If you are going nuts because of a problem with your GPS signal, make sure you remove the candyshell case because it masks the antenna. Inside with no case when I try to get the first fix, I can get 8 satellites in view with GPS test. It isn't enough that AT&T has to throttle your speed; they also have to kill your GPS.
Wow, I have a hard rubber /placstic two piece case from best buy and I have had the hardest time locking into GPS. In the car it can be very glitchy at times. Inside no signal at all. I started the gps test app and had case off and got perfect gps signal. Keeping phone in the exact same location I slowly slid on the case without touching the phone and it indeed killed my gps to no signal at all and did not recover. This was inside also. With the case on it must be perfectly placed in the window to get decent reception. That sucks. I hate taking my case on and off
I was wondering what the deal was. My buddy has a moto droid of some type from verizon. He was in the back seat of the car today and he has some case from verizon, I want to say its rubber or silicone and he was getting instant perfect gps fix while mine was struggling.
I have speck candyshell case and do not have this problem. takes at most 5 seconds to get signal.
This seems to be a problem after you flash a rom and are trying to get the first fix after reboot. Once you get the first fix, it works ok with the case on. So my advice is: for the first fix, take the case off. And if you have a case and you feel like you are getting substandard gps signal, try it with the case off and see.
simulatordos said:
This seems to be a problem after you flash a rom and are trying to get the first fix after reboot. Once you get the first fix, it works ok with the case on. So my advice is: for the first fix, take the case off. And if you have a case and you feel like you are getting substandard gps signal, try it with the case off and see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me it lasts after the first fix. Even after it has built a cache of all the satellites it stil give issues with the case on trying to get a fix in the car sometimes.
Same here. This is starting to feel like the Captivate. GPS on this phone is definitely flakey with or without a case, though that Speck case seems to make the issue worse.
I've already exchanged the original. The second one worked flawlessly for about a week and now rarely locks on straight away and usually with 30m accuracy.
OTOH, the Atrix would lock on instantly, indoors and accurate to 3m.
Strange things, these devices...
Wow. Thanks for the case tips. Took mine off and so far so good.
Fix for Speck GPS Problem
My HTC Desire HD GPS quit working when I installed a CandyShell case. The GPS signals virtually disappeared (using GPS Test app) when the case was on (or even partially on) but worked just fine with the case off. I only paid $5 for the case, so I thought I would have a stab at fixing the problem. I peeled off the rubber liner behind where the GPS antenna is located on the phone. That resulted in only a very sleight degradation of the signals!
I have always looked at Zagg invisibleSheild style cases... Now i know they dont have one for the DHD but i did buy an off brand one that i do like. The less bulk you add to the phone the better imo.
I've never had a reliable GPS signal on the two years of ownership of this phone.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda premium
Good to know, I wonder if this will be the same problem with the Otterbox Defender case
dfmalone said:
Good to know, I wonder if this will be the same problem with the Otterbox Defender case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely not. I can not see any difference in signal strength between Defender on or off. I posted pics in a thread in accessories section. I still have pics but don't remember which is which.
Sent using the power of the dark side
Desire HD's GPS antenna is okay, the connection from the antenna to the motherboard is a piece of **** that is terrible.
Any case that covers up the plastic LED flash cover will degrade GPS signal.
This is pretty unrelated to cases, but I highly recommend this GPS fix. Worked like magic on my Inspire and now I get a lock in less than 30 seconds with or without my Otterbox.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1442032
Related
Hi Guys,
Got myself a Casemate Tough. Brilliant case & I love the feel of it. Makes holding the phone so much more easier. I always felt without the case I was going to let the HD slip
Anyways, as with some people I have noticed a real drop in GPS signal with the silicone part on. The hard back makes no difference. Without case I have maybe 20ft error, with the case this can rise to over 200ft error & it maybe loses half the sats.
I have read the reviews on the Tough & Pop, but must say I prefer my Tough.
My question is, does anyone know where the GPS antenna is situated in the phone. I am just going to take a stanley blade & trim some silicone out around the affected area. It appears to be mid to low down, but I want to remove as little as possible from my case.
Any gurus out there had one of these in pieces yet.
Cheers guys, Shane
I don't know where the GPS part is located but I have also a case-mate case and I have no problems to get GPS signal.
But I read that some people have the same problem with the metalic case.
Hi lilil
It is strange.
How long have you had your case. I wonder if it is a manufacturing date change or something equally weird.
Cheers, Shane
I have a case mate pop on my DHD since 3 months and no problems with gps signal strong and fast as ever...really weird problem!
Hi Guys,
I have just ordered a case mate Pop tonight, so I will see what that is like when it arrives.
Cheers, Shane
my casemate pop doesnt seem to have issues though.. I read that the gps is at the top of the phone too!
Glad you like the Tough case its my favourite case also.
Can't say I have noticed any issues with location, its dead on where I am and the case mate Tough is always on my phone.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
I was using this case before switching to the Otterbox commuter. As far as I remember I did not have any GPS problems with the Tough. I read that the GPS receiver is behind the rubbery part around the flash LED.
This is very weird. I have the Tough and I also have a great drop in signal with it on. Is it possible that the firmware version of the phone might have something to do with it?
Removing my case increases a faster gps fix.
Although the newest leaked radio does a great job too.
The gps antenna is situated at the bottom, I read somewhere
Doctor.Who said:
Although the newest leaked radio does a great job too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you be a bit more specific, please - a link would be even better Also, how's the battery life on that radio? Any difference?
el_commandante said:
Could you be a bit more specific, please - a link would be even better Also, how's the battery life on that radio? Any difference?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
04th April 2011: Radio_12.48.60.23U_26.08.04.07_M3
http://www.multiupload.com/LMGHQ26L1R
batterylife is a bit better in my experience
For info......
The GPS antenna is on the back of the SIM/Sdcard cover, remove the cover and you'll see it.
As for the radio, I agree with the above, Radio 12.48.60.23U_26.08.04.07_M3 is for me the best radio I've tested both for signal and battery life. Be aware though that different radios perform differently for different people and is dependant on location (country), carrier, etc. Try different radios to see which works best for you.
Hello,
just for infomration a solve doubts the GPS is in the backside of the Flash Leds.
Look this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfatoeWbMRk
Thanks
Gps antenna is under the flash cover.
I have a tough case, and yeah i realise that in certain places, my positioning is way off. But here in Trinidad GPS has no real functionality (sucky EDGE network), so not a big deal for me.
I have the candyshell Speck case and have been battling weak signal issues compared to my Vibrant. At work today I had absolutely no signal all morning long. Granted, the signal is always very weak for me at work and with the Vibrant it would intermittently drop off completely but generally I had enough signal for the phone to adequately provide text and e-mail updates. I was going to check my sim card so I pulled the Speck case off and as soon as I did, I got signal...weak, just like I'm used to with the Vibrant, but at least it was something. I left the case off the rest of the day and the phone behaved very similarly to my old Vibrant.
Obviously the Speck doesn't have any metal which could interfere with the signal, but perhaps with the case being so tight fitting (it's a royal pain to get off!) it is somehow distorting a connection to the antenna or something. I would be curious to know if anyone else could confirm this behavior.
bluemoon737 said:
I have the candyshell Speck case and have been battling weak signal issues compared to my Vibrant. At work today I had absolutely no signal all morning long. Granted, the signal is always very weak for me at work and with the Vibrant it would intermittently drop off completely but generally I had enough signal for the phone to adequately provide text and e-mail updates. I was going to check my sim card so I pulled the Speck case off and as soon as I did, I got signal...weak, just like I'm used to with the Vibrant, but at least it was something. I left the case off the rest of the day and the phone behaved very similarly to my old Vibrant.
Obviously the Speck doesn't have any metal which could interfere with the signal, but perhaps with the case being so tight fitting (it's a royal pain to get off!) it is somehow distorting a connection to the antenna or something. I would be curious to know if anyone else could confirm this behavior.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have the speck case and also have a Vibrant. I have noticed that the signal strength and consistency of the G2X is not as stable nor is it as strong a signal. I am getting a lot of no signal or X when it was just 3 bars of 4G and then drops to nothing. I have tried it without the speck case and I find it makes no difference for me at this time. However my Vibrant does not display an X or no signal and have had no data issues with it. I believe the G2X has enormous potential but right now there are some flaws or issues which I hope can be rectified by soft ware.
Just exchanged my G2x and the signal strength is all over the place. Way unstable.
I came from a vibrant. Had 2. Both with way worse signal issues. I mean way.
My g2x is much more reliable.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
The signal strength compared to the radio version that my G1 came with is about the same. After several updates to the radio on my G1, it was rock solid. I hope future radio updates improve signal strength for the G2x as they did with my G1. Already ordered the speck case so I hope it doesn't give me issues.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
I get a better signal with my G2X than I did with my Vibrant.
same here. I got better signal strength than my old Vibrant.
I got a Case-Mate Barely There" for my Desire S.
I recently noticed that my GPS reception is very poor when this case is on the DS. Blinking icon, not getting any location in Navigation etc.
When I remove the case, after a few seconds the reception is stable and I get a proper location.
Is this something I can fix with a radio update? Or should I just not use that case anymore?
PS Wifi + 3G seem fine all the time.
Quark^2 said:
I got a Case-Mate Barely There" for my Desire S.
I recently noticed that my GPS reception is very poor when this case is on the DS. Blinking icon, not getting any location in Navigation etc.
When I remove the case, after a few seconds the reception is stable and I get a proper location.
Is this something I can fix with a radio update? Or should I just not use that case anymore?
PS Wifi + 3G seem fine all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that you answered your own question....
I'm not good at how these things work, but when you take you phone's case off you holding the phone in your hand could mean that your body is acting as an additional antenna?
Although have you seen this GPS related thread
My investigations of similar GPS case-related issues may be of interest :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1229660
I would NOT expect to see any significant improvement by software or firmware change. When the incoming signal is degraded, there's little that can be done to improve matters.
The GPS and WiFi antennas of the DS are built into the plastic cover around the camera lens and are limited in performance.
I bet that your case is either black rubber gel or metallic - In either instance, I expect that it is absorbing the GPS signal.
Not all types of case will have the same bad effect.
- Steve
Thanks for your link. Interesting and it does confirm my findings.
I've decided to not use the Barely There Case anymore, I've ordered a small but good looking pouch to protect my DS.
I don't use GPS very often, but I do use Wifi a lot and that seems a little better now too (especially for already poor wifi connection).
I also have the Barely There case, but have not noticed any significant difference. The Cygnett case however really blocks out my wifi. Strange isn't it?
My current case (purchased from the T-Mobile store no less) blocks the GPS satellite signals from reaching my phone. That's not that bad when I'm driving because I can just take it out of the case, but if I need an app like Where's My Droid to work then I need a case that doesn't block signals. Any suggestions? Do all/most cases do this?
bump..........
ishould said:
bump..........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope it's just you lol...
I have many cases and none have blocked my gps signal. Do you get a signal upon taking out the phone from the case? Thats really weird. If you can replicate it each time, I would go to the tmo store and demand a refund and a better case if there is one.
I have used cases from mobi hard clip cases, barely there cases, as well as the Seidio Active cases with kickstand and others. All varied from sizes and thickness and not a single time my gps not worked. Kinda weird.
Currently using an aprolink hybrid tpu/plastic case. No issues there either.
Since no one did a review I guess I will be happy to do one.
I love the design of it, the way it fits the phone perfectly. BUT there is one disadvantage which is the magnetic strip interferes with the GPS signal as one user stated in this topic (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2187199&highlight=zenus). As you can see in the picture where the paperclip is pointed that is where the magnetic area is slightly pulling the paperclip. Every time I put this case on the GPS signal does not lock on at all. As soon as I take it off the GPS signal locks on.
If GPS use not an option for you then this case is fine for you. If GPS is a necessity then this case is NOT for you. I have returned the case. It was an easy process.
If your willing to still buy it. It's worth $35 on amazon.com.
I am thinking of getting one of these. Does it still close well with 2 credit cards and a bit of cash?
Shame about the GPS, someone on Amazon claimed that the mobile signal is affected as well. This is not true, right?
AnonymousPenguin said:
I am thinking of getting one of these. Does it still close well with 2 credit cards and a bit of cash?
Shame about the GPS, someone on Amazon claimed that the mobile signal is affected as well. This is not true, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It closes fine but some credit cards have raised indentations. When you close the case with items in it, it is a pretty tight fit to the point where it may scratch your screen when hard cards are inserted. Since the cover does move a tiny bit causing any hard cards to rub against the screen. Paper items are fine since it wont scratch the screen as well as money. Ill say the most that you can fit is one credit card in the top pocket and one in the bottom or 2 paper cards. Any more will bulge the case when it's close and may increase the chance that the cards may rub against the screen causing a slight mark.
As for the mobile signal I was not sure I had no problems making a call on 1-5 bars while I am outside but when I put the case on I notice it did drop 1 to 2 bars less from 5. It is the GPS signal that does not lock on when this case is on.
I have a screen protector on anyways so I was not worried.
Glad I found this post! Bummer about the GPS lock issue. I was getting ready to make a purchase on this case as well, but I use GPS every day, so it's not suitable for me.