Database Info

Another GPS fix

guys give this a try and let me know if it works for you.
http://theandroidrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/07/android-tips-tricks-samsung-galaxy-s.html

Why are they running flash on that site? Bummer,i'll check later.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Seems to me that all this is going to do is have the placebo effect that the other "fixes" have had, and give you a coarse location, something my Eternity could do, and not really a fix for the GPS issue as it uses triangulation from cell towers to locate you.

amazingtaters said:
Seems to me that all this is going to do is have the placebo effect that the other "fixes" have had, and give you a coarse location, something my Eternity could do, and not really a fix for the GPS issue as it uses triangulation from cell towers to locate you.
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No.
Cell tower can't lock onto you exact coronates

phlunkie said:
Why are they running flash on that site? Bummer,i'll check later.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My site works on the Vibrant and N1.
If you don't have flash or flash lite your YouTube player should open

siberslug said:
No.
Cell tower can't lock onto you exact coronates
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Click to collapse
No, one tower can't. However, 3 or 4 towers can, basically you bounce a signal to multiple towers, and the time it takes for a full loop to be finished by the signal between you and the tower can be used to calculate how far you are from that tower. If you know how far you are from three separate towers, you can get a decent lock on your position. That's what the "Use Wireless Networks" function in the Location menu does.
Anyway, I tried this fix, and it didn't change the fact that my GPS signal was spotty, constantly fluctuating the number of satellites seen, and often dropping all satellites, while taking just over 7 minutes to get a lock on me that had the piss poor accuracy of approximately 30 meters.

amazingtaters said:
No, one tower can't. However, 3 or 4 towers can, basically you bounce a signal to multiple towers, and the time it takes for a full loop to be finished by the signal between you and the tower can be used to calculate how far you are from that tower. If you know how far you are from three separate towers, you can get a decent lock on your position. That's what the "Use Wireless Networks" function in the Location menu does.
Anyway, I tried this fix, and it didn't change the fact that my GPS signal was spotty, constantly fluctuating the number of satellites seen, and often dropping all satellites, while taking just over 7 minutes to get a lock on me that had the piss poor accuracy of approximately 30 meters.
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3 or 4 towers can not give you an exact location, the best I have seen was 200 meters with cell tower location.
All GPS systems fluctuate that's normal but dropping all is not unless your in a big city. for example, I have not found 1 GPS unit that works reliably in downtown Detroit and I have had 9 Nav systems in 2 years.
I turn on tower location and MS assist for faster pinpoints and indoor use .
So far out of over 300 views and 49 posts and emails only 6 people say it does not work for them everyone else says it works.

siberslug said:
3 or 4 towers can not give you an exact location, the best I have seen was 200 meters with cell tower location.
All GPS systems fluctuate that's normal but dropping all is not unless your in a big city. for example, I have not found 1 GPS unit that works reliably in downtown Detroit and I have had 9 Nav systems in 2 years.
I turn on tower location and MS assist for faster pinpoints and indoor use .
So far out of over 300 views and 49 posts and emails only 6 people say it does not work for them everyone else says it works.
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Click to collapse
I would argue that cell tower triangulation can get you to a much closer accuracy than 200 meters. If my eternity hadn't taken a divot to the screen that prematurely ended it's life a month ago I'd take a video with my captivate to prove it. Sadly, you'll just have to take my word that my eternity often got my location right within about 100 feet, and while it would at times be kilometers off this was the exception and not the rule. I'm just saying that cell triangulation (or quadrangulation or pentangulation or however many towers you have) can be quite accurate, especially in urban areas where there a lot of towers to bounce signal off of. And 7 minutes to get a lock on my location within 30 meters is absurd, I don't think anyone would argue that.

siberslug said:
guys give this a try and let me know if it works for you.
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Click to collapse
Waste of time...
This was already mentioned in the sticky GPS thread.
We need a fix not an intermittent workaround.

I got my GPS to work PERFECT!!!!
The trick is.............. turn on "AutoConfig"

bassahaulic said:
I got my GPS to work PERFECT!!!!
The trick is.............. turn on "AutoConfig"
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Click to collapse
I doubt it. Try drive around using Google Navigator and see if you get precise lock through out the time. I'd bet money it won't.
So far, all the fixes are only tackling the initial quick lock on. None can fix the precision errors of the Galaxy GPS.

Hmm actually Auto Config gave me super good accuracy(5 meters), slower lock time and really laggy while driving.

YellowGTO said:
Hmm actually Auto Config gave me super good accuracy(5 meters), slower lock time and really laggy while driving.
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bassahaulic said:
I got my GPS to work PERFECT!!!!
The trick is.............. turn on "AutoConfig"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still good accuracy?
It works for about a day.

If you want to fix your GPS, you have to flash to the JH2 firmware. It contains the real fix for GPS. Whatever setting you play with the JF6 firmware won't make much of a difference after a few days. The driver in all the early firmwares are completely broken.

foxbat121 said:
If you want to fix your GPS, you have to flash to the JH2 firmware. It contains the real fix for GPS. Whatever setting you play with the JF6 firmware won't make much of a difference after a few days. The driver in all the early firmwares are completely broken.
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Click to collapse
Granted there may be 2 completely separate problems, with that firmware update fixing one of them, but I'm sad to say that the JH2 firmware fix didnt make it past the 8 hour point for me. GPS refuses to lock without a reboot. I've been fiddling with the GPS configuration as well to see if the combination will be the answer, but so far no luck.

I can go ahead and say IMO its not a total fix with the new firmware, It's better, but my wifes my touch 3g slide blows this one out of the water when it comes to initial lock and tracking. I just flashed the new rom today and the gps isn't all that great now I'm scared about what my gps is gonna look like tomorrow!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

works MUCH better with AutoConfig on for me also
and wireless turned off
usually get a lock in 10 seconds or less
occasionally takes longer..

I finally had luck today by going with the supl.google server and changing my accuracy to 100 and my mode to ms based. Locked and was great for a good 3 hours. Later on it took a while to get a lock, but would lose it quickly, then wouldn't lock at all again. I exchanged it for a new one tonight and the gps is working great....just like when I first got the other one >.>
My question is this: If I wait for the "fix" they are releasing and it takes me past my 30 days, what recourse do I have? GPS is a MUST for me, without it this phone to me is broken and I can't settle for it. Do you think I would have any chance of swapping it for another model like the aria?? I hate that gps is that big of a deal but it simply is for me. Love the screen, the power, the speed, all the potential....but come ON how hard is it to make gps work these days? I am very function over fashion. I need my phone to work, if it doesn't I will get a less flashy, more reliable device.

Ricparr said:
My question is this: If I wait for the "fix" they are releasing and it takes me past my 30 days, what recourse do I have?
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With AT&T - zero, zip, nada. I spent a lot of time on the phone and in the store with them trying to see what options I had in this situation. They were very clear with me that in the case that a real problem with GPS is found but never gets fixed, its Samsung's issue not theirs and that I must go through Samsung for a resolution. They did also say the stores do have the power to make exceptions and possibly allow you to exchange your device for something else, but there is no obligaton for them to help you out.

Nexus S GPS Issues?

I was reading SlashGear's Nexus S Review and found something interesting.
Similarly frustrating can be GPS performance; we haven’t observed the dire positioning problems originally found on the Galaxy S, but at times the Nexus S proved simply incapable of getting a GPS lock: we drove for around 30 minutes of open, clear freeway and the handset continued to show “Searching for GPS.” The issue is intermittent, however, with the phone not liking it if you try to get a fix while moving.
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http://www.slashgear.com/nexus-s-review-14119387/
Now they probably have a preproduction unit, but what are the chances of GPS behaving similarly to the GPS in the Galaxy S/Captivate/Vibrant (all have the same standalone GPS chip as the Nexus S -- BCM 4751). Doesn't appear as severe, but somewhat problematic (from the review) nonetheless.
I'm interested to see how the GPS performs while the Nexus S is in user's hands

big suprise, the GPS dosn't get a fix while moving. this is a common issue on tons of phones.
Me and my girlfriend were driving around once and it took my phone almost 40 minutes to get a GPS lock, CM5 on a Nexus One.
Yet later that same day, standing still, it worked in under a minute.
Every phone can have GPS issues for a massive amount of reasons.
The Galaxy S issue was a software issue where it worked under 5% of the time, even if you were standing still ontop of a building.
Other ones sometimes randomly have the issue while moving, this is usually because the phone has issues connecting to the satelite. You gotta remember the GPS chips in these phones are not that great.

my mytouch4g gets a gps lock while driving, a bit longer then standing still but id say still under a few minutes

neok44 said:
big suprise, the GPS dosn't get a fix while moving. this is a common issue on tons of phones.
Me and my girlfriend were driving around once and it took my phone almost 40 minutes to get a GPS lock, CM5 on a Nexus One.
Yet later that same day, standing still, it worked in under a minute.
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Click to collapse
This is also how my dedicated TomTom and Garmin GPS work. Stand still, lock in less than a minute. On the move, I usually give up after 10-15 minutes and stop for a minute.

Oh ok cool.

shrivelfig said:
This is also how my dedicated TomTom and Garmin GPS work. Stand still, lock in less than a minute. On the move, I usually give up after 10-15 minutes and stop for a minute.
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Click to collapse
This is not correct TomTom devices do get a lock while moving and so does Nexus one and iphone 4. If this review is correct that means that Samsung has no fixed the GPS in Nexus S and that it may be suffering from the same problem as Galaxy S
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

darkoroje said:
This is not correct TomTom devices do get a lock while moving and so does Nexus one and iphone 4. If this review is correct that means that Samsung has no fixed the GPS in Nexus S and that it may be suffering from the same problem as Galaxy S
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
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were not saying that they can't, it's that it CAN take longer. in some places you can be going 60MPH and get a lock within a minute, but in another place you can be walking at 5MPH and it'll take 20 minutes.
Sorry but our phones don't get priority on any gps satellite lol

darkoroje said:
This is not correct TomTom devices do get a lock while moving and so does Nexus one and iphone 4.
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Click to collapse
Yes, TomTom devices get a lock while moving. They get a lock much, much faster standing still, though.
For any GPS to work, it needs to download the complete almanac from at least 3 different satellites. The almanac is sent every 30 seconds, so the GPS must have an uninterrupted view of each satellite for at least 30 seconds, possibly up to 60 seconds.
A-GPS can get the almanac data faster, and TomTom has something called QuickGPSfix that pre-downloads almanac data a week in advance.
But what if you don't have A-GPS or QuickGPSfix, and the GPS hasn't been used in a week, so all the almanac data is outdated?
If you are moving so much around that the GPS antenna never sees any satellites uninterrupted for the necessary 30-60 seconds, then the GPS will never get a lock. Never.

neok44 said:
Sorry but our phones don't get priority on any gps satellite lol
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There is no priority because there is no "connection". GPS receivers (sic!) don't send anything.

umbrella42 said:
There is no priority because there is no "connection". GPS receivers (sic!) don't send anything.
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lol true, was just trying to emphases the point that our phones aren't going to connect as fast as pure GPS devices.

neok44 said:
lol true, was just trying to emphases the point that our phones aren't going to connect as fast as pure GPS devices.
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Actually, with A-GPS the phones have an advantage to get first lock quicker. But the pure GPS devices have better antennas, so should give more accurate navigation.

I wander if they ever restarted the navigation app, because you know, sometimes restarting the app works. From my experience anyways.

shrivelfig said:
Actually, with A-GPS the phones have an advantage to get first lock quicker. But the pure GPS devices have better antennas, so should give more accurate navigation.
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yeah thats when the A-GPS works. both mine and my dads phone's A-GPS has been just terrible. usually showing us 20+ miles away from where we actually are

neok44 said:
yeah thats when the A-GPS works. both mine and my dads phone's A-GPS has been just terrible. usually showing us 20+ miles away from where we actually are
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Are you sure that was actually GPS, and not location by cell tower or WiFi hotspot? A smartphone without GPS lock will try to find your location by other means.
All A-GPS does is to jumpstart the GPS, and when GPS has a lock, then the error should be way below 100 meters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-GPS

my GPS is working fine right now,but it does act up randomly with no reason :/

GPS work flawless
Rounding out this section is a note that the Nexus S suffers from none of the GPS issues that plague the Galaxy S. I tested thoroughly - fixes are fast and accurate over GPS and work like they should using Google location services with WiFi trilateration.
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link

Excellent!
The BB Bold I'm using right now has quick and accurate GPS fixes, usually within 0.2-0.3 meters.

shrivelfig said:
Are you sure that was actually GPS, and not location by cell tower or WiFi hotspot? A smartphone without GPS lock will try to find your location by other means.
All A-GPS does is to jumpstart the GPS, and when GPS has a lock, then the error should be way below 100 meters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-GPS
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Click to collapse
yeah once i get an actual GPS lock it's perfect, but until then it's been terrible. Cell tower only has been really bad as well.
This, for me, was on CM6, haven't tested it on CM6.1. ANd for my dad on a stock vibrant, so i'm just gonna chock it up to the crappy gps in it (happened before fix)

It's apparently plagued by the same GPS bug as other Galaxy S phones; it took forever to get a GPS lock
gizmodo.com/5713986/samsung-nexus-s-review-how-to-build-an-android-phone-for-2011
So if we want to be scientific I believe thats more sources claiming there is an issue than not

Anandtech says there is no GPS issues:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4059/nexus-s-and-android-23-review-gingerbread-for-the-holidays/6

GPS problems...

Its anyone else getting problem with their GPS not starting locked on...mine would lock on then search for signal then lock back on...its a pain when I'm in navigation...is there a fix...cause with my N1 it would stay locked on in the same area...thanks in advanced...
Sent From My Inspire

Do you have a network assist enabled?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App

Network assist? Where do I find that...should it be on or off?
Sent From My Inspire

Well my Network assist is on along with gps...i, still getting inconsistant gps reading in the stock navigstion with the inspire...could it be the radio, if i root and change the radio would it be more consistant??? in navigation app, i have made a turn and on the nav screen it didnt make the turn yet...it is kind of like a lag, or sometimes it would jump my position onto the next street over...anyone else expiriencing this??

Download a free app from the Market like GPS Status and see how log it takes to lock on and how many satellites it grabs. If it's really slow and can see fewer then five satellites then I'd take it in for exchange.

I say exchange the phone. GPS has been perfect for me and I've used it quite a bit.

gtg465x said:
I say exchange the phone. GPS has been perfect for me and I've used it quite a bit.
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yeah, that.

Thanks for the quick replies. so i did exchange my inspire for a new one. and same thing, i cant seem to get an accuracy under 10 meters. I also tried gps test, and with the inspire i only can get 5-7 sats locked, while my N1 gets 8-11 and the Atrix gets a 9-11...I also exchanged it for another so im on my third Inspire and the GPS sucks...will rooting and going to revolution or corddriod help with the GPS signal??? thanks in advanced...

no problem with GPS here. Locks on less then 30 secs

My GPS is perfect.
Is the SIM card door on snugly? There are antenna contacts in the SIM card door that can cause degraded signal if they aren't on properly.

Oh great. I just got AT&T to exchange my Captivate for an Inspire due to the Cappy's GPS issues. I hope this isn't a common thing with Inspires.

It isn't. This is the only complaint thread about the GPS that I've seen.

RiNo808 said:
Thanks for the quick replies. so i did exchange my inspire for a new one. and same thing, i cant seem to get an accuracy under 10 meters. I also tried gps test, and with the inspire i only can get 5-7 sats locked, while my N1 gets 8-11 and the Atrix gets a 9-11...I also exchanged it for another so im on my third Inspire and the GPS sucks...will rooting and going to revolution or corddriod help with the GPS signal??? thanks in advanced...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is very bizzare that you're on the third Inspire and issues persist. There are many variables that can play into GPS performance. What are the weather conditions like where you live. Low lying dense clouds and storm activities can affect GPS perfomarnce, so is being surrounded by tall structures. The elevation of the ground compared to sea level is also a variable.

AnyMal said:
This is very bizzare that you're on the third Inspire and issues persist. There are many variables that can play into GPS performance. What are the weather conditions like where you live. Low lying dense clouds and storm activities can affect GPS perfomarnce, so is being surrounded by tall structures. The elevation of the ground compared to sea level is also a variable.
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Click to collapse
Well yesterday it was overcasted, and i do live in Hawaii. But its just weird that my N1 and the Atrix had better signal and more stable the inspire. All three were tested at the same time and in the same place...
since the code dropped for the inspire today, hope a rom will fix this...i know its just me but i will take an HTC over moto or sammy any day...

Ach, no way. This thing's gps is great. I was driving around yesterday and got locked at 45mph in about 10 seconds. I didn't even have a window mount or anything, it was in my passenger's hand below the dashboard. Wifi off, straight gps. Coming off the captivate it's nice to know your gps just works

So in general there is no GPS lag with the inspire? I'm sick of my location showing me 2 blocks away while I'm trying to find and address. I have to pull over for 30 seconds while hunting down building numbers so my captivate can catch up :|

I have no issues either with GPS and is overcast right now down here

Traded back my atrix for inspire and all is good with gps.

Mine locks in seconds..probably a dud phone I would just get another one

I'm having issues with my GPS the past two days. Clear sky and i only get 2 satellites with only 1 lock. I still experimenting to see if theirs a difference between Roms.

[Q] GPS poll anyone?

Im seeing GPS complaints starting to crop up. My two day old Infuse does not get a GPS lock at all. Figured maybe we can start a poll and see what kind of leaning we get towards GPS performance on this device and show it to Samsung should it look like its a major problem.

i've had no issues at all with my GPS...

This is my third infuse. My first one had battery issues. Second woulndnt find a GPS in the vast sky. But this one is near perfection.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App

Infuse GPS - Location Difs?
I'm having a lot of trouble getting the Infuse to find the GPS. I keep getting messages that it's searching for the GPS. However, when it does find it, it works wonderfully. I live in Southern CA and having a difficult time here. It's not locating me correctly and is unable to provide navigation more than half the time. However, in Northern CA last week, it was working well. Do you think that the location makes a difference - or is it something with the individual phone?

Can't be I'm in sandy eggo. My second infuse didnt find any signal while my friend two feet away with an infuse had it working in two seconds.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App

dont try these side by side comparisons unless you clear nmea data on both devices before hand. it can be difficult for the gps chip to download the data from the satalites directly. another device may have downloded data that is still current at any time. side by side in only side by side if both devices have a cold start and are working in the same mode.
if you have trouble with initial locks go to the phone dialer and type *#*#3214789650#*#* it should take you to lbs test mode. it can also be launched with launcher pro activities. in lbs test mode delete gps data then go to supl/cp settings. write down the supl server and port. try a different supl server like supl.google.com with secure socket set to off and the port set to 7275. or you can set it to auto config. if none of that helps try setting the gps to msbased in application settings. msbased will use cell towers to download nmea data and give the gps chip a head start.
some phones (like my captivate) dont like ms based mode for tracking but my infuse works great with msbased and supl server set to auto config. if none of that helps trade in the phone, you have a defective unit.
there were situations where a factory reset helped on the captivate but mine suffered from a specific bug where the glgps daemon would crash with certain settings, wiping gps data did not solve the problem but a factory reset did. i dont think the infuse suffers from this bug but it couldnt hurt to try a factory reset.

Another GPS post. Fine, 7-8 gps locks no problem between 3 states. I guess if you can't beat them join them.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App

Second infuse, first had GPS issues

Even if it only works sometimes, it blows the doors off the Captivate.

MikeyMike01 said:
Even if it only works sometimes, it blows the doors off the Captivate.
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I hope these are isolated incidents. I can't believe that Samsung would release another device with GPS issues.

After reading the OP's thread title, I was really hoping for something more exciting, haha

keitht said:
I hope these are isolated incidents. I can't believe that Samsung would release another device with GPS issues.
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I think that it's likely there's some user issues. As in, "it doesn't lock on in the 3rd basement of my concrete and lead bunker, therefore it sucks".

MikeyMike01 said:
I think that it's likely there's some user issues. As in, "it doesn't lock on in the 3rd basement of my concrete and lead bunker, therefore it sucks".
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Click to collapse
Agree. And most people don't understand that the first seek time can take longer. So until the device learns your area it'll take longer to lock the first time in a certain area. I travel all over the world, and everywhere I go that I haven't been before a phone takes a bit longer to lock.
I think people forget about the days of the original GPS units that would take 5-7 minutes to lock on first use in a locale. Now if it takes 30 seconds they scream bloody murder.
EDIT: Why is it whenever there are polls like this people who click a negative, like something doesn't work or doesn't always work they almost never elaborate in comments? If I found this thread and had GPS issues, I'd vote, then elaborate on the problem to see if someone can help. My guess is you're spot on with user error.

My GPS was mediocre from day one. Today, did a factory reset, used tibu to restore all apps except maps, fresh install of maps from market. Had a lock in seconds. Will see what happens in the next week or two.

im not gonna say there arent bad units. and the settings could certainly be better, but i see these threads in every forum about every phone, and my friends complain about there phones. all i can say is that it get blown out of proportion.
i had a captivate and despite limited accuracy and agps that would hinder tracking it never steered me wrong after a few slight tweaks. every time i tried to follow someone elses mods it got worse. da_g's fix fixed the glgps deamon crashing while i was driving, though it only crashed if i used agps settings in the first place, so just changing the supl server and using the most recent modem.bin and setting secgps.conf to standalone to match lbs test mode was all it took to get a great tracking gps even on google maps.and it locked pretty good under cover.
the infuse is way more accurate getting <10meter locks quickly and showing the accuracy to the .01th of a meter rather than using multiples of 5 meters like the sgs. i can typically get 6 meter locks on the infuse sometimes less, with consistant altitude and 11 sats visable. if it gives you trouble i would blame google maps, it is clearly not a hardware issue. changing the lbs settings or secgps.conf may make it better but it is better to have a gps program that doesnt use data so before you complain replace maps with an application that has it's maps stored internally.

10 days in... Not one GPS issue. I just returned home from a 4 day business trip to Washington DC. During that trip, I used the Infuse often and enjoyed comparing it to the Garmin that came with the vehicle. The Infuse won hands down. The one huge triumph was the Google Navigation's ability to properly recognize traffic delays and re-route. I used it and it actually worked like a charm! The Garmin traffic portion didn't work at all. It basically didn't see the traffic that the Google Nav picked right up.

Dani897 said:
im not gonna say there arent bad units. and the settings could certainly be better, but i see these threads in every forum about every phone, and my friends complain about there phones. all i can say is that it get blown out of proportion.
i had a captivate and despite limited accuracy and agps that would hinder tracking it never steered me wrong after a few slight tweaks. every time i tried to follow someone elses mods it got worse. da_g's fix fixed the glgps deamon crashing while i was driving, though it only crashed if i used agps settings in the first place, so just changing the supl server and using the most recent modem.bin and setting secgps.conf to standalone to match lbs test mode was all it took to get a great tracking gps even on google maps.and it locked pretty good under cover.
the infuse is way more accurate getting <10meter locks quickly and showing the accuracy to the .01th of a meter rather than using multiples of 5 meters like the sgs. i can typically get 6 meter locks on the infuse sometimes less, with consistant altitude and 11 sats visable. if it gives you trouble i would blame google maps, it is clearly not a hardware issue. changing the lbs settings or secgps.conf may make it better but it is better to have a gps program that doesnt use data so before you complain replace maps with an application that has it's maps stored internally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you post a link of changing the settings to lock in north America only please.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App

Working fine here, just hoping I'm not jinxing myself by saying so

I was using Google navigation yesterday on the Infuse while in Kissimmee and it moved a long with the car 95% of the time, it was great! Took me exactly where I needed to go without an issue. The Captivate couldn't do this at all!!

My GPS still doesn't work, indoors, outdoors, in my car etc. Guess ill need a replacement. Thanks for the input people. Thats what these forums are for. To either uncover or put to rest potential issues, amongst many other uses.. Sorry if i "offended" any internet elitists.. Again i appreciate the useful input though.

[Q] To return or not to return (GPS problems)

As you may know by now I've been having problems with GPS on my Nexus S (i9023, bought factory unlocked from Amazon Germany, carrier code EUR, running rooted stock 2.3.4 AKA GRJ22). A quick search of the Nexus S forums will tell you that I'm not the only one who complains about GPS issues - I always assumed that the GPS was just sub-par on the model and I'd have to live with it.
Only now a few helpful souls over in the accessories section said it was probably defective and I should exchange it. (I've already exchanged it once for this and the new unit I got performed exactly the same.) So I'm just going to tell you the current situation and I'm hoping you'll tell me if that's within the normal tolerances for the model: [All tests done outside in suburbia]
"Network location" (geolocation, wifi / cell triangulation) is fine since 2.3.4 [just to get that out of the way]
Time to First Fix (TtFF) is decent now, usually 15-30 s cold and < 15 s hot. I've seen much better (yes, on a phone), but that doesn't bother me.
Accuracy however, is still bad. GPS Status shows 20-10 m mostly, but it fluctuates wildly going from 5 to 30 in a heartbeat even when it's just stationary. Other phones don't show this behavior. This translates into real-world problems in Maps (checked via sat view): The blue circle goes from large to enormous and back and while my true position is somewhere within the circle most of the time, the center dot is way off. Most other implementations manage to guess the location correctly even when the accuracy is bad (as tested side-by-side).
Stability is my biggest concern. The lock'll be fine for a few minutes, especially if the phone was just rebooted, but then the GPS will lose it every few (say 5-10) seconds and take time to reacquire it. Additionally, it doesn't pick up movement very well. I did a few tests watching my position in Maps while on the tram (in a window seat) and basically it would register an (approximately correct) location every now and then but then just hang there for a while. Usually it wouldn't register that the tram had left a stop before it had arrived at the next one or even just left it again. All other phones trace the tracks almost perfectly and in real time. There goes any kind of usable navigation and - in concert with the compass issues - all augmented reality apps.
Again, this isn't meant as a complaint or even a request for a fix (though if you have one I'll gladly take it) - I'd only like to gauge if my particular phone's have been bad or if "that just how it is".
Thanks for listening.

I have a nexus s4g from sprint and my gps was working great and then one day it just stopped. I can never pick up a signal and if out does it takes about five minutes our more. I have a gps radar app that shows me signal strengths and stuff and our barely picks up give signals and they are always really weak I have to refresh the agps status all the time to even get a lock and like I said it still takes about gives minutes or more if it even locks at all. I am looking for a fix my epic had the same problems and then with the latest update for it, it was amazing and fast accurate locks. And help with the nexus s4g would be great
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

Get your msl, go to your dialer and dial *#*#gpsclrx#*#*, then put in msl and it will clear gps for you. It will reboot on its own

snandlal said:
Get your msl, go to your dialer and dial *#*#gpsclrx#*#*, then put in msl and it will clear gps for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's an msl and what does "clear gps" mean? Also, way to derail a thread ...

I tried that before on my epic and it messed up my gps but I will give it a shot
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

nice post. finally some oen who get it.that there are just failts in phones and thats just how it is.
thougfh.yes try returning it in the hope to get a proper nexus s xp

I did the clear gps code and it seemed to fix mine so thanks I would recommend people try it.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

whats an msl? can't find that on google so what is it? would like to try out that code...really have problems with GPS on my nexus s

floomat said:
my GPS does just not work at all, it can't get a fix for hours even if there are 10 sats.
but sometimes I'm lucky (really rare) and it gets a fix but the longest time it hold it was 5minutes, then lose GPS fix can't get one again. it's even not while i'm moving, phone lays on the table and outside to test.
really disappointing for me, second thing is my compass does not work after reboot and is really inaccurate and unstable (jumping around)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your GPS sounds even worse than that on my NSs, the compass doesn't work for anyone. Out of curiosity - where did you get yours?

for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??

freakness51 said:
for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the article you linked: "This program reads your Master Subsidy Lock (MSL) code for your CDMA Android phone."
In other news, I'd really appreciate some on-topic replys

fallenguru said:
Your GPS sounds even worse than that on my NSs, the compass doesn't work for anyone. Out of curiosity - where did you get yours?
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Click to collapse
I even think my GPS is the worst of all the Nexus S.
Mine was bought from Ebay-UK and since it was on a repairing-tour to samsung germany i know its from CPW. Its a I9020 not I9023. BTW there was nothing repaired because they said "The discribed issue cannot be found" or something like that..
what do you mean with compass does not work for anyone?? does it really not work on any nexus? thats interesting, isn't it a little bit illegal to sell a device and say it has compass and than compass does not work at all?
freakness51 said:
for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mh sounds like this will not work for GSM-Nexus

the GPS on my NS behaves similar (but better) to what you describe in the first post but overall it seems to have better accuracy and stability.
Have you tried recording a track while in a car? The results should be better. At least with mine it's mostly accurate and rarely looses signal (unless you go under a bridge/tunnel)

abrcrmdl23 said:
I have a nexus s4g from sprint and my gps was working great and then one day it just stopped. I can never pick up a signal and if out does it takes about five minutes our more. I have a gps radar app that shows me signal strengths and stuff and our barely picks up give signals and they are always really weak I have to refresh the agps status all the time to even get a lock and like I said it still takes about gives minutes or more if it even locks at all. I am looking for a fix my epic had the same problems and then with the latest update for it, it was amazing and fast accurate locks. And help with the nexus s4g would be great
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I have the same phone, NS4G from Sprint, and the same symptoms. The GPS worked fine for a week or so, and now I'm lucky to get it to work at all. Sometimes I can get a lock after 5+ minutes (while not moving), but other times it never occurs.
I just tried resetting the GPS as is described in the post above. It says "it will reboot automatically" - does that mean the phone or the radio?
In any case I just pulled my device battery after GPS reset - I'll post back with results in a few minutes. In the meantime can you explain what you did after following the reset with dialpad/MSL?

Also attempted return...had to send in for repair
I also got a bad GPS Nexus S i9020 from Amazon.com USA site. The GPS would not lock without a wifi signal. I eventually caved in trying to get it working with rom flashes, drove me nutz, but tried to return for cash and missed the date. Had to send in to Samsung then and get the repair. I have been somewhat satisfied, having gone from no GPS to finally getting it to lock, but its a poor excuse for a gps chipset. The SiRFSTAR from my old WinMo days kicks this gps in the arse.
I also get the bouncing sensitivity and wandering location circle, but accuracy hovers around 5-10m now, but the location is never fixed solid, its wobbly, even outside with clear skies above. The compass is another huge weak spot. Samsung dropped the ball on this device, I wish I could return mine and grab an HTC unit. Google should learn from this and drop them for the Nexus Prime. I think this is unacceptable as location services are whats hot now and this device fails as a flagship product.

I like the gps on my sgs2 more (it has a sirfstar IV) but, i have to say, it's not that much better.
What i gained in stability i lost in TTL. Sometimes you need one more than the other.
The SGS2 has taken me up to 10 minutes to get a lock and if conditions aren't good (cloudy sky, tall buildings) it can easily take 5 minutes. Sometimes you just want to get some signal to get you going.
I did a trip of more than 2000 miles with my Nexus S, using the GPS most of the time, and it worked ok enough for navigation for most of the time. The only times it failed me were, as i mentioned earlier, in old parts of cities with narrow streets.
You are right when you mention HTC, because usually their devices have better working GPS.
Overall i wouldn't say it's a bad device, you have to keep in mind this is not a dedicated GPS device, it's a smartphone that does a lot of things, some better than others, it's still a good developer phone, which i think was the main goal of the Nexus.
After upgrading to the SGS2, the main differences i noticed were not the GPS but the speed and extra memory! The Nexus S is not slow and has average memory (512mb but with only around 380 free) but if you have a lot of apps running (and it's easy for this to happen) it will get sluggish and begin to close the launcher when you start a heavier app. I found this had a lot more impact on usability than the GPS weakness.