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I love AOSP ROMs. They are the bomb-diggity. I only have one problem with them:
GPS does not work for everybody.
Let me explain the problem. When doing a long navigation, after about 20 - 30 minutes, Maps will lose the GPS signal and stay at "Searching for GPS..." until toggling GPS OFF and then ON. After it loses the signal the first time, it loses it again and again in the same fashion in about 5 minutes intervals.
Now, this is not a problem for everybody. For some people it works fine, and for the rest, we seem to be stuck with this rather irritating bug.
I do have a theory, though - I believe that there are two (or more) hardware revisions for our phones. I believe that a lot of refurbs have an older hardware revision, that run into these problems, and the newer phones have a newer hardware revision that do NOT have these issues.
What I need is someone that has reported this issue to take a logcat during a navigation and to get the results onto this thread so we can get them to a dev that may be able to fix this issue. I would do this myself, but I am out of money and only have enough gas in my car to make it back home tonight after work.
So, please, if there is anyone running an AOSP ROM (CELB and WW both have the issue) on a refurb or near launch phone, if you have the time and the resources, take a logcat of a failed navigation. It may get us closer to a cure for this bug.
DEVS: If any of you read this thread, I have an idea - if it is possible, you may want to pull apart your kernels and take a look at the part that interacts with the GPS and compare that to another kernel like zanfur's or the HTC kernel, which both have nary a problem with the GPS.
I have already tried fussing with the *.so files that are for the GPS, and they either made the problem worse or completely broke GPS.
Let's see if we can find a cure.
-SSJ
I dont think its the hardware at all. I have run into this problems are certain versions of roms but once I flash another its fine. CLB2.7 gps worked great used it from Arkansas to Florida but the gps from the Cyanogen 1.1 the gps constantly lost signal.
edgeupgx said:
I dont think its the hardware at all. I have run into this problems are certain versions of roms but once I flash another its fine. CLB2.7 gps worked great used it from Arkansas to Florida but the gps from the Cyanogen 1.1 the gps constantly lost signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it's a hardware problem, I think it's a problem with the way that some kernels interact with different (read: older) hardware revisions.
I'm Hardware Revision 0002 according to Home > Menu > Settings > About Phone > Hardware Information.
I usually just use Google Maps to get the directions, then peek at them every once in a while to save battery.
Once I get a car mount for my phone (soon), I'm sure I'll use GPS more often though.
No troubles with any GPS I've ever done. It may be all Eris's, at random. Like when the 3g disappears and reappears and starts cycling (until you reboot the phone).
Same idea.
I have a refurb phone and while using CELB 2.7 I drop GPS signal every 20 minutes or so. When using Ivan's rom, I never drop signal.
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 all,
I'm on 4.4.2 (Singapore NC2) and I keep losing my GPS signal. No different from any of the other 4.4.2 ROMs I tried (all stock Samsung, initially not rooted but now I am)
I've tried:
- Turn off data (as someone suggested the Note 3 loses GPS when data changes from HSPA to 4G and back)
- rebooted
- Shut down the phone, take battery out and wait a few minutes before rebooting
- cleared the cache
- all sorts of location modes
, turned off wireless and bluetooth
- installed gps status and toolbox (another suggestion)
- full wipe and reinstall all apps
Things I have not tried
- wipe again (but I don't want to keep wiping to get GPS working)
- break the piece of sh1t in half
Is there any way to make this pile of [email protected] work. This is seriously THE worst GPS I had since the original Galaxy S (the S1).
I could not honestly say whether it was any better or worse before the upgrade as I got it two weeks ago and immediately upgraded to 4.4.2
Somehow, after I upgraded to NC2 it was fine but this afternoon it was absolute hell and took all the self control I had NOT to open the window and throw the POS out.
Any suggestions would be greatly(!) appreciated.
TIA
ewok666 said:
Hi all,
I'm on 4.4.2 (Singapore NC2) and I keep losing my GPS signal. No different from any of the other 4.4.2 ROMs I tried (all stock Samsung, initially not rooted but now I am)
I've tried:
- Turn off data (as someone suggested the Note 3 loses GPS when data changes from HSPA to 4G and back)
- rebooted
- Shut down the phone, take battery out and wait a few minutes before rebooting
- cleared the cache
- all sorts of location modes
, turned off wireless and bluetooth
- installed gps status and toolbox (another suggestion)
- full wipe and reinstall all apps
Things I have not tried
- wipe again (but I don't want to keep wiping to get GPS working)
- break the piece of sh1t in half
Is there any way to make this pile of [email protected] work. This is seriously THE worst GPS I had since the original Galaxy S (the S1).
I could not honestly say whether it was any better or worse before the upgrade as I got it two weeks ago and immediately upgraded to 4.4.2
Somehow, after I upgraded to NC2 it was fine but this afternoon it was absolute hell and took all the self control I had NOT to open the window and throw the POS out.
Any suggestions would be greatly(!) appreciated.
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to be frank, wifi/data/blututh has nothing to do with the GPS. Mine is working well, has never disconnected when I needed (especially when I m driving)
have u tried to test ur gps ? u can use gps test to see how fast it is to lock a satelite, how many satelite detected, how strong is ur gps signal.
then you will know whether your gps got problem or not.
By any chance ur using aluminum casing? With it NFC won't work and very weak GPS signals.
antique_sonic said:
to be frank, wifi/data/blututh has nothing to do with the GPS. Mine is working well, has never disconnected when I needed (especially when I m driving)
have u tried to test ur gps ? u can use gps test to see how fast it is to lock a satelite, how many satelite detected, how strong is ur gps signal.
then you will know whether your gps got problem or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I know none of these should matter when it comes GPS except data and obviously the phone can scan for Wi-Fi networks to get an initial position.
When the phone gets a lock it usually does so within seconds and I've compared signal strength with an S4 and it's give or take the same.
Still, the Note lost the signal without moving, got it back only to lose it again and so on......absolute nightmare trying to navigate with it. I'll check it again today.
I have no case on it, it just sits in a Brodit holder.
It seems ok this morning.....I'll just keep an eye on it.
EDIT: Was OK for most of the morning while driving. However, this afternoon, after some playing some games, I took it for a drive again and GPS went all ballistic. I wonder whether it's a heat problem. I have another Note 3, also KitKat but different version, not rooted and when I put them both next to each other on a table they both intermittently lost GPS without being moved around....very strange.
Never had this issue... Mine only looses signal when i'm in a parking garage, on the tube or in between several high concrete buildings. But that's elementary physics, not a hardware defect.
Have you tried another GPS app?
ShadowLea said:
Never had this issue... Mine only looses signal when i'm in a parking garage, on the tube or in between several high concrete buildings. But that's elementary physics, not a hardware defect.
Have you tried another GPS app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I've tried a few including GPS testing apps. Are you on 4.3 or 4.4.2?
I've also had the two Note 3, a SGS3 and Note 10.1 (2014 LTE so also Snapdragon 800) next to each other on a table outside. The SGS showed a rather consistent view of 6 to 7 satellites while the Notes (all three) had their satellite readings go up and down. However, ONLY the Note 3s lost the signal. It looks something like this: Has 8 to 10 sats in view, suddenly drops four, then another 3, then it's dead and then it seems to restart......and it's good again. This is all without the phones/tablet being moved or touched.
Mine does it as well rooted and before unrooted! Could be hardware although it's not as bad on Google maps more on waze!
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ewok666 said:
Thanks, I've tried a few including GPS testing apps. Are you on 4.3 or 4.4.2?
I've also had the two Note 3, a SGS3 and Note 10.1 (2014 LTE so also Snapdragon 800) next to each other on a table outside. The SGS showed a rather consistent view of 6 to 7 satellites while the Notes (all three) had their satellite readings go up and down. However, ONLY the Note 3s lost the signal. It looks something like this: Has 8 to 10 sats in view, suddenly drops four, then another 3, then it's dead and then it seems to restart......and it's good again. This is all without the phones/tablet being moved or touched.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4.4.2, NB7.
I'll test. Note that I'm inside a newly build concrete building between several servers and computers, and below 7 floors filled with people. (It's a hotel.)
Start: 22 in view.
10 sec: In use: 6. Accuracy: 60 meters
25 sec: In use: 9, Accuracy: 10 meters.
MapsWithMe and Google maps drop me in the wrong part of the building, but the readings remain consistent after it has sucessfully located me. Even when I'm walking down the hall it accuratelly follows me without skipping.
(It still thinks I'm doing it in the wrong part of the complex, but no connection is lost. Could be worse, most apps' locationservices still think I'm somewhere in the arse-end of nowhere in Eastern Europe. Dear Phone, I've seen enough of Serbia to say I wasn't impressed. I have no intention to stay. )
Mobile data on/off makes no difference, WiFi is off.
Is it relevant to mention that I'm in western Europe? Might be, for the number of sats.
ShadowLea said:
4.4.2, NB7.
I'll test. Note that I'm inside a newly build concrete building between several servers and computers, and below 7 floors filled with people. (It's a hotel.)
Start: 22 in view.
10 sec: In use: 6. Accuracy: 60 meters
25 sec: In use: 9, Accuracy: 10 meters.
MapsWithMe and Google maps drop me in the wrong part of the building, but the readings remain consistent after it has sucessfully located me. Even when I'm walking down the hall it accuratelly follows me without skipping.
(It still thinks I'm doing it in the wrong part of the complex, but no connection is lost. Could be worse, most apps' locationservices still think I'm somewhere in the arse-end of nowhere in Eastern Europe. Dear Phone, I've seen enough of Serbia to say I wasn't impressed. I have no intention to stay. )
Mobile data on/off makes no difference, WiFi is off.
Is it relevant to mention that I'm in western Europe? Might be, for the number of sats.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the test. I've been on NB7 (BTU). THis is when I first noticed the problem, the day after I got the Note 3.
All I can say is that it's fine again now. Something triggers the problem and once it's messed up it stays that way until I shut the phone down AND take the battery out for half a minute or so. A simple shut down and restart after a few seconds does not seem to help.
No clue whether this is related to there not being an Australian 4.4.2 ROM although I would have though Singapore would be close enough.....geographically.
I'm indoors at the moment and it has 13 satellites in use with 36ft (about 10m) accuracy and has been stable for the last 15 minutes. When it's screwed then I don't get a lock for longer than a minute or two. I'll just keep playing with it and if I can't fix it at all it's going to a better place
Thanks
I have the same problem. I'm on 3uk network and have to have a booster box for my phone at home as there is no network coverage on any network where I live but sometimes lose signal even with this. With friends, on same network, they have a perfect signal on their phones, none have the Galaxy Note 3 except me and I have have zilch. I didn't have any problems when I first got my phone but approx 9-10 mths later Gps signal totally unreliable. 3 told me the handset would have to be sent back to Samsung but this means I have to be without for, well who knows how long...
I have tried all the same remedies as you, none work. If you come up with any solution PLEASE post it here. thanks.
Hello,
Recently noticed my GPS barely works. If I'm out in an open field it can get medium strength locking from satellites in GPS Status. My wife has identical phone and gets the type of GPS signal I would expect to get. Side by side my phone simply cannot get much. Indoors forget about it. It use to be so good. I certainly have dropped this phone here and there but in the past it never influenced GPS. Is there any possible software/firmware side of things that could be causing it? I may have installed apps or updated apps but I didn't do any tinkering with the GPS specifically or with flashing roms or whatnot since this summer--and it worked fine then after any tinkering---this is a recent development.
Can anyone provide any ways to troubleshoot this? Possible the GPS chip is partially broken? I mean.. it can get signal.. just piss poor and struggles mightily. Almost can't get it in the car, loses GPS lock under tree cover, etc. Very temperamental.
Seems a little bit like 4G has also degraded but a little more unsure of that.
bump! Any help, methods to trouble-shoot between hardware/software. I tried to erase modemst1/2 see if that would jog anything, no effect.
thanks
water- said:
Hello,
Recently noticed my GPS barely works. If I'm out in an open field it can get medium strength locking from satellites in GPS Status. My wife has identical phone and gets the type of GPS signal I would expect to get. Side by side my phone simply cannot get much. Indoors forget about it. It use to be so good. I certainly have dropped this phone here and there but in the past it never influenced GPS. Is there any possible software/firmware side of things that could be causing it? I may have installed apps or updated apps but I didn't do any tinkering with the GPS specifically or with flashing roms or whatnot since this summer--and it worked fine then after any tinkering---this is a recent development.
Can anyone provide any ways to troubleshoot this? Possible the GPS chip is partially broken? I mean.. it can get signal.. just piss poor and struggles mightily. Almost can't get it in the car, loses GPS lock under tree cover, etc. Very temperamental.
Seems a little bit like 4G has also degraded but a little more unsure of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's freaking Christmas, just buy yourself a new phone
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Free mobile app
tempting..and I will in a few months when my contract is up. But this was a spectacular GPS for navigating in the backcountry with downloaded maps. Would love to be able to retain that use after it is no longer a primary phone.
please, any troubleshooting suggestions would be appreciated!
I've had very few problems since switching to Waze and SlimKat. It was horrid under CyanogenMod no matter what I used.
I had been having similar problems under stock KitKat. Here's what I noticed, maybe something will help you:
Resetting aGPS data and re-downloading wouldn't help.
Sometimes GPS would never give a location with plenty of satellites locked to. I modified some build.prop stuff to give me a horribly inaccurate lock in these cases. It was also usually fixed with a reboot.
GPS status would show TONS of satellites overhead, but never be able to lock on to more than one of them. Making sure I had wifi turned on (even if I was in the middle of nowhere with no wifi signals) eliminated this problem.
Something would randomly disable the GPS while I was using it, when it turned it back on a short time later it wouldn't lock (usually due to one of the above issues). I eventually concluded it was how Google Maps and some of the new location stuff works these days. I assume it's trying to save GPS power, other programs were much better. Solution: F Google maps; I only use it as a fancy yellow pages these days. I had stuck with the old, old, version (that still supported Latitude), but had to update when I went to KK and that's when my problems started. This is just another thing that pisses me off about it. I use Waze for navigation now (though I miss lane guidance and using my own text to voice software).
Some GPS bugs can be resolved by flashing to stock firmware, getting a GPS lock and while locked on GPS, reboot straight to recovery and flash your new ROM. After doing that once I have flashed (too) many ROMs with no GPS locking or accuracy issues.
Also make sure your GPS is set to high accuracy and not battery saver.
Sent from my RAZR M on BlissPop Lollipop 5.0.2 from Tapatalk
ezdi and kronik.. thank you for suggestion. unfortunately to no avail even with full reset.
sometimes really seems like my general phone reception, wifi, gps, and data (1x/3G, 4G) are all haywire. Certainly they all work. But the data is never as strong as it should be. Often seems like it needs to be jogged (airplane mode on, then off)/dead areas--while my wife's phone is solid (same razr m but rooted with unlocked BL and stock rom). Likewise on the GPS. it can certainly find and lock satellites but in GPS Status only ever reach 'half bar' strength green.. they use to be able to lock multiple sats at max level.
It's odd...we are talking about the 'radios' of my phone, no? or mostly? I generally consider digital electronics to either function, or not. That they function at all--can receive pings from a satellite, can transmit data to and from towers... tells me the electronics are functional and this is software side. UNLESS there is some radio hardware component that is an amplifier of sorts. If that electronic was broken it would make sense why things function but appear weak/spotty.
thoughts?
aside from my contract being up in a month and what the hell next phone I should get from verizon... haha. But no I'd love to get my phone back to where it was and have a dedicated backcountry/hiking/skiing GPS... which it wouldn't be capable of now (it was..when it worked).
Cheers
bump bump
GPS not working on SM-N910F. Show much "In view" satellites, but 0 "In use"
Have problem with GPS. It never can find satellites, even under clear sky. "GPS Test" application always show many "In view" sattelites and zero "In use" satellites.
Changing android version (even CM) doesnt help.
Anyone help! How to fix this problem?
AlexN said:
Have problem with GPS. It never can find satellites, even under clear sky. "GPS Test" application always show many "In view" sattelites and zero "In use" satellites.
Changing android version (even CM) doesnt help.
Anyone help! How to fix this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue here, I'm starting to think hardware issue, did you find a fix?
I had the same problem and I tried everything, different ROMs, different programs, to no avail.
It probably is a hardware issue. The GPS connectors inside the phone do not make contact with the GPS antenna on the backplate. Open the phone and raise the connectors a little, very gently, so you don't break them. Before closing it, put a tiny paper under the connectors, so it won't happen again. It's not very easy, but not too hard either.
Thanks
I ordered a phone repair kit (small screw driver etc) yesterday as I suspected the same. I'm going to open her up when it arrives, I'll let you know what I find.
Cheers for the reply
R
Took mine apart, extended all the pins I could see bilut same issue. Where exactly are the GPS pins and antenna? All I could find online was stuff for the note 3.
Cheers
R
rickoneeleven said:
Took mine apart, extended all the pins I could see bilut same issue. Where exactly are the GPS pins and antenna? All I could find online was stuff for the note 3.
Cheers
R
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To the right, as you see the device from the back. It's the two tiny pins on the up-right corner.
Cheers
I'll take another peek tonight
Just opened it up again, give them a good extend but the issue remains. I think I'm a special case though, I got mine from Hong Kong (sent to UK) and then through a custom ROM Modem/Bootloader on without testing anything - idiot. So after further reading I think my issue may be related to CSC stuff, although I'm not sure exactly what that means yet - I'll keep reading.
Cheers for prompt reply.
R
Hello, I had the same issue when running android 5.1
It was after waiting a long time to get some good gps lock. Assuming it was an hardware problem I also checked out the 'pin' issue.
But amazingly, when flashing a android 4.4.4 rom, the gps is now awesome!
It now has almost instant lock everytime and I use it all the time for tracking my running and cycling. So I noticed the difference quickly between android 4 and 5 with the gps. It's like there's a big software bug in the 5 version.
Thanks choko, the one good thing I did before the flash was take a picture of all the info in "about phone" and a full backup including efs etc, so one of my steps when I have more time is a full roll back to stock (4.4.4).
Just need to locate the stock bootloader and modem for my "special" Hong Kong device.
Cheers all
R
I couldn't get a GPS connection on my Note 3 and was about to take it apart when I came across GPS Status Test and Fix I ran it and then everything was sorted! I've just bought a Note 4 and thankfully the GPS worked first time (I'm on MM now)
Thanks wold
I tried that and clicked the buttons at the bottom and it just varied between 0/19 and 0/24, not sure if that means my phone is "seeing" the sats but just not locking or what.
Feel so close to a fix yet so far away as I've tried everything apart from a CSC reset thing I read elsewhere. But that formats your phone so waiting for when I have more time.
Cheers all
R
Okay all - tried flashing back to my original backup from when it was new but it got stuck in reboot loop. I found the exact firmware online that came with my phone, flash it including modem etc and the phone booted as new, no warning sign it had been rooted or any recovery's installed. Even got offered some security updates once I'd logged in. Even after all that and comparing my ABOUT PHONE info to my original screenshot and confirming they all matched exact, I still have the same problem.
Some times when it's broke, I guess it's just damn broke!
Good luck with your journey's my friends, may the odds be forever in your favor.
This solution is the one that finally fixed the GPS on my Note 4 (currently on Android 5.1.1).
I had tried all the other options I could find on the internet (clearing cache, removing SD card, removing/reinserting SIM, calibrating compass, changing location modes, clearing AGPS data, etc., etc., etc.). None of them helped. Powering down, removing the back, then removing all the screws (about a dozen I think), then twisting the case gently several times in a "hand wringing" motion, followed by pushing firmly around the back to reseat anything that may have come loose inside (I did get a satisfying click of something snapping back together around the camera area), and then reassembling everything finally fixed the problem.
I now get a GPS fix in 3-4 seconds while inside on the main floor of a two story home. I get a signal-to-noise ratio that ranges between 15 and 30 and typically get a fix on around 10 satellites now (while indoors). Outdoors the performance is outstanding; the SNR is even better and the time to fix is nearly instantaneous. Before the fix I was lucky if it even got a fix on 3 or 4 satellites and it would often take several minutes, if ever.
I use GPS Test by Chartcross Limited to confirm satellite signal-to-noise ratio and time to first fix. I used to use GPS Status & Toolbox, but I prefer the GPS Test GUI and it has many of the same functions (including clearing and updating AGPS data). Incidentally, before the fix if I cleared the AGPS data I was lucky if I ever got a fix indoors; usually I had to go outdoors and wait many minutes to get the first fix. Now, I will get a fix while inside within 15 seconds after clearing AGPS data.
My Note 4 is like new again. And, as an added bonus, my battery life seems to have improved immensely. I suspect that the poor satellite reception made the GPS run nearly full time trying to get a fix. Now it seems to have dramatically reduced the battery drain required to run the GPS. I suspect that many of the reports of poor battery life are actually Note 4's that have poor GPS satellite reception problems.
AlexN said:
Have problem with GPS. It never can find satellites, even under clear sky. "GPS Test" application always show many "In view" satellite and zero "In use" satellites.
Changing android version (even CM) doesn't help.
Anyone help! How to fix this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem it shows many in view 20 OR 26 but doesn't fix to any of them. SM-N10F
1-Opened my phone clean all the points pins No avail.
2-Forced Stop the location services then In view 0 in use 0 (google play services and google play-store)
3-Changed online found GPS drivers gps.default.so etc..... Goes to boot loop.
4. Still waiting for solution.
Test Apps ---- GPS STATUS AND TOOLBOX PRO GPS TEST AND FIX FASTER GPS
PUT MY IMEI TO IMEI INFO AND IT SAYS THAT ITS SM-N910C OR SM-N9108V MODEL PHONE.. STRANGE I DONT THINK SAMSUNG KNOX WILL LET OTHER MODEL FIRMWARE BE INSTALLED ON THIS HARDWARE. PLZ CHECK YOURS AND REPORT.
AND DONT SAY ITS A HARDWARE PROBLEM IF IT IS THE GPS IS INTEGRATED IN QUALCOMM SOC SO IT SHOULD BURN ALSO.