Database Develop

GPS Fix for Google Maps?

I know ppl use GPS test to get the GPS to be activated then launch google maps afterwards, is there not a reg key or another way other than having to launch 2 apps to get one to work?

Frontline said:
I know ppl use GPS test to get the GPS to be activated then launch google maps afterwards, is there not a reg key or another way other than having to launch 2 apps to get one to work?
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The reason people are using another app to initialize the GPS is because Google Maps default timeout is riduclously low. As someone who has read 99% of the GPS-related posts in the Kaiser forum, I do not believe there is any other way to do it.
That being said, I am far from a master of Windows Mobile, so if someone knows different, please correct me.

Treo is right. the google time out is pretty shallow, and and about 25-30 seconds. Just use Live Search, its a lot better in terms of the amount of crap it allows you to search for.
Plus, the time out isn't as shallow's as google. As long as you have COM4 selected you'll get a signal within 50-60 seconds from a soft reset. Otherwise once the port is already open its a matter of seconds.

Hmm... strange...
With Google maps installed, I have a GPS signal within about 10 seconds (7 or so), but with Windows Live I don't connect for almost 1 minute. I personally was thinking the new "my location" feature was helping the GPS in some way to narrow the search area.
I have also noticed that I can get a signal within my house without much trouble using google, but again Live Search rarely hooks up.
Am I alone in this finding?

pyro9219 said:
Hmm... strange...
With Google maps installed, I have a GPS signal within about 10 seconds (7 or so), but with Windows Live I don't connect for almost 1 minute. I personally was thinking the new "my location" feature was helping the GPS in some way to narrow the search area.
I have also noticed that I can get a signal within my house without much trouble using google, but again Live Search rarely hooks up.
Am I alone in this finding?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what rom and radio are you using?

1.62.502.0 ROM
1.27.14.09 RADIO
Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy with it! I could care less if the GPS works in my house, I think I've mastered the bathroom and kitchen locations
Just noting an opposing observation I've had with my phone in the Portland Oregon Area.
Another observation I've had (it's been a few months since I have used Live Search) is that I can't find a person's house using the Live Search, while I can using the Google.
Finally, I find neither program really what I'd like - Google's only real downfall in my eyes is the lack of auto-updates when not on course (Live Search does this with a prompt). Live search fails because I know products can be faster to get the satellites, as well as lack of residential directions. Google also loads faster, and is the only one that could find the Intel location I work at (one of the largest and well known, would figure it's in both services!) Google also has the aerial view which is nice when trying to figure out massive parking lots (such as at an Intel Campus). Live Search won a few points back because I liked the movies listings, buggy voice searching and auto-updates, but not enough to make me use the product. I will probably be loading it up again sometime before the summer though just to see what sort of progress they have.

And that stoopid connection error poop
I have just gotten used to opening QuickGPS weekly, and gps tool each time. It takes just a few seconds to open GPSTool and start the thing, then close it, and most apps will work after that.
I find GoogleMaps to be poorly designed, albeit free. My biggest issue by far is the connection error. There's a place on the way to work where Google maps just stops, throws a "you have to have a connection" error, and the only option is quit. I quit, immediately restart, and it works from there. I've had that error in some very densely populated areas (River Oaks is the highest price homes, you can bet they have cell antennas in abundance around there, yet it happened around there yesterday.) If it needs to download maps, it can just keep tracking, and get the map when it can, or mention "waiting for map". Idealy you'd be able to cache, best would be able to define certain areas, and it wouldnt even have to download the maps if they havent updated.
Dont get me wrong, as usual Google has done some neat work here, but there are disctint design flaws that make it nearly unusable. So much so that if I dont need the traffic, and just want to see streets, I use tomtom.

sunglint said:
There's a place on the way to work where Google maps just stops, throws a "you have to have a connection" error, and the only option is quit. I quit, immediately restart, and it works from there. I've had that error in some very densely populated areas (River Oaks is the highest price homes, you can bet they have cell antennas in abundance around there, yet it happened around there yesterday.)
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What version of Google Maps are you running?

Frontline said:
I know ppl use GPS test to get the GPS to be activated then launch google maps afterwards, is there not a reg key or another way other than having to launch 2 apps to get one to work?
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Click to collapse
The question is not WHY people open GPSTest before opening Google Maps.
The question is how to open both apps via a script, batch file, etc...
I would also like to know if it is possible....

HD7 GPS issue???

I notice my Bing Maps doesn't show the right coordinates of my location. What could be wrong?

You could be standing indoors or somewhere where there's not a good enough GPS signal, or you may have location services switched off.

jtphl said:
I notice my Bing Maps doesn't show the right coordinates of my location. What could be wrong?
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You are not alone. I started a thread where I called it =garbage. I don't want to generalize just in case it's a hardware issue on my part but it always shows my location in a different city and when using the GPS on maps it seems to always be trying to catchup.

GPS settings
How can we tell if the GPS has locked on to any satellites...or for that matter, if it's even on??? There doesn't seem to be any direct mention of GPS in the settings menu...just a general option to turn location services on or off. Am I missing something here...or does ms not think that giving users direct control over GPS is important?

JoePR31 said:
How can we tell if the GPS has locked on to any satellites...or for that matter, if it's even on??? There doesn't seem to be any direct mention of GPS in the settings menu...just a general option to turn location services on or off. Am I missing something here...or does ms not think that giving users direct control over GPS is important?
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Totally agree with you. My guess though is that when the circles radius is just a couple pixels from the central point then its GPS; since GPS is accurate to a couple feet and A-GPS when the radius is about half the screen. Again just guessing but I really do wish there was an option.

alabij said:
Totally agree with you. My guess though is that when the circles radius is just a couple pixels from the central point then its GPS; since GPS is accurate to a couple feet and A-GPS when the radius is about half the screen. Again just guessing but I really do wish there was an option.
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I believe you're right about the meaning of the radius of the circle in the stock map app. But, it probably isn't as obvious in other kinds of apps that use GPS.
I'm gonna shoot ms an email regarding this...and I suggest that anyone else that agrees that this is less than ideal do the same. Its too late to have them do anything about it in the upcoming January update, but if they hear enough complaints about it, maybe they'll do something about it in the update after that one.

Personally I'd rather Ms did NOT add in any such options. I have the option to use or not use location services, that's enough. Apps that can utilize GPS will switch the circuit on and use it while they're the active app. As soon as you switch away, the app tombstones and GPS switches off, to save battery life. That's just the way I like it, nice and simple. No need for an option of any kind there. It just works.

Jim Coleman said:
Personally I'd rather Ms did NOT add in any such options. I have the option to use or not use location services, that's enough. Apps that can utilize GPS will switch the circuit on and use it while they're the active app. As soon as you switch away, the app tombstones and GPS switches off, to save battery life. That's just the way I like it, nice and simple. No need for an option of any kind there. It just works.
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Jim, if the battery on my HD7 were more robust, I would agree with you. But it's not...so I don't. I would like the option to utilize only tower/WiFi triangulation...and to be able to enable my GPS only when I need my location to be precisely determined.
You are right...it does just work...which was more than I could say for my Vibrant's GPS for quite a while. But, access to any setting that could help me milk some more life out of my battery is access that I want.

GPS ?!?
I have both the HD2 and the HD7. The HD7 with services ON show my location over half a mile away from my office. This is consistent and constant. It shows me in the middle of a hwy norht east of my office. My HD2 not have this issue. It pinpoints my location, tells me in meters how accurate it is and tells me how many satellites it is in contact with. It will actually follow me accurately around the building inside and out. What's the problem with the HD7?? Seems like it is a step backward to me in this regard!

HD7Sol said:
I have both the HD2 and the HD7. The HD7 with services ON show my location over half a mile away from my office. This is consistent and constant. It shows me in the middle of a hwy norht east of my office. My HD2 not have this issue. It pinpoints my location, tells me in meters how accurate it is and tells me how many satellites it is in contact with. It will actually follow me accurately around the building inside and out. What's the problem with the HD7?? Seems like it is a step backward to me in this regard!
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How wide is the circle around the dot? It may be using the Cell tower / WiFi to determine your position and therefore be very inaccurate.
What country are you in?
I guess it's possible that the actual maps are wrong and are showing the incorrect map overlay for your country?

after reading this thread i tested my HD7 with the bing map and its accurate, showed me where i am i changed to aerial map to confirm it...
i believe the data (3G) have to be connected, i am on unlimited data plan so its on all the time, wifi do not work as i tested with the wifi after that and it showed my location far away from my home...

this should fix everyones issue Go to setting and select find my phone check box both opitions and now try bing maps again. you will also notice well driving bing maps will keep a better track well your moving

did that and it now works perfectly, previously it was over a mile off my actual location

Me living in Thailand, whenever my HD7 connected to WIFI (no matter where), the current location always changes to San Jose. I have no idea why this happens ?

pongpatara said:
Me living in Thailand, whenever my HD7 connected to WIFI (no matter where), the current location always changes to San Jose. I have no idea why this happens ?
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Mate, this issue was happen to me in Bangkok too,
I try many apps to fix this, but the result was same..
I see my location was stand in somewhere on the sea at Europe.
That's suck...
Make them REAL MS !!

hd7 no gps please help
gps dosent work on google maps when i flash back to old rom gps works

As far as I know location services do not use GPS exclusively. It uses GSM cell and tower info as well to speed up approximation and let enough time for GPS satellite locking. GSM cell data is stored in internet databases (do not know where and how) but if there is a mislocated tower (e.g.i Thailand) your location might be determined in a wrong way.
To keep it simple M$ hidden this mixed mode location service. I don't know what happens if you switch off location service in settings and use a GPS application for locating yourself. Is there a difference? Might be.

GPS Question

I was wondering, are maps in Navigate and Google maps stored in the phone or does it need an internet connection to work? Let us say you went on a road trip to some off-beaten place, where you do not have any signal from AT&T. So at that point, will the GPS still work? I mean i know the phone can still communicate with the GPS, but can you phone display the maps without the connection to AT&T?
I know GPS's like Garmin etc, have the maps of the entire US stored in it memory, so no matter where you go you get to see the map of where you are. TIA.

angryphoton said:
I was wondering, are maps in Navigate and Google maps stored in the phone or does it need an internet connection to work? Let us say you went on a road trip to some off-beaten place, where you do not have any signal from AT&T. So at that point, will the GPS still work? I mean i know the phone can still communicate with the GPS, but can you phone display the maps without the connection to AT&T?
I know GPS's like Garmin etc, have the maps of the entire US stored in it memory, so no matter where you go you get to see the map of where you are. TIA.
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Google navigation needs a GPS signal to work but if you dont have one, what will happen is the directions will still be there, but your location wont update to your position.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

angryphoton said:
I was wondering, are maps in Navigate and Google maps stored in the phone or does it need an internet connection to work? Let us say you went on a road trip to some off-beaten place, where you do not have any signal from AT&T. So at that point, will the GPS still work? I mean i know the phone can still communicate with the GPS, but can you phone display the maps without the connection to AT&T?
I know GPS's like Garmin etc, have the maps of the entire US stored in it memory, so no matter where you go you get to see the map of where you are. TIA.
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you do need a data connection to use google maps and such.
i use copilot live and really enjoy it.

Thanks for the replies, so if I am getting this correctly you do need a data connection to fully use your phone GPS, otherwise it can probably still give you some text/voice directions like turn left in 200 feet, etc. but with no visible current maps (if you do not have a data connection).
The simple reason I was asking this was to see how much a phone GPS can substitute for a true GPS, like when maybe need to use it in some far-off place like Yosemite park, etc. Looks like from the answers so far the phone GPS is quite limited.

In my experience, Google Navigation cannot calculate your route without a data connection. The program will stay at "generating driving directions" until it times out and throws a network error. You can't really do much with Maps or Navigation without the data connection.
As far as map storage, Google Maps will cache certain map tiles that you recently (or habitually?) loaded, but Navigation will not. I'm not sure if Maps will even continue past startup with no data connection at all, though, for example with the phone in airplane mode. It seems like it would tell you that you need a connection. I can't remember what it actually does.
If you try to use Maps with no GPS, it will tell you to enable it and calculate your position based on wifi networks and cell towers. If you don't have any RF enabled, it can't tell where you are. Navigation, if it has a tower location with no GPS fix, will give you a top-down map view and tell you to follow the indicated route, and won't give you voice directions.
Perception 10.2 | SpeedMod K13C | I9000ZSJPG

I loved the Garmin GPS products. Having maps offline with no need for data was fast and reliable. I wish they would make an Android product.
Oruxmaps supports offline maps but has no navigation capability unless I'm missing something.
Sent using XDA App

I use MapDroyd for GPS without a data/cell signal. You install the APP, then you can download maps and store them on your SD card. You'll have maps/GPS anywhere. No need to worry about having a cell signal.
Just download the maps prior to heading out of town. You can download maps by state. I keep Oregon and Washington maps on my phone and never worry about GPS out in the midde of nowhere.
Sent from Samsung Captivate using Tapatalk

google nav needs to download the map at the time you start the trip, once it has a route the map is there but if you miss a turn it may have trouble recalculating without a cell signal. if there is public wifi it might work.
there are a number of apps in the market that are one time pay (unlike i phone where many are subscriptions) that store that maps on your phone but they take up massive amounts of space and take forever to download the maps. i have succcess with navdroyd, the gps quirks of this phone may prevent some apps from working well depending on the base rom so test it imediately in case you need to get a refund.

[Q] *sigh* I have had enough... Does this phone have a real GPS receiver or not?

I'm getting sick of ignorant people saying stuff like "oh yeah your GPS works as long as you have a data or wifi signal."
NO. THAT IS NOT GPS. That is the cheap triangulation signal method via cell towers that just about ANY phone can do. If you don't know the difference between GPS and cell tower triangulation then do not bother contributing to this discussion.
Real GPS uses satellites. You know, the ones in space. Nothing else.
Tomtoms don't use a cellular signal, they use GPS.
If you have real GPS, you can pinpoint almost perfectly where you are in realtime, and even accurately track your velocity, so long as there is a clear line of sight to the satellites. If your location is "bouncing back and forth", then you do not have GPS enabled. Period.
I would like to know, once and for all, was HTC lying on their phone specifications in saying that the HD7 has GPS or not?
My old HTC Touch HD had it. Why on earth does this HD7 not seem to have it?
Has anyone here ever actually managed to verify that a true GPS receiver even exists in this phone?

There is a GPS reciever in the phone or it wont be able to pinpoint your exact location in Bing Maps.

fazkaz said:
There is a GPS reciever in the phone or it wont be able to pinpoint your exact location in Bing Maps.
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Click to collapse
I have never had bing maps pinpoint my "exact" location though, only maybe to the nearest 20 metres. And the pointer doesn't seem to move as I move, which suggests to me it isn't using satellites at all...

You seem to be confused. To clear up your misunderstanding, read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS
FWIW, I use the GPS radio on my daily 6km runs. My old Holux devices (CF-Card, USB external), used to take 30-60 seconds to grab a 3D fix. My HD7 does it in just 15-seconds. If a data connection is available, AGPS will acquire a 'quick fix' first, then based on that position determine which satellites it should look for, elminating the old trial and error method. Hence, a 'true' gps connection is acheived immediately after the AGPS system does it's job.
Bing Maps is just simply a built-in GPS client for the hardware radio and firmware.
To those concerned about data roaming charges, a data connection is not required to use the GPS radio, but is necessary to use downloaded maps, etc. As the newly released Navigon system stores maps on your device (1.6-2.5gb!) it will run independent of a data connection.
Cheers

I understand perfectly what A-GPS is. However I have yet to see my HTC HD7 actually acquire a satellite signal.
Is there anything in the phone that actually indicates when it has acquired a signal from GPS satellites?
What I believe to be the case is that this phone never actually uses GPS signals, at any stage. I believe it simply uses the cellular towers to triangulate your position, and you never get anything more accurate than that.
I would happily be proven wrong. Or if you could show me somewhere on the phone which says "now receiving from (6) satellites" like my old HTC used to do, I will happily stand corrected.
Bing maps has never ever been "GPS accurate" in my experience, and I have had the phone for just under a year now.

What about the Navigon select app that some German carriers implement on their HD7s, isn't that satellite GPS signal ?

i'm using navigon navigator,that show me speed,exat position,and many other info:hd7 HAS A GPS RICEVITOR!!!

I used Bing maps navigation the other day to find a junk yard about 2 hours from where I live and it was pretty accurate. Even merging onto another highway showed the cursor right where I was. After the initial routing pretty sure I was out of signal since I had no service way out in the sticks yet Bing maps never lost the route. I wa pretty satisfied.
But your right real gps shouldn't need a data signal at all like navigon select. Maps are stored locally.
Sent from my HD7 T9292 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

Heofz said:
I understand perfectly what A-GPS is. However I have yet to see my HTC HD7 actually acquire a satellite signal.
Is there anything in the phone that actually indicates when it has acquired a signal from GPS satellites?
What I believe to be the case is that this phone never actually uses GPS signals, at any stage. I believe it simply uses the cellular towers to triangulate your position, and you never get anything more accurate than that.
I would happily be proven wrong. Or if you could show me somewhere on the phone which says "now receiving from (6) satellites" like my old HTC used to do, I will happily stand corrected.
Bing maps has never ever been "GPS accurate" in my experience, and I have had the phone for just under a year now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to back this post up 100% on my end. I stand outside of my building and have NEVER had my bing map... and it shows me 3 or 4 blocks away from my actual location. I've actually had this question sitting on my end for quite some time now.
I, personally, don't believe that the HTC can be used as a true GPS. It just uses the cell towers like mentioned above.
If somebody could actually prove this, other than saying... IT HAS GPS BECAUSE IT SHOWED ME DIRECTIONS AND ACCURATE DIRECTIONS TOO.... Turn by turn directions though Bing is fine.. but it's still not a true GPS location being used.
Would downloading a GPS program like the 35$ garmin one actually give me a different reading on my map? Would it actually work if I have no cellular signal like a true GPS, and work off of a GPS signal?

@NachoNut and @Heofz: Do the apps in the marketplace that provide system information tell you if the phone is using triangulation or actual GPS? You could also try tweeting @windowsphone, @winphonesupport, @attcustomercare, or @htc asking about it. They're generally pretty responsive

I can't verify the exact GPS hardware, but the "system view" app from the WP7 marketplace shows "GPS location" on my HD7 and reads out to the 100th's place in latitude and longitude and ALTITUDE. You would not be able to read altitude via cell tower triangulation.
I think the issue gets confused because many of the location aware programs will use the triangulation method first while waiting for the GPS to get a reading. For instance, in Bing maps, your location is shown in a wide circle but as GPS locks in the circle shrinks down to a much more accurate location.
Even AGPS cannot get down to +/- a few meters without other outside assistance or references though.

download tools for wp7 app from the marketplace. This has a gps reciever app. Put your phone in airplane mode, and then check if you get a location... I'd do it, but my phone is currently updating to mango.

Not entirely sure what this rant is about to be honest. Just because bing maps is sh!t (which surprise surprise we all know...) doesn't mean that the inbuilt GPS receiver in the phone is useless?! Have you tried Gmaps yet?
As an alternative, why not download WinPhone Info for Mango and it will give you your exact location.
I use the GPS functionality quite often for work, because I have to see lots of different customers in London, on foot. Anyone who knows London, knows how narrow the streets are and how tall the buildings are. Worst case scenario for GPS, yet it works every time and it's very quick to find my location. Even though I think the rest of the phone is underwhelming, this is actually one of the features that works fine. If only Bing was up to Google Maps standards!

I'd like to know the best positioning for the handset it's set for 'line of sight view'.
I go cycling round the park often and I must admit it does not seem as accurate as it did with my old HD2. Could it just be down to construction.

It's the rom. I switch to Telstra rom and my gps is working fine now. The gps on tmobile rom never be able to track my location

Mine used GPS as it came from T-Mobile... in Airplane mode it received the location etc,. but maps can't update because they need a data signal to load their data. It does indeed have a TRUE GPS satellite receiver in it.

Shortly after the mango update, using the free GPSInfo app I managed to get it to tell me it had acquired a satellite signal rather than data only. It gave me altitude readings etc as well as accurate speed info.
Hurrah!
Now all I need is software equivalent/better than tomtom and I'll be a very happy bunny

I was using Navigon Select 2.0 / 3.0 on my HD7 on my holiday to Spain during the summer; for a whole two weeks I had the data connection disabled, and there was no phone reception in some of the mountaineous areas, yet the GPS functioned absolutely perfectly, getting the position quickly and accurately. So yeah there is definitely a proper GPS in the HD7.
My own recommendation for navigation on the HD7 (whether you have access to data or not) is Navigon Europe / USA (ie version 4 of Navigon Select). It's a bit pricey but is price-matched with proper navigation apps on iOS and Android. It does all the usual offline navigation that you would expect with proper POIs, rerouting, etc, but if you let it at your data connection it will also retrieve traffic data, Google Local business results, etc. You can also pin destinations to your Start screen (Home, for example). Absolutely brilliant.

pin point location works fine for me on bing... shows my house on arial view... and while on the move bingel and gmaps both work...
i dont understand why ppl are complaning..

Me too
This has a GPS, but it doesn't lock on very well (or sometimes ever) for me. I am using the T-Mobile version so that may be the problem. If you use the GPSInfo app, it will tell you if you are using AGPS or if you have actually acquired satellites. I have been able to acquire satellites a couple of times, but mostly it just sits there on AGPS mode. I was starting to really like this phone, but the GPS thing might just be a deal breaker for me.

Proper way to carry LG p880 for a GPS track recording outdoors?

Ok, so having the amazing Blade for over a year and a half, i decided to go bigger and stronger, and got the p880 when prices droped acceptably. One of the reasons, was that Blade didn't have the memory or the cpu to give me a satisfactory use of gps navigation or gps tracking (for example, it had tremendous lag, and it forced closed apps very often).
Now i have it, everything ok, except that in Osmand, in using offline maps, it says at some points, there is not enough memory to load a portion of the map. There is about 250-300mb available ram at that point. I wonder if this is a bug or a limitation indeed of the phone's ram.
So, the things is i am testing the device in the city, before i go for the mountain hike using gps to record my hike. It locks ok outdoors, fast. The problem is, the minute i insert it in my pocket its gone. The lock is gone and the signal too. So, where exactly on the phone is the gps receiver located? Does it matter which pocket it is in? What kind of clothes i am wearing. How would i carry it during my hiking, in order to have a continuous signal? Should a particular spot, the top for example be completely naked to receive the signal, or something like that?

I use 4X for tracking my mountain bike rides.
Just today I had almost 3 hours of tracking without any problem.
But I use endomondo as a program.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Yesterday I put it in upper pocket of my backpack and recorded my first spring mtb ride. It last more than 4 hours and did not lost any moment.
I use Orux maps for years - it works excellent, even with my old HTC legend, but 4X has better reception and faster fix. I dont't see any memory problem - it is same with Orux and loaded offline map, tracking on, and when system only is running.

Two questions (for pierg75 and Marko_Sp) that might help the OP:
- those programs you mentioned are using offline maps, like the OP's?
- are you using AGPS, i.e. is your 3G data on or off?

- no offline maps
- yes agps is enabled (not sure how much this is used in a wood)
BTW I used in the past Locus with offline maps and I didn't have too many problems on the zte blade as well
If they put the software back on play, I'll give it a go next time I'm out.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I had problems when using MyTracks with the 4X HD... at high speeds (like in a car) it would miss many portions of the track. See my post here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=38963980&postcount=14
I have NOT yet tested extensively enough, but doing the same drive twice since upgrading to Jelly Bean... I did not have the track drop out at all. So if you're not yet on 20a official, perhaps you should try it?

skryptus said:
Two questions (for pierg75 and Marko_Sp) that might help the OP:
- those programs you mentioned are using offline maps, like the OP's?
- are you using AGPS, i.e. is your 3G data on or off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Orux is able to download offline maps from many online map servers (Google, Hike&Bike, TopoOSM USA etc.) with 500mb limit what is more than enough for planned rides - battery of mob is limit, not the size of map, but I have spent only 20% on my 4 hour ride!. That offline maps can be stored and used on SD card. I use offline topo maps for my country from Croatian State Geodetic Administration - only have to create WMS URL, layers and minimum and maximum zoom, make selection of region and downoload over WiFi. It is very simple in fact.
Yes, I use AGPS, and 3G, as usual, but Orux does not require any, just GPS.
picture of Orux track with offline map and some analitics:

Thanks everyone for the info, the problem is i think that i never use data, in fact not only i have it disabled in the phone, i have called the company and asked them to turn off the switches on mobile data for my number. That way, even if it is enabled, by them, i can tell them that it was THEIR mistake and not pay. The reason i do these is that data is very expensive in my country, in fact i would almost pay the equivalent of 6 months of phone number contract, if data was enabled accidentally in my phone.
So, the question is concerning ONLY the use of GPS, with offline maps. So i guess this must be the problem. Perhaps i would have a clear gps signal continuously if i had the phone in my hand and my hand extended for the whole hike, but that is obviously not an option. So i still can not figure out what to do. Any ideas about a belt fitted case for the phone that leaves it essentially "in the open", so that gps will have a clear connection?
As for the memory problem in Osmand, it is the only program that created a memory problem so i guess it must be a bug or something.
I ll check out this endomondo and orux, but still have not figured out what to do for a succesfull gpx track recording (continuous) outdoors, with just gps enabled.

I ll check out this endomondo and orux, but still have not figured out what to do for a succesfull gpx track recording (continuous) outdoors, with just gps enabled.[/QUOTE]
For a succesfull gpx track recording You don't need offline map, use blank map in Orux.