hello.
i've left my wizzard on damp kitchentable for about half of an hour. when i've returned it was wet, still working but the camera light (flash/torch) was on and so it is now. there's probably water still there, but i ain't got idea how to fix it. please help ! thanx
sounds like you have short circuited something, try taking it apart and put it in a bowl of rice and leave for a few hours (use a sealable container and shake it up)or if you dont want to take it apart just take the bit that covers the camera off (it just clips off, so no unsrewing) refer to the service manual found on this forum somewhere. the rice should dry out and moisture still inside the phone. if that doesnt work i dont know ur buggerd
Hum... never heard about rice absorving capabilities!
guide
i hope i'll open it safely
and another thing is that i moved from uk and i want to get rid of this O2 crap from my phone coz it affects working in my home network. what i have to do?
go to start -> programs -> Install type. if you open up that program you should have 2 options, basic and corporate, choose corporate and enter the password : 0506. this should get rid of all the o2 rubbish and you should still have everthing
has the "magical" rice worked?
i haven't opened it yet coz of lack of tools but i thought that instead of rice one may use those small silicon balls which are in every box of shoes.
dean: thx 4 solution, the o2 crap is gone now, but still before windows starting o2 logo apearing, and there's another strange thing whitch i don't understand: on start bar where u got those tiny icons like phone signal strenght, battery life indicator etc. there is a triangle - is that stands for roaming ?? If yes - why, if no, what does it means, coz i don't have it described in phone's manual.
cheers !
I don't really know anything about that little triangle, it seemed to of popped up when I went abroad to spain so I guess it must have something to do with you being out of the UK? Also there will always be the o2 screen at startup because it is the o2 ROM that is being used but I don't think it will affect the device, if you desperatly needed to get rid of it then you should look around on the forums on how to upgrade but I don't recommend it
P.S: tools to take apart can be easy to find in a local DIY store (i think the screwdriver is a torx 5 or 6 I don't know just look on the web) I just robbed all mine from school
let me know how you get on with the flash problem
Hello All,
I have a Wizard and it has a problem. If i close the keyboard too quick, or press on the screen or outter case too hard, the entire thing will freeze. Sometimes it will fade to a white screen and reboot, other times I have to soft reset it. I thought it might be the battery, so I replaced it with no go. I also updated the rom to 3.08 ipl/spl, with a gsm radio of 2.25 and WM6 (jaguar) and it still does it. Therefore, I believe it to be hardware related. Are there any tips/tricks I can do to fix this, or is it a lost cause? I really enjoy the phone and will be upgraded to the tilt in a few months but would like to play with this phone as is right now (as it was free). Any and all help is appreciated.
Thanks guys
im not sure about ur but my phone had a problem kinda like that. i was using it ( namely the flash of the camera) as a flashlite to see a leak and some water got into it( a few drops max ) anyway after that it would turn on properly but after a little while it would just turn white and hang if i took the battery out and then after a min or 2 put it back in it would be ok for another few minutes
so i girded up my loins and downloaded the service manual and opened the phone used a blow drier to dry everything out inside it after taking it apart peice by peice put it back together again ad viola its working perfectly
nyway so maybe some cables loose or something give it a try u got nothing to lose as u said the phone came to u free anyway
Are you guys by any chance overclocking?
overclocking to 247 with variable speeds to conserve battery.
Using Battery Status 1.40 Beta nightly build(with clock) The scalable cpu feature is F'n AWESOME! and the taskbar icons make sure I never open commmanager.
I don't know if it is safe to overclock it anymore than 247... is it??? I'm afaraid to try because I need my phone
wassup, I am not overclocking
docnas, I will try and tear it apart to see if there is a loose connection. I had been thinking along those lines, and will definitely try that out.
Any other suggestions as well?
Well i overclock mine to 260 whenever I use wifi and other programs but lower it back to 195 if I'm doing light taks such as a phone call. With that, everyone in a while when i take it to 260 it will freeze, then fade to a white screen, and restart. Other than that i don't know what other problems that could've cause this.
@ cptcrunch only suggestion is take it slow and easy dont get over eager and snap something ( i did and broke the ear speaker peice luckly one of this great forums members is going to supply me one he had lying around)
Oh and one more thing dont open the LCD screen portion just open it to the main circuit board and check out the 2 connectors ( the large one on the bottom side and a small reddish one on top the large one is the actual LCD screen connector so it might be the culprit
About overclocking im a normal user and have batterystatus installed using cpuscalar feature i have it at 110 195 234 boost 273
never had a problem with these settings but ur miles may vary
I also have a similar problem except mine freezes when I put it in standby mode and then randomly push the buttons under the lcd display (like they would get pushed being in your pocket.) I have no clue why but it takes a hard reset to get it working agian. Im probably going to get rid of it.
First off, I want to say that Plato56 was the first person to try this, and I want to give all credit where credit is due. Several others have applied this method, including myself, with great results. I apologize for not knowing everyone and I apologize if any of this is not clear. Please let me know and I will clarify the best I can and update this original post.
Ok, the other thread found here is close but the wrong contacts are circled. I've uploaded several pics to reference as you read through this post. The first pic has the correct contacts circled. The contacts circled in the other thread are for the cellular radio.
So What's The Deal With The GPS on my SGS!?
Essentially, the problem is two fold.
Problem #1: Samsung has no clue how to put out decent firmware.
Problem #2: The copper contact that Samsung chose to connect the GPS Receiver to the GPS Antenna is about the crappiest selection they could have possibly made.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS THREAD IS TO ADDRESS PROBLEM #2. If we address and solve one then we can (hopefully) tackle the other effectively one day. Here is a technical, but relatively easy to understand explanation of why Firmware alone can't fix the GPS problems that plague ALL SGS phones (even if your GPS is "fine" it still has weak SNR Numbers)
Explanation (Courtesy of T313C0mun1s7):
Q) Is it hardware?
A) It's complicated. We are talking about very high frequency RF here, you gotta understand how electricity acts when you reach these frequencies to fully get this, but I will summarize. At zero hertz or DC current electricity flows through the body or center of the conductor. As long as you have enough conductor to carry the required current you are good. So the type of spring contact they used is fine for DC, in fact I went looking for replacement contacts and the only thing I can find are designed for either battery tabs or for grounding contacts. As you go higher in frequency the AC current of electricity takes on what we call skin effect, it travels as waves around the surface of the conductor. For this reason large diameter, low loss coax usually has a hollow center conductor. It make no difference electrically and makes it more flexible, lighter, and less expensive because it saves copper. Connections have to be solid and shielded because the RF can "leak", noise can be introduced, and the conductor should be tuned to the frequency carried. In short, these spring connectors are about as bad a connection as you could have picked. It is not enough that they touch the pad, you need good solid contact for a good transfer with the skin effect and to minimize loss. It seems that this problem is exasperated by poor contact. This fix it to simply improve the contact by increasing the pressure and hope to minimize the ill effects of this poor choice of contact design. To complicate things there are in fact things that can be done in software to improve the situation - this made trouble shooting harder because people tend to see these things as black and white and therefore either hardware OR software. If you want to know how software can affect this, then you will need to read back through the thread as I have already explained it twice and this answer is already too long.
Q) Should I ever expect a fix?
A) Read the OP. It was "fixed" (ie they improved the connection, but they did not re-engineer a proper fix) already. It seems if it was made in September there is a good chance it is ok or marginal. If it was made (or possibly re-manufactured?) in October it seems they are at least as good as the fix we are applying in this thread. Either they are using better contacts or they are increasing the angle to apply more pressure.
Q) Will T-mobile replace it?
A) They recognize the problem. This is what the app Samsung released is for. It resets everything to the stock settings (and nothing else). If you use it and can show unacceptable performance with the GPS (via the measurements the app makes - it is the official guide replacement), then they should replace the phone for you without any fight.
Now that you know why you should consider applying the hardware fix to your SGS, read on to determine if it may actually help your situation. I.E. does your unit's manufacture date and/or modem make this modification worth your time?
Prerequisites (Courtesy of T313C0mun1s7)
If you don't yet have at least JI6 then you need to be at least at that modem level FIRST. If you are already using the JI6 (or newer) modem and your GPS still sucks AND your phone was manufactured prior to October, then try this. Otherwise don't expect results. To determine your manufacture date, look on the box. If you no longer have the box, then look under the battery. The middle line has the serial number marked with a S/N. To the right of that will be a set of numbers with a period in the middle. It is month and year in European format, so 10.09 would be September of 2010.
To summarize:
* Phone made in October 2010 or after - this should not be needed
* You have not upgraded to at LEAST JI6 - then do that FIRST
Steps To Apply The Hardware Fix:
NOTE THAT THIS TECHNICALLY VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY especially if you choose the alternate method that involves a soldering iron
However, there is nothing noted on the phone that says if you remove this or go beyond that your warranty is voided.
Also, as goes without saying, don't blame me if you snap your GPS Antenna Contact off, break your plastics, or lose the ability to procreate!!!
* Turn off your GPS and shut down.
* Remove the back of your SGS and take out your battery, SIM Card and MicroSD Card.
* Remove the 7 screws that hold the back plastics. All you need is a Philips Head screwdriver from any jeweler's kit or glasses repair kit (you can get one from CVS/Wal-Mart, etc). Here is a video that shows you how to open up your phone. Take your time with this. I know it seems unsettling at first, but everything will be OK as long as you take your time and use a little common sense!
Be sure to watch for three small things after you get the back off. If you aren't careful, all three will sprout legs and run away :
1) Volume Rocker
2) Power Rocker
3) A little round plastic circle next to the lower right of your SIM Card slot that may fall out
* Refer to the 3rd and 4th pictures I uploaded (courtesy of androidmonkey). These photos depict the CORRECT CONTACT to gently bend up. The 4th photo depicts the position your contact should be in. You'll probably find that yours is laying flatter and thus isn't making contact with the GPS Antenna (which is on the plastic backing that you removed). As I said a second ago, gently bend this contact up. I used a flathead screwdriver from a glasses repair kit. It doesn't take much bend this contact. I started from the side that the fourth photo depicts. After I got the contact up a bit, I moved my screwdriver over 90* where the hump is and pried a little more. That's it! It's really simple. Just don't go happy with your bending. I have no experience replacing a snapped piece of copper so I can't be of any help if you destroy yours.
* Button everything back up. The back plastic will pop back in 10000% easier than it came off. Put the screws back in, pop your SIM and MicroSD back in and your battery. When you boot back up, you might wanna clear your GPS settings just for the heck of it. I did. DO NOT be shocked if it takes a few minutes to get a lock. It's probably the first time your SGS has ever had a real chance at a lock. Subsequent locks (Hot and Cold Start) will be faster.
* Boot up, leave your GPS off. Just because it can't hurt, clear your GPS settings. Here's how:
1) Download this app http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=775154
You can find it by searching for "sgstools" in the market. Click on Secret Codes then Lbstestmode. At the bottom you'll see "Delete GPS Data". Just click that!
OR
2) Open your dialer and hit *#*#1472365#*#*
Click "Delete GPS Data".
* Turn your GPS on. Wait for a lock! If you want to know what's going on, download two apps:
"GPS Status & Toolbox" by EclipSim
and
"GPS Test" by Chartcross Limited
That's it!
ALTERNATE METHOD - ADDING SOLDER TO YOUR GPS CONTACT
*WARNING* As I mentioned earlier IF YOU CHOOSE THIS METHOD THERE IS ZERO CHANCE OF YOUR PHONE REMAINING UNDER WARRANTY *WARNING*
If you feel inclined to modify your phone in a much more permanent way, you can opt to add some solder on top of the contact (no need to bend the contact up, in fact, don't). I attached a zip with some pics that show what two posters, regp and Mannymal did. I've soldered a few things in the past, but I'm by no means an expert. If you choose to do this, a few things to remember.
* First, seriously consider avoiding this if you have no experience with a soldering iron. In what I've seen on a limited base, you'll get minimal SNR gain in return for the effort that goes into this. I can't emphasis this enough.
* There are probably a 100 tutorials on how to solder floating around on YouTube, watch them (all).
* The absolute largest diameter solder I would use is .022.
* Find the smallest tip possible.
* Heat the CONTACT with your soldering iron, not your solder, or you will create what is called a cold solder joint that will probably lead to your GPS not working at all on down the road. You have to get the contact hot enough to receive the solder, which is touched to the part (in our case, the contact) that you want to apply the solder to.
* Be careful not to make your solder to high. I suggest looking at the photo that shows the angle of the contact after it's been raised and using that as your benchmark. We want to make contact with the GPS Antenna, not break the thing when we snap the back plastic on.
* If you end up with two much solder you can either clean the tip of your soldering iron and touch the hot tip to the solder to remove some or you can use an emery board to file it down.
* Use an small emery board (nail file essentially) to file down and smooth off your joint. I suggest doing this holding the phone upside down so you don't end up with 1000 tiny solder particles floating around your phone.
* REMEMBER, phones are tiny. These boards are tiny. A soldering iron that is too hot left on ANY board for too long will destroy it. Multiply this rule x10 for delicate parts.
Good luck.
Observable Data Changes
(Grabbed from this thread after several days of playing with this fix).
Accuracy: 16-28 feet stationary 38-50 feet moving (moving accuracy has improved and is now on par with stationary numbers since I started running the Stock JL4 Rom)
Average SNR: 22-35. Obviously you'll always have one or two that are lower and one or two higher. My max I've observed was 42.
Number of Sats Locked/In View: 8/11 most of the time. Yesterday afternoon I was locked on 10/10 with a 22 foot accuracy inside. I've had 11/14 before as well, just depends on the time of day.
Cold Start Lock: 30 seconds
Hot Start Lock: 5-15 seconds
For reference, my Garmin Nuvi is currently connected to 7/10 with a 16-18 foot accuracy and my Vibrant is connected to 7/10 with a 21-25 foot accuracy. (stationary of course)
Unnecessary re-routing: No
Wandering on Google Nav/Lost Signal with Nav: Very rarely. For me it happens when I lose signal which is only if the phone is resting on my jeans. If it's in my cupholder, center console, hand, etc it's fine. Earlier today I lost signal with it in my cupholder but I was traveling in an area where my Garmin Nuvi only had a connection to 5 satellites.
My Tracks: No data from me yet
There are some after screen shots in this post.
Other notes: I'm on the road a lot. Today is my first day to really extensively test it. Basically, it's MUCH better. Is it perfect? No, but I will say that unlike these other fixes that involve changes in lbstestmode and reset apps that only last for a couple of hours at best, my GPS performance has been very consistent ever since I adjusted the antenna contact. Is it as good as my old Blackberries with signal strength? No. How does it compare to other Android devices? I have no clue.
What I do know is that it works well enough for me to be comfortable not having to grab my Nuvi everytime I switch vehicles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrap Up
I hope this works for those of you like me that have tried almost every firmware update, tweak, etc. Between this fix and JL4, all I can say is that this device is probably as near to perfect as it'll ever be. I've been running this fix for well over a week and I've experienced no signs of the modified contact losing it's contact with the antenna.
If You Still Have Problems
* Even though you used the Samsung GPS Restore App (Found in the market for Vibrant/Captivate only)
* Even though you deleted GPS Data
* Even though you have your WiFi Off like Plato56 recommends in this post
* Even if you tried a full system wipe
Don't panic if you don't have a ton of locks. Like mentioned above, there is still a firmware component to this issue. I see times where mine doesn't want to lock. Usually if I turn GPS off and then turn it back on it runs smoothly from there on out. Depending on where you live, time of day may make a difference. Inevitably, in the afternoons I may only get 6 of 11 locked on. All other times I can get 9-11 of 11 or 11 of 14, etc. Bear with it. This fix is NOT a silver bullet, but give it a day or two of reasonable playing time to determine if it helped.
For example, right now I'm indoors locked on 7/11 with a 21 foot accuracy and SNR's averaging 31. I used to see 0/3 with SNR's averaging 29. That's a definite improvement. If any other Android was in the same position it would probably show 8/11 with a 10 foot accuracy and SNR's averaging over 65.
So take it for what it's worth, but the fix is DEFINITELY worth the effort!
ADDITIONAL TWEAK
Check out this thread here and read through the OP carefully. A few days ago I flashed "S.gps.zip" and I've had great results with it on Bionix 1.3.1 with the KA7 modem. I didn't see an increase in accuracy, but I did see a HUGE improvement on the speed my GPS locked and the number of birds locked too. I played around with all of the 2.2 modems last night and they all saw improved results.
If you decide to flash one of those zips, I recommend making a Nandroid backup first. In reading through the thread it appears that there are a few people that had their flashes result in broken GPS's. I have no idea why, I'd imagine it's because they didn't clear GPS data and they just think it's broken. I recommend making a backup, shutting off your GPS, booting into CWM, flashing the zip, rebooting, clearing GPS data, turning your GPS on and enjoying locks. And, as always, I recommend using GPS Test by Mike Lockwood to test your GPS every time you make a change.
The Super GPS should work on any ROM on an Vibrant, but it looks like a lot of people have tried it on 2.2 ROMS so be aware that, as always, there's the chance you may brick your device. If it works for you, be sure to thank jellette for his work. As always, I take no responsibility if this messes up your phone. I'm just relaying what worked for me.
UPDATE: 7/31/11
I should have posted this a couple of months ago. I also have a theory about why sometimes this fix fails over time. For example, I run Overstock 2.4.1 and I often flash the S.gps2.zip when I redo my system. It's been a fantastic combo on Bionix 1.3.1, but often, after a few weeks my GPS begins to turn retarded and will eventually no longer lock. In the past I've always believed it's purely because the antenna contacts have started to relax. However, what I've discovered is that when I go back into CWM and reflash my kernel and reflash the GPS zip, everything is happy and perfect again. I'm by no means a hardware genius or a developer. I'm just an average end user that loves to tinker with things and be methodical in testing, but I'm starting to believe that there truly is something going on that corrupts our GPS Drivers over time (in reference back to how we know Samsung screwed the pooch on firmware for the GPS Receiver).
So, that said, before you crack your phone open over and over yanking and bending on contacts, reflash your kernel and the GPS Zip of your choice. And, like I've always said before, if the hardware fix doesn't seem to work for you when it seems to work for others on the same ROM as you, try another kernel, and try it more than once. I still fully believe that every GPS Receiver on every SGS can be made usable. It's not perfect, but it's a strong improvement from not being able to obtain a lock. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=16026963&postcount=12
Q&A
This thread is getting long so I am creating this Q&A post to answer many of the most common questions.
Due credits go to those that originally asked and answered these questions. Obviously this thread is the result of the efforts of many people.
Q) Is it a hardware issue? Why do different ROMs / Modems effect this?
A) It's complicated. We are talking about very high frequency RF here, you gotta understand how electricity acts when you reach these frequencies to fully get this, but I will summarize. At zero hertz or DC current electricity flows through the body or center of the conductor. As long as you have enough conductor to carry the required current you are good. So the type of spring contact they used is fine for DC, in fact I went looking for replacement contacts and the only thing I can find are designed for either battery tabs or for grounding contacts. As you go higher in frequency the AC current of electricity takes on what we call skin effect, it travels as waves around the surface of the conductor. For this reason large diameter, low loss coax usually has a hollow center conductor. It make no difference electrically and makes it more flexible, lighter, and less expensive because it saves copper. Connections have to be solid and shielded because the RF can "leak", noise can be introduced, and the conductor should be tuned to the frequency carried. In short, these spring connectors are about as bad a connection as you could have picked. It is not enough that they touch the pad, you need good solid contact for a good transfer with the skin effect and to minimize loss. It seems that this problem is exasperated by poor contact. This fix it to simply improve the contact by increasing the pressure and hope to minimize the ill effects of this poor choice of contact design. To complicate things there are in fact things that can be done in software to improve the situation - this made trouble shooting harder because people tend to see these things as black and white and therefore either hardware OR software. If you want to know how software can affect this, then you will need to read back through the thread as I have already explained it twice and this answer is already too long.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) Should I try this fix?
A) Only if you can not get your phone replaced under warranty. If you can not and meet the prerequisites in the OP, then you are a good candidate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) How do I update to JI6? In the release notes of the Super_IO kernel, it mentions it has the UVJL1 modem. is this more recent than JI6??
A) Yes, JL1 is more recent than JI6. The nomenclature uses lexicograpical unicode values.
1. Check the first unit. The first unit in JI6 and JL1 are both 'J', so look at the next unit.
2. 'I' in the former, 'L' in the latter. 'L' comes after 'I' in the alphabet, so it's more recent.
3. You can stop here, because you've already determined that JL* is more recent than JI*. Any units that come after this are to distinguish within the L- or I-series.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) How do I reset the GPS setting?
A) Open your dialer and hit *#*#1472365#*#* or maybe *#3214789650# (I need clarification on these)
OR
The Samsung GPS Restore app (APK attached to this post)
OR
Since the Feburary 2nd, 2011 Market update you can find it here https://market.android.com/details?id=com.sec.samsung.GpsRestore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) Should we assume that any phone manufactured before 10/10 has these problems?
A) No, I would not think so. Something like this is usually a intermittent manufacturing flaw and would not affect everyone or there would be an even larger outrage about it.
Look at it this way. The spring contacts were designed to make contact without too much pressure when the back is properly in place. GOOD engineering would have accounted for slight variations in manufacturing and quality control and would have made the spring contacts overshoot the required distance a little to assure 100% contact in all situations. In this case I think they forgot to account for that and designed them to just touch, invariably some make intermittent contact and some fall just short of good solid contact (there are prior posts about how poor contact can get worse over time due to oxidation and arcing), but at least we have no reports of totally non-working GPS where they would have failed to touch outright. Chances are when October came around one of two things happened.
They decided to fix the issue and reenginerred the design to make better contact
The manufacturer ran out of the old contacts the the new shipment just work better
Either way, although this is a common issue, I don't see the evidence that it affected all pre-October phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) Any hints on how to get the back off after removing the screws? I watched the YouTube video, but I'm not having any luck with my normal sized fingernails.
A) It is very stubborn, the most important tool you have is patience. Just take your time. If you really need more than just you fingers here are some other options.
Set of Safe Open Pry Tools - http://www.repairsuniverse.com/prytools.html
Thinner than credit card type cards such as a Bi-Mart membership card, plastic business cards that are 1/2 thickness of a credit card, laminated ID badge, old Subway rewards card.
Guitar Pick
The plastic from a clear "clam shell" type package that everything seems to come in now. You know, the ones that seem impossible to open.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) CRAP!!! I BROKE MY TAB (This question covers Soldering)
A) Relax, take three deep breaths, all is not lost.
What you want to do is replace the tab with a small mound of solder to bridge the space between the boards and create a contact so the two pads touch. You want a decent amount of surface to touch and you want it flat for the best contact. You need the mound smooth and round because you are working with high frequency signals. Follow the instructions below carefully. If you need more details they are in this thread.
1) If you are experienced in soldering most will be second nature to you except for the fact that you are not actually soldering anything to anything, you are just making a mound on a pad. If you are not experienced then the first step is to WATCH THESE VIDEOS (A) and (B) then PRACTICE until you are proficient in the basics of heating, soldering, and removing the iron cleanly leaving a good joint.
2) Read this comic book (trust me) --> http://mightyohm.com/files/soldercomic/FullSolderComic_20110409.pdf
3) Now if you are confident that you are ready to actually touch a hot soldering iron to the inside of your phone lets continue.
De-solder the old broken contact from the pad using the soldering iron and either some wick or a solder-sucker (you can also use a cheap rubber bulb, but they rarely work well)
Use the soldering iron and wick or solder-sucker to remove any remaining solder from the pad. It can still be silver, but should be flat.
Realizing that you will remove a little solder with the iron when you pull it away, make a small, smooth, shiny, and round mound of solder on the lower pad just a little taller then you need for good contact.
It is important in this step to not leave any metal filing behind on the board or it might short something out. So do this step holding the phone upside-down so they fall away. File the top of the mound with an emery board so you have a flat spot parallel with the pad. Don't file too much at first.
Check the height of the mound by puting the top board back on. If needed file a little more and recheck. Go slow, don't try to take too much off at once. When the hight is right it should just barely be too tall. You want good solid contact, but you do not want the board to be stressed or bend.
If all looks good check again for hidden shavings and blow it off real good just to make sure.
If you mess up at any point just de-solder the pad and try again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) What are people's setting in LBSTestMode?
A) Factory Defaults - an earlier question covered how to get back there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) Will this work with the GT-I9000 or the Captivate?
A) Most likely, yes. We have even had some people with those phones report back with positive results.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) I did this hardware fix, but I am still losing locks. Now what?
A) Here is what the OFA (Original Fix Artist) Plato56 has to say:
1. Before anything else, make shure your WiFI radio is OFF. I dont mean not connected, I don't mean out of range, I mean hardware swiched off threw your settings or via the drop down status bar.
2. Use the Samsung GPS restore to get you LBS settings to default.
3. Update your modem to one of the 2.2 versions. Im particularly happy with JL4 modem myself
4. Learn to use ODIN!!!! Use this to reload your firmware of choice. Prior to flashing you favorate ROM, Always flash back to JDF (BONE STOCK FIRMWARE).
5. If you dont know what im talking about in 4, then go to the developers section and read, read, read.
6. If you have any other questions refer to sujection 1 first, then ask. Honistly, alot of people have put some work into verifing if this fix works and testing with various software, the least you can do is read this body of work and you just might end up with a working GPS.
7. My last tip of the day. Be patent with your first locks, the GPS does improve the more data it collects. This also means dont delete your GPS data unless you changed modems or are having real lock and or accuracy issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) Does this fix drift?
A) There have been a couple that have mentioned that it does fix the drift, but I think there may have been others that say they get better locks but still get some drift. I do believe though that everyone who has done the driving test with it has reported that it tracks better now and actually shows them on the correct roads, where before it didn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) What are the other contacts?
A) Opposite side is Wi-Fi, bottom is cellular.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) OK, so I can bend it up, or replace it with a bit of solder. Is that all?
A) Of course not. Some like to stick a little piece of plastic under the tab rather than try to bend it. Just a little sliver about as wide as the contact cut off a credit card should work. Your Mileage may vary, in my mind if you drop the phone that plastic is gonna be floating around in there somewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) So inside I see. . .
A) Stop! go outside. GPS was not designed to help you get from your bathroom to your kitchen. GPS signals are low power signals that have to travel all the way from an orbital satellite. Low frequencies penetrate well, and bend around objects, but they require a lot of power to transmit over distance. High frequencies travel much further with less power and remains in a fairly strait line, but it does not penetrate very well. Guess what GPS uses. So don't make it try to penetrate your roof.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q) So there are two apps listed to test GPS and . . .
A) I've noticed a big difference between the two apps called "GPS Test". Try using the one written by Mike Lockwood (he's on the Google GPS team).
http://www.androlib.com/android.appl...stest-qjx.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AND FINALLY
Q) What does tonight taste like?
A) Tonight tastes like chinese food and whiskey with coconut water
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A final note about satellites and tracking said hunks of orbital equipment
I have noticed a lot of people are wanting to compare signal levels. This is fine on a superficial level, and there should be some level of consistency as long as you live on roughly the same latitude as the person you are comparing with. As Einstein said - everything is relative. With that in mind I thought I would share a post I made in another thread. There is cool stuff in here - so check it out.
T313C0mun1s7 said:
Another thing that you have to realize is that the satellites themselves are a variable. The only way to make a satellite stationary is to put it into orbit directly on the equator, falling at the exact same rate the earth spins, and in the same direction. Even at that there is still a little wobble in a figure 8 pattern.
So GPS sats are anything but stationary, but they are flying at great speeds overhead coming in and out of view by their own rite at any time. At the speeds they fly the distances to you change by the mile rather quickly. So it should be no surprise that doing your testing repeatedly will never yield the same results twice. There are also a lot of other factors involved as well.
The point is that you are now getting very acceptable and usable results from your GPS consistently, even if you never get anything as great as your first time. Maybe you will get those strong of signals again, but even if you don't you seems to be an par with what the majority of people have reported so far.
FYI - If you would like to see some real time tracking of GPS sats that you should be able to see (THIS IS REALLY COOL) go to http://www.n2yo.com and click the GPS link at the top of the page. It will load a page of sats that are visible from your location. Click the select all box and then click the track selected satellites button. It will load a world map with the orbital paths of the sats, then the sats themselves. You can watch them move and even select them for more information on each satellite. This is not limited to GPS satellites if you want to keep playing with it. The point is that if you watch it for a little bit you can see pretty quickly as they move relative to the world map they are on just how many miles (or kilos) they cover in a fairly short time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great Post
I have been looking for this information everywhere. I cannot wait until I try this. Thank you^^
How do I update to JI6? i'm running Macnut 14 rom with the Super_IO kernel.
In the release notes of the Super_IO kernel, it mentions it has the UVJL1 modem. is this more recent than JI6??
This might be a stupid question, but how do you tell the manufacture date of the phone. My box just has a date on it (but doesn't say what that date is for), which is 08/10/2010. Is this it?
salvador3 said:
How do I update to JI6? i'm running Macnut 14 rom with the Super_IO kernel.
In the release notes of the Super_IO kernel, it mentions it has the UVJL1 modem. is this more recent than JI6??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, JL1 is more recent than JI6. The nomenclature uses lexicograpical unicode values.
1. Check the first unit. The first unit in JI6 and JL1 are both 'J', so look at the next unit.
2. 'I' in the former, 'L' in the latter. 'L' comes after 'I' in the alphabet, so it's more recent.
3. You can stop here, because you've already determined that JL* is more recent than JI*. Any units that come after this are to distinguish within the L- or I-series.
Just gently bent my piece of metal up. Giving it 10 min to find satellites and will edit this post to report.
EDIT: HOLY CRAPOLA! In the time it took me to write this post, I got 11 satellites on a cold start, MS based, with supl.google.com. I'm going to keep it on hot start now that it's got some locks. I've never run a GPS test at my current location (indoors too!), but I usually got 1 or 2 about 30 miles south of here (outdoors). I can't verify that it's the alteration that helped, but my GPS is definitely better now. Much thanks to OP.
RE-EDIT: Huh, this is weird. I tried to exit out of app but it froze. Waited a minute and it exited out, but without the expected transition animation. Tried to open it again, but the GPS icon in the notification bar wasn't flashing so I rebooted. Now I don't get any satellites with the same settings as before. A couple reboots later, everything is going according to plan.
salvador3 said:
How do I update to JI6? i'm running Macnut 14 rom with the Super_IO kernel.
In the release notes of the Super_IO kernel, it mentions it has the UVJL1 modem. is this more recent than JI6??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If ur running a 2.2 ROM u are past JI6....
Sent from my Vibrant w/ Onyx 4.2 Overkill.....
Hung0702 said:
RE-EDIT: Huh, this is weird. I tried to exit out of app but it froze. Waited a minute and it exited out, but without the expected transition animation. Tried to open it again, but the GPS icon in the notification bar wasn't flashing so I rebooted. Now I don't get any satellites with the same settings as before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, relax, I found that this is not that unusual depending on what ROM / Modem and settings your using. It happend to me with JK2 stock and and stock modem. If your running one of the 2.2 builds update your modem to JL4 or JL1. Also i have found that reseting the GPS data can help after you change modems. Before geting into the unit again, i would recoment clearing your gps data and reverting to STOCK gps setings. MS mode does in some cases make locks look faster, but a weak network connect can cause problems. This is actualy why, i think, that Samsung is using standalone mode as it saves the bird info better. Im not shure about this but for me STOCK GPS SETTINGS WORK!!! Try them before opening up the phone a 2nd time.
As long as you've done the mod correctly and have good contact, you should be in better shape. There is the possablity that you did not bend the contact high enough and it settled back in. DONT OVER BEND but maby just a hair more. Also, dont forget to clean the contacts with a mild solvent as a weak contact will cause oxidation . I use a q-tip and alcohol. Dont use tunner cleaner, i tried this and being non conductinve, i had a problem at for a bit.
Remember, this is also a software issue so dont panic if you do the mod, get good results and then things change. Here is my curent configuration for reference.
Macnut 13
JL4 modem
STOCK GPS SETTINGS
Rom was loaded from a CLEAN Oden version of JFD with eveything formated etc..
Im locking with 8-11 birds out of 13 visable in under 15 seconds with accuracy that under 20ft standing still and 25-35 in a moving car. There are times that things will get a bit worse, but by compairing those times to my Garmin, I beleave this a result of the GPS network or other enviromental issues. I DO have "use wireless networks" as it seams to reduce GPS wander on the JL1 modem , at least in my area. Without it on I get an occational jump but it always finds it way back to good in a very short time. It up to you if you want to use it, its not nessasay, but sometimes helps.
To everyone who might suggest that I'm just one of the lucky one.. When I got this phone, I could not lock on ANYTHING. I could see a few birds, hit some sometimes, get a lock after 5 minutes and lose after the phone went into lock mode etc... you know, all the problems that eveyone else has. Now with the contact mod and updated modems, the results are better than an iPhone and rival my Garmin stand alone GPS.
salvador3 said:
How do I update to JI6? i'm running Macnut 14 rom with the Super_IO kernel.
In the release notes of the Super_IO kernel, it mentions it has the UVJL1 modem. is this more recent than JI6??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your fine, your current config is good, My advice, just update to the JL4 modem.
How do I reset the GPS setting?
Stick Thread!
How do I reset the GPS setting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The most dummy proof way (not that your dumb, I just like simple solutions) is to download this app http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=775154
Click on Secret Codes then Lbstestmode. At the bottom you'll see "gps reset". Just click that!
Or open your dialer and hit *#*#1472365#*#*
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
wow holy crap this fix worked. i live in apartments and after i did this, it locked on to sats for the FIRST time EVER within 30 secs. im amazed this actually worked lol.
so should we assume that any phone manufactured before those dates has these problems?
mine was manufactured before the date, but now that im on 2.2 i usually get a lock on 7 or 8/12 Sats....
but when using google Nav, i get several re-routes and lost signals...
so im not sure if this would help me??
Any hints on how to get the back off after removing the screws? I watched the YouTube video, but I'm not having any luck with my normal sized fingernails.
kboater said:
so should we assume that any phone manufactured before those dates has these problems?
mine was manufactured before the date, but now that im on 2.2 i usually get a lock on 7 or 8/12 Sats....
but when using google Nav, i get several re-routes and lost signals...
so im not sure if this would help me??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my phone in late July and my GPS performance matches exactly what the OP describes AFTER he did the fix. My phone is pure stock JI6, with no HW mods. So, it doesn't seem valid to assume all pre-October phones have the problem.
Confirmed works... Thanks to all.
- All screen shots were taken from the same indoors location. Phone was sitting in a window.
- There are two before and two after screen shots. They represent the range of results.
- I'm running Macnut R14 with JL4
Before
After
Try this
JD - You might need to go online and order an actual case pry tool. They're usually included in disassembly kits for iPhones etc. Maybe try a guitar pick??
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
kboater said:
so should we assume that any phone manufactured before those dates has these problems?
mine was manufactured before the date, but now that im on 2.2 i usually get a lock on 7 or 8/12 Sats....
but when using google Nav, i get several re-routes and lost signals...
so im not sure if this would help me??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I would not think so. Something like this is usually a intermittent manufacturing flaw and would not affect everyone or there would be an even larger outrage about it.
Look at it this way. The spring contacts were designed to make contact without too much pressure when the back is properly in place. GOOD engineering would have accounted for slight variations in manufacturing and quality control and would have made the spring contacts overshoot the required distance a little to assure 100% contact in all situations. In this case I think they forgot to account for that and designed them to just touch, invariably some make intermittent contact and some fall just short of good solid contact (there are prior posts about how poor contact can get worse over time due to oxidation and arcing), but at least we have no reports of totally non-working GPS where they would have failed to touch outright. Chances are when October came around one of two things happened.
They decided to fix the issue and reenginerred the design to make better contact
The manufacturer ran out of the old contacts the the new shipment just work better
Either way, although this is a common issue, I don't see the evidence that it affected all pre-October phones.
I'll post screenshots later today. For now I can definitevly confirm that this fix improves gps signal levels and performance.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Hi to everyone, i bought from internet second-hand Nexus 4 with 5.0.2 but after a couple of day i got a very strange problem:
The battery % randomly change.
I mean, i am normally (but it happen also in standby) using my N4 when it alert to me that the battery is out.
It pass from 40% (or whatever good %) to 4,5 sometimes 1 and then shut down.
Also, i noticed that sometime i can't find "battery" icon in the option menu.
So i try to rebooth the phone but the touchscreen doesn't work and i need to tap with 2,3 or 4 finger.
When i reboot again, it work but they % keep changing, sometime in a bigger number, sometime in a lower number.
I complete wipe and format my N4 and for 2 days works in the best way, the battery keep the load and so on
but then, here we are again.
I got a couple of screenshot of the battery icon missing in the option, of the % changing but it is very hard make a video of this becouse it happen randomly.
Android is 5.0.2 stock, no root, no bootloader
Ofc the guy that sell to me said the phone was perfect, no problem and all the stuff works good.
it the first time it happen to me..
Please help me if you can becouse i really don't know how to behave.
Many many many thanks, Federico.
Is there any noticeable bulge to the battery on the rear of the unit? It sounds like a hardware battery issue.
So, it can be a hardware problem?
Yesterday my battery long last For about 24h...
Maybe a problem in the socket.
I should open the phone (battery is not removibile, so i dont know if there is any bulge)
I dont nave many experience with hardware problemi so i cannot spot them.
I Also should take a look in the hidden menu and take note of the mV.
Sorry for my english..
I try to find the mini torx and open my phone asap.
Thank you!
I replaced my battery the other day while replacing the power button. I didn't have an issue with the battery but figured it couldn't hurt. Turns out the replacement brand new OEM battery built 3 months ago is lasting exactly the same as the original 2 year old battery.
The battery is a really easy job to do though. You could try removing the screw's holding the connector on. They've been known to cause problems for some people.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app
Big Edit!
i finally open the device ( i missing the TR5 Torx!) and i come across in some funny surprise!
First of all, the battery was covered by paper label
Then you can see the antistatic blue tap broken
No glue is present between battery and device
The two little screw on the connector is missing <- may be the major cause?
For sure, the battery was tampered and that may be the cause of my problem.
Just one question: there is a way to understand if the battery is original ?
Special thanks to:
added info
Ah, it does indeed seem like it was tampered with, especially with the defects in the top right corner and such. Unfortunately I don't think there is a way to see whether it is original or not, but now I definitely recommend purchasing a new battery, as well as some of the extra components that seem to be missing.
Thank you for support.
By the way, i found in my office two screw that fit in the hole so i am ok, i can use a little drop of a glue or a particular biadhesive tap for block the battery in the status.. other stuff seems to be ok.
Alright, sounds good.
It looks identical to the original and the oem replacement I put in. Judging by the date it is probably not the original.
Hopefully mine doesn't act up because of leaving the screws out. I only did it because of the number of people claiming it was a fix.
I didn't put any paper on top of mine however. That makes me think the previous owner had an issue they were trying to fix with it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app
I searched the internet images and looks very similar to the original , in fact when don't show this defect has a great autonomy !
The label,i think it's been done by the past owner to obtain a thickness and hold down the battery in position , you can since it lacks the glue on the back .
The real problem is : may be due to the fact that the missing screws let "move" the connector and generate the defect ?
Moreover, the battery sends a lot of information on the phone , not only the + and - .
even just a little contact property can generate defects .
I Really hope.
I order a new battery and i have some screws taken from old laptops, mobile, maybe i can fit two of them (the first i found was too long)
The boy agreed only to refund the value of the battery ( claimed to know nothing , honestly , I do not believe but that's another story)
Sorry but i don't understand this phrase:
"Hopefully mine doesn't act up because of leaving the screws out. I only did it because of the number of people claiming it was a fix. "
You meant some people leaving the screws away from connector ?
Many thanks to all, Federico.
I mean that when I replaced the battery while I was replacing the power button, I left out the screws because so many people claimed they were too tight and caused the red light of death problem. Since I didn't want that to happen to me I left them out. I did keep them in case I had a problem so o can put them back in but so far everything is working fine.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app
That doesnt sound good for me
Maybe try putting some in again but not too tight.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app
I just pur two screw and hold the battery.
Same behavour.. Hoping is a sort of bug in the battery
Must be. My 2 year old battery lasted just as well as the new one. Held up really well.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Free mobile app
I hope man next week should be to my home!
Exactly same Problem!
Facing the same problem here. phone blanks off at 40%. Could be because of 5.0.2 as problem appeared around the time I upgraded to 5.0.2. Could be a hardware issue too as I changed the battery myself.
Edit- Loose connector is not a problem as battery charges from 0% after the phone switches off. It is either a problem with the battery or with the battery status sensor.
where is locate the battery status sensor ? in the battery or on the phone ? i try to find something on internet but...
Edit:
Just noticed that my n4 is not complete clear. Files from twrp are inside. I need to totally clear my n4 before keep testing
Well, today update:
First of all, i tried to turn on a lot of "nerdy" stats using the developer menù in order to understand if something of strange happening,but nothing of strange attract my attention.
I also turn on the thing that you can see your tap on display in order to understand is just a software problem, but actually when touchscreen does not respond, doenst respond.
Then i totally wipe my N4 (following a tutorial found on XDA) flashing kernel, radio, bootloader and stock 4.4.4 and that is what i can say:
1. "Battery" in "Options - Device" isnt shown.
Very strtange imho but that make me hopefully, maybe the origin of the problems is located on battery according with what you say.
2. I am unable to boot my N4 pressing Power button! (Actually that happen also with lollipop).
I need to turn on the device passing through fastboot menù, not a big problem but a little bit annoying .
3. Touchscreen seems to work.
Nothing to say
I will test the phone today and tomorrow.
As ever, thank you for all and the support!!
Federico.
EDIT of EDIT
1A. Rotating the device and switching from landscape to portrait battery icon shown in options.
That can be an hardware problem.
It is very hard to replicate but....
---
That must be an hardware issue, becouse tilting my device battery icon (and the orignal problem) shown.
Now i hope that is locate in the battery connector instead of device connector...