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[GPS] The Unofficial GPS COMPLAINT/NAG/EVIDENCE Thread

Post all your nag/complaints/evidence of GPS problems here.
All investigation works goes here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=789383
I just finished doing a one hour GPS test drive with the new OTA JH7 and guess what!!
The GPS is still unreliable.
I did a 30 minute drive before the JH7 OTA fix and it was terrible. It would lose GPS signal easily. The GPS would rarely get a fix and when it did, it wouldn't refresh for another 20-30 seconds.
With the new JH7 OTA, positioning while stationary is quick. You can get indoor GPS (probably from AGPS). Now, I was using it and I'm starting to believe we will NEVER see a real fix.
My reasons:
The hardware GPS has an accuracy of ~10 meters (~30 feet).
The hardware GPS has slow processing speed.
I believe this "fix" is just software code trying compensate for the poor hardware. It seems to take the bearing and speed to estimate where you will be. This won't work all the time but it gives the illusion of a reliable signal. You can see the device doing this when you make a quick change in speed or direction.
For example:
If you break quickly, the GPS will tend to position you further than your actual position. You might see GPS position "travel backwards" after you do.
If you accelerate quickly, from rest/full stop, the GPS will lag completely. It might lose the signal or not update until it gets a new "position" later (probably an amalgamation of speed, bearing, and [inaccurate] position).
If you make a sharp turn, the GPS will keep traveling that path and then slowly work it's way back to where you are. For example, if you make a 90 degree right turn, you'll see the GPS plots a semi circle arc to your new position.
I currently recorded my data with a custom written application I wrote but I had the logs set to write every 30 seconds and I didn't have a reference GPS unit to compare.
The next time, I'm going to drop it 1 second frequency and run the application on my G1 and Rhodium (TouchPro/Tilt 2).
What are you experiences with this new GPS "fix"?

I completely agree.
I just came into this forum to post the same thing.
I have some terrible My Tracks screenshots to take, but now my Captivate isn't detected when I try to plug it into my computer
This is using Cognition v2.1. The GPS locked very quickly right after flashing, but just tonight, it wouldn't get a lock to save my life. After repeatedly entering the LbsTestMode and changing settings, it went to getting a lock again... but had me ~100 feet off.
I do not think the GPS will ever work as good as any other modern smartphone. The GPS in this device just sucks, and no software will save it.

I agree with pretty much all that you wrote. It is very "laggy" and I too can see it estimate your path. Re-routing also takes very long and sometimes may not be in time.
I tested it with my Garmin side-by-side and there is no doubt the Cappy is worse. I know it's a phone and not a fair comparison with a "real" GPS, but it is a letdown.
FYI, Cognition improves the GPS significantly from my stock version (JP6)

Same here. I would not consider this as a fix for GPS.

The captivate is my first android phone. Im stuck with att so i made the switch from iphone to the captivate because it was thr first phone that was not crippled. I love android. Period. Im never going back. With voodoo and oc this phone beats the crap out of an iphone.
But today is the last day i can return it to best buy. I was waiting for a gps fix/improvement. But it didnt help. So im returning it. Im going to buy my friends aria for $100. Once samsung fixes thr gps i will buy this phone again.
Ps. Android. My new best friend.

is this the first Samsung android phone? Im pretty disappointed. Their other products are top notch

I have the opportunity to swap out my cappy for an HTC Aria phone but it's my last opportunity to exchange it because they're extending my 30 day warranty. I had to talk Wirefly into letting me because of the bad GPS in the phone. They can either give me another Cappy which would be a brand new (but another defective GPS phone no doubt) or they'll just give me the Aria which has a decent working GPS but not anywhere near as nice as the Captivate in every other way.
What would some of you suggest? I'm leaning toward just getting the Aria and maybe upgrading to a better phone later on.

galaxyjeff said:
I have the opportunity to swap out my cappy for an HTC Aria phone but it's my last opportunity to exchange it because they're extending my 30 day warranty. I had to talk Wirefly into letting me because of the bad GPS in the phone. They can either give me another Cappy which would be a brand new (but another defective GPS phone no doubt) or they'll just give me the Aria which has a decent working GPS but not anywhere near as nice as the Captivate in every other way.
What would some of you suggest? I'm leaning toward just getting the Aria and maybe upgrading to a better phone later on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife has an Aria, pretty good phone, verry poor battery life. Great GPS lock in 10 sec no matter where are you. Small screen but perfect size for holding.

I would have to disagree. No it's definately not as good as my garmin. However compared to stock...lol.. Its no contest. The Ota update is definately an improvement. It makes it at least usable. Before it would take anywhere from 10 min or more to lock. On several occasions i got half way to home before it would lock. Tonight i tested it and got a lock within 10 secs.
Thats not to say this update is without its issues. You can definately tell there is some anticipation of where you are going by about 10 to 20 feet. However rerouting happens quicker for me than it did before.
There is also the issue of wifi and 3g being on at the same time. Of course ill have to reenable tethering too if possible. Other that that though it is more positive than negative for me. At at least i can bring up bars and restaurants without waiting 20 minutes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

kaczu said:
I would have to disagree. No it's definately not as good as my garmin. However compared to stock...lol.. Its no contest. The Ota update is definately an improvement. It makes it at least usable. Before it would take anywhere from 10 min or more to lock. On several occasions i got half way to home before it would lock. Tonight i tested it and got a lock within 10 secs.
Thats not to say this update is without its issues. You can definately tell there is some anticipation of where you are going by about 10 to 20 feet. However rerouting happens quicker for me than it did before.
There is also the issue of wifi and 3g being on at the same time. Of course ill have to reenable tethering too if possible. Other that that though it is more positive than negative for me. At at least i can bring up bars and restaurants without waiting 20 minutes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with comparing the Captivate's GPS performance to stock is that stock was just garbage. Almost anything is an improvement from a stock Captivate's GPS.
We need to compare the Captivate's GPS performance to other phones -- the Aria, Droid, iPhone etc. The Captivate's GPS just simply sucks compared to these phones, even after Samsung's "fix".
I wish I could return it, but there are no other decent options with AT&T

I have to disagree also. I just drove from Illinois to Texas and my captivate got me to my destination with only a couple dropped GPS signals. Was a 12 hour drive and it did what it needed to. Just saying this was a "real world" test and it passes in my book.
Dropped w/ my Captivate XDA App

My captivate is every bit as good as my aria was and better than my iphone 3g was. I'll agree its not the best. But this fix is working and if that's the best it can do I'm satisfied. I took a 6 hour trip the other weekend and it did loose signal in cloudy conditions, but when the sky was clear it never steered me wrong it even redirected me quickly, my friends vibrant also got him to where we were meeting. Now with the new firmware it gets a fix in overcast conditions. It may not be perfect but its what we have to live with. And I don't think I'd give up my samoled screen and good graphics processor for a better gps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

johnyhoffman said:
I have to disagree also. I just drove from Illinois to Texas and my captivate got me to my destination with only a couple dropped GPS signals. Was a 12 hour drive and it did what it needed to. Just saying this was a "real world" test and it passes in my book.
Dropped w/ my Captivate XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It boils down to how much you expect the GPS to work.
If you expect it to work with a few dropped signals, a few random wanders, but still generally get you to your destination -- then it is OK.
If you expect it to work as good as other modern phones, it sucks.

phr00t said:
The problem with comparing the Captivate's GPS performance to stock is that stock was just garbage. Almost anything is an improvement from a stock Captivate's GPS.
We need to compare the Captivate's GPS performance to other phones -- the Aria, Droid, iPhone etc. The Captivate's GPS just simply sucks compared to these phones, even after Samsung's "fix".
I wish I could return it, but there are no other decent options with AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try the Sony Xperia 10a. I have one and it's a nice phone. Lot's going on in that forum also. GPS works nicely and it's an 8Mb phone. Only A-droid 1.6 w/2.1 coming.

Unfortunate for me, I had a deal with AT&T to sell 50 of these devices ($15,000 down payment) with a custom app I wrote for this company. It's not going to happen now because the GPS is borked. Highway driving is one thing, but in the city, where you would be making turns left and right, it's counter productive. The GPS will be misleading you.
My project hasn't completely fallen through, but I would have to resort to the much smaller HTC Aria. I would say the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 but their OS is a joke. It runs 1.6 and has no Exchange support. SE said they'll make 2.1 (seriously!?) available end of october (meaning November). By then Gingerbread (2.5 or 3.0) will be out.
I just don't want to return this Captivate I got for free to develop the application...

Yea here's mine... Thx samsung, GREAT FIX!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

CLShortFuse said:
The GPS is still unreliable.
...
What are you experiences with this new GPS "fix"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've gotten what I would call good performance from the GPS today, but I only use it for driving and I probably don't need better than 10m precision. Prior to updating today to JH7, my phone would take 3-5 minutes for an initial lock (which usually required prepping with the Ulysse Gizmos' GPS app), after which it would stay relatively on-point. Today, post-JH7, my phone gets a spot-on lock with 5+ satellites within 10-15 seconds.
Pre-JH7, Google Navigation would trail my actual position slightly, as determined by the very unscientific method of glancing over at the phone while driving and noting that I would be passing a street intersection and Google Nav would still have that street roughly 10-20 feet forward of my position.
Post-JH7, again very unscientifically, the map would have me passing intersections at the exact moment I was actually passing through those intersections. Your comment about it estimating your next position rings a bell, but I could just be "remembering" a non-existent hiccup during one of my rides. Of course, I could also have missed a few dozen hiccups, because I was keeping my eyes on the road. =)
I live in the 'burbs north of NYC and, although I have no immediate plans to head into Manhattan, I will install MyTracks tomorrow and do some more testing along curvy suburban roads with and without extensive tree cover (I'd also be happy to use your custom application, if those logs would be more helpful to you).
Can you give me some specific ideas of what scenarios would help you get more useful test data? Things like:
1) Proceed straight at 30mph. Take 90 degree right turn at 20mph. Expectation would be that MyTracks would continue straight for at least a few feet before correcting itself.
2) Proceed straight at 30mph. Come to abrupt and complete stop. Expectation would match above.

I have a GPS in my car and use it for road trips. The Captivate GPS works well NOW for what I want to use it for, location based services like gowalla and such. It also works well for me using Google Nav's Walking feature.
The update is definitely an improvement for me. Before the update, unless I had wireless network assist turned on, my GPS would NOT get a lock. Now it does in under 20 seconds.

I too just joined the android community after having an iphone for 3+ years now... captivate being the first powerful hardware based phone that i saw (and that ATT had).I'm probably never going back to the iphone even if i never get gps working cause it is still so much better imho.
But the only thing that makes this so dang frustrating is the fact that... was there ANY product testing!?. I mean i can understand if it was a bad "batch" of phones that made it out. Or even if gps was "subpar", and had an OCCASIONAL incident of what we are experiencing (Like once every 15-20 min, then would reset and work fine). But the fact that it has not worked since product launch on EVERY phone (captivate, fascinate, vibrant, epic 4g, i9000) Even the ones that claim to unaffected still have accuracy/lag issues. I mean how did this get past field testing? I just hate the negligence .
I mean atleast the iphone 4 reception issue was only conditional to how you were holding the device. But no one GPS has correctly worked -_- just frustrating

I agree with this thread so far. It's insanely frustrating.

[Q] Is my GPS chip defective ?

Hello,
I'm encountering some issues with my Samsung Nexus S GPS. I got the i9023 (Europe/SLCD) version of the phone, which is running default rom (stock), freshly updated to 2.3.4 (via official OTA!).
I couldn't figure why, when using Maps, my position would usually be around 1 km away from where I am. I found out later, this time using Navigation, that it is desperately searching for a GPS signal, that it can't find. Sometimes I manage to get a lock, when I keep it running for like 30 - 40 mins, but it immediately disappears. GPS Statuts keeps showing 0/5 sats.
I was convinced that my GPS chip was defective.
But today, I was hanging out in the city and tried running Navigation. I got a lock, for the first time, within a 15 sec delay. That was the first time that I managed to get live GPS tracking. I've walked a bit around, and the tracking was really, really accurate.
Back home, in my apartment, again I can't get any signal. I live in the 3rd floor, walls aren't that thick and, as for an anecdote, in the same room, my iPhone 3Gs instantly finds my position.
I've bought this phone 6 days ago and therefore still under warranty. Question is, can we say my GPS chip is defective ? Is it worth requesting a replacement ?
Thanks !

1st) You cannot expect to get gps reception inside even with professional equipment. When your iPhone gets a fast fix it's most likely WLAN triangulation. As Apple uses a different database than Google, it may work on on your iPhone and not on your Nexus for a paticular place and vice versa.
2nd) It's unlikely that your gps is broken if you can connect to GSM/UMTS/CDMA2000 networks as gps is processed using the same chipset.
3rd) That 1km-off-fix might be celltower based location, 1km sounds quite plausible.
4th) Try _NOT_ to move until you get GPS fix.
5th) Keep internet access while trying to get a fix. The Nexus S as most phones on the market use assisted gps, where your phone contacts a server that provides data which enables your phone to track its position more easily.
6th) Good luck.

Yes, well, I had 2 friends which came to my place, in my room, and just activated GPS on their iphones and it located them straight away, to our exact position. So it was definitely the GPS tracking and not triangulation.
Indeed, when MY phone locates me off 1 km, this is definitely triangulation or cell-towers.
Of course, when I try to get a fix in my apartment or on my balcony, I just put it on a table and must wait for at least 30 mins to get a lock, and it disappears quickly. Doesn't seem normal to me ...
Finally to answer your 5th point, I got 3G, so a perfect fast & smooth inet connection.

GPS testing should always be done outside, you are not supposed to use it indoors.
What is probably happening there is that the other devices are more sensitive and can still get a lock. You might be able to get a lock if you place your phone very close to the window.
I got a Nexus S recently and noticed that the GPS is quite weaker than the one on my old HTC.
Although the Nexus is faster to get a lock (if you let it use 3G) the GPS itself is less sensitive and accurate.
It looses signal easier, for instance, if i go under some trees, and it takes more time to get signal back after loosing it, for example, if you go under a bridge, the old HTC would get the lock back in 2 seconds after leaving the bridge, the Nexus took half a minute.
Having said that, i think it's good enough for driving navigation, i have done some tests and on the road it behaves well enough.
You shouldn't be surprised, this phone is very similar to the Galaxy S and that had terrible GPS issues, this nexus is better, but still weak.

Thank you for your feedback, temp9300 !
I guess the Nexus S can't compete with iphone's. But it's ok, as long as it works fine outdoors, this is what matters.

GPS still not working

I use cardio trainer to log distance when running etc. I used it daily when I got the phone in March and it worked great. Then in May it started not locking to my location. Now it doesn’t work at all. I have updated my phone and it still does not work.
I live in an area with a lot of tall trees. It seems like it stopped working when the leaves came out. Is the GPS on this phone that bad that it can’t lock through leaves? My old droid never had that problem and I used the very same program on it all last year.
Anything I can do to make the GPS work better?

HawkStream said:
I use cardio trainer to log distance when running etc. I used it daily when I got the phone in March and it worked great. Then in May it started not locking to my location. Now it doesn’t work at all. I have updated my phone and it still does not work.
I live in an area with a lot of tall trees. It seems like it stopped working when the leaves came out. Is the GPS on this phone that bad that it can’t lock through leaves? My old droid never had that problem and I used the very same program on it all last year.
Anything I can do to make the GPS work better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a number of threads on XDA and other forums about this issue--a Google search for "htc thunderbolt gps issues" will yield a long list of discussions. I've had excellent results, irrespective of which radio / ROM I'm using with the GPS Status/Tools app available from the Market.

Yup tried that and it did not help at all. Just ran 2 miles and Cardio Trainer said I went .4 miles. This phone sucks... If there is nothing that will fix this I'm going back to Verizon and make them give me a new phone.

It was probably just using cell towers, not true GPS.
Get the app "GPS Status" from the market.
Go to 'menu/tools'. Then manage a-GPS. Do a reset, then do a download.
Now go outdoors for a LONG while with GPS status running. It should start receiving and cataloging satellites. If you aren't seeing over 6 satellites and better then 8 meters accuracy, it is broken. Get it replaced by VZW.

If it is broken would a new TB fix it or should i just get a new Droid? I have been less than impressed with all the issues of the TB so far. Also how it still doesn’t have Netflix when so many other phones do.

Ok I did that... It found as many as 8 sats and had an error or 3m. So I will try cardio trainer again and see if it now works.

GPS Firmware?

I was reading that the samsung galaxy sII is also having the standard GPS problem that samsung is famous for. If you dont now what Im talking about, go use an HTC phone and watch the phone instantly lock on your position in <1 second with 3ft accuracy while you are indoors..
my Charge has been "Acceptable" when using GPS, but lately it has taken upwords of 20 min and a few reboots to get a lock on my location. Using GPS test, and Faster Fix do not work. GPS test just sits there showing me 9 satellites in view but locking on none.
apparently there is an update for the SGSII that actually fixes this problem.
http://phandroid.com/2011/05/23/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-gets-ke7-update-through-kies/
So to the devs that are in the know, where is the GPS modem firmware located? It is not in the base band modem sets as I was thinking. Is there a way we can use the sgsII update on our phones?
I love my charge, and Gummy2.0 is amazing... but I need a working GPS, the damn thing cost me a job interview yesterday when it refused to lock and get me to the place on time.
-cheers

I agree that the charge may not lock quite as fast as some of the HTC phones I have owned, but my GPS performance is certainly acceptable.
I am running gummy 1.9.1 and just returned from a one week trip all over New England and my GPS worked just fine the whole way. I used it MANY times to find locations I had no idea how to get to and it worked perfectly every time.
I used GPS Test Plus & did the XDA tweaks & it really does work just fine.
~John

My gps was working acceptable for a while. In fact since updating to gummy 2.0. I have no idea if roms change the gps firmware. I expect not. But this is why I am looking for a way to verify the gps firmware. Then the problem can be tracked down easier.
I know I am not the only one with gps problems. And I am a very heavy gps user. Something is definatly different now.. my gps is non functional in its current state.
Make sure you guys turn off google location and verizon location services and only use stand alone gps and test with gpstest app before saying your gps works fine.
My problem is basicly this.. I turn on google maps and it will simply fail to get a location. I don't get the arrow with the large circle with an accuracy of 1600 feet.. it just says 'unable to determine location'. And then quits.
So back to my OP. Where do we find the version number of the gps firmware?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I just fired up GPS Test Plus & in under 30 seconds it said nine satellites visible with eight in use. I then fired up Google Maps & the arrow was right on top of the building I work in.
~John

By the way, I am a LONG TIME GPS/NAV user & understand how it works.
My first Garmin unit had a B&W screen with no background map.....
~John

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1184418
Sent from my Droid Charge running GummyCharged 2.0

[Q] Does the gps suck for everyone?

Rogers infuse with infused 2.2.3, core B kernel currently. Never been able to get a solid lock... if I get lucky ill get accurate to 20 meters but it jumps around. with my old Acer liquid e I got instant locks and perfect street level tracking... am I the only one?
also, I've tried pretty much every modem, using j4 now. no difference between any of them.

Yup. You're the only one. Return your phone for another one.

My gps locks in about 5-8 seconds and it literally picks the right lot on my street at my house. I've had trouble before.
Are you rooted?
What rom are you on?
And have you tried any of the GPS fixes on this site?

my GPS has breen crap since the beginning.
It was only stock for a day.... maybe.. couldn't get locks with stock
tried rooted with infused, GPS still crap
now I'm on MIUI weekly, tried all the different modems and kernels.... still... SAMSUNG GPS CRAP!!!!
My wife has a captivate and she was running stock for almost a year, and I put MIUI on hers recently and she is now getting better locks.
As long as one of us has a decent working GPS I am happy.
Since owning this and doing research, it seems its a problem with the Samsung GPS... if that is the case... I will probably not be purchasing another Sasmung phone.. I like having a working GPS dammit!!!
My old HTC Aria would lock instantly indoors 99% of the time.. I'm actually starting to miss that tiny little phone... haha

Yes mines crap as well. Luckily I'm exchanging the phone for another infuse since its under warranty. I'll post if there is any difference. I doubt it though, Samsung gps isn't know for their performance. My old x10 xperia is getting lock in 1 - 3 sec indoors and even in the basement. The infuse is an embarrassment compared to the x10. The signal takes 30 secs or more to get a lock and when it does, it jumps around and makes navigation useless.

running perfect for me, I get locks in 2-3 seconds, while inside in my home or warehouse.
I live in SF bay area with my custom in my sig

GPS can suck at times and other times its perfect. I notice it sucks in large cities like when I go downtown or to NYC.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997R using xda premium

My GPS has been hit or miss, but it's been real fast over the past few days. I'm up in Maine where att service isnt even available 30 miles north of me. Strangely, I have faster locks here than I do when I travel to Mass.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda premium

External bluetooth receiver is a good investment, just put in the car.

Perpetrator said:
Rogers infuse with infused 2.2.3, core B kernel currently. Never been able to get a solid lock... if I get lucky ill get accurate to 20 meters but it jumps around. with my old Acer liquid e I got instant locks and perfect street level tracking... am I the only one?
also, I've tried pretty much every modem, using j4 now. no difference between any of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the stock Infuse's GPS is pathetic.
I'm on Miui and it seems to work very well (after the 1st lock). There are other ROMS where it also works much better.
IMHO, fiddling with all the gps settings and various market apps was too frustrating...they would all work for a day or so but eventually the poor GPS performance returned. So, I quit fiddling, found a rom I like and with a working GPS and stuck with it.

GPS
When I was stock it worked with no issues, and im on serendipty IIV now and I have not had any GPS lock issues.

Alright, miui is giving me the fastest locks, but never perfectly accurate street level... oh well. I guess ill just put up with it.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using XDA App

Not really...I live in Central Jersey and every ROM I tries (dipity, miui, infused, cm7, hellraiser) didn't give me Amy trouble. Maybe I got lucky? Because over the past summer I went all around the East Coast and always uses my phone to find myself around cities Ans I never had a problem.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using XDA App

I've only had a good gps on stock and dlev. No go on infused/miui/sensation. It's a hit or miss rom, even on dlev It'll still lose my location.

MIUI has the best performance for me on the Infuse; the Captivate always sucked and continues to suck (although the tricks on the captivate forum and MIUI do improve it's suckeness).
Tried most of the ROMs for the Infuse (but never stock) and MIUI is by far the best.

terra-starr said:
MIUI has the best performance for me on the Infuse; the Captivate always sucked and continues to suck (although the tricks on the captivate forum and MIUI do improve it's suckeness).
Tried most of the ROMs for the Infuse (but never stock) and MIUI is by far the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used a lot of ROMs....
S7: Worked fine, and worked quick. Locked on in ~5 seconds
Stock: Meh. It worked but took forever to lock
Infused: Worked alright. 10 seconds or so to lock
Dlev: Didn't work
CM7: Works good

Live near Minneapolis and never really had that big of an issue with the GPS. It was noticeably slower to find and lock than my HTC Tilt. Just drove down to Kansas City, where I found while in Iowa I lost almost ALL GPS connectivity. Now down here in Kansas I have to be directly outside, takes about 10 minutes to get a lock, and even then is pathetically inaccurate. Been trying in my spare time several of these GPS fixes. The original one I tried, changing to supl.nokia.com actually would see sats quickly, but just never locked.
I really wish I had known just how bad the GPS is on this phone, along with the poor performance in general. I would have avoided this like the plague. Part of the reason we wanted these was for the large screens to use with GPS. Now I learn the GPS is unusable AFTER the return period has ended. Yay. Next phone will be HTC, and honestly maybe Windows one as well.

The problem isn't really with locks for me, its with the accuracy... I can never get better than a 9 metre radius. Quite annoying, especially when my liquid was so accurate...
Sent from my SGH-I997 using XDA App

My Liquid E had Amazing GPS lock. Almost instant. Stock Rogers gave me a lock after a few minutes. CM7 27oct has given me 0 locks in just over a week. :-(

Some tips:
After flashing a ROM or changing gps.conf the GPS occasionally doesn't like to work. Enter angry gps through the dialer (never sgs tools, secgps.conf doesn't update I'd you launch it that way) and toggle the operation mode reboot and toggle it back.
If using Msbased location and the nmea data is old locks can take a long time. This happens if you turn GPS off and use it infrequently.
The google IP based location service (network location).can wreak havoc on the tracking, turn it off! this is especially true in cities where public wifi is everywhere, it will show you're location bouncing from store front to store front. Though it can be helpful on highways with public wifi like i've seen in Pennsylvania and new Jersey on my way to Philly I still prefer actual GPS locks and Samsung phones have a hard time deciding which to use.
Also any smartphone will have threads like this, I have seen mixed experiences in several forums, and my and others personal experience with 2g and 3g IPhones has been negative despite the common opinion that they have good performance. Even my aria was lacking in acceptable gps. Fact is that we are dealing with sensitive components and there will be bad units. What I will say is that the infuse is much more capable than the captivate, my captivate had great reception, better than my infuse, but it didn't seem to like the data running with the GPS, if I used Ms based location it wouldn't track well, and it didn't agree with google maps at all, apps with maps stored on the phone and standalone GPS made tracking impeccable though. The infuse can use Ms based location with few issues and the recent leaks use it by default and I have been more than pleased with the GPS on kj2 without changing any settings at all.
The update when ever it drops may not fix a bad unit so it won't help everyone but I think some people will stop complaining about the spastic moments that Samsung phones can have.