Related
Just tried the new GMaps 2.0 and my location works flawlessly.
Called "My Location," the feature comes as part of the release of version 2.0 of Google Maps for mobile. My Location uses cell tower ID information to determine (approximately) where you are. Google says that it uses special "Google-developed-algorithms" to determine this, which sounds like fancy talk for triangulation (a supported phone can determine how far it is from the three closest cell towers and then pinpoint the approximate spot of the caller).
Anybody else tried it?
Did you try while driving ??
(I'll still keep my GPS chip for a while)
It's better than nothing but not very accurate. On my Kaiser, I will continue to use my GPS.
sebbes said:
Did you try while driving ??
(I'll still keep my GPS chip for a while)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About to will update when I get back
Just tried it in the UK and the location thingy is temporarily unavailable.
kavi said:
Anybody else tried it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, though when I'm on 3G towers it gives the "temporarily unavailable" message, works when I get an EDGE tower - 1600meter granularity!
Great feature, very cool, will not replace GPS. Our 3G towers just came up last month so that may be why they're not in the Google database yet....though I recall other reports of 3G location not working.
Richard
Didn't work for me either, I'm in the UK (south wales)
Did notice the GPS location is a little more accurate with 2.0
Tended to jump a lot with the older version
I heard it was only good to a 3 mile (4.8km) radius. Not nearly good enough to give you turn by turn directions.
jgermuga said:
I heard it was only good to a 3 mile (4.8km) radius. Not nearly good enough to give you turn by turn directions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, even google's site says the accuracy is dependent on the cell tower spacing. In my case, at my desk at work it reports 1600m (1.6km) accuracy, so definitely not turn-by-turn. In a densely towered (urban?) area, I suppose it's vaguely possible to have sufficient accuracy for rough turn-by-turn though.
Richard
Still, GPS is obviously much better.
I would have appreciated this with my older non-gps phone though and I am hopeful that they will offer this as an iPhone update for my wife.
jgermuga said:
I heard it was only good to a 3 mile (4.8km) radius. Not nearly good enough to give you turn by turn directions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried the Navizon version and it can be a lot better in urban environments where the cells are far smaller. In most of central london, Navizon can get a fix to an accuracy of a hudred yards or so. I have seen it do better than GPS since it is less vulnerable to the "Urban Canyon" effect. In rural areas, the coverage of each cell is much larger and I would expect the accuracy to fall to half a mile or worse.
Martin
I live in Minneapolis. AT&T rolled out 3G here on 1 November. I loaded up GM2.0 and it was right on the money. I was even inside my house.
I don't see how the program could triangulate a device out in the suburb. In a metro, yes, it's possible. Satellite GPS navigation is not going to be replaced anytime soon; however, I can see the "traingulation" come in handy for emergency situations.
sherpa said:
I don't see how the program could triangulate a device out in the suburb. In a metro, yes, it's possible. Satellite GPS navigation is not going to be replaced anytime soon; however, I can see the "traingulation" come in handy for emergency situations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't matter where you are, suburbs or metro. If you have 3 antennas, you can use triangulation, period.
While it's not good for turn-by-turn navigation, it would be good enough to get a quick fix and be able to search for something in the immediate area.
Try thinking of it as a tool for people without gps. Imagine you're lost and you can get a general idea of where you are. Then drive a mile and do it again...now you have a bearing on where you are headed.
This won't replace gps or give you directions until it can get to that accuracy.
I just install it, and i was coming on here to create a thread but looks like someone beat me to it. gMAP just got a whole lot better, I was like oh sh*t it uses the cell phone towers to show my location. this the bomb. google stepping the game up.
Mine works great on the 3G but i do get that unavailable bar sometime.
so for those of us that like the way the old version works with 'track location' gps feature, is the new 2.0 version beter or just stick with the old ?
bobcho10 said:
so for those of us that like the way the old version works with 'track location' gps feature, is the new 2.0 version beter or just stick with the old ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still works with GPS, but you can also get a quick location fix via cell towers like people have been discussing.
Built in GPS not working anymore
Lidberg said:
It still works with GPS, but you can also get a quick location fix via cell towers like people have been discussing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not appear to be able to use my built in gps in this new version of Google Maps. The settings are identical to my previous installation which worked flawlessly. The cell based location does appear accurate on my initial tests. But if I turn off the gprs or 3g radio and switch to wifi I am unable to get a fix at all.
I broke my own cardinal rule and overwrote my backup of cabs so I cant reinstall the previous version, Doh.
Does anyone have a copy of the previous version installation cab? Or is there a trick to using the Kaisers built in gps? as I said earlier my settings are setup the same way as worked previously.
wizzzard said:
Does anyone have a copy of the previous version installation cab? Or is there a trick to using the Kaisers built in gps? as I said earlier my settings are setup the same way as worked previously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.0.0 works fine on my Tilt, as did 1.7.1 - both with the GPS Options set to let Windows manage the GPS. Way back when I had to tell it COM4: to get Gmaps to work, IIRC.
In any case, 1.7.1 can be downloaded from Google here:
http://www.google.com/gmm/winm_apps/v1.7.1/L1/GoogleMaps_compressed.CAB
HTH,
Richard
I am looking for a quick and easy way to switch from 3G to Edge (Yes I have a Tilt on AT&T) from the today screen so that I can conserve battery life most of the time but get to 3G quickly.
I thought that phoneAlarm could do it by profile but it doesn't.
Freeware would be great since I am not looking for anything profile, time or location based but at the point I am open to whatever.
See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=317982
(explicitly linked from the Wiki at http://wiki.xda-developers.com/inde...(GPRS & EDGE) modes to optimize battery life! )
Menneisyys said:
See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=317982
(explicitly linked from the Wiki at http://wiki.xda-developers.com/inde...(GPRS & EDGE) modes to optimize battery life! )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you sir.. I have been on the board for too long trying to figure out some flashing things and got lazy.
I have working this issue from the phoneAlarm end as well since it seems to have decided to stop working on me for some reason
http://www.pocketmax.net/smf/index.php?topic=5374.msg37434#msg37434
Have a great weekend!
I did some more testing and the plot thickens (or at least becomes more complicated) I read here that the Tilt changes bands differently than other WM6 phones (although I have not yet figured out how) so I think that may be part of the problem.
I flashed _Alex_ ' s ultra clean ROM and the only thing I installed was phoneAlarm. The phone was connected to MEdia Net in 3G. When I switched to a profile that did not have 3G (selected as GSM in the options) the connection disconnected and reconnected, but it remained 3G.
The same was true in reverse if I selected a GSM profile and reset it would start is EDGE. If I changed it to 3G profile it would disconnect, reconnect and stay EDGE.
I started checking the comm manager (I am using a 10 button comm manager) and the 3G selector would change with the profile although the band switch would not occur.
What is funny is that if I used the 3G selector on the comm manager the band switched with no problem, following the same behavior patter of disconnecting and reconnecting.
I don't know enough to really dig in any further but I will keep googling how the Tilt changes bands and hopefully one of the more technically adept folks will have something figured out or can give me an assist.
dcdivenut said:
I am looking for a quick and easy way to switch from 3G to Edge (Yes I have a Tilt on AT&T) from the today screen so that I can conserve battery life most of the time but get to 3G quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3G and edge use the exact transmitted power! (Always on connection is the main problem!) An Ipod uses Edge which is slow. But what the hey, you have a question and it will be answered here...
Farsquidge said:
3G and edge use the exact transmitted power! (Always on connection is the main problem!) But what the hey, you have a question and it will be answered here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is interesting, because I get significant improvements in battery life if I spend the day on EDGE vs 3G. In fact, my battery rarely lasts more than 3/4 of a day with light phone usage if I am on 3G! This experience would see to be pretty common and I have even seen something that says 3G uses up to 4 times as much power as EDGE. This was supposedly the reason why Apple made the iPhone EDGE not 3G.
I am not bashing you and there may some electrical engineering reason why they use the same transmitted power but real life this translates into something different.
dcdivenut said:
This was supposedly the reason why Apple made the iPhone EDGE not 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does it!!! I'm finished...
One of the 10 key Comm Managers works. I don't recall what thread I got it in but it works fine for me.
HTC changed the old way to change the band in tilt. Now It isnt enought to change a registry key and reset the radio device. Now are needed dark and undocumented api calls to htc libraries. Bandswitch and commmgrpro(bandswitch + profiles) do it correctly.
Dani
danielherrero said:
HTC changed the old way to change the band in tilt. Now It isnt enought to change a registry key and reset the radio device. Now are needed dark and undocumented api calls to htc libraries. Bandswitch and commmgrpro(bandswitch + profiles) do it correctly.
Dani
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - I will pass this along to Bruce, who is the phonealarm creator, and is trying to fix this in his next release. Another reason I love the product!!!
Shameless plug for them but it really is an awesome product and the support is great! Worth every freakin' penny!
Farsquidge said:
3G and edge use the exact transmitted power! (Always on connection is the main problem!) An Ipod uses Edge which is slow. But what the hey, you have a question and it will be answered here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh, you wanna cite your source for that one?
I think HTC have been changing things again as my new Touch Dual, with latest bandswitch does not swap, it will allow the change and it even shows it in the system settings, but remains on 3G
A little divergent from the main topic thread, but:
dcdivenut said:
This was supposedly the reason why Apple made the iPhone EDGE not 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If Apple could have made it 3G they would have. Steve Jobs was quoted in an interview that the reason the iPhone was not released with 3G originally was that the hardware to make it 3G was not out long enough to be tested thoroughly at the time the phone was being built and tested, not the time it was released. Once the decision was made to go Edge, Apple couldn't release a much better phone within a quarter or two so the incentive to get it out sooner went away. I have it on good authority (rumors in the media also confirm this) that the 3G iPhone will be released Q2/Q3 in 2008. Also, given the popularity of the iPhone and Cingular's small but growing 3G network at the time of release, Cingular was concerned that not everyone that bought an iPhone would have been in 3G areas and would have complained about performance. This is why Cingular has seemingly accelerated the roll-out of 3G-ready areas faster over the last few quarters. This comes from a few friends at Cingular.
If a new 3G iPhone will have battery life as long as the current Edge iPhone (removable battery would be the bomb to carry an extra one or extra capacity, it will be a very compelling unit, despite the inability to add 3rd party apps. And to bring this full circle to the thread, if a 3G iPhone allows 3G to be turned on/off, look out Windows mobile....oh, and removable storage capacity, too, and GPS..., and a good IM program...
Try these Comm Managers. They both work perfectly fine on my tilt.
None of these work on the Dual as it moans about permissions when installing.
rolandrat said:
None of these work on the Dual as it moans about permissions when installing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to Settings>System> Memory>Running Programs and Stop the Comm Manager application. Then install the Comm Manager.
That should do the trick.
GarJones27 said:
Try these Comm Managers. They both work perfectly fine on my tilt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently using the dutty black 3G and that works perfectly. What I have done is link comm manager to a button so I can access it quickly and switch as needed. Changing comm managers does not address the phoneAlarm issue since phoneAlarm changes reg keys (according to Bruce) and with the Tilt (and maybe the Kaiser) it takes "api calls" or something else I don't fully understand.
If there is anyone who knows how this works and would be willing to share with Bruce over at pocketMax so he can build this into a update release that would be awesome!
GarJones27 said:
Go to Settings>System> Memory>Running Programs and Stop the Comm Manager application. Then install the Comm Manager.
That should do the trick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stopping everything and install worked thanks.
Team,
boodies posted this in the General section and thought it should be here as well, due to its nature.
Props goes out to boodies, Great Find!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=728611
I tried this and all GPS and compass issues are now fixed. GPS locks on accurately in just a few seconds.
***This fix may not work if you live outside of USA.***
##You can play with the settings if you want to. If you FUBAR your GPS a simple factory reset will return your setting to default. You can do this without going into recovery buy going to Settings / Privacy / Factory data reset.##
Edit:
***************************************************************
Tested Procedure:
1 - Disable "Use Wireless Networks" - Settings / Location & Security
2 - Dial *#*#1472365#*#*
3 - Under "Application settings" Change "Operation Mode" to MS Based
4 - Under "SUPL/CP Settings" Change the SERVER & PORT to supl.google.com and port 7276 [ Do not use www. in front of supl]
5 - REBOOT
6 - Turn back on the "User Wireless Networks"
********************************************************************
Original settings:
Operation Mode: Standalone
Server: www.spirent-lcs.com
Port: 7275
*****************************
Optional New Fix:
1 - Dial *#*#1472365#*#*
2 - Go outside to get an unimpeded GPS fix.
3 - Choose Delete GPS Data button.
4 - Choose Get Position Test button. Let it run for 3 min or until you have 10 to 12 Sat locks and back out.
Thanks goes to Onlyloki for this method.
You may want to do this in conjunction with the first procedure and then do the optional if the first procedure did not work for you. I did both and my GPS is locking even faster. Let me know what you think...
Just some more info I dug up:
Quote from http://www.vzwdevelopers.com/aims/public/menu/lbs/LBSFAQ.jsp
"In MS-Based mode, the network provides the satellite information to the device, based on a rough estimate of where the device is located, and the device acquires the GPS signals from the satellites and calculates its location. After the initial fix, the device operates like an autonomous GPS receiver, until the satellite information must be refreshed, at which time the device goes back to the network to update the satellite information. MS-Based mode is appropriate for applications that require the device location to be updated rapidly, such as a navigation application. Can the GPS work in autonomous mode? No, the GPS receiver requires the assistance of the network elements to acquire its initial location fix."
With the rapid updating we could see an increased drain on the battery. I have not confirmed that yet. If anyone can let us know.
Edit #2:
I was informed by a sales rep at T-Mobile that Samsung is aware of the issue and is going to fix the GPS and the compass issue in their first update.
Rooted USERS:
Go Here and flash this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=748821
TGA_Gunnman said:
Team,
boodies posted this in the General section and thought it should be here as well due to its nature.
Props goes out to boodies, Great Find!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=728611
I tried this and all GPS and compass issues are now fixed. GPS locks on accurately in just a few seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does everyone have the gps problem or just some cause to me it doesnt seem like i have it just wondering
Mine were working ok, but compass was all over the place. After fix it was alot faster locking in and compass was fine. Noticed it using skymap, layer, etc...
fix worked great for me. All I need it to be semi close and this makes the lock within seconds. Before I couldnt even get a lock.. Awesome XDA
TGA_Gunnman said:
Team,
boodies posted this in the General section and thought it should be here as well due to its nature.
Props goes out to boodies, Great Find!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=728611
I tried this and all GPS and compass issues are now fixed. GPS locks on accurately in just a few seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My gps takes awhile to lock. But before i try this.
What is the orig settings? Can someone post?
I dont want to do this and then if it doesnt work i cant revert
Don't you lose out on better accuracy by disabling wireless networks?
hah2110 said:
Don't you lose out on better accuracy by disabling wireless networks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You turn it back on, on step 6.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
skater4690 said:
does everyone have the gps problem or just some cause to me it doesnt seem like i have it just wondering
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't either, i used navigation all yesterday and lock was fast... just lucky???
hah2110 said:
Don't you lose out on better accuracy by disabling wireless networks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW my bad!
diaa08 said:
i don't either, i used navigation all yesterday and lock was fast... just lucky???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are your settings set to?
Also check out a compass app and skymap are they throwing you all over?
I'm curious.
This is a shining example of what makes it great to be an Android phone owner, the outstanding community support that XDA has is second to none in my opinion, even to carrier/vendor support. My Vibrant should be arriving Tuesday or Wednesday (can't wait). I used to have Sapphire, then switched to the HD2 because I'm bound to T-Mobile and Windows Mobile was more horrible than I could have imagined. I can't wait to see CM6 with Froyo on the Vibrant...makes my mouth water thinking about it. Thanks again for the great work.
TGA_Gunnman said:
What are your settings set to?
Also check out a compass app and skymap are they throwing you all over?
I'm curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
compass and skymap ARE acting strange... guess the nav was working because i happened to get a quick gps fix? i'll choose to believe that over the possibility i could have jinxed myself by saying i had no problems...
i have noticed that the battery drain is much higher (like abnormaly so) if you have the gps toggled on through tw and have something like beautiful widgets on...
would something like the QuickGPS app on HD2 solve some of these problems? anyone familiar with that app and what it does?
I did this *fix* and it killed my GPS.
so, I have reverted back to normal.
I noticed I'm getting a much better GPS lock in maps. The problem with skymap appears to be unrelated to GPS and appears to be something with the compass. On my G1, it tracked as I turned it with fairly precise accuracy. With the vibrant, it has a 5-6 second delay on tracking movement on the horizontal (up and down tracking in near perfect). However, the compass app seems to function just fine in that regard, oddly enough.
kusotare said:
I noticed I'm getting a much better GPS lock in maps. The problem with skymap appears to be unrelated to GPS and appears to be something with the compass. On my G1, it tracked as I turned it with fairly precise accuracy. With the vibrant, it has a 5-6 second delay on tracking movement on the horizontal (up and down tracking in near perfect). However, the compass app seems to function just fine in that regard, oddly enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. The compass was not affected by this fix, it is still acting like garbage.
The GPS does lock faster now, but before this it was working reasonably.
unxconformed said:
Same here. The compass was not affected by this fix, it is still acting like garbage.
The GPS does lock faster now, but before this it was working reasonably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will remove compass fix from my title. I saw an improvement but can not prove this fix will correct the compass issue.
Thought I'd chime in here.
With the default settings my GPS and compass seemed to be working fine, but I thought I'd check these new settings out. I have since reverted back to the original settings b/c the change actually made my GPS less accurate and my compass seemed to get a little funky.
GPS: Original settings is showing my exact location; down to the actual room in the house. New settings I wasn't even on the correct street!
Compass: Original settings in Skymap the compass is steady. Once it finds it self it sits there. New settings the map was rotating without me moving.
Figured this would be helpful to those out there who's GPS/compass seems to be working fine with the stock settings!
BradBot said:
Thought I'd chime in here.
With the default settings my GPS and compass seemed to be working fine, but I thought I'd check these new settings out. I have since reverted back to the original settings b/c the change actually made my GPS less accurate and my compass seemed to get a little funky.
GPS: Original settings is showing my exact location; down to the actual room in the house. New settings I wasn't even on the correct street!
Compass: Original settings in Skymap the compass is steady. Once it finds it self it sits there. New settings the map was rotating without me moving.
Figured this would be helpful to those out there who's GPS/compass seems to be working fine with the stock settings!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just out of curiosity what are your original settings set to?
The same listed by the OP. I checked them before I made any changes.
Operation Mode: Standalone
Server: www.spirent-lcs.com
Port: 7275
This might seem like a really stupid question to some. When I was on my last trip I thought it would be nice to try out the GPS function while on the road or even on the plane. I would have loved to follow my movements on the Xoom!
So I downloaded some apps that looked promising (GPS Status, GPS Test, and Maverick). I thought I would get at least the coordinates and maybe an altitude and speed reading. But all three applications failed to acquire sufficient GPS satellites to determine my position. After the plane ride I decided it might have been that the GPS receiver is turned off during airplane mode. So I enabled all radios, made sure all location settings are correct, and tried it again. Still nothing. I see a few satellites in range but they are not sufficient for some reason.
I then tested the Google map app. I tried different settings (use wireless network etc.) and it seems that the GPS location is never really showing correctly.
Am I doing something wrong? Any help is appreciated!
All of those programs you mentioned should have done the trick. Keep in mind that you were in a big metal tube and GPS signals are pretty weak. You would need to get the Xoom close to a window and even then it may not work very well due to poor coverage. I am in a building with a metal roof and no luck getting a GPS lock, but as soon as I step outside it works fine.
HuckFinn said:
I am in a building with a metal roof and no luck getting a GPS lock, but as soon as I step outside it works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I gave it a good chance but you are right; I should be fair and have the Xoom enjoy the nice weather outside with me once I get off work.
getting a GPS signal while flying in the air at 600mph+ is kinda hard... I've tried without success except for 1 occasion (and finally got my Garmin app on my old Nokia to register a max speed of 569mph haha)
funnycreature said:
...it might have been that the GPS receiver is turned off during airplane mode. So I enabled all radios, made sure all location settings are correct, and tried it again. Still nothing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a similar, but not the same issue, but the work around might be helpful.
I have found that if I turn off the GPS radio, and then turn it back on, it really does not turn back on. The work around is to turn on your GPS in the settings and then turn your Xoom off (long press the power button only), and then turn it back on. Now try your GPS and see if it works.
I opened the Maps app and it put me in the exact part of my house in 5 seconds. Literally.
Sent from my Xoom
Being outside did the trick. I guess I overestimated the power of GPS satellites indoors. I am thankful for all the suggestions!
[sent with Xooming Android technology]
the xoom must have a super-GPS chip because it catches the signal and puts you instantly in the right spot on earth a lot faster than the nexus one on 3g/gps ... awesome.
MitchRapp said:
the xoom must have a super-GPS chip because it catches the signal and puts you instantly in the right spot on earth a lot faster than the nexus one on 3g/gps ... awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe that's because of the aGPS which takes advantage of the WiFi and wireless signals for positioning? I don't have 3G activated but the WiFi surely helps and is pretty accurate.
just tried it with the WIFI off on my xoom and booya... quick lock and exactly in the right spot in the building I'm in
this thing is awesome.
MitchRapp said:
getting a GPS signal while flying in the air at 600mph+ is kinda hard... I've tried without success except for 1 occasion (and finally got my Garmin app on my old Nokia to register a max speed of 569mph haha)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's possible if fortune (and satellites) on your side But you will need to stick your phone to the window for a few minutes, also helps if get location just before boarding to a plane.
MitchRapp said:
the xoom must have a super-GPS chip because it catches the signal and puts you instantly in the right spot on earth a lot faster than the nexus one on 3g/gps ... awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tablets probably have a bigger GPS antennas, Asus Transformer and even NI Adam have a great signal reception.
My Streak 7 wifi, stock ROM- gps unable to lock. Other than that, device is great. Wifi connected. In settings, Wireless networks and GPS satellites in use. GPS Status & Toolbox app downloaded aGPS data but not helping, GpsFix app not helping to lock also. Any other suggestions? thanks in advance.
dang1970 said:
My Streak 7 wifi, stock ROM- gps unable to lock. Other than that, device is great. Wifi connected. In settings, Wireless networks and GPS satellites in use. GPS Status & Toolbox app downloaded aGPS data but not helping, GpsFix app not helping to lock also. Any other suggestions? thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to be too mundane, but have you tried a simple reboot, or going outside where you'd be more likely to get a GPS fix? My T-Mobile S7 has had trouble getting a GPS fix several times, but other times it locks right in.
How long have you left in in clear line of sight of the sky to get a lock? I use mine as my primary in-car multimedia center/GPS and at first, to save battery, would turn it completely off when not in use. I found that when I'd get in my car to go home from work it could take up to 10 minutes to get a lock. Then I started just letting it sleep, have had no battery issues and GPS lock is nearly instant.
Long story short: Give it a good while to lock after a full shut down.And maybe you have, I just thought I'd share my experience.
Jeff
I have absolutely the same issue. After turning it off completely, the GPS does not lock for ages in any sky conditions, etc. Moreover, I put another two Android devices (Galaxy S and Optimus One) also after complete shut off juyst nearby and they are getting locked almest immediately. No doubts, there is a bug in the S7 GPS. But what is it ? Is it a hardware problem ? Can it be fixed ? Keeping it in a sleep mode for a long time is not a good solution for me, though it works indeed.
Does anybody know how to fix it ? At the moment I am using an external GPS. It works perfect, but it is also not that elegant solution.
Same thing here too. I downloaded "GPS test", and found that it will lock on pretty quick, then fire up GPS, and all is well.
margol1 said:
I have absolutely the same issue. After turning it off completely, the GPS does not lock for ages in any sky conditions, etc. Moreover, I put another two Android devices (Galaxy S and Optimus One) also after complete shut off juyst nearby and they are getting locked almest immediately. No doubts, there is a bug in the S7 GPS. But what is it ? Is it a hardware problem ? Can it be fixed ? Keeping it in a sleep mode for a long time is not a good solution for me, though it works indeed.
Does anybody know how to fix it ? At the moment I am using an external GPS. It works perfect, but it is also not that elegant solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS on android devices need the assistance of the cell tower or ISP location to get a quick lock. When you first boot up the ds7 and turn on GPS, make sure you are connected to wifi in order to get a quick lock. If you search this forum you will see a thread that give a fix for this, but I think its too much of a hassle. Just be on wifi for your first lock will do the trick. This is not bug on the ds7, its android.
otnos said:
GPS on android devices need the assistance of the cell tower or ISP location to get a quick lock. When you first boot up the ds7 and turn on GPS, make sure you are connected to wifi in order to get a quick lock. If you search this forum you will see a thread that give a fix for this, but I think its too much of a hassle. Just be on wifi for your first lock will do the trick. This is not bug on the ds7, its android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? More misinformation on this subject? No, Android devices do not need aGPS, in this case you're confusing aGPS (ie: download of ephemeris data) with Network location, which are quite different.
And it really doesn't matter if it's the first or the Nth time, if the DS7 is always offline for some reason, it would likely make that first fix take 5+ minutes but subsequent fixes (for 7 or so days) would be fine. However, as soon as he goes online, it's going to download the ephemeris data.
My guess is that his GPS conf is set to the wrong part of the world, so the ephemeris data is basically invalid. FasterFix in the market can help correct this mistake if you're rooted, or you can replace it manually.
khaytsus said:
Really? More misinformation on this subject? No, Android devices do not need aGPS, in this case you're confusing aGPS (ie: download of ephemeris data) with Network location, which are quite different.
And it really doesn't matter if it's the first or the Nth time, if the DS7 is always offline for some reason, it would likely make that first fix take 5+ minutes but subsequent fixes (for 7 or so days) would be fine. However, as soon as he goes online, it's going to download the ephemeris data.
My guess is that his GPS conf is set to the wrong part of the world, so the ephemeris data is basically invalid. FasterFix in the market can help correct this mistake if you're rooted, or you can replace it manually.
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Click to collapse
I beg to differ with you. When I was on stock froyo, I had the same GPS lock problem on one of my trip. So I pulled into a McDonald and connected to their free wifi and got an instant lock. This morning I tested it again. I have been running honeycomb sine Oct 5th and have never turn on the GPS. I connected to my wifi, turned on GPS, and opened Google map and got an instant lock. I didn't have to wait 5+ min..
otnos said:
I beg to differ with you. When I was on stock froyo, I had the same GPS lock problem on one of my trip. So I pulled into a McDonald and connected to their free wifi and got an instant lock. This morning I tested it again. I have been running honeycomb sine Oct 5th and have never turn on the GPS. I connected to my wifi, turned on GPS, and opened Google map and got an instant lock. I didn't have to wait 5+ min..
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And none of that has anything to do with what I said.......
This is a little FAQ I wrote up on how to fix this problem. Just a matter of replacing the file that runs the GPS, based off the area you live in.
http://tabletroms.com/forums/showwiki.php?title=DellStreakFAQ:GPS-FIX
giveen said:
This is a little FAQ I wrote up on how to fix this problem. Just a matter of replacing the file that runs the GPS, based off the area you live in.
http://tabletroms.com/forums/showwiki.php?title=DellStreakFAQ:GPS-FIX
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Good list, although not sure why you're specifying dozens of NTP servers vs the pool server, but I assume t-mobile lets anyone connect to its server to download the ephemeris data? Otherwise, probably better to use supl.google.com
Here's mine, for North America, with other regions commented out for NTP. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/334233/gps.conf
It'd be interesting to know if all of the other dozen or so configuration options are actually used, I've heard they aren't, just part of a spec.
I bought my DS7 in the US and I live in Israel. The above explanations perfectly fit my case. Unfortunately, the given link does not include my region (Israel or Middle East, etc). Can somebody help me ? My DS7 runs a stock HC 3.2. The device is unrooted, but I will root it just for solving the GPS problem. BTW, why my Galaxy S bought in Europe does not have such problem ? Is this gps.conf specific in tablets only or in the US devices ?
Another thoughts. Now it seems to me extremely unreasonable to run specific GPS files in different regions. GPS, by definition is supposed to be used in different regions. Should I replace the GPS file in my every trip? Sounds more than unreasonable. I used a Windows CE based PDA with GPS all around the globe without that issue. It does took me a while to fix satellites in a new region for the first time. But then it was getting fixed fast even after complete shut off.
I can't beleive Android is that imperfect. If this option would be included in the menu (e.g. in Regional settings), I would like it. But performing such complicated actions in each trip ???
margol1 said:
Another thoughts. Now it seems to me extremely unreasonable to run specific GPS files in different regions. GPS, by definition is supposed to be used in different regions. Should I replace the GPS file in my every trip? Sounds more than unreasonable. I used a Windows CE based PDA with GPS all around the globe without that issue. It does took me a while to fix satellites in a new region for the first time. But then it was getting fixed fast even after complete shut off.
I can't beleive Android is that imperfect. If this option would be included in the menu (e.g. in Regional settings), I would like it. But performing such complicated actions in each trip ???
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Stop your trolling, ephemeris data, ie: what's set up in gps.conf, is to speed up cold starts. it does nothing else, it's not Android specific, in fact all it's doing is downloaded a set of the data that your GPS would otherwise have to slowly acquire from the satellites, which takes 2-10 minutes, depending on conditions and how many sats are seen.
All GPS units do this, but GPS units that have a network available will potentially download ephemeris data to speed up satellite acquisition. Otherwise they just download it. Only time you'll really notice it going slow is if it's been more than 4-5 days (I believe 7 is the official data expiration, but the older it is, the less accurate it is) or you've changed areas since you last turned on the GPS.
Keep in mind that phone-based GPS's suck. They're inaccurate, they're not sensitive, their antennas are not optimal. This is true for nearly all PDA's or Phones, Tablets, etc.. Some may be better than others. They're optimized for space, price, and somewhat for battery life. Not accuracy, precision, or cold starts (beyond A-GPS data downloads, which is an OS function that makes the data available to the GPS)
This means my unit is faulty (apparently it is a common problem for DS7). Otherwise I would have similar cold starts for all three devices I have tested (DS7, Galaxy S and Optimus One). On the other hand, in the light of your explanataion, my tests are, probably, wrong. DS7 is WiFi only, while another two are GSM (no data plans though). In other forums, I read that changing gps.conf file in WiFi only devices dramatically improves cold starts. Apparently they all have been connected to WiFi while starting. I have prepared the appropriate file for my region, but don't know how to root my DS7 with stock HC 3.2. The thread I found here is not sufficiently detail for noobs like me. So, in the mean time I will continue using the external GPS. It is indeed much better than the internal one besides the cold start problem (though much less convinient). If you know a link to the step-by-step instructions for rooting DS7 running stock HC 3.2, I will greatly appreciate it.
margol1 said:
The thread I found here is not sufficiently detail for noobs like me. So, in the mean time I will continue using the external GPS. It is indeed much better than the internal one besides the cold start problem (though much less convinient). If you know a link to the step-by-step instructions for rooting DS7 running stock HC 3.2, I will greatly appreciate it.
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Always possible there's a problem with the GPS, maybe the antenna is defective or connected badly. Hope you figure it out.
I have two bluetooth GPS, one Holux 236 I've had about 6 years, another Columbus V900 I was going to replace the Holux with, as it's newer, should have better sensitivity, and has built-in track logging. Except that its accuracy is off, it's precise.... precisely wrong. It's always about 9 meters off. And my primarily use for it is Geocaching, and my Holux 236 is always dead on.. So my new BT GPS is basically used as a track logger. Ah well All that said, I primarily use the BT GPS with my phone while geocaching or hiking or such, but I have used it on the tablet a few times, but most often I just use the built-in GPS on my DS7 because I don't need high precision with it the way I use it.
khaytsus said:
Stop your trolling, ephemeris data, ie: what's set up in gps.conf, is to speed up cold starts. it does nothing else, it's not Android specific, in fact all it's doing is downloaded a set of the data that your GPS would otherwise have to slowly acquire from the satellites, which takes 2-10 minutes, depending on conditions and how many sats are seen.
All GPS units do this, but GPS units that have a network available will potentially download ephemeris data to speed up satellite acquisition. Otherwise they just download it. Only time you'll really notice it going slow is if it's been more than 4-5 days (I believe 7 is the official data expiration, but the older it is, the less accurate it is) or you've changed areas since you last turned on the GPS.
Keep in mind that phone-based GPS's suck. They're inaccurate, they're not sensitive, their antennas are not optimal. This is true for nearly all PDA's or Phones, Tablets, etc.. Some may be better than others. They're optimized for space, price, and somewhat for battery life. Not accuracy, precision, or cold starts (beyond A-GPS data downloads, which is an OS function that makes the data available to the GPS)
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Thank you, khaytsus.
All this fix does is speed up the initial contact to the GPS satellites for your region. You don't have to use this, you can wait till the GPS in the DS7 makes contact if you want.
khaytsus said:
Always possible there's a problem with the GPS, maybe the antenna is defective or connected badly. Hope you figure it out.
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The most strange is that the GPS is fine after getting fixed . At least, no difference with Galaxy S, i.e. roughly the same number of satellites, SNR, accuracy. So, the only problem is unreasonably long cold start. I am not sure how it could be caused by a defective antenna. Anyway, in the mean time I decided to use an external GPS. I have three units, two BT and one mouse, which I used to use with my nettop in the pre-tablet era. Yesterday I connected my Hollux 236 to 12 V using a concealed cable and switch. So, now the procedure is reasonably simple: switch on 236, a few clicks on BluetoothGPS and, when the connection is established, I am clicking iGO8. It works like a charm, besides several additional actions I have to perform. When I will sicceed to root my DS7, I will try to play with the gps.conf file anyway.
P.S. I got an idea to connect my mouse GPS using the DS7 docking unit. I have a simple one with two microUSB I/O. Not sure it will work, but, if yes, it can simplify everything dramatically. I will try it on the weekend and let you know about the results.
Thanks.
OK, after two weeks of testing I still don't have a reasonable solution:
1. The USB mouse GPS connected the cradle does not work at all.
2. My greatest disapointment is with the external GPS. It works perfect... when it works. I am using the Bluetooth GPS application to get connected. After several successful connections, without any visible reason, the GPS is not getting connected to DS7, although the application shows many satellites with large SNR (>30-35). However accuracy = 0 and no GPS signal message in iGO8. This happens only from time to time and as I have already mentioned without any visible reason.
Will try another applications and GPS devices.