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Conversation with samsung support about GPS

I had this conversation with a samsung support tech earlier today, you can make your own deductions but i think we are screwed because according to him the epic launched with the GPS fix already applied and as we all know from recent posts and videos the accuracy is still ****.....
Please wait for a Samsung Agent to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Dan'
Dan: Hi, thank you for contacting Samsung Technical Support. How may I help you today?
Dan: How may I help you?
Visitor: hi Dan, i have a captivate from ATT and the gps is terrible, is there a fix that is coming because i am really tempted to return this phone
Dan: I understand that you need to have update about GPS.
Dan: I am sorry for inconvenience caused to you.
Dan: Our support team as been working on issue with GPS.
Dan: We will have GPS update fixed by end if september.
Visitor: was the epic 4g or the fascinate launched with fix already applied to the gps ?
Dan: We have Epic released but we do not have any customers with GPS issue.
Visitor: so thge answer would be yes the fix is applied to the epic ?
Dan: To be honest yes.
Dan: However we will have GPS issue fixed.
Visitor: i have a freind with the epic and the gps is still terrible but from what you are telling me it's fixed.
Dan: I am sorry for inconvenience caused.
Visitor: ok, thanks for your time
Dan: We have many customers with Epic , but we did not have any issue with GPS.
Dan: Once we have update released it will be OTA,
Visitor: ok
Dan: Update will fix the issue.
Dan: Please let me know if I can be of any further help.
Visitor: that's it, thank you
Dan: You're most welcome.
Dan: It was a pleasure assisting you. Thank you for contacting Samsung Technical Support.

According to the way that guy conversates, I wouldnt take much of what he said into consideration lol.

I have worked for Tech giant manufacturers (more then one) - and I know for a fact that the tech support people (usually 1st through 3rd level) have no idea about fixes or releases. They are not told until after things are out.
The idea that any of these guys would know that GPS in Epic is fixed, or was released with the fix that other Galaxy S phones are waiting for is doubtful.
Until an official statement is made, I won't believe anything I hear from anyone in Samsung support. Their job is to log an issue, be nice to the customer, and fix something if they can.
So why worry about it at all until some official notification comes out? If GPS is still broken, we can take our phones back as they are not meeting basic functionality requirements - if that is what people want to do.

Two months in and no GPS fix. I will reconsider before I buy a Samsung phone ever againg. Product support suck.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Dxtra said:
Two months in and no GPS fix. I will reconsider before I buy a Samsung phone ever againg. Product support suck.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Amen!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

My 30 day return is up on wednesday and if no fix by then this **** is going back, i never should have left HTC for sam****.

God you people cry way too much. Why does gps on your phone bother you so much? I am a truck driver and need directions EVERY DAY. But unlike you i guess i have the ability to read a map. And even with sketchy gps it gets me in the general direction i gotta go. Stop all the crying already. Want great GPS get a damn gps unit. I have a few i will sell you since i dont use them anymore. And return your worthless phones. Rant /off

GPS on the Samsung Eternity worked great. Wonder what the difference is.

Am I missing something? My GPS works great, I've had no problems at all. If there's anything I can provide somehow to help you guys, let me know.
Hell, I've even gotten a good signal sitting in my living room; on Google maps it even showed my location in my house properly.
If there are files or something I can pull from my phone for you, I'll do what I can.

alphadog00 said:
I have worked for Tech giant manufacturers (more then one) - and I know for a fact that the tech support people (usually 1st through 3rd level) have no idea about fixes or releases. They are not told until after things are out.
The idea that any of these guys would know that GPS in Epic is fixed, or was released with the fix that other Galaxy S phones are waiting for is doubtful.
Until an official statement is made, I won't believe anything I hear from anyone in Samsung support. Their job is to log an issue, be nice to the customer, and fix something if they can.
So why worry about it at all until some official notification comes out? If GPS is still broken, we can take our phones back as they are not meeting basic functionality requirements - if that is what people want to do.
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This is so true, agree 100%. Plus, I think you kind of led him to say that the Epic had the fix by you actually mentioning it. He said yes and that was pretty much it.

jeromekobriger said:
Am I missing something? My GPS works great, I've had no problems at all. If there's anything I can provide somehow to help you guys, let me know.
Hell, I've even gotten a good signal sitting in my living room; on Google maps it even showed my location in my house properly.
If there are files or something I can pull from my phone for you, I'll do what I can.
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Agreed, anything outside of a building and the GPS works great. I've been using it to geocache, and also have a boating gps app installed and used it flawlessly this past weekend. I can drive anywhere in my car and the GPS will not lose me once.
The only time I get a long signal search is after a week of not using the GPS function, then it takes only about 30 sec's to lock on.

Smokestack, I don't know about you but when I purchase a product I like when everything works. That's why I bought it, why put a non functioning gps and by the way, I am a private pilot so I read a lot more complexed maps than you, I dont follow interstates, I follow victor airways...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

PuffinNugz said:
GPS on the Samsung Eternity worked great. Wonder what the difference is.
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Dude. The eternity was aGPS only. Doesn't compare.
Diff OS, Diff chipset, diff radio setup.. .. .. .. Oranges to Onions dude.
And yes, i had one, the screen whacked in 6 months, got another, it happened again. Swapped to an Impression.. another 6 months and BOOM.

dajeoo said:
Smokestack, I don't know about you but when I purchase a product I like when everything works. That's why I bought it, why put a non functioning gps and by the way, I am a private pilot so I read a lot more complexed maps than you, I dont follow interstates, I follow victor airways...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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I wouldn't rely on the GPS in my Captivate or any phone for that matter for flight ops. But, I do agree that if the phone says it has GPS, it should have GPS working when you buy it at the store. Doesn't matter if it's a nice-to-have feature or a core function. If it says it has GPS, then it should work.
I am hoping that this was a last minute configuration/software defect that was re-introduced following QA. There's no way a phone should be able to exit QA with such an alarmingly big severity 1 defect.

max_warheads said:
Dude. The eternity was aGPS only. Doesn't compare.
Diff OS, Diff chipset, diff radio setup.. .. .. .. Oranges to Onions dude.
And yes, i had one, the screen whacked in 6 months, got another, it happened again. Swapped to an Impression.. another 6 months and BOOM.
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Dude. Cool. You answered my question. That's why I asked. I personally couldn't care less about the gps. it works good enough for me.
Sorry you broke your eternity. i had mine for two years. was dropped/thrown/punched countless times, the moisture label was bright red, but i never had a single issue with that phone other than when using opera mini and sometimes i would click a link and it would just refresh the page. a buddy of mine got one shortly after i did. he finally just broke his screen last week. cracks all through it and a couple "chunks" from the screen gone, but it still works. still texts on it like crazy. that thing is sturdy.

Smokestack...... Would you not complain if you bought a truck and found out it had the wheels missing?
I bought a device that is supposed to have GPS but doesn't. All I want is what I paid for. My reason for wanting it does not matter. I will never buy another samsung phone. If it hours totally unresolved I will never buy anything Samsung.
I totally believe this was/is an intentional scam. Then on top of it the reduced speed and forced data plan change.
I'm not happy and wish I could send this otherwise good phone back.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Phredeee said:
Smokestack...... Would you not complain if you bought a truck and found out it had the wheels missing?
I bought a device that is supposed to have GPS but doesn't. All I want is what I paid for. My reason for wanting it does not matter. I will never buy another samsung phone. If it hours totally unresolved I will never buy anything Samsung.
I totally believe this was/is an intentional scam. Then on top of it the reduced speed and forced data plan change.
I'm not happy and wish I could send this otherwise good phone back.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Bad analogy. A truck needs wheels to be able to serve it's purpose. A phone doesn't need GPS to work as a phone. Maybe saying something along the lines of air conditioning, it's an added bonus, such as the GPS. don't mind me, just sayin....
gotta kill these last few minutes at work some how. And you really think it's an intentional scam? take off the tinfoil hat...

Phredeee said:
Smokestack...... Would you not complain if you bought a truck and found out it had the wheels missing?
I bought a device that is supposed to have GPS but doesn't. All I want is what I paid for. My reason for wanting it does not matter. I will never buy another samsung phone. If it hours totally unresolved I will never buy anything Samsung.
I totally believe this was/is an intentional scam. Then on top of it the reduced speed and forced data plan change.
I'm not happy and wish I could send this otherwise good phone back.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Return your phone then. If you are out of the 30 days, you still have a valid case for returning it - but watch you say:
- GPS is known issue that Samsung has acknowledged.
- reduced speed? Where? HSUPA was never spec'd so you won't win that one - just because other phones have it, doesn't mean all do.
- forced data plan change - clearly spelled out what data plans work with the phone - if you don't like it, don't buy it.
So your GPS complaint is valid, and if the phone doesn't serve its advertised purpose then return it. There is no international conspiracy. maybe samsung knew about the GPS issue before they shipped, maybe not. Dev's are flashing new firmwares all the time - and it could have slipped through a rushed QA cycle.
Instead of complaining do something about. If the product doesn't work take it back. The iFools should have done this.

I think it's best for us to keep reminding Samsung that this is important. I just did here: http://www.facebook.com/SamsungMobile

Hello to all,
I did take my first phone back to att because of gps problem, we try 5 phones before she got one with working gps it takes up to 10 seconds to lock the signal.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

State of GPS on this phone ?

What's the state of GPS on this phone in todays date ? Did it ever get fixed to be as accurate as other phones ?
Update 9/30/10: I was pretty hopeless about the GPS after reading all of your comments. Today I met a dude on campus with a captivate. We were sitting inside a building, so I decided to test out his captivate against my Eris. I turned GPS on on both devices, and started google maps. The captivate got a lock withing 10 seconds as did my Eris. My eris had an accuracy of 40m, while the captivate had 60m. Not bad, considering what I have been reading here.

StDevious said:
What's the state of GPS on this phone in todays date ? Did it ever get fixed to be as accurate as other phones ?
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Mine works perfectly.

much improved since update
does better than any of my winmo phones ever did

Update supposedly did not contain a GPS fix. Supposedly getting the official fix by months end as per level 2 Samsung tech.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

droidal said:
Update supposedly did not contain a GPS fix. Supposedly getting the official fix by months end as per level 2 Samsung tech.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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this month or next ?

I read end of this month on the GPS analysis thread today.
StDevious said:
this month or next ?
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Click to collapse
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

GPS is much better since update

saint168 said:
GPS is much better since update
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The update did nothing for the GPS. The GPS is still junk on these phones. Samsung is one of the most disorganised companies there are.

My gps works fine. But then again I don't sit around waiting for the manufacturer... I sit around waiting for devs.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Even with the tweaks that people put out on here it's still worthless. I don't know if it's an issue with the drivers that control the GPS or what but it's not normal for it to be this bad. I sent my phone back to Wirefly and if they send me a new one I know the GPS is still going to be junk on it so I may sell it and buy a different phone that runs on at&t.

galaxyjeff said:
The update did nothing for the GPS. The GPS is still junk on these phones. Samsung is one of the most disorganised companies there are.
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Actually my gps sucked balls before the update and now works extremely well. The update may not have contained a gps fix but mine has been much improved since the update. Before the update I would be lucky to lock onto 1 sat. Now I am able to lock onto 7-9 sats in under 20 seconds and pretty much stay locked.

Are you using the GPS Test app to get these locks? Or is there something else that shows how many satellites you're receiving info from? Because I can get 10 satellites 'locked' no problem using the GPS test app, but Google Maps or the Navigation app both still take forever to show my location, and track my movement, most of which is completely wrong (for ex it will have me driving in fields instead of on roads).

For me I can now lock indoors, which I could never do before. This is in the Gmaps app
Also I can actually get a lock in an urban setting (apts and buildings everywhere) and not have to stand out in a field somewhere for five minutes
There has to be some kind of tweak in the latest update, there just has to

matt310 said:
Are you using the GPS Test app to get these locks? Or is there something else that shows how many satellites you're receiving info from? Because I can get 10 satellites 'locked' no problem using the GPS test app, but Google Maps or the Navigation app both still take forever to show my location, and track my movement, most of which is completely wrong (for ex it will have me driving in fields instead of on roads).
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I use gps test to see how many locks I'll get. But, I can fire up google maps or google navigation without warming up with gps test and still be up and running within 20 seconds.

Gathering anecdotal reports on whether the GPS is fixed is worthless.
Some people get a lock indoors and think it is fixed, while others do serious Google Navigation and My Tracks testing and find it is not fixed.
I do not think the GPS is fixed to be as accurate as other phones. Yes, it has improved since stock, but stock was garbage -- now it is just poor.

phr00t said:
Gathering anecdotal reports on whether the GPS is fixed is worthless.
Some people get a lock indoors and think it is fixed, while others do serious Google Navigation and My Tracks testing and find it is not fixed.
I do not think the GPS is fixed to be as accurate as other phones. Yes, it has improved since stock, but stock was garbage -- now it is just poor.
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What he said.

climber1872000 said:
Mine works perfectly.
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You people keep saying it works on your captivates. We know your either full of it or have a special edition phone that no one else got. No bodies captivate works 100% on GPS. If you think yours works then PROVE it!!! Take a long drive and track it on a map and post it here. I've yet to see such. QUIT SAYING IT WORKS WHEN IT DON'T.

whitenerj said:
You people keep saying it works on your captivates. We know your either full of it or have a special edition phone that no one else got. No bodies captivate works 100% on GPS. If you think yours works then PROVE it!!! Take a long drive and track it on a map and post it here. I've yet to see such. QUIT SAYING IT WORKS WHEN IT DON'T.
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Thank You! Locking on Satellites DOES NOT mean the GPS works - Hell you can just use location to find out where you are - GPS is for MOVEMENT and how WELL it keeps up with MOVEMENT. If People keep saying that it works it's improved after the update - Samsung nor At&t will do anything to fix it (don't believe me just call them and they will get angry telling you how the update fix ALL that was wrong with the phone). PLEASE stop posting it's FIXED or IT WORKS because it can see and lock on satellites. Drive/Walk with this phone and then ANY other phone - Trust it will make you want to SLAP someone at Samsung & At&t.

i admit after the JH7 update, gps locks in alot quicker! but it still samsung garbage! gps navigation show Turn right on Pine Ave, i turned Pine ave 2 block ago, gps navigation still showing Turn right on Pine ave. or i waiting at red light waiting to make a turn on Pine ave, gps navagion already tell me the next turn Turn right on Rose Ave. so do i turn right on Pine or keep driving straight and turn right on Rose?

netnerd said:
i admit after the JH7 update, gps locks in alot quicker! but it still samsung garbage! gps navigation show Turn right on Pine Ave, i turned Pine ave 2 block ago, gps navigation still showing Turn right on Pine ave. or i waiting at red light waiting to make a turn on Pine ave, gps navagion already tell me the next turn Turn right on Rose Ave. so do i turn right on Pine or keep driving straight and turn right on Rose?
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Are you sure this is a GPS problem and not crap code for navigation app?

(Q) Nexus S Gps

So...I currently own a vibrant and want to pick up a nexus s mainly because I'll be guaranteed android upgrades. My main concern is if the nexus s utilizes the same gps chip as the other galaxy s phones. If it does, it is an epic fail because gps accuracy is still HORRID on these phones and would be a total dealbreaker.
Anyone know the answer?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

The Nexus S has an improved antenna.
But even then the GPS issues on the Galaxy S series were mostly software ones since they've now been patched between the update, and the app ont he market to reset the gps settings.

neok44 said:
The Nexus S has an improved antenna.
But even then the GPS issues on the Galaxy S series were mostly software ones since they've now been patched between the update, and the app ont he market to reset the gps settings.
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I've tried every fix out there and it still has me driving next to the highway in the woods or 2 blocks from where I'm standing.
My crappy Motorola cliq has pinpoint precision compare to the vibrant.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

neok44 said:
The Nexus S has an improved antenna.
But even then the GPS issues on the Galaxy S series were mostly software ones since they've now been patched between the update, and the app ont he market to reset the gps settings.
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But that mostly means that there is still a hardware issue and that means the difference between driving on the road and driving perpendicular to it.

mchimney said:
But that mostly means that there is still a hardware issue and that means the difference between driving on the road and driving perpendicular to it.
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Im still pretty sure its a SW error, friend has a Galaxy S phone, installed the latest leaked build for his phone and wala GPS lock in seconds

The Nexus S got recertified through FCC testing for upgraded BT/GPS hardware.

JCopernicus said:
The Nexus S got recertified through FCC testing for upgraded BT/GPS hardware.
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Now that's what I wanted to hear!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

REQUEST
Those who already have their phone: please make a GPS test as it follows:
choose a location outside which you can easily identify on google earth (a tree, a big rock, something small but visible on satellite view)
go out there and use an app which shows GPS coordinates - preferably the free app GPS test
stand next to object and get the coordinates, write it down, etc (for this wait a while till more precise fix)
go back to house, type the coordinates into Google Earth
measure the distance between the location you got with your phone and the real object using Google Earths measuring tool
post the results here

Well, I'm not gonna do all that, but maybe this will help.
I did a cold start on Maps. Got a lock on within 10 seconds. Pretty damn good. Now I'm using GPS Test app and was able to lock on all satellites. 7 out of 7. This is all within my house. Wifi is off.
I can happily say that GPS works fine. From my experience anyways.

Yup GPS is fine locked faster and seems more accurate than my vibrant
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

It was either Endgadget or gizmodo, but they said the GPS still sucks on the nexus s that it took forever for them to get a lock. I was tired of playing with ROM's etc, which is why I sold my vibrant and got a mytouch4g. I do miss the vibrant, but I geocache and a accurate GPS is something I needed.

aohmer said:
It was either Endgadget or gizmodo, but they said the GPS still sucks on the nexus s that it took forever for them to get a lock. I was tired of playing with ROM's etc, which is why I sold my vibrant and got a mytouch4g. I do miss the vibrant, but I geocache and a accurate GPS is something I needed.
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load of BS. took less than 0.5 sec to get a lock and the accuracy is incredible.

aohmer said:
It was either Endgadget or gizmodo, but they said the GPS still sucks on the nexus s that it took forever for them to get a lock. I was tired of playing with ROM's etc, which is why I sold my vibrant and got a mytouch4g. I do miss the vibrant, but I geocache and a accurate GPS is something I needed.
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Click to collapse
They also said they were driving while trying to get a lock... And in my experience (Nexus S, TomTom, Garmin), a GPS can't get a lock while you're moving. Maybe the best ones can, but their test is not enough to say that Nexus S sucks.

I feel that I have a bad GPS. It's. Not seeing more than 2 satellite outdoor. I will test it more
demo23019 said:
Yup GPS is fine locked faster and seems more accurate than my vibrant
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
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Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Those that say that the GPS issues of the Galaxy S line of phones were fixed via the software update and market app probably don't own a Galaxy S phone. The GPS is definitely not fixed. In fact, it's the only reason why I'm in this forum. I'm willing to give up AT&T 3G for a working GPS -- I plan to sell my Captivate and buy a Nexus S if the GPS works.
Also, those that say they got a fast lock and great accuracy, that doesn't exactly mean anything yet. Most Galaxy S users had great GPS performance out-the-box, and after a hard reset. But the performance gradually degrades over the course of a few days, and then you eventually want to throw your phone out the window. So the fact that only some Nexus S owners have great GPS performance -- and not ALL -- leaves me discouraged. But we should have a better assessment after a few days.

Maybe Samsung and/or Google also released in market the pieces that they have produced, before changing the GPS antenna....
Maybe that's why some users have GPS issues and others not...
So maybe we have 2 deferent produced devices....
Nice scenario don't you think???

FAA Warns GPS Issues SouthEastern US Defenense Dept Tests

Pulled this off the Engadget site, just in case others began to see issues with GPS like I have today.
"Don't panic, but anyone planning on using GPS in the southeastern US for the next month or so will likely want to make sure they have a fallback option. That's according to a flight advisory just issued by the FAA, which warns pilots that their GPS signal "may be unreliable or unavailable" due to "GPS tests" that the Department of Defense will be conducting between January 20th and February 22nd. Details are fairly light beyond that, but the FAA does note that when the "tests" occur they will be active for 45 minutes, and be followed by 15 minutes of off time -- additional notices to pilots will apparently be issued at least 24 hours prior to any test. Of course, while this particular advisory is directed at pilots, it will presumably will also affect all other GPS devices, as the FAA doesn't mention any GPS issues specific to aviation."
Link to PDF below.
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2011/Jan/GPS_Flight_Advisory_CSFTL11-01_Rel.pdf

TigerEnigma said:
Pulled this off the Engadget site, just in case others began to see issues with GPS like I have today.
"Don't panic, but anyone planning on using GPS in the southeastern US for the next month or so will likely want to make sure they have a fallback option. That's according to a flight advisory just issued by the FAA, which warns pilots that their GPS signal "may be unreliable or unavailable" due to "GPS tests" that the Department of Defense will be conducting between January 20th and February 22nd. Details are fairly light beyond that, but the FAA does note that when the "tests" occur they will be active for 45 minutes, and be followed by 15 minutes of off time -- additional notices to pilots will apparently be issued at least 24 hours prior to any test. Of course, while this particular advisory is directed at pilots, it will presumably will also affect all other GPS devices, as the FAA doesn't mention any GPS issues specific to aviation."
Link to PDF below.
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2011/Jan/GPS_Flight_Advisory_CSFTL11-01_Rel.pdf
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LMAO ... The last group of people in the world to be affected by this would be captivate owners.
"symptoms may include; long lock times, eractic position markers, 10 mile lock radius, and random shutdowns."

Shovelhead84 said:
LMAO ... The last group of people in the world to be affected by this would be captivate owners.
"symptoms may include; long lock times, eractic position markers, 10 mile lock radius, and random shutdowns."
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You sure they haven't been doing this since mid july in the midwest ;-D
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897

Clienterror said:
You sure they haven't been doing this since mid july in the midwest ;-D
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897
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On a side note, you think this will affect global warming too?

Call me cynical but I don't see this being a good thing. DOD shutting down the gps. I'm waiting for breaking news to cut into judge judy any second.

Good thing this doesn't apply to Captivate owners.
cappysw10 said:
On a side note, you think this will affect global warming too?
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In the same way it will affect the Boogey Man and Big Foot.

Shovelhead84 said:
LMAO ... The last group of people in the world to be affected by this would be captivate owners.
"symptoms may include; long lock times, eractic position markers, 10 mile lock radius, and random shutdowns."
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Click to collapse
Actually, you should have said Captivate owners would be the last group to notice any difference.

It says... GPS signal "may be unreliable or unavailable"
Well atleast others get a chance to experience what we go through everyday!

Since updating the modem to JK4 the GPS in my cappy is working perfectly with locks in a few seconds even indoors.

I guess Samsung has enough influence to get the DOD to update the GPS system so it will work with the Captivate.
And some of you were bashing Samsung...

jde984 said:
I guess Samsung has enough influence to get the DOD to update the GPS system so it will work with the Captivate.
And some of you were bashing Samsung...
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ROTFLOL Oh stop it.. my tummy hurts now...

Thanks for posting this, I am not only a Cappy owner but a "geocacher" as well. And for you worried about our gps on the captivate, try out the new FireFly Rom on this site, gps works great. Connects quickly, great Rom by Adam.

My GPS has been great, but it's **** at the moment. I hope this is the cause.

jaimingandhi said:
It says... GPS signal "may be unreliable or unavailable"
Well atleast others get a chance to experience what we go through everyday!
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Click to collapse
maybe your using the wrong modem/rom combo.
i am having no issues with firefly (rogers base) or phoenix (i9000 base) + jk4 modem in midwest (build 1007).

boborone said:
Call me cynical but I don't see this being a good thing. DOD shutting down the gps. I'm waiting for breaking news to cut into judge judy any second.
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Considering that the US Government owns all current GPS satellites world wide (and they are operated by the DoD), we should all be grateful that we have free use of the GPS satellites. If the DoD wants to do upgrades or testing, there is not much anyone can do about it.

nkrick said:
Considering that the US Government owns all current GPS satellites world wide (and they are operated by the DoD), we should all be grateful that we have free use of the GPS satellites. If the DoD wants to do upgrades or testing, there is not much anyone can do about it.
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Agreed thanks darpa.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App

nkrick said:
Considering that the US Government owns all current GPS satellites world wide (and they are operated by the DoD), we should all be grateful that we have free use of the GPS satellites. If the DoD wants to do upgrades or testing, there is not much anyone can do about it.
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Is that a fact? Worldwide?

fldude99 said:
Is that a fact? Worldwide?
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Yes. The worldwide GPS system is owned by the US government and operated and maintained by the DoD. Who else can afford billions to put satellites in the sky and then let everyone use them for free? If you don't believe me, perform a quick google search.
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nkrick said:
Yes. The worldwide GPS system is owned by the US government and operated and maintained by the DoD. Who else can afford billions to put satellites in the sky and then let everyone use them for free? If you don't believe me, perform a quick google search.
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This despicable act of socialism must not go unpunished.

You never know, this might actually in some way, some how, FIX our GPS's lol
Like everyone said, sure as hell can't hurt leveling the rest of the field!

Gps on the inspire.

I was wondering how the gps worked on the inspire. I have a captivate and it sucks. Particularly interested in tracking (my tracks) and navigation. Any insights or my tracks would be appreciated
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I switched from captivate and this phone is way better. GPS is spot on and locks in my house in about 5 seconds.
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nephets0 said:
I was wondering how the gps worked on the inspire. I have a captivate and it sucks. Particularly interested in tracking (my tracks) and navigation. Any insights or my tracks would be appreciated
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I hear ya on the GPS. Was holding out for the stock 2.2 update to see if there was any marked improvement, and, though it might be a tad better, it's not where it should have been in the first place: still pretty much worthless as far as I'm concerned.
I've heard the inspire is like night and day better, as the comment above me confirms.
I'm getting ready to make the jump, personally.
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Suffice it to say the inspire 4g does not have poorly implimented GPS hardware, and therefore does not need tons of software tweaks to get it to work, nor does it need 12 sats to get a 5 meter accuracy..
Galaxy S phones have dead GPS. Period.
If you have a Captivate get a rom based on either XXJPY or WJS3/5 -- Those have the best GPS i've found.
For stock experience, use Cog 4 with UCKB1 + adamholden85's GPS fix.
Even on a good day though, its not even close to the inspire..

Much better than the captivate, even on one of its better days, but not as quick to lock as my incredible. Overall the gps does what I expect of a phone. Navigation works well, quick to locate in maps, update location for weather, etc.

I quote Ferris Bueller:
"If you have the means, I highly recommend it. It's so choice."
I was driving 45 mph, had passenger press the lock button on maps... had a 10m lock in about 10 seconds. Tracks perfectly around turns and everything. That and this phone is just awesome. HTC FTW.

Mine is coming in tomorrow...I am coming from the captivate side as well.
GPS on the captivate was a hit or miss. Various roms would get it to work sometimes but its all in the hardware.
I am glad to hear that the inspire has a great GPS.

I originally had a bad antenna which I swapped out at the store and honestly this phone is QUICK! It's funny how used to my old phone I became about certain functions like the GPS and tracking.. Loving my Inspire.

Cwluc said:
I originally had a bad antenna which I swapped out at the store and honestly this phone is QUICK! It's funny how used to my old phone I became about certain functions like the GPS and tracking.. Loving my Inspire.
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did you get a signal at all? how did you know it was bad? i think mine may be having problems aswell.

For all those GPS fans out there, it works great out of the box, but some have had problems once reflashing with even stock rom, so be careful.

farmercyst said:
did you get a signal at all? how did you know it was bad? i think mine may be having problems aswell.
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I was unreachable for calls and the GPS wouldn't pinpoint my location accurately. We did a number of tests in store and called TS. Also I was stock at the time no question it was the phone and not a hack or rooting issue.
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Inspire's GPS is great. No worries. Not as phenomenal as the Atrix's GPS, but very good.
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What's the best app out there for navigation? Google Nav isn't great. I got navigon and it's not too bad, on my iPhone it was the best out there, so I'm assuming it's the same with Android?