquest us downloading agps data everytime. Seems that google maps expects a functional gps and waits for your phone to handle the data retrieval and fixing. Shame.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

prehistorical said:
On the other hand, Mapquest forces your WiFi on without asking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there are any wifi networks visible (doesn't matter if you connect to them or not), Google's Location Services might be the one that's actually finding your location, not the GPS.

mastamoon said:
Sounds like maybe mapquest us downloading agps data everytime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this how agps works for sure? aGPS just appeared one day years ago and I've never really learned how it worked. So it downloads a sat position map based on tower connection or something similar?

Domush said:
Is this how agps works for sure? aGPS just appeared one day years ago and I've never really learned how it worked. So it downloads a sat position map based on tower connection or something similar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A-GPS Wiki
Lots of good info there. So basically yes.

jazzyjames said:
So my GPS works pretty well when I am outside, but when I am inside it can be pretty bad, I live in the first floor of a 3 story condo complex and its pretty rare that I get a lock inside, without using GPS Status or any AGPS download tool, which I personally find is not needed when it comes to getting your GPS working.
Well I installed the MapQuest app, please don't flame me for not using google, but that app has been getting pretty fast GPS locks now.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mapquest.android.ace&feature=search_result
So just from my observances it seems like a mismatch in coding with the GPS and Google maps, and Mapquest can atleast turn on and good a good/decent lock with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this great post. I thought my gps function was going to be lost for good. I can now use some of my favorite apps again.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App

That could definitely be useful. I typically use the gps every two weeks

After months of gps issues I just leave it on all the time and always get a lock now.
Battery impact is noticeable but minimal.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App

Remember, the Galaxy S phones were built with SkyHook's aGPS system in mind. Google forced Samsung to rip it out really late in the day after the Moto/SkyHook deal was discussed in the press.

I turn my wifi on when turning on the gps and now I get lock in google maps every time within seconds.

prehistorical said:
Hate to admit this, but this works for me. I've had issues with locks as well as accuracy (always zeroes in to a not-so-nearby spot). I've done the ntp pool edits (which helped a tad). But Mapquest somehow "unblocks" and gets a more accurate location. Then when you open Google Maps it somehow works okay now that Mapquest paved the way. On the other hand, Mapquest forces your WiFi on without asking.
EF 3.3.2 + ED03
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a follow-up observation, probably obvious to most of you... but doh! not to me.
GPS and aGPS performance has many variables, location and radio being two significant ones. I've recently downloaded GPS Status from Market that some of you recommended (thanks again!) to help figure out what are GPS vs. aGPS locks on both Google Maps and Mapquest, as well as assist with diagnosis.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/gps-status-toolbox/com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2
Using a sample of 1, it turns out that not only am I located in a poor signal area (1x if lucky), but my GPS availablity here is terrible, too. (This also supports the theory that I will always have relatively terrible battery life, as the phone is always struggling for signal.)
ED03
My earlier post shows my enthusiasm for Mapquest, except that it uses aGPS and turns the Wifi on without asking, and also runs hot. I use Mapquest to get things moving, then use Google Maps as I prefer its interface and functionality.
ED03 --> EA28
Recently switched to EA28 (still under Froyo EF 3.3.2) in an attempt to minimize missing calls as well as get better data performance. Got terrible GPS and aGPS. Even Mapquest has started getting "lost". Call signal / performance is marginally better than ED03, but at the expense of GPS accuracy.
However, when I travel to an excellent 3G coverage area, somehow the tables are turned and Google Maps pops us quicker and accurately, while Mapquest is still busy trying to catch up and draw the map.
ED03 --> ED04
As the effort to switch modems around have become trivial, I decided to get the ED04 modem in case there are any improvements to either call performance or GPS. So far GPS/aGPS is still terrible in my normally terrible coverage area. Too soon to tell if call performance improved, or if missed calls problem is fixed.
Play around with modems! Link to Comradesven's thread:
"[MODEM][ODIN][CWM]DL09, EA28, ED01, ED03, ED04 modems without ridiculous 100MB OTAs"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1097355
I was wondering if anyone has had a chance to evaluate the new GB leak's modem, either with a GB ROM or a Froyo ROM? Might be the next modem to test if ED04 is still terrible.
Link to JPTech7's thread:
"[EC09][MODEM][ODIN] EC09 Radio/Modem for Odin"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1132236
Thanks to all the devs for giving us all these options to play with!
EF 3.3.2 + ED04

thanks for the tip

prehistorical said:
[...]
ED03 --> ED04
As the effort to switch modems around have become trivial, I decided to get the ED04 modem in case there are any improvements to either call performance or GPS. So far GPS/aGPS is still terrible in my normally terrible coverage area. Too soon to tell if call performance improved, or if missed calls problem is fixed.
Play around with modems! Link to Comradesven's thread:
"[MODEM][ODIN][CWM]DL09, EA28, ED01, ED03, ED04 modems without ridiculous 100MB OTAs"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1097355
I was wondering if anyone has had a chance to evaluate the new GB leak's modem, either with a GB ROM or a Froyo ROM? Might be the next modem to test if ED04 is still terrible.
Link to JPTech7's thread:
"[EC09][MODEM][ODIN] EC09 Radio/Modem for Odin"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1132236
Thanks to all the devs for giving us all these options to play with!
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ED04 was such a bad modem with missed calls galore, I quickly ODIN'ed the EC09 modem and was pleasantly surprised with better performance -- calls and GPS/aGPS.
A road trip to the "countryside" then revealed that the countryside had better VZW signal and GPS than my normal location! 3G and GPS accuracy and quick locks... so this is how the phone should work!
Finally got back to the land of poor VZW reception, and had to focus on minimizing missed calls. Between the EC09 and EA28 modems -- EA28 had less missed calls so that's where I ended up. But both have excellent GPS performance in both great and marginal reception areas, specially compared to the EDxx series. ED04 was quite a flop for me.
EF 3.3.2 + EA28

Anybody here know if it is possible to get a replacement for their phone because of the Fascinate GPS problems? By replacement, I mean a different phone and not a refurb with the same problem.
I've been able to live with the phone not locking and being almost right most of the time, but this last week I really needed the GPS to lock and work and it wouldn't. Driving around with broken AC in 105 degree weather was the last straw.

Does mapquest initially turn on Wifi? I tried this by getting mapquest from the market and tried to see if it could find my location. I accidentally clicked the home button and when I saw my power control widget, I saw wifi on and then it suddenly turned off. (I have wifi off almost always).