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Class action suit regarding GPS

So there are more than enough problems with internal GPS for several devices. The Fuze obviously, im sure the Diamond, and my friend and his Tilt. Basically we have to go through all these steps just to get it to work properly. So i was thinking a suit may get them to fix the problem with it.
I am absolutely certain it is regarding the internal GPS and not the anything else in the phone, because if it takes too long to find a fix i just use my BT Holux 236 Slim instead of waiting and it finds it well lets just say IMMEDIATELY lol.

I had an old toshiba WM device with pharos add on gps. It took like 5-6 mins to lock.
I can do a morning gps fix with my fuze in about 30 seconds. No AGPS, but I do download the quickgps info. It's good enough for me.

does AGPs actually slow it down? i thought that would make it faster

lbhocky19 said:
does AGPs actually slow it down? i thought that would make it faster
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Click to collapse
AGPS + IPHONE + 3G = FAIL.
It's not just Raphael here. If you google that, there's lots of suggestions to switch to Edge, then use the GPS, then get back on 3G.

I have a Fuze and my GPS is working fine. I initially had issues getting a lock and I had to use HTC GPS Tool... only once. After that I get a lock within 1 minute if that much when using TomTom.
I am also using 3G/HSUPA. I do have AGPS turned off and I have QuickGPS configured to download updates automatically. Once other change I made was to the "External GPS" in the System settings - I changed the COM port to 1 and speed to 38400. I tested both with COM 1 and COM 4 and it didn't made much of a difference.
I have also flashed a few different ROMs and GPS works on all of them, including AT&T stock ROM.

I don't think HTC cares about Class Action Suits.

No they don't care about class action lawsuits, because we keep buying their phones I get consistent 30 second GPS locks on my fuze.

I dunno, maybe i'm just lucky but even when the Blackjack 2 came out and people were having GPS issues (and needing the Modaco GPS unlocker Cab) i never needed such things. Maybe i'm more technical and can find root of problems easily that i don't even notice i'm doing it. I don't think that's the case though, i downloaded WLS and Google Maps and configure them both properly. I knew about the intermediate driver but the current version of Google Maps didn't have support for that yet but it came out a week later and that's when it finally started working right.
I noticed there was a note about GPS concerning the Fuze so i dug into it and knew i had to use COM4 for GPS instead of the standard intermediate driver (Garmin Mobile auto configed itself to the right COM). I don't get any lag or issues, it also uses aGPS if it's enabled, my phone automatically logs on when i open it.

I have alltel TOuch Pro and my gps locks in in like 4 seconds never more than 10

GREGHARKINS said:
I have alltel TOuch Pro and my gps locks in in like 4 seconds never more than 10
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Click to collapse
I have the Touch Pro as well but on Sprint, I've experienced the same.

hey guys,
what do u think about appear and disappear problem?
i mean that, my tp finds alot of satellites but two of them appears the others disappears, then they appear the others disappear.
And finaly poor reception and i.e.my car speed like "100" km but tp "0" km speed and too much lag.
I ve tried everything at this forum except roms.I couldnt have any solution.
I send 3-4 e-mail to htc support team and they turned me back with silly answers without solution.
Now i cant use my internal gps that i paid like 900$ tp.I think this will be my last htc.

The GPS issues I was having with my Fuze ultimately led to it's return.
The GPS performance was just too volatile and I need to be able to depend on it when I need it.
GL

Before you fight the power, might want to research the issue better. I believe all the people who say there are problems with their GPS, but it has to be related to particular batch/devices.
I have no issues with GPS. I run iGO8 on my Fuze, it connects very quickly, AGPS enabled. Accuracy is awesome, better than on Tilt it'd seem. So no complaints here.
So before we sue someone, somebody should compare the devices and find what is it that makes the GPS work on some and not work on others.
Just my opinion.

My GPS works great. I get a fix in around 30 seconds, and when I do, I can leave it in front of the gear stick on my car, because I still didn't buy a windshield holder, and it works just fine.
It works much better than a dedicated Bluetooth GPS I used in the past.

DarkDvr said:
Before you fight the power, might want to research the issue better. I believe all the people who say there are problems with their GPS, but it has to be related to particular batch/devices.
I have no issues with GPS. I run iGO8 on my Fuze, it connects very quickly, AGPS enabled. Accuracy is awesome, better than on Tilt it'd seem. So no complaints here.
So before we sue someone, somebody should compare the devices and find what is it that makes the GPS work on some and not work on others.
Just my opinion.
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Click to collapse
Interesting...I never usa AGPS, it always seems to mess my phone up. I do the automatic GPS download and I get a lock within 30 sec.

Obviously the people posting think since theres work than its not an issue. There are plenty of threads in the diamond, raphael, and tilt forums regarding GPS issues.
The only reason i brought the suit idea in was because it has done before and HTC then provided the drivers. I dont want any money from them, i just want my GPS to work well. I am pretty sure nobody else wants to return their phone they just a WELL working GPS.

I have no problems with GPS lock on my Fuze. I had initial issues, but after I ran the GPS Test and got a fix - one time - I was all set.
Besides, whom do you sue? HTC or the operators who are motivated to cripple GPS or tie it exclusively to their fee-for-service plan?

xboxhaxorz said:
Obviously the people posting think since theres work than its not an issue. There are plenty of threads in the diamond, raphael, and tilt forums regarding GPS issues.
The only reason i brought the suit idea in was because it has done before and HTC then provided the drivers. I dont want any money from them, i just want my GPS to work well. I am pretty sure nobody else wants to return their phone they just a WELL working GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Drivers are one thing.
A class action suit is something else.
I'm all for speedier, but I just did a test here.
HARD RESET
Bloat remove
Install a few apps, sync phone to restore contacts.
Disable AGPS, download QuickGPS.
Launched google maps for the first time. It took about 40 seconds to lock on 8 satellites inside my house. I don't get this good with my other dedicated gps devices, they usually take 2-5 mins to lock on to 5.
--------------------
Again,
I'm all for speedier! But I rather like how fast the GPS set works in this phone, even after a hard reset. Maybe it's ATT software that does something on the configurator load on a hard reset?

The new rom from Da_G uses gps drivers from the blackstone and for the first time since i bought the phone (since day 1) i get consistent, fast gps locks. With these drivers i consider the problem solved. Now..to get other cooks to include them as they have to be cooked in.

I have only had mine for about a week now and not really any issues with GPS. I would load up tom tom and configure it before i leave, and before i make it off my porch i have at least 3 sats locked, and by the time im in my car its ready to roll. I have only used it for short trips so far (15-30 minutes) and have not experienced the heat up issues i have read about, or the GPS lag. Time will tell i guess.

At&t Navigator On The Captivate

Has anyone else tried At&t navigator on the Captivate? I got to thinking about the GPS and how crappy it is and wondered if it was Google Nav that may actually be the problem (I'm really wondering if At&t made sure it just worked on their Navigation software). Well after testing it for a couple of days now i've found out that if you can get a signal/lock (which means there is something wrong with the GPS) Navigation is MUCH better with the At&t software (MUCH). There is NO going off the road, but Re-routing is kinda slow, but it will turn with you as you turn (though not like HTC devices), but MUCH better than with google Nav.
By NO MEANS am i saying that the problem is google maps or google nav because it works wonderful on anything other than a samsung phone - I am saying that for whatever reason the GPS works a TON better using At&t Nav than it does on the "FREE" app. Try for yourself and please post your finding because it's free for thirty days and we are running out of hope anyways so what harm can it do? The only downside is if it works for everyone then At&t will do even less to press Samsung to fix the GPS.
PS. give At&t Navigator a chance to warm up and find you and then it's pretty much accurate just a tad slow on the re-routing. To me the BEST way to test any GPS is to program an address - POI or whatever and drive the OPPOSITE direction- that will tell you how good your GPS really is.

yeah, I was just about to say that after yesterday's hopeful and accurate My Tracks testing of mine after the JH7 update, I tried using Google Nav today going from home to work and it was a disaster. About 30 seconds behind +/- and putting me on wrong roads all over the place. Definitely done with this phone until a 2.2 or a real GPS fix, going back to iPhail for now

Gps broken forever? Hardware or software.

I really need to know because I drive an ambulance for a living is the GPS actually fixable? I love the phone but hate the GPS that locks up and is inaccurate, or just doesnt lock on.The tweaks I've tired. No luck. I called Samsung and asked and they have no clue and think the Sept patch worked. I think its a cover up and the first run is just plain defective. What's the probability its hardware and not fixable.
Thanks Travis

Call att and get it replaced. I got a replacement phone and so far the GPS has worked when I needed it. It locks pretty quickly most of the time. Sometimes it takes 20 to 30 seconds but always locks reguardless
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'm pretty certain it is a hardware problem and Samsung is trying very hard to see if they can fix it, or 'optimize' it, in software to avoid a mass recall of millions of these phones.

Smallsmx - a quick lock is very different from reliable navigation. Driving around using Google Nav as well as analyzing using something like MyTracks is the way to go to see if the GPS is actually accurate.
Here's a track I just created with MyTracks. If you zoom in, you can see that the track jumps between the north-bound & south-bound lanes of the highway several times, as well as veers off of the road several times. These may seem insignificant, but they're the kind of things that play havoc with navigation software (constant re-routing, etc). Also note that I'm in a rural area; i.e. no interference from tall buildings to blame this on...

I'm pretty convinced it is a hardware problem.. I've been through 4 Captivates, and only 1 has worked. The Captivate that has the working GPS works on all ROMs, but works best after JH7 (or the froyo builds). The other 3 Captivates, the GPS doesn't work anywhere.
I wouldn't want to trust my life to the Captivate's GPS navigation! If I found out my ambulance was being navigated by a Captivate, I'd wait for the next one

tblindt said:
I really need to know because I drive an ambulance for a living is the GPS actually fixable? I love the phone but hate the GPS that locks up and is inaccurate, or just doesnt lock on.The tweaks I've tired. No luck. I called Samsung and asked and they have no clue and think the Sept patch worked. I think its a cover up and the first run is just plain defective. What's the probability its hardware and not fixable.
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Click to collapse
Please don't use the C(r)appy GPS for anything like that! It's just not up to it! Even if the GPS does work from time to time, you'll spend too much time second guessing it. Get a dedicated GPS that you KNOW works so you can concentrate on doing the important stuff like not hitting other cars and saving lives!
foxbat121 said:
I'm pretty certain it is a hardware problem and Samsung is trying very hard to see if they can fix it, or 'optimize' it, in software to avoid a mass recall of millions of these phones.
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Click to collapse
Agreed 100%. If it was a simple software bug, it would have been fixed in JH7. They initially claimed JH7 fixed it... And then they contradicted themselves and said there was no GPS fix in JH7.
So Sammy is confusing us with smoke and mirrors and hoping they can still circumvent what is likely to be a recall only fix. Imagine the impact of a recall. Cost would be huge. PR would be a nightmare. Impact on future Galaxy S sales would be massive. See how cleverly and deviously Apple avoided an iPhone 4 recall with what was clearly a major hardware defect.
And for those of you that say your Cappy's GPS works perfectly, there is one of two conditions that apply:
1. You got a lock while stationary from > x satellites and assume from that alone that GPS works. A better criteria would be GPS tracking while driving in an urban environment with accuracy < 5m.
OR
2. The hardware defect is an intermittent assembly or fabrication issue that shows up in the majority but not all handsets.
So here's to hoping I am wrong and the official Froyo build is being held up while they correct the GPS problem once and for all. If not, here's to class action. In the meantime, Sammy and AT&T product managers, if you are reading this (doubtful) give us the source for 2.2 (kernel, hardware drivers and all) and let the XDA community have a crack at fixing it (and enable HSUPA, FM radio, native etx4, etc while their at it).

Before i flashed to the JPM and the reorinted 2.1 my gps would not get a lock after 10 mins after I flashed to the i9000 rom and shanged the gps settings to ms based I get a lock after 15-25 sec at 15m. its software related and att's reps are just dumb as dog **** and full of it too

tjsooley said:
Before i flashed to the JPM and the reorinted 2.1 my gps would not get a lock after 10 mins after I flashed to the i9000 rom and shanged the gps settings to ms based I get a lock after 15-25 sec at 15m. its software related and att's reps are just dumb as dog **** and full of it too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Share a GPS track with us then.....

Tonite I will take screen shots of my gps settings and post them

tjsooley said:
Tonite I will take screen shots of my gps settings and post them
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Click to collapse
No need. We have millions of threads for just that. We need the evidence that you actually use it for navigation while driving. That's where it all falls apart (for majority of the Captivate anyway).
I can get a lock no problem as well with no tweeks in settings. But that doesn't mean the GPS is anywhere near usable.

foxbat121 said:
No need. We have millions of threads for just that. We need the evidence that you actually use it for navigation while driving. That's where it all falls apart (for majority of the Captivate anyway).
I can get a lock no problem as well with no tweeks in settings. But that doesn't mean the GPS is anywhere near usable.
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Misread the forum. I have not used it for a gps on the road for navigation yet.
I have watched it on the way home from work and it was prittyy accurate.
funny thing.
I dont get a lock from my cup holder but i get a lock no problem and the gps works on the dash board.
maby
if it is any differance all the sgs varriants are having a bunch of gps issues.
and there are people that have had no problems.

ianwood said:
Agreed 100%. If it was a simple software bug, it would have been fixed in JH7. They initially claimed JH7 fixed it... And then they contradicted themselves and said there was no GPS fix in JH7.
So Sammy is confusing us with smoke and mirrors and hoping they can still circumvent what is likely to be a recall only fix. Imagine the impact of a recall. Cost would be huge. PR would be a nightmare. Impact on future Galaxy S sales would be massive. See how cleverly and deviously Apple avoided an iPhone 4 recall with what was clearly a major hardware defect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure the loss of future sales will cost Samsung more than a recall. My last 3 phones were Samsung and I sure as hell know if they don't fix the GPS issue, whether it be through firmware or a recall, Samsung will never see another dime from me ever again and I'm sure there's plenty of others feeling the same way.
There would probably also be about no PR. Samsung is no Apple. The media and general public really don't give a damn about them. The issue is not so controversial that the news will pick up on it, like the Toyota recalls. At most there would be a couple sentences on the news about it that most people will just ignore because they don't have the phone. Apple got worse PR by ignoring the issue than if they simply would have addressed it with a recall. They got away with it because they're Apple. 90% of the population worships them.

I was just thinking the same thing. My GPS does not work.
I don't understand people who think it's no big deal. It's a major feature and an Advertised feature...not some hack.
I would not have bought the device without GPS. What if you bought a new car that said it had air conditioning...but after you bought it...you realized it didn't work....no big deal or recall?
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

yea its a cover up
My whole plan and philosophy was that hey Google maps is great and so is Linux so this should, be better than those goofy slow interfaced GPS units.... which always give you the wrong location....
Anyhow I ordered one more..to see if its a dud too.
1ST SAMSUNG AND MY LAST YOU HEAR THAT SAMSUNK.. BTW your customer service is so poor girl who knows nothing about phones and thought the update was "real".

Jupiter fix w/vibrant ROM. Seems like I tried everything. Plenty of sats and locks while stationary. Can't get this thing to maintain lock or be accurate while moving in navigation for the life of me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'm hoping for a software fix, but I'm doubtful that we'll ever see one. This is the same GPS chip as used in at least one blackberry where it has no problem. Combine that with the fact that there's 5 different Galaxy S phones that have these issues, each with slightly different layouts of where the chips are on the board, it's more likely a software issue.
If it is a hardware issue, or if it's a software issue that they never get around to fixing, I could see a very nasty class action lawsuit pop up. Personally, I hate class action lawsuits, as the only people who usually benefit from them are the lawyers, but one can always hope for the best.
One interesting thing I did notice was that when in my vehicle (a Jeep Wrangler with a fiberglass hardtop) or on my motorcycle, the tracks are just about spot on... as long as there aren't any tall buildings right next to me. It stops when I stop, it turns when I turn... You know, pretty much what you expect out of a GPS.
On the other hand, when I'm in a friends vehicle (metal roof, no sunroof), my position wanders all over the place. We stop, but the icon keeps on going. We turn, it doesn't. And, of course, there's always fun times when it thinks your a block or two over from where you are. Oh, and can't forget the lag... sometimes it's as much as 5 seconds behind me.
That makes me suspect the filters Samsung has in place for when the signal is weak. Either that, or the antenna design they use might win the distinction of being the most craptastic one of the decade. Hell, maybe both might be the case.

This whole thing with the GPS has me baffled..after reading a bunch of threads...posts..and personal experience, I believe the problem with the Captivate's GPS is the delay in getting a lock. Once it's locked, the accuracy is excellent. Maybe the agps is not functioning properly...these devices really need agps to get a rapid lock. Is the supl server that is built into the device reliable? I believe this is the crux. Anybody having any inaccuracies is the exception to the rule once the device is locked. But a 3-4 minute lock time is fairly unacceptable

Same results as others. If I have the captivate high up in the windshield so it has a larger uninterrupted view of the sky, it will track almost as well as my Blackberry sitting on the center console. Seems the captivate is not nearly as sensitive as other GPS devices.
As for PR, a recall would not be in your nightly news but it would be all over the trade news. The Galaxy S brand has been in the trade news almost daily for the past few months. A recall would put a serious dent in all that positive momentum. That would have a serious effect on future deals with carriers, retailers, etc. Not to mention investors. And finally disaffected consumers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Mine works with no view of the sky
My GPS is working good after COG Froyo version6. This track is from a mountain bike ride, phone was inside my camelback.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=e...16556845834261.00049360088f52c5ed399&t=h&z=16

nice looking track.. is your navigation app good too???
itsjustaphone said:
My GPS is working good after COG Froyo version6. This track is from a mountain bike ride, phone was inside my camelback.
[/url]
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Click to collapse
Questions for ya if ya don't mind.
1. Did you have problems before with same phone?
2. Phone new or refurbished?
3. When was it made give or take? (maybe import in terms of factory runs???)
Hmm thats it far as identifying maybe some know how to timestamp/get ingo from imei or serial.
I'll post a track from mine in a little bit I Think that would be a great idea for this thread.. POST YOUR TRACKS RESULTS AND BASIC SPECS.
Believe program is called "mytracks"

GPS Band-Aid

This post got lost in a locked thread, figured I would repost it.
It's a real big band-aid, but it works fine for the car and is easier than rolling the dice and getting a new phone.
I spent 20 bucks and got a tom tom bluetooth GPS receiver, combined with a free up on the market called "Bluetooth GPS Provider" and I get 1M accuracy in Maps/Nav. Since I primarily only use the GPS in the car, it's not that big of a deal to leave an accessory in there.
If you need good in car nav, and are tired of waiting for a fix, something like this is the way to go. Tested for over 400 miles of driving, never lost a fix or lost track.
http://www.amazon.com/TomTom-Blueto...I2YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292625649&sr=8-1
Edit: Link fixed, thanks.

Whole link did not copy ...
http://www.amazon.com/TomTom-Blueto...I2YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292625649&sr=8-1

Thats what Samsung should do to resolve the issue, they need to release the Galaxy S GPS Repair Kit. It comes with one of these GPS Receivers and a piece of double-sided sticky tape...EPIC!

Yeah, it's kludgy, but it works great for the car. Only thing that really sucks is that the tomtom doesn't charge from USB, means having to carry another charger too. Oh well, battery last a good long time at least.

Holy markdown batman! $149.99 marked down to $18.99? How could that thing ever be worth $150?!
That's actually kinda tempting.

polarbee said:
Holy markdown batman! $149.99 marked down to $18.99? How could that thing ever be worth $150?!
That's actually kinda tempting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That receiver is old school. It's from the pre-smartphone days when everybody rocked iPAQs. The $150 MSRP was normal back then.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

It's still a sirf-star and better than what's working on the captivate right now!

I decided to go the same route as you. Although, I wish I did earlier because that TomTom receiver is longer available for $20 on Amazon. I ended up getting a Globalsat BT-359 for $40.95 instead.
I have to say, while not the ideal solution, it's by far the best one yet. GPS now works perfectly. Fast locks, pinpoint accuracy, no lag, and never loses its lock. It basically works how you expect a GPS to work. While it does suck that I had to spend extra money on the receiver, and that I now have the extra steps of connecting/disconnecting the receiver whenever I need to use it, it's a small price to pay to eliminate the frustration induced when using the poor excuse of a built-in GPS.
I don't know about you guys, but I always had a bit of anxiety when using the built-in GPS. Cuz at every point, I was worrying about something. At the beginning, I'd worry about how long it'd take to obtain a lock. Then once I get the lock, I worry about how accurate it will be, how long I'll keep that lock, and whether or not the GPS will lag behind. It felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders when I was able to drive without having to worry about how the GPS was going to behave.
Although, this still doesn't change my attitude towards Samsung Mobile (I specify Mobile because I've had no issues with their TVs). As soon as AT&T releases a high-end Android phone that doesn't have a deal breaking issue, I'm buying it outright and selling my Captivate on craigslist.

I have a question about this thing: I use BT stereo to play music in the car. Can I use both devices at once?

Me too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

ScottyNuttz said:
I have a question about this thing: I use BT stereo to play music in the car. Can I use both devices at once?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm able to use my bluetooth headset at the same time, so probably.

Donatron said:
I decided to go the same route as you. Although, I wish I did earlier because that TomTom receiver is longer available for $20 on Amazon. I ended up getting a Globalsat BT-359 for $40.95 instead.
I have to say, while not the ideal solution, it's by far the best one yet. GPS now works perfectly. Fast locks, pinpoint accuracy, no lag, and never loses its lock. It basically works how you expect a GPS to work. While it does suck that I had to spend extra money on the receiver, and that I now have the extra steps of connecting/disconnecting the receiver whenever I need to use it, it's a small price to pay to eliminate the frustration induced when using the poor excuse of a built-in GPS.
I don't know about you guys, but I always had a bit of anxiety when using the built-in GPS. Cuz at every point, I was worrying about something. At the beginning, I'd worry about how long it'd take to obtain a lock. Then once I get the lock, I worry about how accurate it will be, how long I'll keep that lock, and whether or not the GPS will lag behind. It felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders when I was able to drive without having to worry about how the GPS was going to behave.
Although, this still doesn't change my attitude towards Samsung Mobile (I specify Mobile because I've had no issues with their TVs). As soon as AT&T releases a high-end Android phone that doesn't have a deal breaking issue, I'm buying it outright and selling my Captivate on craigslist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you running Eclair or Froyo on your Captivate?

Found it here...
hxxp://dealsproshop.auctivacommerce.com/TomTom-Bluetooth-GPS-Receiver-for-USA-and-Canada-P1259994.aspx#

This is a great idea. Also, if anybody has an older android phone with working gps that they no longer use, the same outcome can be achieved with a couple simple apps. I'm using my lg eve to send the gps signal to my captivate via bluetooth and it works flawlessly.

GPS on Captivate is already fixed, it works great on latest versions of Axura/Phoenix, but for 20 bucks it's good purchase anyway
Too bad that shipping to Europe costs more than reciever itself.

joedoe said:
Are you running Eclair or Froyo on your Captivate?
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Click to collapse
Froyo. I'm currently running Cog 2.3b8.

TheNaturat said:
GPS on Captivate is already fixed, it works great on latest versions of Axura/Phoenix, but for 20 bucks it's good purchase anyway
Too bad that shipping to Europe costs more than reciever itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't tried Phoenix yet, just Axura before it died. When you say "fixed", do you mean significantly improved, or legitimately fixed. Like if you were to do a head-to-head comparison with a Captivate paired with a bluetooth GPS receiver, would you be able to tell the difference? Cuz with the receiver, it's pretty much perfect performance.

Donatron said:
Froyo. I'm currently running Cog 2.3b8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to attach a MTK v2 based i-Blue 737A+ Bluetooth GPS Receiver to Eclair, but it says
paired but not connected. However it works great with Galaxy Pad with less then 1 meter accuracy

There seem to be some limitations on the bluetooth. Im able to use any 2 of the gps, my bt headset or my bt obdii scanner, but all three at once and one of em wont work.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Donatron said:
I haven't tried Phoenix yet, just Axura before it died. When you say "fixed", do you mean significantly improved, or legitimately fixed. Like if you were to do a head-to-head comparison with a Captivate paired with a bluetooth GPS receiver, would you be able to tell the difference? Cuz with the receiver, it's pretty much perfect performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's fully working, reliable GPS device. I don't have Bluetooth reciever, but in comparision to my dedicated Garmin navigation based on legendary SiRFstar III chipset there is no real diffrence, maybe it takes few seconds more to lock, but it's diffrence between like 5 and 10 seconds, so rather negligible in real use.

A working way to get a GPS lock

Well... As we all know, gps is **** on our captivates. That being said, i found a way to get a gps lock, and almost all the time..
However the method isnt as simple as opening up Gmaps and pressing my location.
I have only tried this with Apex 8.2
To do this.. you have to enter AngryGPS (*#3214789650#*)
Then go to tracking test... Wait for it to present values of your latitude and longitude.
Once these values are there... press maps, and voila

Uhhh seems like the code is for lbstest. Well if so... By using a test feature all you are really doing is turning your gps on(all the time). Which will basically always give you quick lock because the gps is always on unless you kill all your apps or re-open lbstest and back out. Not really a fix, more of a drain on your battery. Only true fix for older models of this phone is to get a refurb'd from atnt/rogers in your case. (not samsung).

Once opened, Angry gps looks just like lbstest. For some reason it was renamed.

Just need to figure out a way to do this with Tasker.

Ah, in that case.. cant you just program tasker to only turn gps on when you open maps or a navigation app?
kimocal said:
Just need to figure out a way to do this with Tasker.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, but how do you program tasker to open up lbstestmode... then run the tracking test... wait about 10 seconds... then open up maps?

So let me see if I get this straight. You start GPS, wait till it gets a lock and then open maps and you have a lock?
that's what we used to do on Eclair.
NascarFastcar is right, the only real way to have a working GPS is to get a refurbished unit. Most of us early adopters are going past our 1 year mark, so if you haven't, get one quick!

I still have a couple months in my warranty left. What problem would I go to them with?

The GPS is fixed on a refurb?

supaphreek said:
I still have a couple months in my warranty left. What problem would I go to them with?
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Tell them the gps dosent work. That's all. They will most likely try to get a lock indoors lol and then they will just give you a refurbed. They like to use google maps. I tried to show them gps test etc and they tried to blame my gps not working via a 3rd party app.
ifederov said:
The GPS is fixed on a refurb?
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Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.

NascarFastcar said:
Tell them the gps dosent work. That's all. They will most likely try to get a lock indoors lol and then they will just give you a refurbed. They like to use google maps. I tried to show them gps test etc and they tried to blame my gps not working via a 3rd party app.
Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.
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Okay... but im currently running apex 8.2.. So i cant go to them with a rooted and rommed phone. Do i downgrade to a 2.2 stock rogers rom?

NascarFastcar said:
Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.
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Click to collapse
I disagree that the gps is fixed. I just got a refurb about 6 weeks ago. The gps worked awesome for a few weeks. It now sucks eggs - actually worse than my last phone. Totally stock, just like my previous phone. I don't know the build number because it has a weird refurb sticker that doesn't have a build number on it.
-Rich

Take it back and get another one until they give you one that works.

cappysw10 said:
Take it back and get another one until they give you one that works.
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I've learned how to use it. I know others have tried, but here are the ONLY real instructions that work:
1) You have to always look 2 steps ahead of what it says when using Google Maps on a Captivate because you never know when all of a sudden it will think you're on a different street and start giving you directions on how to get back on the correct path.
2) When she it starts telling you how to correct yourself (when you're actually already on the right path) learn how to IGNORE it or it will confuse you
3) It's ok for occasional use, but always and I mean ALWAYS have a real GPS handy in the glove compartment for the occasions when your Captivate decides that it isn't in the mood to lock onto any statellites even when it sees 7 or 8 with a with strong signals
4) Always have a real GPS handy when your Captivate can't locate ANY satellites.
5) When in Maine or rural New Hampshire don't even think about using your Captivate!!!
6) Overlook it's GPS defects because it's so awesome in every other way.
Does this post earn a sticky? We should coin a pharse that encompasses all of the above (you know your Captivate has trained you in a similar manor).

richb500 said:
I've learned how to use it. I know others have tried, but here are the ONLY real instructions that work:
1) You have to always look 2 steps ahead of what it says when using Google Maps on a Captivate because you never know when all of a sudden it will think you're on a different street and start giving you directions on how to get back on the correct path.
2) When she it starts telling you how to correct yourself (when you're actually already on the right path) learn how to IGNORE it or it will confuse you
3) It's ok for occasional use, but always and I mean ALWAYS have a real GPS handy in the glove compartment for the occasions when your Captivate decides that it isn't in the mood to lock onto any statellites even when it sees 7 or 8 with a with strong signals
4) Always have a real GPS handy when your Captivate can't locate ANY satellites.
5) When in Maine or rural New Hampshire don't even think about using your Captivate!!!
6) Overlook it's GPS defects because it's so awesome in every other way.
Does this post earn a sticky? We should coin a pharse that encompasses all of the above (you know your Captivate has trained you in a similar manor).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah but you see, i dont drive. Well i do... but i dont have a car. So public transport is what i use and luckily, google maps supports it. Basically all i need is a position lock, rather than finding my house, tracking down whatever streets i used to get to wherever i am, then selecting that as a point...

I returned my 1008 Captivate because of random shutdowns last week and received a 1007 refurb and the GPS was perfect on 2.2.1 and continues to be perfect on Apex 8.2. Also, no random shutdowns.

Exchanged a 1007 Captivate in My, got a 1010 refurb. GPS is about 98% as good as my Garmin GPS in one car. In the other, there must be some kind of interference scit doesn't keep a good signal in the location I put it navigate.
I find it fun to see the difference in the routes they provide.
The 1010 model can also track me walking on the sidewalk. I was watching Google Earth zoomed in as far as it would go.

+1 on returning the phone to an AT&T device service center. I went several weeks back and tested my phone when I got home and it was worse. Went back the next day, the girl there first turned on the "use mobile network" option and told me the gps was now working. I got a little aggrevated but politely pressed on, she then told me the samsung captivate has no gps in it, this sparked my asshole lawyer mode. After making the girl feel embarrased in front of her coworkers for insulting my intelligence I demanded a different rep work with me. I had him go thru 7 phones before getting one that had a working gps. After the 2nd, they told me I would have to call customer service, I laughed and told them that this is a customer service center and my contract entitles me to burn through every single unit they have until they fix my device issue. After the 6th the guy finally paid attention to what I was telling them about looking at the build number (because they have to send all those phones back to samsung). I now have an 1101 that has been working great for about a month. If it screws up again I will go ruin their day again.