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I just got Captivate and I really enjoy the phone, but I'm having an issues with all applications that use digital compass (Compass, Google Sky Map, Layar, etc.). All of them are very jumpy. If I open up Google Sky Map, stand still and slowly turn, the map is jumping every few seconds, it doesn't smoothly rotate with me. I just compared it to my broser's Evo and it's like night and day. His phone is rotating the map very smoothly with no visible jumps, and on mine you can clearly notice jumps all the time. Is this happening to everyone, or my phone just have defective digital compass? Or is this an accelerometer issue all together?
Am I the only one having this issue? Should I go exchange my phone then?
I think the compass is wonky on all Captivates, and maybe all Galaxy S phones. We're hoping for a software update to fix it.
Ya I am also having this problem. I have tryed out some racing games and some other games that are not playable. I have downloaded some of the sensor test apps and they jump all over the place. Sky maps is also the same. It seems to be the magnetic sensor and the 6 axis. I don't see them using a cheap sensor and then hyping it in the ads and on the box. I am thinking it probibly a software issue as none of the other phones had this type of sensor.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Am I the only one not having problems then? Well at least on the compass I am not, have tried any accelerometer games
Edit: My accelerometer is fine also, it seems to me a good way to check is a game like Labyrinth Lite that is solely the accelerometer for control, and that game is very playable which it wouldn't be with the problems you guys are having...
My Compass works perfectly, any gyro or accelerometer based game works perfectly, it's only Google Sky that seems to be a bit jumpy. And it doesn't jump "all over the place," rather it just is jittery while it is being moved about. However I noticed the same jitteriness on my friend's Droid, so it may just be a problem with Google Sky in general.
asrrin29 said:
My Compass works perfectly, any gyro or accelerometer based game works perfectly, it's only Google Sky that seems to be a bit jumpy. And it doesn't jump "all over the place," rather it just is jittery while it is being moved about. However I noticed the same jitteriness on my friend's Droid, so it may just be a problem with Google Sky in general.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just tried google sky on my captivate and it also is jerky like yours. Is your friend's droid the first moto droid? About a month ago, I was looking at my sister's moto droid (1st gen) and google sky worked perfectly.
asrrin29 said:
My Compass works perfectly, any gyro or accelerometer based game works perfectly, it's only Google Sky that seems to be a bit jumpy. And it doesn't jump "all over the place," rather it just is jittery while it is being moved about. However I noticed the same jitteriness on my friend's Droid, so it may just be a problem with Google Sky in general.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Sky Map doesn't jump all over the place for me, it also just jittery (when you move slowly), but Layar does. So does the Compass app... It becomes a bit better if you run any of the accelerometer test apps in the background, but even then it's a bit jumpy... Hoping for a software fix for this some time in the future.
Similar issues
I own a Captivate, and I am a serious astronomy buff and was very excited to try out google sky. but when I tried it out I discovered it was very jumpy when I used it casually indoors during the day. But I was far more disappointed at night. When I tried it then, I started up the program and noticed it was jumpy like before but figured I would just have to live with it. But when I pointed it up at a constellation, I noticed the stars didn't match, and a nice circle labeled "sun" that clearly wasn't there. It wasn't reading the correct position apparently. This problem makes Google Sky almost entirely useless, which is incredibly disappointing.
What makes it worse is my roommate who showed me a similar program on his iPhone 4 that was completely smooth and accurate. Boy did that make me feel like I had the inferior product.
I have also had issues with the jerky compass, and seemingly anything else that deals with the physical position of the phone. For example, the phone on google maps showed me as moving around (seemingly in a path) while I was sitting down, not moving; and the GPS accuracy in general seems fairly low (usually 50-100 ft off-ish).
If these problems can be fixed via software update then I would be MUCH happier with my phone once things worked as well as I would think they are supposed to.
This is particularly important to me also because I am looking to start developing android apps and would want to use and then test apps using these systems. As of right now though, these seem to be far below par.
-TheOnlyMerlin
The compass didn't ever work for me either, would point in random directions and hop all over. Layar was unusable and Yelp's Monacle would never show things in the right direction. Skymap was just a mess.
I just thought the games that you had to tilt the thing sucked, like labyrinth, racing games, etc. Couldn't control any of them.
The two things on the phone I loved were the screen and swype.
hobbbbit said:
Google Sky Map doesn't jump all over the place for me, it also just jittery (when you move slowly), but Layar does. So does the Compass app... It becomes a bit better if you run any of the accelerometer test apps in the background, but even then it's a bit jumpy... Hoping for a software fix for this some time in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just update Google Earth on my captivate and if I use hardware sensors to control the view, it uses compass to update your view on Google earth and it seems (at least for me) very smooth in comparison to Layar or Google Skymap.
what I've noticed with mine:
mine was jerky as mentioned above.
a simple compass app shows that if I tilt the phone the compass follows, which tells me the app is using the tilt sensors and not the compass.
I flashed jh2 and it worked for a while, but at some point it stopped again. still trying to narrow down why... but this tells me it's a software thing
I'm not sure if it was an app I installed, or maybe it worked until I turned the phone off, not sure, need to do more research, really just hoping our froyo update will fix it
I have the issue too. When you go into the test app even with the phone sitting on a table the compass heading is constantly changing. Its an issue with all captivates.
I was a vibrant owner and had the same issues. To my knowledge, this problem is evident in all US galaxy s phones. The epic may have avoided the bug due to its later release. Samsung is supposedly pushing out a fix for the GPS and we're all hoping they will address the totally laggy compass too. There are YouTube videos demonstrating the problem on the vibrant. Cross your fingers but know you're not alone.
I've certainly noticed this problem too with the compass. The six-axis seems fine though.
Mostly I've found that how you hold the phone effects the interference with the compass. I've done a side by side comparison with a real high quality compass (both phone and compass calibrated to magnetic north) and the Captivate isn't all that bad after it's "settled" and on a level non-metallic surface. It's just the quick movement or change of direction that really seems to throw it off.
Hey all - I don't mean to bring this long dead thread back to life, but I figured it was better than starting a new one.
Has anyone figured anything out with the jittery compass issues?
I've only had my Captivate for a week, but am definitely dealing w/ the jitters (let alone the GPS issue).
I've found that it can be demonstrated pretty well using the sensor test on the phone (*#0*# -> Sensor) - it displays the data from the magnetic sensor... on mine, X, Y, and Z coordinates are all bouncing up and down within a couple of points.
Any thoughts or advice on this?
I'm still well within the first 30 days.
yourtvlies said:
Hey all - I don't mean to bring this long dead thread back to life, but I figured it was better than starting a new one.
Has anyone figured anything out with the jittery compass issues?
I've only had my Captivate for a week, but am definitely dealing w/ the jitters (let alone the GPS issue).
I've found that it can be demonstrated pretty well using the sensor test on the phone (*#0*# -> Sensor) - it displays the data from the magnetic sensor... on mine, X, Y, and Z coordinates are all bouncing up and down within a couple of points.
Any thoughts or advice on this?
I'm still well within the first 30 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you update to JH7 yet? I heard it fixed the compass issue.
gtg465x said:
Did you update to JH7 yet? I heard it fixed the compass issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed I did - I had the opportunity to briefly examine another unit, as well and while I believe it was on JH6, the compass seemed very steady.
Sorry for the bump- but I have a more specific question for people:
Does anyone have a unit where the compass is steady? Either in the sensor test (*#0*#) or elsewhere?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
yourtvlies said:
Sorry for the bump- but I have a more specific question for people:
Does anyone have a unit where the compass is steady? Either in the sensor test (*#0*#) or elsewhere?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If i put it on a flat surface away from any metal then it is almost solid. Some minor movements and now and then. But it is super picky about being near anything metal.
After Froyo leak, the Cappy is now officially an almost perfect phone. GPS works great at stock settings for over 1 week now. I use NDrive GPS app, and I get lock in like 10 secs. Whole trip is accurate to 5-10 feet with no lag. I don't turn on GPS status or anything like that, but I do have to leave it on the dashboard of my car. If I hold it in the passenger's seat or back seat, the antenna doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold accurate lock. Google navigation isn't working accurately for me. I don't know why.
Daily unplug random shut downs now resolved with turning off GPS when charging.
2.2 is fast even at unrooted state.
Android phone functions are just awesome. It's a great PDA and a great phone.
Hope others are experiencing the same. My GPS was mostly unusable when I first got it.
gordec said:
but I do have to leave it on the dashboard of my car. If I hold it in the passenger's seat or back seat, the antenna doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold accurate lock.
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Click to collapse
That has been my experience as well. Took it on a 400 mile road trip from Richmond, VA to Mt. Pleasant, SC and it did fantastic as long as it was sitting on my dash, constant lock.
yes Google navigation sucks.
Edit: That was a little harsh.
The truth is it looks awesome. Good job Googies!
But the voice is truly horrible, and the accuracy is useless most of the time.
gordec said:
but I do have to leave it on the dashboard of my car. If I hold it in the passenger's seat or back seat, the antenna doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold accurate lock. Google navigation isn't working accurately for me. I don't know why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Same goes for me, since I did gsm reset (use with care, will wipe your data) navigation works as long as
the phone is on the dashboard/attached to the windshield and finally I started to enjoy this phone, I'll keep it.
Flashed to cog2b6, works great.
Tap and pinch to zoom is buggy.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Getting rid of mine. GPS on dash, need for lag fix, random shutdowns, all very frustrating for a top of the line phone.
To me it was just unbearable. Ill miss a lot of it but not all of it.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
you'll miss the screen.
so big.
so bright.
pdxrealtor said:
Getting rid of mine. GPS on dash, need for lag fix, random shutdowns, all very frustrating for a top of the line phone.
To me it was just unbearable. Ill miss a lot of it but not all of it.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually side by side to the G2 its not that much of a downgrade.
That's another thing about the captivate- the screen is tinted blue! Others I've read are tinted more yellowish or reddish. But wait- there's a fix for that! Lol.
Honestly I really wanted to like the captivate.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I agree.. never had to tweak a phone so much to make it usable.
But - with the latest and greatest Cognition the phone is definitely usable. My only complaint is battery life due to the AMOLED screen being a battery hog. Even with it dimmed it eats more battery than a fat kid at a Hostess Twinkies convention.
avgjoegeek said:
I agree.. never had to tweak a phone so much to make it usable.
My only complaint is battery life due to the AMOLED screen being a battery hog. Even with it dimmed it eats more battery than a fat kid at a Hostess Twinkies convention.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're not lieing. Yet another issue. Cognition was/is great. Really made the phone what it should be.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I can't really comment on the GPS much but the phone works fine otherwise. This is in comparison to my previous tilt 2 which locked up several times a day.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
bwolmarans said:
But the voice is truly horrible, and the accuracy is useless most of the time.
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Click to collapse
I friend "loved" that voice so much I told her I was getting her a droid for Christmas just so she could have that GPS help.
bwolmarans said:
you'll miss the screen.
so big.
so bright.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can go with this (captivate)...or you can go with that (G2)
lol
j/k. i figured bwolmarans would get a kick out of that. i love that commerical too
pdxrealtor, i'm sorry you had so many problems with your captivate, and i hope you're enjoying your G2. i wouldn't say the captivate is perfect, but it's definitely more fun than my old iphone
I got my Cap about two weeks ago. I grabbed the leaked froyo, threw it on with OCLF and this phone is truely a work of art. It has no issues with restarting or any other issue of that sort (current uptime's 4 days, no perf loss). It did have lag issues with eclair but with froyo and oclf, this thing flies. No battery drain issues. No nothing... Not even a blue (or red or yellow) tint, just that halo-creating supersaturation thing.
Gps, havent had much of an issue using it in downtown san francisco with its high rises and me not having a dash that can keep the phone from sliding off when accelerating. But my phone's not a garmin and with everything else it does with great aplumb, having an underperforming gps is okay with me. If i needed a 100% reliable gps for my job or something, id go down to pep boys and get a dedicated gps. In all honesty, if you have a Cap, you can afford a 50 dollar garmin. And if you cant, youre living beyond your means, stop trying to be something your not for the sake of pride and envy, theres more to life than bragging on facebook, etc., etc.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
+1
teh_Gnar said:
I got my Cap about two weeks ago. I grabbed the leaked froyo, threw it on with OCLF and this phone is truely a work of art. It has no issues with restarting or any other issue of that sort (current uptime's 4 days, no perf loss). It did have lag issues with eclair but with froyo and oclf, this thing flies. No battery drain issues. No nothing... Not even a blue (or red or yellow) tint, just that halo-creating supersaturation thing.
Gps, havent had much of an issue using it in downtown san francisco with its high rises and me not having a dash that can keep the phone from sliding off when accelerating. But my phone's not a garmin and with everything else it does with great aplumb, having an underperforming gps is okay with me. If i needed a 100% reliable gps for my job or something, id go down to pep boys and get a dedicated gps. In all honesty, if you have a Cap, you can afford a 50 dollar garmin. And if you cant, youre living beyond your means, stop trying to be something your not for the sake of pride and envy, theres more to life than bragging on facebook, etc., etc.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Went on a 180 mile trip today through SoCal and I was stunned at how good my GPS is now working. I'd done some tests locally, but never far enough of a drive to consider the results of any significance. Today, I headed east from the San Fernando Valley, through Pasadena, out to San Bernardino, then north through the Pacheco Pass into Hesperia in the high desert. From city to boonies and from about 350 feet elevation to over 3,500. My Cappy got a lock within seconds while sitting in my driveway and never once dropped lock the whole way there and back. Watching the screen the position marker remained steady on the road and did not wander at all. GPS is important to me and I finally have the performance I was getting on my Tilt 2. Yes, I had to go to a custom ROM to get it (Andromeda 1.2), but it runs so well on so many levels that I'm OK with that. Screw stock Froyo (which I tried along with Cog 4.x and GPS was mediocre at best on both).
I drove about 175 miles today using it, and never lost a lock also... I was using my girlfriends phone with stock 2.2. Was accurate to 10 meters whole trip... Had never had anything close to that before upgrade
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
Mine is horable.. just don't know What rom to go to
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Mine works good on any rom as long as I don't put the phone in my lap. Seems that the antenna gets a weak signal if placed back down and gets the dreaded large blue circle and looses accuracy. If I hold the phone up though it is balls on accurate.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Stock, I could lose GPS by just flipping the visor down. Today, I had the phone in my car mount, I put it on the seat at one point, put it to my head to answer a call...didn't lose lock once. All while playing MP3s via BT through the radio.
Im on stock 2.1 and my GPS has always worked fine in my car. I have trouble getting a lock indoors. I went on a 7 hour drive Thursday and didn't lose a lock once.
I wonder if some peoples GPS's are just junk and its the luck of the draw.
Mr_Ditters said:
I wonder if some peoples GPS's are just junk and its the luck of the draw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That may be for some, but I've had stock Froyo and Cog 4.1 on this same phone and neither had the GPS work as well as it does on Andromeda.
Miami_Son said:
put it to my head to answer a call
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not the best habit in California, pretty steep fines for that.
Gerle said:
Not the best habit in California, pretty steep fines for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was offroad at the time.
Mine works pretty well most of the time.. seems to have a slight 'drifing' issue when stopped tho.. say at a stop light.. kinda strange..
hate to poop on the whiner party, but stock 2.1 and now stock 2.2 have worked as expected. totally. this is a gnarly phone.
FireFly is by far the best results I have ever had with GPS...locks super quick and stays!
It seems a lot of the Captivates' GPS, like mine, worked great when the new phone was used for the first 2 to 3 weeks, then it would degrade. Load a new rom on the phone and again it would work fine for 2 to 3 weeks then deteriorate again. I'm always interested in knowing how long the current rom has been installed and how much the GPS has been utilized. The fact that it worked good when new, makes me think the hardware is not the problem. I'm no programmer but I always wondered if the deterioration was the result of some "file" that grew in size as the GPS was utilized. And, as the "file" grew, time/power requirements increased causing the GPS to deteriorate. How could it ever work correctly if it is a hardware issue?
retnuh
hbgregg said:
hate to poop on the whiner party, but stock 2.1 and now stock 2.2 have worked as expected. totally. this is a gnarly phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, well, then I guess your singular experience negates that of the many other users whose GPS has been total crap. It must be all their fault and not the device.
At one point I had 3 Captivates in my possession and all had stock Eclair, Froyo, Cog 4.x and Andromeda on them at various times. This was typical of their GPS performance (the phone with Andromeda is on the left).
I've had fairly good gps performance but I'm not picky. However, in the last couple days it won't get a lock no matter what..just flashes. I'm not that picky, but I don't like that it doesn't even get a lock
My first captivate, bought in September, was exchanged at Best Buy on day 30. The GPS on stock eclair never was very stable from day 1, slow to lock, very unreliable on the move much of the time, although not always.
My second captivate had very good GPS on stock eclair. Not perfect, but fast lock and rarely wandered, for three months. Then one day, out of the blue, it turned into my first captivate. I factory reset it. No joy. I exchanged it at ATT warranty center, told them the GPS wasn't working.
The third captivate GPS on stock eclair was an order of magnitude better than the second one ever was. Locks instantly, indoors or out, always good to 5 meters no matter the conditions, it's just unreal. Still is with Froyo.
So, I can say I have had wildly varying experiences with the same software. That tells me there is hardware variance. I haven't tried software fixes, ever, so I can at least be a reference point from that perspective.
Bob
retnuh said:
It seems a lot of the Captivates' GPS, like mine, worked great when the new phone was used for the first 2 to 3 weeks, then it would degrade. Load a new rom on the phone and again it would work fine for 2 to 3 weeks then deteriorate again. I'm always interested in knowing how long the current rom has been installed and how much the GPS has been utilized. The fact that it worked good when new, makes me think the hardware is not the problem. I'm no programmer but I always wondered if the deterioration was the result of some "file" that grew in size as the GPS was utilized. And, as the "file" grew, time/power requirements increased causing the GPS to deteriorate. How could it ever work correctly if it is a hardware issue?
retnuh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't noticed that before, but I've had the current ROM (Paragon) for a couple weeks, and now I can't get a lock - worked great at the start, after a master clear. Maybe the old Samsung GPS reset app would work here.
What you have proposed is something we should all keep in the back of our minds...
My 1008 build had mediocre (at best) GPS. The I sent it in for repair and when I got it back (and installed Andromeda) the GPS worked so well I was beside myself with joy. The GPS remained fabulous for almost 2 month then, while running Cog 4.1 with Adam's GPS fix (and still working great--I got 10 sats while sitting on my toilet!), nirvana ended. I'm lucky to get 4 sats and locking is painfully slow.
It's been this way for about a week. I'm going to complain to Samsung and see if I can send it back for repair again.
Soccer_Dad said:
I haven't noticed that before, but I've had the current ROM (Paragon) for a couple weeks, and now I can't get a lock - worked great at the start, after a master clear. Maybe the old Samsung GPS reset app would work here.
What you have proposed is something we should all keep in the back of our minds...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't paragon a kernel?
I'm not as lucky as you with Andromeda 1.2. I live in the SF bay area and can barely get a lock. Any suggestions?
I recently acquired two NS phones, one for wife, one for me. After playing them for a few days, I found the compass is not working for both of them,even after the calibration. They point to everywhere but the right direction.
I came from Samsung Vibrant, the reason I switched was because Vibrant has bad GPS and defective compass, which really bothered me. Now after the jumping, I found NS has the similar compass problem...
Can Samsung really make a working phone?
Maybe you got a bad one, I came from the vibrant a month ago and I'm hooked. Everything works and never going back to a non nexus phone ever. GPS works perfectly and locks in less than ten seconds. My first one was a dud so I got exchanged. If you're not happy than demand to be satisfied. Do it!!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I gave up on my compass, too. It rotates with the phone... Not completely anyway, but the display is nearly completely independent from magnetic north. I think the sensor value may be computed by something like
Code:
north = sha1(/dev/urandom + /dev/accelerometer);
On a more serious side note: We have some metal parts in our phones. If one close to the magnetometer sensor is only slightly magnetized, that would likely seriously impact compass performance. Unfortunately, there is neither a (simple) way to find out, whether it is so, nor a (simple) way to fix it.
since I acquired the two NS phones from two independent channels, now both of them showing bad compass, I'd suspect this is something systematic.
I'm surprised to see so little echo on this issue...
coolmib said:
since I acquired the two NS phones from two independent channels, now both of them showing bad compass, I'd suspect this is something systematic.
I'm surprised to see so little echo on this issue...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked my compass on my NS and it seems to be real close to pointing north.
I had a G1 before and the compass would occasionally get stuck and give inaccurate readings. To fix that I would shake the phone vigorously like I was trying to take the fizz from a soda bottle and that would make the compass work properly. However I don't think that that is a problem with the NS.
The compass points wherever the point of gravity is. North is always facing down for me for some reason but gps status seems to work, but not entirely accurate.
Is there still no fix for this issue?
I often have to do the figure 8 when I want the compass to point north. Normally this works for me.
Seems like it was a rom issue. I had the newest cm rc1 and north was pointing wherever the ground was. I just returned it back to rooted 2.3.4 stock and seems to work fine, except it's shaky now.
EDIT: There is the "Compass" app that still points down, but google map and the other compass apps works somewhat fine (still shaky and about 10-15 degrees off or so)
I wonder is it pointing TRUE north or MAGNETIC north? Where I live there is almost no declination however some areas are +-15 degrees.
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
coolmib said:
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using "Smart Compass" if you search for "Compass" in the market, it's usually the second one from the top.
koyanishi said:
I just checked my compass on my NS and it seems to be real close to pointing north.
I had a G1 before and the compass would occasionally get stuck and give inaccurate readings. To fix that I would shake the phone vigorously like I was trying to take the fizz from a soda bottle and that would make the compass work properly. However I don't think that that is a problem with the NS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have experimented a bit more with NS compass and have to agree that its accuracy is random - occasionally it will point north but more often it will be off by 10 to 20 degrees.
SovereigN7 said:
Try using "Smart Compass" if you search for "Compass" in the market, it's usually the second one from the top.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just downloaded and installed "Smart Compass"。 Same problems persist...
try the compass built into the mapping app Locus. Best compass i've found yet.
coolmib said:
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I think it is a hardware problem.
While researching a problem I have with NFC reading tags I cam upon this gem from this tread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=905512&highlight=nfc+-reading+tags
And chadrockey had this to say in post # 1 of that tread.
chadrockey said:
So I've been noticing that my compass would always misbehave (in terms of accuracy, not stability a la Sky Maps). I would get a pretty large static error (30 to 40 degrees obviously not declination); rotations would not be consistent (IE, a 180 degree turn would yield 100 degrees change.); and the magnitude of raw measurements was not like that of the magnetometer I got from Sparkfun.
Turns out the neodymium magnets I had near my desk actually latched onto my phone and magnetized the NFC antenna. I tested this by removing the cover and putting the magnet near the antenna and it sticks. Without the cover on, the compass worked much better.
I've mostly demagnetized my NFC antenna now by doing some magnet sweeps and leaving it near the heater, but I've learned to keep the magnets away.
If anyone is having problems with the compass overall accuracy, removing the back cover may help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I never, as far as I know, have had strong magnets near the nfc antenna, but the nfc app does not read nfc tags so it could be that it is magnetized.
But if I take the back cover off my NS as chadrockey recommends, then the compass reading will be spot on.
oh, and btw, the best compass app that I know comes from swiss army knife which is one app containing a number of other neat apps
I have the same problem with my nexus s compass, north is not accurate ever and augmented reality application like streetview defect because the compass seems to vibrate, even if I have my hand stable the screen vibrates like I'm shacking the phone...
walker7373 said:
I have the same problem with my nexus s compass, north is not accurate ever and augmented reality application like streetview defect because the compass seems to vibrate, even if I have my hand stable the screen vibrates like I'm shacking the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you try using the compass without the case back cover?
tried removing the back case, compass still not working
I gave up my compass a couple of weeks after i got the phone. Shakes like a drug addict and the accuracy is worse than a blind guy trying out sharp shooting for the first time.
Ive removed the back cover, tried different apps and "calibrated" the compass multiple times but to no avail.
Join the club. The compass is a failure and google is not fixing, or not able to fix it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I remember somewhere somebody reported issue with compass in our Relay.
Now I found that it is somehow related with other sensors and/or modules.
So if your compass not working properly turn off wifi, data transfer and GPS and try.
Regards
Mac
Makes no difference for me. Everything on or everything off, the compass is still hopelessly miscalibrated after a reboot. Then a calibration cycle gets it approximately right until the next one.
for me also no difference, however i try, google maps with gps is usually going sometimes ok. havent got the clue behind yet
Jax184 said:
Makes no difference for me. Everything on or everything off, the compass is still hopelessly miscalibrated after a reboot. Then a calibration cycle gets it approximately right until the next one.
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I'm in the same boat- if I'm driving, it will correct when it uses the GPS, but standing still, it will be off. I think the issues started after updating one of the stock roms. I think the original stock rom was just fine.
I think Nardholio posted something about going back to stock, ripping the battery out with a solid GPS lock and then upgrading.
gee one said:
I'm in the same boat- if I'm driving, it will correct when it uses the GPS, but standing still, it will be off. I think the issues started after updating one of the stock roms. I think the original stock rom was just fine.
I think Nardholio posted something about going back to stock, ripping the battery out with a solid GPS lock and then upgrading.
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That's only needed if your GPS is totally inoperable.
So the Relay 4G has horrible GPS? Seems to be an ongoing theme with Samsung phones.
Nah, the GPS works fine. It's the compass that's broken.
During the development of our CM rom, it was discovered that the GPS sometimes wouldn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. This was because the stock ROM had put the GPS to sleep in a way which the custom ROM couldn't wake it from. That's why the battery pull technique was developed. It ensured the GPS was active when you installed the custom ROM.
I don't know if it's still needed or not. I don't think it is. If it is, it would only help you if your GPS doesn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. If it's intermittent or has poor signal or something, you've got other problems.
Regarding GPS, if I understand correctly, Relay 4G uses both GPS and GLONASS signal, so is the GPS fix considerably quicker than in devices without GLONASS and is the satellite coverage better as well?
I'm particularly interested if there is a noticeable difference in this regard between Samsung Captivate Glide's GPS and Relay 4G's GPS+GLONASS.
Jax184 said:
Nah, the GPS works fine. It's the compass that's broken.
During the development of our CM rom, it was discovered that the GPS sometimes wouldn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. This was because the stock ROM had put the GPS to sleep in a way which the custom ROM couldn't wake it from. That's why the battery pull technique was developed. It ensured the GPS was active when you installed the custom ROM.
I don't know if it's still needed or not. I don't think it is. If it is, it would only help you if your GPS doesn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. If it's intermittent or has poor signal or something, you've got other problems.
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I...don't know the difference between the GPS and the compass. I thought people were using the terms interchangeably, but apparently not.
Solkan said:
Regarding GPS, if I understand correctly, Relay 4G uses both GPS and GLONASS signal, so is the GPS fix considerably quicker than in devices without GLONASS and is the satellite coverage better as well?
I'm particularly interested if there is a noticeable difference in this regard between Samsung Captivate Glide's GPS and Relay 4G's GPS+GLONASS.
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Okay...this is very interesting. Differences between GPS and compass aside, this still seems like good news. At least to me, cause GPS is very important to me, and its my understanding that the Captivate Glide's GPS is very hinky. Seems like if you stick with stock you'll be fine. Now, bluetooth, I have no idea how the bluetooth is on the Relay (stock or custom ROM), but at least the GPS is good and even better with this GLONASS.
The compass is a standalone chip that detects the earths magnetic fields and tells the device which way it's oriented. But Samsung screwed something up, and every time the phone boots it's way out of calibration. You can fix it by taking it through a quick calibration cycle, and then all's right with it until the next reboot.
The compass and the GPS work together for things like maps. With the compass miscalibrated, the indicator on the map will often show that you're facing a compass direction other than what you really are. And it'll sometimes act as though you're walking backwards when moving at low speeds. But the actual GPS position and tracking are correct, it just has no idea what way you're facing. Again, a compass calibration will fix this.
Jax184 said:
The compass is a standalone chip that detects the earths magnetic fields and tells the device which way it's oriented. But Samsung screwed something up, and every time the phone boots it's way out of calibration. You can fix it by taking it through a quick calibration cycle, and then all's right with it until the next reboot.
The compass and the GPS work together for things like maps. With the compass miscalibrated, the indicator on the map will often show that you're facing a compass direction other than what you really are. And it'll sometimes act as though you're walking backwards when moving at low speeds. But the actual GPS position and tracking are correct, it just has no idea what way you're facing. Again, a compass calibration will fix this.
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Okay...I've actually been experiencing that lately with my Epic 4G on Cyanogenmod, but I blame that more on the most recent update of Google Maps which changed the entire interface than I do the ROM (I'm on the most recent stable release and before the Google Maps update GPS worked perfectly). But that's still something I'll save for that board. But what you described is exactly what I've been experiencing, the Navigation seems to work, but it takes a while for the indicator (the red arrow) to face the right direction. Since I use it to drive around my own town its not that big a deal, but if I ever go out of town, yeah it could be an issue.
Someone on one of the Relay 4G boards here opened up his Relay 4G and showed exactly where the metal components are, and how with some tweaking it may correct it without calibration...but with my luck I'd break the thing permanently.
I do wonder why the Relay 4G is like this...my only guess is that Samsung was trying to rush it out and didn't have the time to properly test it? I know it was supposed to be called something else (Blaze Q or something). But the funny thing is, even with this "error" (which from the sounds of it is easily remedied), it still seems like more of the spiritual successor to the Epic 4G than I originally thought the Captivate Glide was, or at least an Epic 4G if it was GSM. 5 rows of keys, same shape...I just don't know why this phone isn't more successful than it is. At least you can get it on eBay, new, for about $200-$300. I haven't been inside a T-mobile store in years so I don't know if they regularly keep them in stock or not. But its still available. That Captivate Glide is still available for less than $200, but with its issues with GPS and bluetooth...I don't know, seriously thinking about this phone now.
Anyway, thanks for the response. And by the way, how is the bluetooth on this phone?
EDIT: Herp derp, it was YOU who opened up their Relay 4G! My apologies, sometimes these boards blur together.
Bluetooth seems okay, but I only have one bluetooth device, so I'm hardly an expert.
The guys working on our CM ROM are trying to improve performance when both wifi and bluetooth are in use at the same time. Since they're both 2.4 GHz, they tend to step on each others toes if both are on at once.
You should try a compass calibration on the Epic to see if that helps with the pointer. First step away from large metal and electrical objects, so you're in a fairly clean magnetic environment. Then open up an app that uses the compass, like Metal Sniffer. Then, while keeping the screen on, slowly and smoothly rotate the phone 3 times around each axis. End over end 3 times, then side to side 3 times, then around and around 3 times.
At the end of it, the pointer should now point north.
On the Relay, the values of the magnetic field strength are all totally out of whack before you do this, and they suddenly drop to more rational levels after the calibration.
Jax184 said:
Bluetooth seems okay, but I only have one bluetooth device, so I'm hardly an expert.
The guys working on our CM ROM are trying to improve performance when both wifi and bluetooth are in use at the same time. Since they're both 2.4 GHz, they tend to step on each others toes if both are on at once.
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Ah okay. Though I can't remember the last time I tried to use both at once. Also, since the Relay 4G actually has a stock JB rom, what benefits would there be getting CM instead? I'm only on CM for the Epic 4G because Samsung/Sprint stopped updating it with Gingerbread.
You should try a compass calibration on the Epic to see if that helps with the pointer. First step away from large metal and electrical objects, so you're in a fairly clean magnetic environment. Then open up an app that uses the compass, like Metal Sniffer. Then, while keeping the screen on, slowly and smoothly rotate the phone 3 times around each axis. End over end 3 times, then side to side 3 times, then around and around 3 times.
At the end of it, the pointer should now point north.
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Thanks. The folks on the other board said it was an issue with the updated Google Maps app as opposed to the GPS/compass itself, and suggested a downgrade. I may try both solutions, though to be honest with you there's a huge learning curve with the most recent update to Google Maps (for instance still can't figure out how to get it to record my current location, which came in handy with the previous versions if I ever came across a place or store I wanted to visit again).
On the Relay, the values of the magnetic field strength are all totally out of whack before you do this, and they suddenly drop to more rational levels after the calibration.
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Speaking of that calibration trick, where is it described in detail around here?
EpicMikeNC said:
Speaking of that calibration trick, where is it described in detail around here?
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That was it! :laugh:
The CM ROM is faster and trimmer than the stock ROM, and fixes a couple of bugs and annoyances. No touchwiz interface, no t-mobile tethering lockout, no samsung bloatware. And while it does have a few bugs of its own, it's under active development by several people, so it's rapidly improving.
Jax184 said:
That was it! :laugh:
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Oh. lol Ok, thought what you described for the Epic 4G was different, not the same. Gotcha. :good:
The CM ROM is faster and trimmer than the stock ROM, and fixes a couple of bugs and annoyances. No touchwiz interface, no t-mobile tethering lockout, no samsung bloatware. And while it does have a few bugs of its own, it's under active development by several people, so it's rapidly improving.
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Well I know from my experience with the Epic 4G, you can remove the bloatware with Titanium backup and tether via an ap (if you mean hotspot tether). But at least there's options, stock or CM.
Still don't get why this phone isn't more successful than it is.
Compass is wacky on mine
On my Relay, the compass is off in bizarro land, and has been since I bought it. Stock ICS/unrooted, or stock JB/unrooted, same problem. It doesn't seem to hold calibration at all, and I can even notice that it very slowly spins as I drive. On those times I've tried Google Maps 7 (yuuuuck!), I've noticed that it cheerfully ignores your GPS heading and points the arrow to your alleged compass heading. Between the large amount of change-for-change's-sake UI stupidity, the compass problem, and its general crashiness, I've ditched the update and gone back to the original version.
I've just rooted it yesterday, but I seriously doubt that rooting would make any difference with the compass.
Bobby Tables said:
On my Relay, the compass is off in bizarro land, and has been since I bought it. Stock ICS/unrooted, or stock JB/unrooted, same problem. It doesn't seem to hold calibration at all, and I can even notice that it very slowly spins as I drive. On those times I've tried Google Maps 7 (yuuuuck!), I've noticed that it cheerfully ignores your GPS heading and points the arrow to your alleged compass heading. Between the large amount of change-for-change's-sake UI stupidity, the compass problem, and its general crashiness, I've ditched the update and gone back to the original version.
I've just rooted it yesterday, but I seriously doubt that rooting would make any difference with the compass.
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How did you root by the way? One-Click?
But yeah, based on what you just said, I'm convinced its the update, not the compass. I don't understand how Google went backwards in regards to this so-called update to Google maps. But the Metal Sniffer solution seems to work, 9 times out of 10 anyway.
Also, I keep looking and looking, but unless I'm still missing it, didn't the update take away to ability to save your current location?
The bootloader is unlocked, there is no reason to run a rooting script. Just flash CWM with Odin/Heimdall and then supersu
I'm having a very similar experience here on CM 10.2 nightlies. Calibrating the compass doesn't always work. When it does it doesn't always stick. And when it sticks, it will be very jumpy, skipping from one direction to the other at random. This prevents compass mode in Google Maps, so it's annoying but not such a huge deal.