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So, I happened to accidentally launch Google Sky map and found that the map auto-rotated to the direction (due west) immediately. I thought possibly Eugene373's Vibrant9 ROM had some extra GPS mojo that no one had mentioned and I was all excited until I turned my phone to landscape and saw the bearing get all jacked. After a few seconds I realized the issue with the compass is that it is not compensating for the orientation of the screen. If you hold your device in "portrait mode" and perfectly vertical, the compass works flawlessly and fast. If you change the orientation to anything off that axis (ie turn the phone to "landscape" or rotate the phone so that it is not perfectly perpendicular to the ground), the compass gets slower and further off it's correct bearing. This would explain why occasionally I seem to have "decent" compass functionality while other times it is completely jacked up. So the good news in my mind is that this should be fixable via software, and there is an immediate work around to being able to use things that require the compass to work (hold your phone in a portrait orientation).While I prefer (as I assume most people do) to view maps, google sky maps and layar with the phone in a landscape orientation, at now I can use the apps now whereas before they were completely unusable.
If someone else figured this out, please let me know. As far as I can everyone knew the compass wasn't working but noone knew "why".
K
my compass has been fine, but i read somewhere that if you need to "recalibrate" it, you just make a swinging motion with the phone in your hand. i guess the movement is supposed to reset it or something?
i dunno. hasn't been an issue for me
It seems to be calibrated fine as long as you "hold it right" (credit to Steve Jobs for that one.... )
Nope. Even when I hold it in perfect "portrait" orientation it's really, REALLY slow to adjust to movement...even when said movement is on an axis level with the ground. You're right, though, other orientations seem to completely throw it for a loop. Laying it flat seems to work the best for me.
I can usually get it to work ok, but it's flaky and nowhere close to the performance I've seen in the compass in other, cheaper Android phones. Forget about SkyMaps...when I hold the phone pointed upward to look at stars the compass just spins to wherever it wants to.
It's not just my device, either, I've personally had 2 Vibrants that were exactly the same way, and others seem to be sharing the experience (those who know what the compass does, anyway...it has nothing to do with GPS). Calibrating helps a little, but it doesn't get it to the point of what I would consider "working well."
Well, glad it worked on mine, sorry it doesn't seem to be more universal.
:|
klkarlin said:
Well, glad it worked on mine, sorry it doesn't seem to be more universal.
:|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious...after your compass "settles" and you turn 180 degrees how long does it take for the compass to settle again? How does it compare with other Android phones?
Hi everyone,
I got this really disturbing problem with my compass... At first i have to say that it never shows the right direction. But what really annoying is every time i tried to use it maps just spin around for while sometimes longer, never... Most of the times instead of finding my way i lose it at all...
I saw cavanman's post about not showing the right direction problem but nobody gave him an answer so i tought may be mine can help us both and others...
Thank you for your all attantion,
Hope somebody can help us...
Try removing your battery cover.
Also try holding the phone with the screen parallel to the Earth's surface.
Are you running a custom kernel?
Sent from my Nexus S
thanks for your responses guys..i tried removing the battery cover, i cant say it makes difference actually..but last few times i used the compass it doesnt spin but i still have off direction issue..
by the way i am using CM7 RC1, and netarchy 1.2.4-cfs kernel..
lol! unless you are actually moving, the compas sucks! i have the same issue. i could be sitting in one spot with phone horizontal to Earth's surface and the compas is off by about 60' to the left. Totally useless for street view. If you are moving, then Google Maps gets ur correct orientation, but just because you are moving
i had this same problem with my G1 back in october 2008. first off, make sure that your phone case doesnt have a magnetic clip. second, turn your phone upside down and give it a few firm smacks on the backside. that should fix it.
Using the above instructions works. Tested using MIUI compass app..
OK, after being so annoyed with the Navigation on this phone not working, I finally found a fix that is working for me and I am in shock that what I did produced a working GPS. First, anyone who doesn't know how to take apart the black cover (not the battery cover) do a search. Next, after removing the cover, the GPS Antenna without a doubt is one right next to the power button. I found this out by putting a piece of electrical tape over every gold connector that touches an antenna, then closing the black cover, turning on the phone, running gps test, and after trying different spring connectors, I noticed I had the correct one when the app GPS Test couldn't locate any satellites. Next, I also noticed that on the inside of the cover that I took off, the one that requires six screws, there is a silver looking strip that is supposed to make contact to the connector that has a full metal top part, so when the cover goes back on, the silver strip must make contact to this negative grounding harness top. I added a bead of solder to the silver strip on the inside of the black cover so that I knew it was making contact. I believe that this is a source of everyone's problems with navigation. That strip must be a shield and the design doesn't look like it makes good contact to the connector's ground metal plate. You'll see what I mean when you open the cover.
Next, while I had the cover off, I wrapped a 30 gauge wire around the gold spring pin that connects to the GPS antenna and ran that wire down the side of the phone right along the PC Board in hopes that it extends the antenna. I just ran it like 3 inches and remember, I ran it down, not up. The GPS antenna already goes up. I put a tiny bead of solder on the wire where it contact the gold spring contact that is attached to the PC Board so that it does not come off accidentally. And believe me, it is really simple. You cannot mess anything up. Just a dab of solder is all it takes.
I put the black cover back on, and then ran the GPS test app and at one point I had 12 satellites read and used with a 7 foot accuracy!!! Next I went to the Navigation app and started playing around with different addresses and my navigation WORKED!!! I am still in awe three days later. I drove from New Jersey to Rhode Island yesterday and had the Nav running for the entire trip. Only one time did I get a small circle about the size of a half inch which lasted for 4 seconds. At that point, I was driving though a forest type side road with limited sky view.
Please try this fix for anyone who has Navigation issues with their Nexus S and let me know if it fixes it.
Dan
Awesome. Samsung should have hired you before they released the Nexus S and 1st-gen SGS phones. My Captivate never had reliable GPS. I might as well have had Ray Charles giving me directions.
Funny thing is Google nexus phones are bugged...
Nexus one multi touch bug
Nexus s compass not working...
I think the issue here is with whoever was choosing and picking the hardware that would have powered a nexus...
HTC and Samsung do not surprise me... But Google not testing the compass on a flagship phone before releasing scares me :-\
Luckily my gps works fine (i9023 here) but the broken compass create a lot of troubles with gps navigation as very often the phone thinks to be driving in the reverse direction...
The nexus one digitizer wasn't a bug. Just a crappy digitizer. It worked as it meant to. It sucked but wasn't a bug.
The GPS and compass issues for the nexus s are different as well. Some devices have crappy ones and apparently don't work. My GPS and compass works perfect on the other hand. Always has
evcz said:
Funny thing is Google nexus phones are bugged...
Nexus one multi touch bug
Nexus s compass not working...
I think the issue here is with whoever was choosing and picking the hardware that would have powered a nexus...
HTC and Samsung do not surprise me... But Google not testing the compass on a flagship phone before releasing scares me :-\
Luckily my gps works fine (i9023 here) but the broken compass create a lot of troubles with gps navigation as very often the phone thinks to be driving in the reverse direction...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have problems with navigation, even tho i hardly ever use it. However, this compass thing; I downloaded an app called Smart Compass and it works really well... Where I know it's north, the compass points north and so on. but mind you, I got my phone after companies stopped selling it so I might've gotten the last of the good batch
Could you post a photo of the finished fix so I can check if I'm going to fry something ? Thanks !
@VOLTAGEROCK:
post some photos for better help if it's possible, before and after modifications please
thanks in advance
I will but gimme a day or two. All I know is I'm on day five and its still working!
wow
Sent from my
RESSURECTED Nexus S
CM10 NIGHTIES
DmA81 said:
Could you post a photo of the finished fix so I can check if I'm going to fry something ? Thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should have at the time of doing it, but I didn't know what i was doing was going to work!! Now I have to take the phone apart again, but you give me a reason to hook up my Touchstone from the Pre while the phone is open and accessible. I will do my best to put the pics up in a timely manner and in the meantime, if there's anyone out there, go to the iteardown fix it (i think that's what its called) and look at the video or pics of the Nexus being taken apart.
Again, I have no reason to believe that I didn't fix the problem as it's working everytime, when it wouldn't work at all before the mod. When you're looking at the phone from the back, the GPS antenna location has a letter G engraved into the black cover after the battery cover has been taken off. It's right below the electrical type tape that covers the antenna FYI.
*#*#gpsclrx#*#* always fixed my gps woes and i had a lot. no hardware mod required.
Sputnikk23 said:
*#*#gpsclrx#*#* always fixed my gps woes and i had a lot. no hardware mod required.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does that do by the way.? Because my mod works everytime and you never have to use the code you just put up. Even though I appreciate you putting that there. Also, what type of problems were you having with your navigation? Did it work periodically? Did it never work like mine? Just curious as to the problem you had with your navigation. Thanks
Dan
I can confirm this hardware mod fixed voltages gps. He's gone thru 2 nexus s phones and both GPS would constantly lose the position every few minutes then reacquire, and show a huge circle for his position. Somehow this hardware mod fixes some design issue with the nexus s where a shielding isn't properly grounded. And also he extended the GPS antenna with a wire for good measure.
By the way it was the sprint nexus s 4g he modified.
Please post pictures to go with your narrative. I would like to try this!
O
RogerPodacter said:
I can confirm this hardware mos fixed voltages gps. He's gone thru 2 nexus s phones and both GPS would constantly lose the position every few minutes then reacquire, and show a huge circle for his position. Somehow this hardware mod fixes some design issue with the nexus s where a shielding isn't properly grounded. And also he extended the GPS antenna with a wire for good measure.
By the way it was the sprint nexus s 4g he modified.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification nation, Podact.
VOLTAGEROCK said:
What does that do by the way.? Because my mod works everytime and you never have to use the code you just put up. Even though I appreciate you putting that there. Also, what type of problems were you having with your navigation? Did it work periodically? Did it never work like mine? Just curious as to the problem you had with your navigation. Thanks
Dan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wipe gps data. not the same thing as the gps status wipe (which didn't work for me). try it, doesn't really hurt anything. seems a software code is worth a shot then opening up the phone you know?
Some ROMs it never worked. Other ROMs it was sporadic. When I would get it to work, it always eventually "lost" its ability to lock, etc.
But hey.. if you want to get all hyper-sensitive over your mod.. go for it. Was just throwing another method out there for the faint of heart.
Sputnikk23 said:
wipe gps data. not the same thing as the gps status wipe (which didn't work for me). try it, doesn't really hurt anything. seems a software code is worth a shot then opening up the phone you know?
Some ROMs it never worked. Other ROMs it was sporadic. When I would get it to work, it always eventually "lost" its ability to lock, etc.
But hey.. if you want to get all hyper-sensitive over your mod.. go for it. Was just throwing another method out there for the faint of heart.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sensitive as I cried at your remark, and then I got really hyper and started running in circles with joy that my nav works. So I guess you're right, I am hypersensitive! Btw, I was being nothing but nice to your reply. Its OK. I forgive you.
Pics requested
Check out the pics. One of them shows some solder on the silver shielding so it makes better contact with the connector when they close back up. The other shows a 30 gauge red wire soldered to the gps pin and running down the phone. Hope this clears up what you guys need to do to get the gps to finally work on this dag gone phone.
.I've been using navigation and never had such a problems.my gps always locking under 10sec and doesn't loosing signal.
Btw i live in UK and using nav in big city.
Do a search for Nexus S 4g on sprint nav problems and you'll see a whole slew of people with problems.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda app-developers app
anyone can check wether their compass work properly in GPS status app ?
my compass always moving in clockwise direction and even when i put my nexus on the table, the compass still moving clockwise, tried to calibrate compass and accelerometer, the compass still always rotating..
can anyone check if this is a bug in the app itself or my magnetic sensor has trouble ?
Yeah I noticed that yesterday with a compass app.
Sent from my MB612 using xda app-developers app
so this is a known fault ?
I know for sure that the GPS status app performs an automated compass calibration so long as you move the phone/tablet correctly.
What I am not completely sure is whether you need to perform this procedure every time you re-start the app, or whether it caches the result for subsequent uses. (I had an experience in the mountains with three different compass apps that had me questioning the use of battery-powered technology)
In any event, fire up the app and rotate the tablet twice around each of it's three axes (X, Y, Z). Be careful that you don't drop the tablet! (I notice that when I do it I am trying to keep my hands away from the touchscreen, and so the grip I have isn't very solid)
If N is not in the correct place (allowing for local declination offsets), then maybe you have bad hardware or maybe your table your tablet is sitting on has a big piece of metal under it.
Spinning compass sounds like broken hardware, the Bermuda Triangle, or just noise (nearby power mains can cause a 60 Hz mag field wobble if they carry unbalanced currents - I use to work in a joint where everybody in one section of the building had CRTs that wobbled all the time). I think the GPS status app has an adjustable sensor filter, does it not (Menu-> GPS & Sensors -> Sensor Filtering - try medium or strong filtering maybe?
good luck
bftb0 said:
I know for sure that the GPS status app performs an automated compass calibration so long as you move the phone/tablet correctly.
What I am not completely sure is whether you need to perform this procedure every time you re-start the app, or whether it caches the result for subsequent uses. (I had an experience in the mountains with three different compass apps that had me questioning the use of battery-powered technology)
In any event, fire up the app and rotate the tablet twice around each of it's three axes (X, Y, Z). Be careful that you don't drop the tablet! (I notice that when I do it I am trying to keep my hands away from the touchscreen, and so the grip I have isn't very solid)
If N is not in the correct place (allowing for local declination offsets), then maybe you have bad hardware or maybe your table your tablet is sitting on has a big piece of metal under it.
Spinning compass sounds like broken hardware, the Bermuda Triangle, or just noise (nearby power mains can cause a 60 Hz mag field wobble if they carry unbalanced currents - I use to work in a joint where everybody in one section of the building had CRTs that wobbled all the time). I think the GPS status app has an adjustable sensor filter, does it not (Menu-> GPS & Sensors -> Sensor Filtering - try medium or strong filtering maybe?
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i already done the calibration , in fact i done it in 2 different places, one in the coffee shop which i awkwardly spin the tablet around, haha. but the compass still rotating steadily in clockwise direction , tried to calibrate again in my home with no avail.
And yes, i set my sensor filtering to medium, but this setting look like only affecting gps, not the magnetic sensor.
can you try installing GPS status app ?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&hl=en
and see if your compass is steadily moving or can point to the right direction when you put it on a table.
Working OK. Tried 3 different apps w/ compass
- GPS Status (eclipsim)
- Analog Compass (Dieter Roth)
- GPS Essentials (mictale)
Working fine here. Try taking your Nexus 7 out of the case, if it's in one. Run the app, hold the N7 FIRMLY (or do this over carpet, soft surface) and rotate in all directions. I usually draw a figure 8 in the horizontal and vertical directions.
Easy on the phone, harder on the Nexus 7 since it's larger.
Odd that it's rotating. My wifes old Aria I use for geocaching I left on top of a Nook Color case and screwed up its compass and it just gets stuck.. It'll rotate through about 270 degrees then get completely stuck the other 90. I've degaussed it a few times and that helped a little, as it mostly rotates now, but it's still not accurate. It might be 15-20 degrees off, as it still 'sticks' here and there.
PSA: The Nexus 7 compass is pretty funky period. I remembered this as I was testing just now. The compass will randomly for no reason go off about 90 degrees and rotating it around figure 8's will sometimes fix it, but most often just spinning it in place clockwise and counter-clockwise and it'll suddenly pop back to proper alignment. Don't depend on the N7's compass in a L&D Situation
Does the compass rotate when you are moving? If it only has a GPS input then if you are stationary it cannot resolve direction to any accuracy.
peterk-1 said:
Does the compass rotate when you are moving? If it only has a GPS input then if you are stationary it cannot resolve direction to any accuracy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus 7 has a compass, so unless whatever app he's using has been told (or defaults to) GPS for the heading, it should be using the real compass.
khaytsus said:
The Nexus 7 has a compass, so unless whatever app he's using has been told (or defaults to) GPS for the heading, it should be using the real compass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the point I was making. It is not know what sensors are being used. I would expect the app to use the x,y,z readings from the position sensor ( The "angle" the device is being held at) and the geomagnetic sensor but it may also use the GPS receiver to derive a direction of motion. The algorithm that pulls these readings together is the clever bit and the weight it gives to each sensor reading when it is outside expected values is the unknown / interesting bit.
bftb0 said:
Working OK. Tried 3 different apps w/ compass
- GPS Status (eclipsim)
- Analog Compass (Dieter Roth)
- GPS Essentials (mictale)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm, it seems like in a rare case, the compass can point at the right direction, but mostly keep rotating..
khaytsus said:
Working fine here. Try taking your Nexus 7 out of the case, if it's in one. Run the app, hold the N7 FIRMLY (or do this over carpet, soft surface) and rotate in all directions. I usually draw a figure 8 in the horizontal and vertical directions.
Easy on the phone, harder on the Nexus 7 since it's larger.
Odd that it's rotating. My wifes old Aria I use for geocaching I left on top of a Nook Color case and screwed up its compass and it just gets stuck.. It'll rotate through about 270 degrees then get completely stuck the other 90. I've degaussed it a few times and that helped a little, as it mostly rotates now, but it's still not accurate. It might be 15-20 degrees off, as it still 'sticks' here and there.
PSA: The Nexus 7 compass is pretty funky period. I remembered this as I was testing just now. The compass will randomly for no reason go off about 90 degrees and rotating it around figure 8's will sometimes fix it, but most often just spinning it in place clockwise and counter-clockwise and it'll suddenly pop back to proper alignment. Don't depend on the N7's compass in a L&D Situation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i already tried to take off the case and check the compass, but still got the rotating compass, i even tried different roms, was in stock rom and now using CleanRom.
i wouldn't trust my electronics in a life and death situation, except if i didnt have anything better
peterk-1 said:
Does the compass rotate when you are moving? If it only has a GPS input then if you are stationary it cannot resolve direction to any accuracy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
even when i put it on the table, the compass keep moving
peterk-1 said:
That's the point I was making. It is not know what sensors are being used. I would expect the app to use the x,y,z readings from the position sensor ( The "angle" the device is being held at) and the geomagnetic sensor but it may also use the GPS receiver to derive a direction of motion. The algorithm that pulls these readings together is the clever bit and the weight it gives to each sensor reading when it is outside expected values is the unknown / interesting bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it doesnt matter wether the GPS is locking or not, the compass keep rotating
i'm trying to make a video of this behavior, maybe i'll make it tomorrow, it's already night time , and my room's light is not bright enough..
hopefully, i'll update the OP tomorrow, with video
I'm having the same issue on the N7 I just got, it happens in any ROM I've tried so far (stock, CM 10.1, Paranoid Android 2.99, SmoothROM v4.3, etc) - when I use the GPS Status app to calibrate the compass as required it will get the accurate North heading as it should, but then the compass itself just kinda drifts in a clockwise direction a few degrees every second, and that's with the N7 immobile itself and not in motion.
I'm guessing it's just an issue with the hardware since it happens with any ROM I've tested so far, but I haven't tried any other compass apps so I suppose I should, but the apps are just pulling info from the compass hardware so, if that's just defective or not working right then yes the on-screen display is going to keep right on moving.
Also, the calibration(s) I'm doing isn't sticking: the N7 either forgets it immediately or again there's something defective about it because when I do a calibration and close the app and restart it, it's not showing the correct directional orientation that I just calibrated it to
Weird behavior, certainly. This isn't a life or death thing since I know where I'm at here in Vegas at any time, but considering how amazing the N7 is overall, little things like this just irk the hell out of me (and apparently other owners as well).
Always the Compass
I got my hands on a 2nd hand N7 32G-WiFi, and any ROM (even stock 5.1.1 up to custom 7.1.1) displays the same non working compass with GPS Status (and other apps), the compass is stuck pointing to North and/or then jumping around as I rotate the tablet . GPS alone is working.
Interestingly there's now a "diagnose sensors" tab in GPS Status, and there the "Orientation" and "Rotation Vector" readings are coherent: I can read the angle to which the tablet is pointing (respect to north) and it correctly senses it. Same goes for the Rotation Vector, once the "calibration pattern" is done (move anytime the table 1-2 time around the 3 main axis), the readings settle down and are repeatable:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
(image cut to reduce size) In this case the tablet was on the table pointing north and not being moved.
So, the sensors inside the tablet are operating correctly! Still I don't understand why Google Maps (blue triangle) and/or Nokia Here wego (green arrow), and any other, cannot simply access these sensor readings. Are there other emulated "software sensors"? Do they wrongly correlate other readings inside the apps?
Interestingly I flashed this ROM lineage-11-20170221-UNOFFICIAL-grouper and there GPS Status compass display is correct! Same goes for Here wego, but Google Maps is still a miss.. clearly it's using other (hidden) sensor APIs and doing it wrong.
Some old apps, like "Check My Android" under the "Compass" sensor they are displaying directly the "Orientation" hardware sensor, no wonder if they work :good:
I'm going to use it as navigator inside the car, so I'll stick with Lineage 11 and hope app support will last long.. but I'm literally dying of curiosity on how and were are these sensor being interpreted from the apps/os.
I'd really like to get in touch with some developers, at least to pass the word and get to know a little more about the physical sensor subsystem inside android (I get the feeling on KK some "advanced emulated" sensor are not available, hence the app does a fallback on simply raw sensor values).
I understand that you always need to compensate raw sensor values, the simple compass might work ok when the tablet is flat on a surface, but then it must be adjusted if it's being held by the user plus if it's in portrait mode or landscape - with the only basic assumption that.. the screen is pointing the user
If I find something I'll report back, I really hope to discover something
(Found this old thread, using it instead of opening a new one)
Few days ago I replaced the battery and reassemble the phone back. Everything looks normal except the Google Maps compass direction. The north and south pole are always swapped no matter how many times I recalibrated it.
Today I use an app to check the magnetic field reading and surprisingly it fixed at 2896.27 UT.... Anyone have clue to replace the part to fix it? Thanks!
That explains why my compass always seems backwards. Just got used to it and ignored the arrow. Though, I've only really noticed anything when trying to use walking directions, so i always chalked out up to having to do with being around tall buildings and not getting accurate gps readings due to that.