Related
Hi i have weird problem with my GPS.
While I driving (car is moving) everything is beauty and sweet but once I stop my car my GPS is still moving for about 10 sometimes 20 sec showing 2km/h then 0km/h then 2km/h again. Sometimes when I stop car on junction my Gps will jump on the perpendicular road and from time to time my arrow on the map just turn around to opposite direction and the maps sets a new route! Once i move my car everything going back to normal.
I was using first my TomTom and i just thought it`s a map problem although i haven`t problem with that on my Rhodium either X1. So I decided to try Igo8 and it`s exactly this same. Even on the roundabout my gps can jump somewhere else on different road.
I tried all Radios available for HD2, many Roms and just have no idea what more I can do. Many people on HD2 forum in Poland have this same problem.
I also tried GPS fix cab downloaded here from xda but no luck its ever worst.
I can add that i'm getting GPS fix in few second so its good the problem is just my gps is moving around.
PS. Very, very rarely have no problem with this jumpin gps around. But is like 1/30.
Do you have access to an external Bluetooth GPS receiver you can test out? That could eliminate or isolate some possibilities.
balane said:
Do you have access to an external Bluetooth GPS receiver you can test out? That could eliminate or isolate some possibilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately i don`t. but on my Touch Pro 2 and Xperia never had this problem.
hi,
are you using the 'gpsmoddriver' software, that is floating around here in the forum?. its made for using the compass data when no gps fix is available. it causes such failures in igo and copilot on my hd2. after uninstalling it gps works much more percise to me, when im not moving.
regards mad
Happens with mine as well. I have replaced my HD2 and it seems that the 2nd unit acts the same. tried various ROMs/RADIOs (official/cooked) - nothing seemed to fix this.
It's quite funny though... most of the people rather paying attention to the fix time instead of the accuracy (which is quite bad imo) in addition to this weird phenomenon. I doubt that the AGPS is somehow related, but it will be nice to know how to disable this feature, and try to acquire the signal without it. maybe this is the cause.
Btw, check this out - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=600232
Fatherboard said:
Happens with mine as well. I have replaced my HD2 and it seems that the 2nd unit acts the same. tried various ROMs/RADIOs (official/cooked) - nothing seemed to fix this.
It's quite funny though... most of the people rather paying attention to the fix time instead of the accuracy (which is quite bad imo) in addition to this weird phenomenon. I doubt that the AGPS is somehow related, but it will be nice to know how to disable this feature, and try to acquire the signal without it. maybe this is the cause.
Btw, check this out - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=600232
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agps - this feature is available in NRGZ roms. I tried to turn on and off and it was no different.
PS. thanks for answering.
madbird said:
hi,
are you using the 'gpsmoddriver' software, that is floating around here in the forum?. its made for using the compass data when no gps fix is available. it causes such failures in igo and copilot on my hd2. after uninstalling it gps works much more percise to me, when im not moving.
regards mad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As i said before : i was using it. I had feelings its jumping around the places more than without it so I uninstalled it.
Tried to email HTC regarding this. they claim that their HD2's don't exhibit this behavior, even though I've tried two different units, from different batches.
I don't know what to do... this drives IGO nuts - it causes igo to switch lanes, directions and having the route recalculated without any good reason.
Fatherboard said:
Tried to email HTC regarding this. they claim that their HD2's don't exhibit this behavior, even though I've tried two different units, from different batches.
I don't know what to do... this drives IGO nuts - it causes igo to switch lanes, directions and having the route recalculated without any good reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes its just pointless to talk with those dickheads.
They ll never say true.
With pink camera was this same. They were saying at the beginning that they have no problem with pink spot at all. And what was next? We need just more people to email or ring them.
Most of them even not using HD2. They've seen for few minutes and think they'll know everything about it.
It was so many bugs with this device they just dont want to hear about another one!
In addition to that, both of my units tended to show different position and altitude readings each time i powered up igo or google maps. while exhibiting the differences I obviously didn't from my current position, not even an inch.
to try to make things clearer. that's what I did :
loading igo -> acquiring signal within seconds -> getting a certain position reading with altitude of 11 meters (for example) -> quit -> reloading igo -> acquiring signal within seconds -> slightly different position, altitude of 75 meters or a negative value (for example).
even the small blinking dot in igo (which determines the actual gps mark) doesn't fit to my physical location on the road which I'm currently driving on. it sometimes blinks few meters to the right/left, and sometimes it tracks behind the guidance arrow (as it should be).
Could be
Simply a limitation of GPS. I have seen it on other GPS's. Garmin etrex. Try walking with one and even thou you are walking in a straight line it plots a zigzag path. More satelites (10+) should reduce this issue.
Basically the GPS is only accurate to a certain range from +-50m to +- 2 meters depending on the no of sats. The location is detemined by timing from when the signal was sent to when it was received. Calcs how far away the sat is (Speed of light??). It is possible you care getting a fluctuation in your current location. Eg
Sample 1 says you are point a.
Sample 2 says you are 2 meters to the right.
Sample 3 says you are 2 meters to the left.
Still in the +- 5 meters but the gps is plotting you moving backwards and forwards.
Guys, it is a problem everyone has, gps position is not as accurate or stable on the hd2 as on most other htc devices. And with an erratic gps position automatically comes an erratic speed. Don't know yet if it is because of a different gps module that's inside the hd2 or because of the inclusion of crappy gps drivers. Will try to find out soon....
Anyway, gpsmoddriver is not the cause of this problem since the problem is also on an hd2 without having gpsmoddriver installed. Because of the functionality of gpsmoddriver to improve the gps readings, in some cases it can amplify your erratic gps position, and that is also what some of you have been experiencing. Remember you can always use gpsmoddriver to add the hardware compass functionality to your navigation software, while additionally configuring gpsmoddriver to leave gps data untouched so it won't make the erratic position and speed worse. For more info or help, please visit the gpsmoddriver thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=571266
EDIT: Of course the HD2 has a new snapdragon chip which has built-in GPS just like many previous generations of phones. Most likely qualcomm changed the way gps works in their new line of Snapdragon processors...
The movement of vehicles around you or even the movement of the sun's rays on buildings nearby can distort GPS signals. The GPS navigator software tries to rationalize this distortion and that usually appears as a movement when you are still. On the other hand, if you drive into a tunnel using TomTom and some other software, you will often see yourself driving straight on in the tunnel well after the GPS is receiving no more satellite signals.
In top-of-the-line built-in navigation systems, the GPS data is supplemented by inertial guidance. (Someone could create a similar supplement for the HD2 The supplementary information allows the system to reconcile the GPS information with information on your car's actual movement.
But for us mere mortals, we just have to live with it.
Well... this particular gps chip is quite useless, then. if my navigation program has to recalculate the route each time I stop at traffic light, then it seems that I either have to purchase a usb-based gps to pair with the HD2, or replace this device. I counted on it to perform well.
Fatherboard said:
Well... this particular gps chip is quite useless, then. if my navigation program has to recalculate the route each time I stop at traffic light, then it seems that I either have to purchase a usb-based gps to pair with the HD2, or replace this device. I counted on it to perform well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Complain to HTC, perhaps if they get enough complains they will come out with a hotfix or a rom upgrade that fixes it. Nobody said that the hardware is not that good (though it's possible), but it could also very well be a bad implementation by HTC!!
Already did.
They have obviously denied my complaints.
thanks again, anyway.
I noticed this behaviour yesterday night, at about 10pm. I was playing with NoniGPSplot, and while I was completely still (and freezing me arse outside believe me), it was tracking a movement back and fro and all around in small step, keeping track of me traveling some meters still while I was standing in the same point.
It was night and I was in my big yard, so no sunrays nor moving vehicles around nor buildings over my head.
I think this behaviour is very well hidden in tomtom since it automatically puts you on a road, and "smoothens" the gps data by making you follow that road no matter what, but a "realtime" software like nonigps tracks that all so well. Gonna notify htc about it now.
Guys, let's not go overboard on this. Non-military GPS is only claimed accurate to around 20 metres, regardless of the quality of the receiver. It's the US Defense Department messing with your HD2, not HTC.
Stephen Selby said:
Guys, let's not go overboard on this. Non-military GPS is only claimed accurate to around 20 metres, regardless of the quality of the receiver. It's the US Defense Department messing with your HD2, not HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, absolutely, I've noticed the same behaviour with all three of the BlueTooth GPS I used in the past. So, I would not be too quick to blame HTC for this.
my touch cruise's gps receiver worked with static navigation enabled to avoid this false movement. maybe this is just a usual behaviour?
Agree to that.
But regardless of the fact that the thing is not a military GPS system, It should do it's work correctly as for me the GPS is almost useless when driving slow or within a city. My 2nd phone (HTC DIAMOND) and 3 personal navigation devices are mounted in my car to compare and all work fine when the HD2 isn’t .
The GPS looses all the time the fix to the satellites and then quickly gets the fix back. when using a GPS monitor you can see that the satellites constantly moving really rapidly. (moving --> getting fix and loosing it again)
This is for 4 other reference devices which are running simultaneously not the case so it seems really an issue with the GPS device.
I tested this with different ROMs (1.44 Vodafone, 0.6 dutty WM 6.5.5, 1.66 stock and another one I cannot recall the producer anymore.)
Okay so now that I have my vibrant I tested it out (only a few times) but I did test it in different applications, websites, and maps and navigation. Yes in the gps and compass apps it doesn't pick up at all compared to my slide BUT in every other application, on google where it finds your location, on yelp, movie phone, maps, and navigation it finds my location each and every time. It doesn't get me lost, it doesn't show me going in a different direction, and it doesn't show me somewhere else.
What if the configurations or settings are different with samsung, what if the third party app is not completely accurate? Why else would every other program find my location if the app says I am not found by even 1 satellite? I think the"fix" is just a change of setting that helps the app not the gps or the phone.
Time will tell but for me it us working fine for now.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Well you can do gps tests within the os that say basically the same thing...
Ive used my gps with google navigate nermous times with no problem. in fact, it guided me on a 160mile trip just fine... What problems are people having with their gps?
Well, I've only had the phone for a day, so I'm still getting used to the quirks coming from a G1. GPS so far is the biggest disappointment. Android has been pushing location based stuff since the beginning, so the lack of a solid GPS is really screwing up some of my favorite apps. Locale for instance, it's worthless. It can't ever find me. The G1 always worked fine with it on Donut, Eclair, and Froyo.
Google Maps is the ONLY app I have that seems to even be able to get a rough idea where I am, and even then its circle is pretty big, about 4 city blocks. That's not GPS, that's network location, and it's fine for what it is, but not good enough when there aren't a lot of cell towers around. At home, it puts me out in the middle of a corn field. All the time I'm in maps, the GPS icon is up there blinking at me, telling me it can't lock. I've seen it work a couple times, for a short while. In GMaps and in GPS Test. But it takes a LONG time. The G1 could get a lock indoors in about 10 seconds. The Vibrant takes minutes, even with the A-GPS turned on in the test menus. That's insane. And it's not any better outside with a clear sky view. That might be acceptable, if it could hold the lock, but it doesn't.
Even stranger, in GPS Test, I get a single colored bar saying it's using that signal. There are 6 more with the same or higher signal strength being ignored. Very odd. Something is wrong with this GPS. It could very well be software, but Samsung needs to get on this and fast. If I can't find a way to get acceptable GPS performance within my 14 day period, I will likely return it. That will really suck, as otherwise I really like the device, but I need a decent GPS.
ttabbal said:
Even stranger, in GPS Test, I get a single colored bar saying it's using that signal. There are 6 more with the same or higher signal strength being ignored. Very odd. Something is wrong with this GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been my experience as well, and I found the same thing when trying a friend's phone. If only T-Mobile/Samsung would acknowledge that there is a problem and say they are working on it...
No problem here
But as I came from the G1 I use Google Maps exclusively. I haven't had a single problem with it. Inside my house I can get a fix on my location on the map, exactly where it should be. Are you guys using the TeleNav?
ttabbal said:
Even stranger, in GPS Test, I get a single colored bar saying it's using that signal. There are 6 more with the same or higher signal strength being ignored. Very odd. Something is wrong with this GPS. It could very well be software, but Samsung needs to get on this and fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same issue... I can only ever lock on to 1 sat. This is not right. My G1 would lock on to many birds.
zoid_99 said:
I have the same issue... I can only ever lock on to 1 sat. This is not right. My G1 would lock on to many birds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if GPS Test is either wrong about that, or more likely, getting bad data from the OS or GPS driver. IIRC they are just parsing the NMEA data from the GPS driver, so "garbage in, garbage out". You don't get 20ft accuracy with 1 satellite being used.
I fooled with the settings in the "GPS fix 101" thread and got the thing working decently. Took a number of tries, and we'll see if it keeps working over time.
This really is something that TMO and Samsung should acknowledge and at least promise a fix for. Preferably with a close release date. And we shouldn't have to wait for Froyo either, get us a fix for JUST the GPS and a lot of people would be VERY happy. Well, that and the compass, that thing is even more worthless than the GPS before the fixes.
For the poster with Google Maps working, did you try with network locations disabled? Is the GPS icon in the status bar flashing or solid? If it's flashing, you DON'T have a GPS lock. Maps seems to be really good at using the network location stuff. I also enabled Skyhook in the GPS settings screen and Maps really seems to like that. Doesn't help with GPS performance though.
This thread is idiotic.
cashless said:
This thread is idiotic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow.. that statement was idiotic. Maybe you aren't having the GPS issues that others are having but this thread is helping me debug and decide weather or not I'm keeping the Vibrant or returning it.
You guys are not alone. There is obviously something wrong with either the hardware, or the software. Either way, the buyer's remorse period is halfway through, and neither company has said so much as a peep.
I will definitely be returning my device by the time the remorse period expires. What a shame that would be, because I really love this screen. All it would take is for T-Mobile and Samsung to acknowledge the problem, and state that a fix is on the way.
Here's my post, detailing my contact and findings with the two companies.
It's been a few days now, and I've heard nothing back. Never a good sign.
EDIT. Got it working
Care to share?
Well like everyone I had the GPS issue and it was frustrating. I do run an app killer and I always notice many apps (especially the preloaded ones) Keep launching themselves. It got rather irritating. Specifically Telenav.
I noticed with Telenav my GPS would be very flaky. Once I got "killed" it the gps seemed to improve. I thought to myself maybe I'm just being paranoid.
Did a bit of research and found an app called "Start UP Auditor" which completely kills an app and restricts it from every starting up again. My gps seems to be working much better now.
I drove a few miles and on the Verrazano Bridge here in NY and the GPS was super percise. When I was at the end of the block it was at the end of the block as well at the same time. Not like it was before.
Now I can launch google maps and it will find me exactly in front of my house and not 200 feet away.
Takes a solid minute to lock on. Not more but not less unfortunately. So there still is a bit of a problem but for me at least it has exponentially gotten better. Versus it not even locking on previously.
I think I might be on to something. I cannot give all credit to me because I saw on a Tmobile forum someone say that they think the problem might be with the self launching apps so that's where I started to draw conclusions.
EDIT: Scratch that one min thing. It seriously just now took me 10 seconds to lock on and the GPS to start talking to tell me where to turn inside my house. Issue fixed?
I completly removed TeleNav and I still have GPS issues... It is not any software causing this problem. It is a Hardware / Firmware / Driver issue.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
gravis86 said:
I completly removed TeleNav and I still have GPS issues... It is not any software causing this problem. It is a Hardware / Firmware / Driver issue.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, one of the first things I did after rooting was remove all the bloatware, and Telenav was one of them.
gravis86 said:
I completly removed TeleNav and I still have GPS issues... It is not any software causing this problem. It is a Hardware / Firmware / Driver issue.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... Interesting.
My GPS issues seem to have disappeared after killing Telenav.
This just takes me back to the drawing board once more. I just do not understand...
I would like to see others responses. Does there happen to be vibrants with different firmwares?
So what happened to me?
Was it some magical stroke of luck?
Wow.
Initially, disabling TeleNav gave me a significant improvement in GPS performance. Indoors, I went from having 50-60ft. of accuracy (with multiple locks), to 12-15ft. of accuracy with a single lock. Initial accuracy was in the upper 40s, but quickly dropped to the highest accuracy I've seen with the device (the 12-15ft. figure) - indoor or outdoor - within a minute. Crazy.
Outdoor, on a perfectly clear sky, the best I've achieved was previously 25ft. of accuracy.
I rebooted (the phone froze, wheee!), with TeleNav still selected as disabled, and now, I'm only getting 30-52ft. of accuracy with a single lock. This took about two minutes to come down from 170ft. or so.
GPS settings have been switched to 'Automatic', from the stock supl server, for all of these tests.
Maps still shows me in Issaquah, initially (incorrect data), but quickly updates my position my exact location (within a few seconds). Previously, Maps would take at least a half hour to place me in even the correct city! Margin of Error: ~50ft. or so (shows me on the street, rather than on my property), within seconds.
Compass, as expected: still totally ****ing broken and ****ty.
I can confirm that - besides not being able to lock onto more than a single sat - I'm seeing drastic improvements. Thanks for pointing this out.
Still, I'm not sure the improvement will be enough to convince me to hang onto the device while we wait to hear from Samsung. :/
Jon C said:
Wow.
Initially, disabling TeleNav gave me a significant improvement in GPS performance. Indoors, I went from having 50-60ft. of accuracy (with multiple locks), to 12-15ft. of accuracy with a single lock. Initial accuracy was in the upper 40s, but quickly dropped to the highest accuracy I've seen with the device (the 12-15ft. figure) - indoor or outdoor - within a minute. Crazy.
Outdoor, on a perfectly clear sky, the best I've achieved was previously 25ft. of accuracy.
I rebooted (the phone froze, wheee!), with TeleNav still selected as disabled, and now, I'm only getting 30-52ft. of accuracy with a single lock. This took about two minutes to come down from 170ft. or so.
GPS settings have been switched to 'Automatic', from the stock supl server, for all of these tests.
Maps still shows me in Issaquah, initially (incorrect data), but quickly updates my position my exact location (within a few seconds). Previously, Maps would take at least a half hour to place me in even the correct city! Margin of Error: ~50ft. or so (shows me on the street, rather than on my property), within seconds.
Compass, as expected: still totally ****ing broken and ****ty.
I can confirm that - besides not being able to lock onto more than a single sat - I'm seeing drastic improvements. Thanks for pointing this out.
Still, I'm not sure the improvement will be enough to convince me to hang onto the device while we wait to hear from Samsung. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea like I said in the OP the fix is better but there definitely is a problem that needs to be addressed. That might be either hardware or firmware, All thats left is to wait for sammy to fix it up. However my GPS performance for my needs is more than exceptional.
I have noticed that while running GPStest, Google Maps starts to work. Something is wrong with the API.
If anyone is getting black screen freeze ups, disabling GPS will clear that right up.
And, we're back to square one. So much for that.
Location services can no longer locate me, and show that I'm in a neighboring city. Nothing I adjust fixes this for more than a short period of time.
Oh, Samsung...
dattaway said:
I have noticed that while running GPStest, Google Maps starts to work. Something is wrong with the API.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to me that it is definitely a software problem. I don't think the hardware is bad. (The gps chip?)
heygrl said:
If anyone is getting black screen freeze ups, disabling GPS will clear that right up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I drove for miles and had nothing. Though if I am not using GPS I always turn it off to conserve battery.
Jon C said:
And, we're back to square one. So much for that.
Location services can no longer locate me, and show that I'm in a neighboring city. Nothing I adjust fixes this for more than a short period of time.
Oh, Samsung...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if they can't even find the issue yet. It will probably be fix in the 2.2 update.
I removed TelNav within 4days of owning my phone and it really for me hasn't changed a thing.
What helped me was turning off the wireless location feature. From what I noticed it looks for your location based off the cell towers first then it looks for your location via GPS. If its slow to find you via wireless then well its slow to find you via GPS too.
I didn't really tried the GPS when I saw the threads saying there was a problem with it and I read somewhere about "how to fix it" so I applied the fix before even using the GPS before, so I have no clue if I had problems or not, but after the fix, the GPS locks in about 10 to 15 seconds and gest my location on the spot, even indoors.
just change the GPS settings to google servers
Directly after rebooting my gps/navigation seems to work much better.
To make it more clear... I'll be using my phone throughout the day and then i'll try to use navigation. Usually it will just keep trying to find the route but it never actually finds it. I'll reboot the phone and it'll find my location and the route in <10 seconds.
kizer said:
I removed TelNav within 4days of owning my phone and it really for me hasn't changed a thing.
What helped me was turning off the wireless location feature. From what I noticed it looks for your location based off the cell towers first then it looks for your location via GPS. If its slow to find you via wireless then well its slow to find you via GPS too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the wifi and GPS share the same antenna. Anyone know which antennas do what for sure?
Our cellular antenna is at the bottom under the bump. The one at the top next to the antenna port does the rest.
heygrl said:
If anyone is getting black screen freeze ups, disabling GPS will clear that right up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this tip, I hadn't caught this in the other GPS threads.
I ran and used My Tracks but forgot to turn on GPS. When I tried nav it could not get a fix until I restarted. Next time I'll try killing conflicting apps.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I just deleted the Tel-Nav app and now my GPS locks on in about 10 seconds and is dead on accurate. I even drove 165 miles today and never dropped a GPS signal. I could never do that before.
Does anyone know why the times are off one the gps sensors? My local time is 10:51, but gps test has it as 18:51 that is about 8 hours off.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
This post is intended for troubleshooting and finding solution to the GPS on Galaxy S ONLY
For arguing, dissing, and the sort, please go in this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=722476
Post here your findings, your solutions and your attempt at finding a better fix for the GPS.
If you happend to try something and it doesn't work, please state it also
And keep away from none relevant facts
Here's my finding so far:
The way the device is put (in a pocket or in a car) seems to greatly influence the signal and the streight of it. The antenna is (apparently) situated in the upper left part of the backplate, just outward by the Sim card. if the signal is obstucted or not facing the right spot, it might get a hard time getting a fix.
Someone might confirm this and I will try to record a couple of track while the device is place differently in my pocket to confirm it has an effect.
I'm using it for:
Mostly keeping track of my working with Sporty Pal. As for now, I get an error rate of under 3%, wich is acceptable as far as I go but a lower rate would certainly be taken
As for navigations and Trapster, it's still pretty "on the spot", I'm drinving a 1995 Acura Integra, so I don't know if the insulation of the vehicule could affect the signal and the device is always on a spot where it "sees" the sky.
Settings used
*#*#1472365#*#*
Session Type: Tracking
Test Mode: S/W Test
Operation Mode: Standalone
Start Mode: Hot Start
GPS Plus: ON
Dynamic Accuracy: ON (Please note, putting it to "off" will make the GPS lose signal way too often...
Accuracy: 20
Use SkyHook: OFF
Use PC Tool: OFF
Location Settings
Use Wireless Network: OFF
Use GPS Satellites: ON
Phone Info
FirmWare version:2.1 update1
Baseband:I9000UGJH2
Build Number: Eclair.UGJH2
LagFix used: None
Rooted using: None
Uptime about 16h
Known Workaround
1-TrackerBooster (available on the market)
This is a booster for the GPS, if you have issue where the position goes all around randomly, try installing and running this apps before running your GPS application. It was tested with SportyPal and gave amazing result.
2-BlueTooth GPS, some users have tested this solution here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=818688
you can most likely find one under 30$ and it should resolve the issue.
t1mman said:
Settings used:
#*#*1472365#*#*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*#*#1472365#*#*
should work better. (Does not work on Froyo JPM).
well lets start with listing the known solutions
like for example using the external GPS receivers via Bluetooth
there are several tested and working Bluetooth GPS apps by our members in the Galaxy S I9000 Themes and Apps section of the forum
Thanks, corrected!
I did start a thread posting 2 videos with "solutions" where users can actually see those "gps solutions" in action eliminating any kind of speculation (seeing is believing), but the thread was removed with no warning or explanation...
Anyway here are the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM2gm5DAOjM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6QnNMxuCig&feature=related
In both videos, sgs's gps performance is flawless with or WITHOUT any assist (2nd video)like agps or aid of from an external bluetooth gps receiver (like in the first video).
In the meantime I already did 5 more driving tests, always running Motonav and so far no need for using my external bluetooth gps device.
The firmware is JPH, not customized and no lag-fix of any kind (not needed)
« »
Right, I dont want to start an argument and the video's above are very usefull.
But I think it's possible that the navigation software you are using is optimised and more than likely programmed to keep you on the road, rather than drifting all over the place.
I noticed this while in the car earlier. When using "google maps" my position was often miles out and all over, however when using the "google navigation" it kept me on the road and appeared to track my location really well.
So from a navigation by road point of view I don't have a problem.
So i thought a compare of SNR levels compared to a differant phone might help, so i took a photo of my sgs running GPS Test, next to a Orange Sanfrancisco/ZTE Blade. Both are running froyo, both had gps and a-gps turned on. Both were next to eachother, both were left to settle for five minutes after the apps were started. Both were connected to exactly the same wifi connection. Finally the ZTE was connected to 02 network, and the sgs is on orange.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
From what you can see in the photo's the levels are pretty similar. Maybe with the sgs gaining a higher level on average compared over all satelittes it found.
Now with both devices sat next to eachother this is fine, however on moving around the sgs kept loosing its lock on the sattelites and stopped using them, however the blade kept its lock better. The blade seemed to keep its lock even with the SNR of some satelittes getting very low, however the sgs lost its lock at a far greater snr level.
Now I don't know a great deal about gps, but it seemed to me like the sgs gave up its lock far easier than the blade. Maybe this is what is causing our problems, maybe once it has given up this lock, the sattelite information is decreased causing a less accurate location.
Now I don't know how this could be rectified, but I imagine it is either driver related, or maybe some code in the actual gps chip itself. But im not 100% sure. It would be great if someone more knowledgable than me could give us their two pence.
betoNL: Thanks for the TrackerBooster apps, I've done a run this evening with it and it's trully amazing!! With it, I don't see any "jumping around" issue at all. If anyone has any issues where the position goes "randomly", they should try TrackerBooster.
SkinBobUk: Thanks for the sharing, I'll try GPS test and post image with and without TrackerBooster to compare
personally iv used the gps quite a lot to navigate around the U.A.E and most of it was using the trapster program to keep an eye on radars/speed traps while driving.
testing the gps is totally random, the results are never improving, simply random.
sometimes id get a fix in seconds and other times it wouldn't (guess its an SGS thing), playing around the settings i found the best combination to be...
Session Type: Tracking
Test Mode: S/W Test
Operation Mode: MS Based
Start Mode: Hot Start
GPS Plus: ON
Dynamic Accuracy: ON
Accuracy: 500
Use SkyHook: ON
Use PC Tool: OFF
tho accuracy is high at 500 the test showed better lock on gps and a max of 20m error, with accuracy i found out that the smaller the number , the harder it is for gps to get/maintain a lock ( even with high SnR numbers between 25-40 maintaining a lock was hard, the SGS was jumping around which gps to lock on ) and with a high number it would maintain the lock for a longer period of time. Highest i found was 500 and anything beyond that wont even activate the gps when running the get position test.
last weekend iv been on a fishing trip and needed the gps help , it was working amazingly accurate up to 5m error thruout the trip but every 5 minutes or so it would hang/freeze and the solution was to restart the program which was fine by me.
Conclution is that GPS is simply unreliable being in its Random State
(when under a lot of testing the gps would freeze/hang and a phone restart is needed to get it back up {switching gps off and back on doesn't help}) , i found a small app in the market called GPS optimisation by octy which should optimise signal reception but for me it doesn't but rather fixes the gps and gets it back from its frozen/hung state - time it takes to restart the phone = more than a min but this app does it in seconds
hope this accuracy options helps you people out in getting better/longer locks on gps
I also use tracker booster with sportypal combined, it provide great accuracy
SkinBobUk said:
Now I don't know a great deal about gps, but it seemed to me like the sgs gave up its lock far easier than the blade. Maybe this is what is causing our problems, maybe once it has given up this lock, the sattelite information is decreased causing a less accurate location.
Now I don't know how this could be rectified, but I imagine it is either driver related, or maybe some code in the actual gps chip itself. But im not 100% sure. It would be great if someone more knowledgable than me could give us their two pence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
got the same feeling/issues/feedback when i tested the gps. trackerbooster and equivalent apps didn't really help me with the "lost lock too easily" issue
when its locked it seems to work fine (accuracy wise), but it keep losing the lock of all sats at once every now and then
On my SGS I have found that if I hold it with the screen vertical or tilted back slightly I get significantly higher signal than if it is horizontal. Also portrait is better than landscape by 2-3 dB.
Please write your firmware / Rom info and if it's stock or with Root/Lagfix
Currently, the only conclusion I can make is this combination is running flawlessly:
Accuracy on 20
Rom on JH2 (Stock for BellCanada)
TrackerBooster installed/enabled
NO lagfix
NO rooting
Latest run with this combination is right on the spot so far as jogging, I can clearly see where I cross the street or when I ran into a parking lot.
Imho, there are no special fixes or special settings to improve sgs's gps performance, just some "assist" or a-gps if you will.
There are all kind of a-gps possibilities besides the "standard" one that uses cellular towers wich in many situations can be unreliable.
Other types of "assist" are implemented by using the right software to simply download "fresh ephemeris data and injecting it to accelerate the first lock during a cold start* .
The big issue (again, in my opinion) is WHY the majority of the smartphones nowadays (and with that I mean NOT ONLY the sgs), are equiped wich gps chipsets that will require 'ASSISTING" ??
A couple of years ago, experts of the GPSPassion forum performed a comparison test between devices equiped with a sirfstarIII chipset and others with a-gps and the conclusion
was as I quote:
CONCLUSION
While the Qualcomm gpsONE chipset of the HTC P3600 performs better than on the Siemens SXG75 Linux Smartphone where it could take 10+ minutes to get a fix, it remains much less effective than the SiRFstarIII chipset used on most current GPS PDAPhones . This comparison also shows the impact of GPS Assistance (A-GPS) to get a fix and reduce the time to guidance. Even the "offline A-GPS" of the Mio A701 helps significantly, while the "Full A-GPS"(SUPL) of the Orange SPV M650 will bring extra speed and more so as the conditions deteriorate.
Overall, the GPS performance of the SiRFstarIII PDAPhones is excellent and does not pale in comparison with the performance of dedicated GPS systems like the TomTom AIOs as seen in this comparison done in the same area. Let's hope the upcoming GPS PDAPhones like the HTC X7500, the Eten X800, the Mio A501, etc...will maintain these high standards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(here is the whole article: http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/articles.asp?id=175&page=6)
Well, their hope was is vain, cause even the very expensive so called high-end smartphones,
just stoped using sirfstar III chipsets or equivalent and using a-gps dependable ones,forcing users to find, configure or re-invent A-GPS solutions!
The good news (at least for me) is that the gps chipset of the sgs is LESS A-gps dependable than many other smartphones I tested, and even if it wasnt, I can always rely on the aid of my external bluetooth gps receiver(equiped with a sirfstarIII chipset), since programs like "bluetooth gps mouse" and "gps provider" work like a charm on the Android OS (see my first video: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8876869&postcount=5).
Another issue is that Google maps could be unreliable for car navigation and of course unreliable for testing as well: http://forum.samdroid.net/f9/maps-navigation-bug-missing-value-gps-accuracy-1247/
Cheers
* - http://books.google.nl/books?id=2Cx...=cold start and hot start definitions&f=false
In the images earlier in the thread where someone posted two pics, one of the SGS and a matched one with another phone, the SGS seemed to be consistently 3 to 4 lower on the same satellite at the same time. That would likely be a hardware (antenna) issue, and could it be that is the problem with fluctuating results, that the reception is just too flaky?
To me, that is an eye opener. Id like to know if it would be likely for the software to cause a reported different in signal strength. You would think that the reported signal strength would be unchanged from the chip, through the driver to the reporting software, no?
SkinBobUk said:
Right, I dont want to start an argument and the video's above are very usefull.
But I think it's possible that the navigation software you are using is optimised and more than likely programmed to keep you on the road, rather than drifting all over the place.
I noticed this while in the car earlier. When using "google maps" my position was often miles out and all over, however when using the "google navigation" it kept me on the road and appeared to track my location really well.
So from a navigation by road point of view I don't have a problem.
So i thought a compare of SNR levels compared to a differant phone might help, so i took a photo of my sgs running GPS Test, next to a Orange Sanfrancisco/ZTE Blade. Both are running froyo, both had gps and a-gps turned on. Both were next to eachother, both were left to settle for five minutes after the apps were started. Both were connected to exactly the same wifi connection. Finally the ZTE was connected to 02 network, and the sgs is on orange.
From what you can see in the photo's the levels are pretty similar. Maybe with the sgs gaining a higher level on average compared over all satelittes it found.
Now with both devices sat next to eachother this is fine, however on moving around the sgs kept loosing its lock on the sattelites and stopped using them, however the blade kept its lock better. The blade seemed to keep its lock even with the SNR of some satelittes getting very low, however the sgs lost its lock at a far greater snr level.
Now I don't know a great deal about gps, but it seemed to me like the sgs gave up its lock far easier than the blade. Maybe this is what is causing our problems, maybe once it has given up this lock, the sattelite information is decreased causing a less accurate location.
Now I don't know how this could be rectified, but I imagine it is either driver related, or maybe some code in the actual gps chip itself. But im not 100% sure. It would be great if someone more knowledgable than me could give us their two pence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank's for the input, but in wich conditions and where those pictures were taken? Are they taken with a camera or are they screenshots?
What I can say, eventhough I find OFFLINE software car navigation more reliable (and I always use up-to-date maps) they are not "optimized" to "keep me on the road" as you speculated, is more likely that the full A-gps (SUPL) on the Orange Sanfrancisco/ZTE Blade is better optimized than sgs's but then again that's speculation.
This discussion can go both ways:
A) The complicated way, mostly based on speculation, for instance: saying that Samsung or Google cannot handle A-gps protocols, I mean wich SUPL configurations to use, in wich regions, by wich carriers, with wich software and so on....
And: Nokia wants you to use the server "nokia.supl.com" on their phones and Google wants you to use "supl.google.com" on their phones, but how the different carriers, in different regions and the various software are dealing with those configurations? And again how to deal with full a-gps? And why do we have to( see my last post)?
B) The easy way: Just get a external bluetooth gps receiver (with a sifstarIII chipset or better) connect any gps software using "gps bluetooth mouse" or "gps provider" apps to it and get over with it !
I rest my case
P.s.- On my last 6 trips didnt even have to use the external gps, just the internal one...it is doing just fine;
i must have a specially blessed sgs or Holland is just a better place for gps navigation
« »
betoNL said:
What I can say, eventhough I find OFFLINE software car navigation more reliable (and I always use up-to-date maps) they are not "optimized" to "keep me on the road" as you speculated, is more likely that the full A-gps (SUPL) on the Orange Sanfrancisco/ZTE Blade is better optimized than sgs's but then again that's speculation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A-GPS is only necessary for the initial lock and yes, Navigon, iGo et al are optimized to keep the position on the road.
Oletros said:
A-GPS is only necessary for the initial lock and yes, Navigon, iGo et al are optimized to keep the position on the road.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A simple test is to drive down the road using google maps, then drive back using google navigation. The differance couldn;t be more clear.
They have to be optimised to keep people on the road, if not then there is a problem with google maps, and i doubt that!
SkinBobUk said:
A simple test is to drive down the road using google maps, then drive back using google navigation. The differance couldn;t be more clear.
They have to be optimised to keep people on the road, if not then there is a problem with google maps, and i doubt that!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, Google maps isn't perfect (if you check the satellite feeds, you'll notice the roads wont always align perfectly) , but anyway, you are correct. Car navigation apps do special work to allow large errors to be made by the GPS without freaking out. That wont work with normal tracks.
Testing consistancy
The problem here is that the testing must be consistent. What is needed is an application to:
1) Create tracks at the highest resolution possible
2) Record speed at many points
3) Maybe have OBD2 integration, so we can match REAL vehicle speed with the track
4) Record the satelites/snr values constantly on the track.
5) Have test scenarios, that takes into account the environment and speed. Because when walking at 1hz, updates of GPS are done every 2-3 meters, but at 100km/h, it's every 28m. We don't even have enough info to know how often updates are done, and some tracks are created by people who are in dense skyscraper ville. We simply can't compare the information at the moment
6) By comparing car tracks to google maps, you could even do some basic GPS benchmark type stuff!
Start with a proper testing procedure, create a means of gathering PROPER information, then we can finally start actually testing how reliable people's phones REALLY is! At the moment, we are simply comparing OPINIONS, because there aren't specific tests to follow. There is nothing scientific about this thread until a process to accurately compare results is created.
andrewluecke said:
Actually, Google maps isn't perfect (if you check the satellite feeds, you'll notice the roads wont always align perfectly) , but anyway, you are correct. Car navigation apps do special work to allow large errors to be made by the GPS without freaking out. That wont work with normal tracks.
Testing consistancy
The problem here is that the testing must be consistent. What is needed is an application to:
1) Create tracks at the highest resolution possible
2) Record speed at many points
3) Maybe have OBD2 integration, so we can match REAL vehicle speed with the track
4) Record the satelites/snr values constantly on the track.
5) Have test scenarios, that takes into account the environment and speed. Because when walking at 1hz, updates of GPS are done every 2-3 meters, but at 100km/h, it's every 28m. We don't even have enough info to know how often updates are done, and some tracks are created by people who are in dense skyscraper ville. We simply can't compare the information at the moment
6) By comparing car tracks to google maps, you could even do some basic GPS benchmark type stuff!
Start with a proper testing procedure, create a means of gathering PROPER information, then we can finally start actually testing how reliable people's phones REALLY is! At the moment, we are simply comparing OPINIONS, because there aren't specific tests to follow. There is nothing scientific about this thread until a process to accurately compare results is created.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You raise valid points, but it is unrealistic to expect this kind of controlled testing from an Internet forum.
What I can tell you from personal experience is this: when I run Nexus one with Google Map and SGS with Google Maps at the same time while driving from work to home (or vice versa) the SGS consistently loses lock for about 30% of the route. When I go off the motorway it consistently thinks I am still on the motorway for about 10-20 after I have left it and then needs to reroute. Both the Nexus and SGS are running Android 2.2 and the same version of Google Maps. Nexus One (and an iPhone 4 which I also have) have none of this problems.
The point I tried to make earlier in this thread, admittedly not in the most polite way, is that all the settings discussed here are for AGPS. They only affect the speed of initial lock, not the functioning of the GPS itself. That is why none of the so called "fixes" work for people with non or poor functioning GPS. All that Samsung has done in various ROMs is to tinker with AGPS and also smoothing and predicting of the path while driving; they have not been able to address the underlying issue, which is the inability of the GPS receiver to keep GPS lock.
This can easily be tested by using something like "GPS status" application: it is able to download new GPS assistance data and acquire lock quickly. But if you keep this application running while driving, you will see that the GPS lock is lost many times - at least that is my experience.
darkoroje said:
You raise valid points, but it is unrealistic to expect this kind of controlled testing from an Internet forum.
What I can tell you from personal experience is this: when I run Nexus one with Google Map and SGS with Google Maps at the same time while driving from work to home (or vice versa) the SGS consistently loses lock for about 30% of the route. When I go off the motorway it consistently thinks I am still on the motorway for about 10-20 after I have left it and then needs to reroute. Both the Nexus and SGS are running Android 2.2 and the same version of Google Maps. Nexus One (and an iPhone 4 which I also have) have none of this problems.
The point I tried to make earlier in this thread, admittedly not in the most polite way, is that all the settings discussed here are for AGPS. They only affect the speed of initial lock, not the functioning of the GPS itself. That is why none of the so called "fixes" work for people with non or poor functioning GPS. All that Samsung has done in various ROMs is to tinker with AGPS and also smoothing and predicting of the path while driving; they have not been able to address the underlying issue, which is the inability of the GPS receiver to keep GPS lock.
This can easily be tested by using something like "GPS status" application: it is able to download new GPS assistance data and acquire lock quickly. But if you keep this application running while driving, you will see that the GPS lock is lost many times - at least that is my experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When using TrackerBooster, not only the "first fix" is current, but all of them. I know that aGps just helps get it quicker, but how do you explain gettings track with 5% error rate to under 1% for the same track using the same software?
I don't know how this program works, but it does and, in the end, the goal is to use the GPS to what our needs are (mine is mostly to keep jogging tracks, with speed and accuracy as high as possible)
As I explained before, so far I can conclude that all my issues are fixed using trackerbooster. It seems like not all users have this kind of result and hardware (or built date) might affect some units, but many of us had good results with the addition of a GPS booster (of some sort).
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