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Hi Guys,
I've been hearing about lots of problems with the GPS not picking up low SNR satellites and the GPS being wildly inaccurate on the samsung vibrant and also the euro variants of the galaxy s.
Does the captivate have the same issue?
Its true. I bought it on sunday an notice that issue. Hope there will be a update(Bug fix) soon.
Compare to my G1, the Captivate take about the same time to lock and GPStest says the SNR is better. I'm happy with it.
MFister said:
Hi Guys,
I've been hearing about lots of problems with the GPS not picking up low SNR satellites and the GPS being wildly inaccurate on the samsung vibrant and also the euro variants of the galaxy s.
Does the captivate have the same issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Define Wildly inaccurate. On my Captivate it is dead on (within 9 feet)
I am having major problems with GPS. I am getting a lock but only within 50-75 feet. It isn't good at all. The GPS is slow to update and throws me everywhere.
I amthinking of returning the phone if Samsung doesn't make an announcement about s fix for this.
dial this from your phone:
*#*#1472365#*#*
Change startup from hot to cold.....worked for me. GPS locks much much faster
What are the settings on your phone Citznfish? My phone is off by anywhere from 100-500ft. Thanks!
Ok, I tried it again... In the house I'm about 500 ft off from where I really am and placed in a golf fairway. Outside I am FURTHER off: I'd estimate at least 5 blocks and placed in the middle of a different golf fairway. For comparision sake, my wife's iPhone 3Gs has her within 10-20' while inside the house. To me, this is unacceptable and a great cause for concern. What can I do???
Smalls2 said:
dial this from your phone:
*#*#1472365#*#*
Change startup from hot to cold.....worked for me. GPS locks much much faster
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having the same problem here. My iPhone 3GS GPS responded way quicker then this phone does. I have a Weather Channel widget up, and it doesn't find the location to display the weather for a good minute and a half after. Same goes for using Google Maps to find my location. Lot of times it says, "Your location is unavailable." I even tried switching the startup from hot to cold, and that didn't have much effect either.
When I was driving today, the GPS locator had a bad lag in it, I would be down two blocks before it would catch up, and I live in a 3G area, and not a giant city like NY or something.
I wonder if it's because it's so bloated with Samsung UI on it, or if it's just the a bug. Either way, if I'm still having issues with it, I'll see if AT&T will exchange it out for a different one. Otherwise back to the 3GS, which I really don't want to do since I'm loving Android right now.
What does hot start and cold start do?
skizzz said:
What does hot start and cold start do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hot Start - The GPS receiver remembers its last calculated position and which satellites were in view, the almanac used, and the UTC Time. It then performs a reset and attempts to acquire satellites and calculate a new position based upon the previous information.
Cold Start - The GPS receiver dumps all information and resets. It then attempts to locate satellites and then calculate a GPS lock. This takes the longest because there is no known information. The GPS receiver has to attempt to lock a satellite signal from all of the satellites, basically like polling, which takes a lot longer than knowing which satellites to look for.
Danm a cold start sounds like it would be slower. I tried it and I still can't get a lock within a reasonable range.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Appb
I've been reading online that the Galaxy S got a firmware update that greatly improved/fixed the GPS problems we are experiencing. I can only assume that we will have to wait as well for this firmware to completely fix the gps issue.
Try the fix/workaround in the Vibrant forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=728611
I went from seeing 1 satellite and none locked to 7-10 seen and 5-7 locked.
tbae2 said:
I've been reading online that the Galaxy S got a firmware update that greatly improved/fixed the GPS problems we are experiencing. I can only assume that we will have to wait as well for this firmware to completely fix the gps issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you read this? I've been looking for something like this, preferably from Samsung.
i havent had too many problems with GPS here
Google maps usually locks me in a few seconds
Third party applications can take much longer, however
The problem might be the way the third party apps utilize the GPS
lyu370 said:
Try the fix/workaround in the Vibrant forum.
I went from seeing 1 satellite and none locked to 7-10 seen and 5-7 locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually that isn't a fix at all. It makes locking onto satellites much faster, but nothing to address the sensitivity issues, and there is definitely an issue. I 'found' 9 satellites, but could only lock onto two of them, for a few seconds at a time, then back to zero, out in the open.
Hopefully a software fix is on the way.
Source: /showthread.php?t=728611&page=5
This fix did help me so now i get a quick lock...as ling as i dint start moving around. It stays close enough to exact to use for driving around but not more accurate than that. The problem isn't really getting a lock so much as keeping it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
tdusen said:
Compare to my G1, the Captivate take about the same time to lock and GPStest says the SNR is better. I'm happy with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I change my mind. While what I said still stands, I've since found that the GPS and the Compass don't track very well. I tried find a geocache using the same GeOrg software I use on my G1. The location seemed to be stuck as I was walking. From my experience with the Tilt, I'd say the GPS is running in "Static Navigation"
The clock is ticking, GPS has to be fixed in 28 days, or the phone gets returned.
lyu370 said:
Try the fix/workaround in the Vibrant forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=728611
I went from seeing 1 satellite and none locked to 7-10 seen and 5-7 locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was having problems w/ GPS on my phone as well. Would be way off in Google Maps, Navigator took forever to lock, and geo-tagging photos was also way off. I did something similar - dialed the code to get to the GPS settings. However, all I did was turn Skyhook to ON and switched configuration from manual to auto. I don't seem to have any problems between yesterday and today. It locks incredibly quick and is very very accurate.
Some of you should try this method and see if it helps with anything. Good luck.
http://free-pc-guides.com/news/first-att-samsung-captivate-owners-report-problems-with-gps-02887
This is such a sensationalist article. There aren't any problems with the GPS. You're supposed to use a GPS outside, and even inside, mine got a signal fine.
This article also says that T-mobile is expected to get the Captivate, which is false. It already has the Vibrant.
What GPS Problem??
No problems for me, thus far...
Mine has locked once. After that it refuses and just triangulates using cell towers and accurate within 2600 meters.
I'm not sure I would call it a "problem", but the GPS chip in these things is definitely not as good as the GPS chips in most other newly released phones. It could be a software issue, but I doubt it. The Aria would consistently lock onto twice as many satellites as this thing. When driving near large buildings and under bridges I sometimes lose a lock and Google Nav jumps around, which never happens in those same places with the Aria.
It seems to be working fine for me, but then I saw that someone had posted a fix for it when you dialed into the GPS settings, so I did that, and now.... it's still working fine!
gtg465x said:
I'm not sure I would call it a "problem", but the GPS chip in these things is definitely not as good as the GPS chips in most other newly released phones. It could be a software issue, but I doubt it. The Aria would consistently lock onto twice as many satellites as this thing. When driving near large buildings and under bridges I sometimes lose a lock and Google Nav jumps around, which never happens in those same places with the Aria.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've recently used both an Evo and an ATT-band Nexus One. I do have to say that the GPS on both of those seemed to acquire signals from satellites much faster than the Captivate, and give a more accurate location. Even standing outside, in the open, this one never appears to lock in on my precise location as well. I realize that's only anecdotal, but I no longer have access to either of the other devices.
Maybe its just mine, but I traveled over 300 miles today using Google Navigation, the phone up in the dash, with a clear view of the sky keep on having issue finding me.
I have an N1 and Aria, neither of these have these issues.
Do the specs indicate which GPS chip is being used? Some are better than others. Is it SirFStar III, IV, or MTK or what? This can certainly make a difference but costs about the same, so why get a cheapo chip? Hope Samsung did not do that.
GPS is definitely poor. From watching GPS Test I'd wager it's a firmware issue. No reason to have satellites popping in and out of view in the middle of a field on a clear day...
I've had many GPS units (>10) and the GPS in the phone is the second worst I've ever had. Very flaky. It looks like they also tried to mask the problem by averaging a bunch of the last fixes. I say this because the speed indication trails reality by quite a bit!
And I did try the proposed settings elsewhere but it didn't seem to improve much.
Hopefully they'll get this fixed. It's not the way GPS should be working on a top tier phone.
AJerman said:
It seems to be working fine for me, but then I saw that someone had posted a fix for it when you dialed into the GPS settings, so I did that, and now.... it's still working fine!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, so to change my stance a little, the GPS has been a little off tonight. Locking has been slower than I like, but it has been locking, and I saw it lock to at least 7 satellites earlier so I know it has no issue with handling that many at once.
The bigger annoyance that I'm having now is that my AGPS is off by quite a bit, telling me I'm in the next town over until it gets a full GPS signal. Not only is this annoying, but it also throws off every app that uses the cell data for coarse location, and I wouldn't be surprised if it has an effect on how fast it locks to the actual GPS satellites since it has the wrong location info to start which is the whole point of AGPS.
I actually did the GPS tweaks found in another thread, and I was navigating around my city. Maps was spot on for 98% of the time. Once or twice it put me about 30 meters away, but that was when i was surrounded by trees or concrete. Overall, I was very VERY impressed with the voice navigation, and the re-routing it did when i drove past a turn!
hmose said:
Do the specs indicate which GPS chip is being used? Some are better than others. Is it SirFStar III, IV, or MTK or what? This can certainly make a difference but costs about the same, so why get a cheapo chip? Hope Samsung did not do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm starting to think that the processor and screen on this phone cost so much that Samsung had to cut corners in other areas to keep prices competitive. So far we've seen widespread evidence of crappy chargers (take forever to charge), GPS chips (slow and not very accurate), compasses (all over the place), internal memory (slow memory is causing the stalling issue / lag), and lack of camera flash. Hopefully not all of those are hardware issues and some can be fixed with software, but I'm just saying, they might have cut some corners to keep this thing reasonably priced. Personally, I would have rather paid $100 more to have the best phone ever made hands down. Oh Samsung.
I got it to lock like one time outside. Then I found this http://androidforums.com/samsung-captivate/128026-everyone-who-having-gps-problems.html and now it locks on inside my house. And this is actually GPS I'm talking about not wifi/cell tower triangulation. Hope it helps some of you.
I picked mine up the 19th in the burbs of Chicago. Drove up to Milwaukee with it the same day and did a side by side comparison with my Garmin GPS after my friend sent me the article.
Besides 2 minor hiccups, they worked very similar.
*the first hiccup shouldn't even be credited as a hiccup because it was an alternate route, I knew from experience it was slower but my Garmin and my Magellan of past never recognized it as the faster route.
*the second hiccup was when I was driving down 294 to merge into 94. Both had about the same instruction but out of nowhere my captivate's nav system said to take a left into a random road. It "recalculated" after a quick flicker and went back on course with my Garmin.
Recently I noticed there was an update for the Maps application which gave me "Navigation" and after installing it, I prefer my phone to my Garmin because:
1. It now gives you a picture of the destination in "street view" which you can touch and scroll around when you've arrived or pretty much arrived.
2. It shows traffic (green is good, red is bad)
3. I'm not sure if this was before the update but you can scroll through the map using the touch screen rather than just zooming in and out.
I'll do a few more runs driving between Milwaukee and the Chicago burbs before I completely set aside one or the other, but my experience has definitely met my expectations of a GPS
Why not download GPS NMEA MONITOR App and watch the data sentences. If they keep coming then it is a software problem, not the GPS Chipset. If those data sentences are stopped, then you got a hardware chipset reception problem. Try getting a clear view of the sky.
Zero GPS issues here, faster then backflip, tilt, & tilt2 for me. Grabs and maintains connection just fine.
I was wondering if anyone else experienced EXTREME improvements today after updating Google Maps?? I am to 10-20 meters of accuracy compared to the normal 400 meters. It actually shows me at my house which is WAY WAY in the country!
Most of the time I'm at 10 meters, sometimes it'll get to 5 meters. Maybe it's improved, maybe not.
Mines still off by 5-6 miles. Odd because when i first got it my location was only off by 1/2 mile.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I didn't get to drive but I did get a very fast navigation lock that never happens for me. Also I got a lock inside my house within 10 meters. And the navigation lock was also inside.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Well I tried it with GPS off, here in australia, and my location was only 2 houses off. This is a massive improvement. But that's just based on cell phone towers i guess.., dunno about actual GPS improvement but that would also be nice
Noticed this as well. Was in Orchard Supply earlier and tried out the GPS because my brother was asking about it (he's been thinking about getting captivate). Was able to get a very accurate lock INSIDE the store showing in about 20 seconds where I actually was in the store which was nuts (actually it was pipe fittings aisle ). Tried navigation home from class during the afternoon and it took about 10 seconds to get a lock and never lost me the whole way. My GPS was working fine before but now it's even more accurate/faster.
I second this. I tried with the GPS at home. Locked very quickly, and about 10 meters. Navigation seems working fine too.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Sounds like GMap finally defaults to use A-GPS mode which means faster lock. Accuacy? Not affected.
TRY THIS
Referring to INDOOR accuracy with GPS module off.
I'm noticing that if I have WIFI AND USE WIRELESS NETWORKS ON, the indoor accuracy has improved massively. If I turn WIFI OFF but leave Use Wireless Networks ON, I seem to get standard cell tower location of 500 - 1000 meters.
So, Im assuming this update has enabled Google's version of Skyhook in maps.
Im pretty sure thats what it is since I dont have to be connected to an access point for it to work. Just have WIFI ON.
Nice.
Everyone should disable Skyhook from the LBSmode. I had it disabled since my phone got updated to JH7 but for those how don't...
My settings from factory are:
Skyhook OFF
GPS plus OFF
I to see a improvement. I drive 80 miles one way to work and never lost lock. This has never happened before.
What is GPS plus?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
drfubar said:
Referring to INDOOR accuracy with GPS module off.
I'm noticing that if I have WIFI AND USE WIRELESS NETWORKS ON, the indoor accuracy has improved massively. If I turn WIFI OFF but leave Use Wireless Networks ON, I seem to get standard cell tower location of 500 - 1000 meters.
So, Im assuming this update has enabled Google's version of Skyhook in maps.
Im pretty sure thats what it is since I dont have to be connected to an access point for it to work. Just have WIFI ON.
Nice.
Everyone should disable Skyhook from the LBSmode. I had it disabled since my phone got updated to JH7 but for those how don't...
My settings from factory are:
Skyhook OFF
GPS plus OFF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wi-fi location fix has been in Google Maps for a long time now. It is not new.
Here's my opinion on this. I have nothing to back this up other than what I interpret from behavior I have seen, so it is strictly my opinion/guess.
Ignoring any GPS hardware or software issues there may or may not be, I think that Google Nav has issues from time to time. I don't know if it is because it relies on 3g data to paint maps and determine routes or whatever, but I think it seems to "lag" sometimes. And if it gets a bit off track, it takes too long to recover. Maybe it does it more on a system that struggles with GPS accuracy a bit more, I don't know.
So, my guess would be that an update to Google maps would not contribute anything to a faster GPS lock or more accuracy from GPS, since I guess this happens at the OS level.
However, what we see when navigating, is Google NAV(maps) interpretation of the GPS. So, when it teleports you off the road maybe it's because it isn't smart enough to think, "Hey, a car doesn't just teleport off a road, so I'll wait a couple more seconds to see if it returns before I show it off the road". It already does this to some degree since your accuracy under good conditions can be 10 or 15 meters which could easily put you on a lawn or sidewalk but NAV continues to show you on the road.
So, maybe, Google Maps updates can help make the Nav experience better by being smarter about interpreting GPS data and showing your position within the context of driving a car down the road.
My $.02
Bob
foxbat121 said:
Wi-fi location fix has been in Google Maps for a long time now. It is not new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do your maps show better accuracy or not? Since that is the topic of the thread you might as well refer to the topic. Or are you just trying to show everyone you know better?
One thing is that the feature was there, another is if it worked properly.
Now it works. Before it didn't.
My navigation isn't the best but I am thrilled to have a quick lock in the boonies where I live... GPS worked decent but lagged in little rock our biggest city.... but I haven't been to the city since the update... I'll let everyone know if it can now navigate there. ... I know my location contributes to the issues!!!! But again I was thrilled to be getting locks!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I updated Maps yesterday and the AGPS sometimes says I'm in Georgia now(I live in PA), lol, in the middle of a highway no less. However the GPS is working better. I got my first lock ever as well as the first time my GPS has ever seen more than 3 satellites(saw 6).
All I can say is that I would be VERY surprised if an update to Google Maps helped GPS locking, how many satellites it sees, or accuracy at the GPS layer on the device.
However, I would not be surprised if a Google Maps update helped with navigation use or even placing you on a map, since it Google Maps can modify it's interpretation of the GPS position.
If your GPS was spotty before, then thinking you are seeing more satellites or better accuracy, using something like GPS Status, is just a placebo.
However, this is pure speculation on my part. I suppose it's possible that Google have modified something at the device layer that controls the GPS chip, but I'm thinking not.
My feedback would be to exchange your phone if your GPS is spotty. I did and my new phone has pretty much perfect GPS.
Bob
How can you tell the actual accuracy in ft or meters in google maps?
If anything for me GPS lock is take longer than before update.
mudfarmer said:
Mines still off by 5-6 miles. Odd because when i first got it my location was only off by 1/2 mile.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it is of by that much it is only giving you a network provided location...not a gps position. Turn off use wireless networks to see a gps location
Sent telepathically using vulcan mind meld app.
I was reading SlashGear's Nexus S Review and found something interesting.
Similarly frustrating can be GPS performance; we haven’t observed the dire positioning problems originally found on the Galaxy S, but at times the Nexus S proved simply incapable of getting a GPS lock: we drove for around 30 minutes of open, clear freeway and the handset continued to show “Searching for GPS.” The issue is intermittent, however, with the phone not liking it if you try to get a fix while moving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.slashgear.com/nexus-s-review-14119387/
Now they probably have a preproduction unit, but what are the chances of GPS behaving similarly to the GPS in the Galaxy S/Captivate/Vibrant (all have the same standalone GPS chip as the Nexus S -- BCM 4751). Doesn't appear as severe, but somewhat problematic (from the review) nonetheless.
I'm interested to see how the GPS performs while the Nexus S is in user's hands
big suprise, the GPS dosn't get a fix while moving. this is a common issue on tons of phones.
Me and my girlfriend were driving around once and it took my phone almost 40 minutes to get a GPS lock, CM5 on a Nexus One.
Yet later that same day, standing still, it worked in under a minute.
Every phone can have GPS issues for a massive amount of reasons.
The Galaxy S issue was a software issue where it worked under 5% of the time, even if you were standing still ontop of a building.
Other ones sometimes randomly have the issue while moving, this is usually because the phone has issues connecting to the satelite. You gotta remember the GPS chips in these phones are not that great.
my mytouch4g gets a gps lock while driving, a bit longer then standing still but id say still under a few minutes
neok44 said:
big suprise, the GPS dosn't get a fix while moving. this is a common issue on tons of phones.
Me and my girlfriend were driving around once and it took my phone almost 40 minutes to get a GPS lock, CM5 on a Nexus One.
Yet later that same day, standing still, it worked in under a minute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is also how my dedicated TomTom and Garmin GPS work. Stand still, lock in less than a minute. On the move, I usually give up after 10-15 minutes and stop for a minute.
Oh ok cool.
shrivelfig said:
This is also how my dedicated TomTom and Garmin GPS work. Stand still, lock in less than a minute. On the move, I usually give up after 10-15 minutes and stop for a minute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not correct TomTom devices do get a lock while moving and so does Nexus one and iphone 4. If this review is correct that means that Samsung has no fixed the GPS in Nexus S and that it may be suffering from the same problem as Galaxy S
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
darkoroje said:
This is not correct TomTom devices do get a lock while moving and so does Nexus one and iphone 4. If this review is correct that means that Samsung has no fixed the GPS in Nexus S and that it may be suffering from the same problem as Galaxy S
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
were not saying that they can't, it's that it CAN take longer. in some places you can be going 60MPH and get a lock within a minute, but in another place you can be walking at 5MPH and it'll take 20 minutes.
Sorry but our phones don't get priority on any gps satellite lol
darkoroje said:
This is not correct TomTom devices do get a lock while moving and so does Nexus one and iphone 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, TomTom devices get a lock while moving. They get a lock much, much faster standing still, though.
For any GPS to work, it needs to download the complete almanac from at least 3 different satellites. The almanac is sent every 30 seconds, so the GPS must have an uninterrupted view of each satellite for at least 30 seconds, possibly up to 60 seconds.
A-GPS can get the almanac data faster, and TomTom has something called QuickGPSfix that pre-downloads almanac data a week in advance.
But what if you don't have A-GPS or QuickGPSfix, and the GPS hasn't been used in a week, so all the almanac data is outdated?
If you are moving so much around that the GPS antenna never sees any satellites uninterrupted for the necessary 30-60 seconds, then the GPS will never get a lock. Never.
neok44 said:
Sorry but our phones don't get priority on any gps satellite lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no priority because there is no "connection". GPS receivers (sic!) don't send anything.
umbrella42 said:
There is no priority because there is no "connection". GPS receivers (sic!) don't send anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol true, was just trying to emphases the point that our phones aren't going to connect as fast as pure GPS devices.
neok44 said:
lol true, was just trying to emphases the point that our phones aren't going to connect as fast as pure GPS devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, with A-GPS the phones have an advantage to get first lock quicker. But the pure GPS devices have better antennas, so should give more accurate navigation.
I wander if they ever restarted the navigation app, because you know, sometimes restarting the app works. From my experience anyways.
shrivelfig said:
Actually, with A-GPS the phones have an advantage to get first lock quicker. But the pure GPS devices have better antennas, so should give more accurate navigation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah thats when the A-GPS works. both mine and my dads phone's A-GPS has been just terrible. usually showing us 20+ miles away from where we actually are
neok44 said:
yeah thats when the A-GPS works. both mine and my dads phone's A-GPS has been just terrible. usually showing us 20+ miles away from where we actually are
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure that was actually GPS, and not location by cell tower or WiFi hotspot? A smartphone without GPS lock will try to find your location by other means.
All A-GPS does is to jumpstart the GPS, and when GPS has a lock, then the error should be way below 100 meters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-GPS
my GPS is working fine right now,but it does act up randomly with no reason :/
GPS work flawless
Rounding out this section is a note that the Nexus S suffers from none of the GPS issues that plague the Galaxy S. I tested thoroughly - fixes are fast and accurate over GPS and work like they should using Google location services with WiFi trilateration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
link
Excellent!
The BB Bold I'm using right now has quick and accurate GPS fixes, usually within 0.2-0.3 meters.
shrivelfig said:
Are you sure that was actually GPS, and not location by cell tower or WiFi hotspot? A smartphone without GPS lock will try to find your location by other means.
All A-GPS does is to jumpstart the GPS, and when GPS has a lock, then the error should be way below 100 meters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-GPS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah once i get an actual GPS lock it's perfect, but until then it's been terrible. Cell tower only has been really bad as well.
This, for me, was on CM6, haven't tested it on CM6.1. ANd for my dad on a stock vibrant, so i'm just gonna chock it up to the crappy gps in it (happened before fix)
It's apparently plagued by the same GPS bug as other Galaxy S phones; it took forever to get a GPS lock
gizmodo.com/5713986/samsung-nexus-s-review-how-to-build-an-android-phone-for-2011
So if we want to be scientific I believe thats more sources claiming there is an issue than not
Anandtech says there is no GPS issues:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4059/nexus-s-and-android-23-review-gingerbread-for-the-holidays/6
I took a trip with the tf101 this weekend. Tethered to my phone got consistent wifi for email, but the only problem we noticed was that GPS was very difficult to get correct. I was in southern Illinois and it thought I was in map maps. So I rebooted and then I said I was in England. It seems to take a long time to sync to a GPS location regardless if it is correct or not. I downloaded an app called GPS status. On my atrix phone it syncs almost immediately. On the tf101, it will not sync even if I an outside with a clear sky. It takes a couple minutes if it does sync.odds this normal? My guess is that it has a marginal GPS antenna our mine is defective. Thoughts?
Keith
I've had exceptional reception on the GPS. Frankly, it the best GPS I've ever used. You may have a lemon or something screwed up.
Get "GPS Status" from the market. In addition to having a really cool display, it has the ablity to reset your AGPS data.
keithspg said:
I took a trip with the tf101 this weekend. Tethered to my phone got consistent wifi for email, but the only problem we noticed was that GPS was very difficult to get correct. I was in southern Illinois and it thought I was in map maps. So I rebooted and then I said I was in England. It seems to take a long time to sync to a GPS location regardless if it is correct or not. I downloaded an app called GPS status. On my atrix phone it syncs almost immediately. On the tf101, it will not sync even if I an outside with a clear sky. It takes a couple minutes if it does sync.odds this normal? My guess is that it has a marginal GPS antenna our mine is defective. Thoughts?
Keith
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your phone can use the cellular network to help fix it position. 3g tablets can do the same.
Your Wifi TF has no such aid and needs several minutes of clear sky to get the ephemeris. Once it has the ephemeris it will be quicker to get lock provide it is outside and it has not been more than a few days since the GPS last saw the sky and you have not moved too far since the GPS was last active.
Sent from my Transformer TF101
Go into settings then Location and security then under My Locations, uncheck Use wireless networks. If you have that checked, it will use the known location of the router ( in this case your phone) that is stored in an online database. In a fixed location ( ie home or office) this is usually correct. In a mobile location, this is almost always wrong as it is not a regularly updated parameter. With this unchecked, the location of the TF is determined by the TF GPS and not the stored location of the router( tethered phone) . For more information, see http://www.skyhookwireless.com/
dburckh said:
Get "GPS Status" from the market. In addition to having a really cool display, it has the ablity to reset your AGPS data.
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Click to collapse
This; launch GPS Status, go to settings and tap on Update AGPS. I always do this before I launch any navigation app on TF.
GwynBleidd said:
This; launch GPS Status, go to settings and tap on Update AGPS. I always do this before I launch any navigation app on TF.
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There doesn't seem to be a "settings>update AGPS" setting.
I couldn't find anything like that.
Thanks for the posts. I will try these this evening. One thing I did note was that my Atrix has higher signal levels when running GPS Status than the TF101 as well as syncing faster. It also syncs much faster. I will attempt another test this evening with wifi turned off on both devices. I will put the phone in Airplane mode or pull the SIM card and reboot it to make it 'even'.
KeithG
keithspg said:
Thanks for the posts. I will try these this evening. One thing I did note was that my Atrix has higher signal levels when running GPS Status than the TF101 as well as syncing faster. It also syncs much faster. I will attempt another test this evening with wifi turned off on both devices. I will put the phone in Airplane mode or pull the SIM card and reboot it to make it 'even'.
KeithG
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you dont need to turn wifi off just uncheck use router to set location
Well, it looks like it is pretty poor, at least as compared to my atrix. The atrix is sitting right next to me and is showing 7 of 7 sat / fix. It will get a fix in less than 30 seconds. On the tf,it is just spinning. I really don't like this. It should be decent. It was tough to try to use it to navigate because it kept losing sync. I posted a message to Asus as well. It may be sent back for repair. I have a B60 version, a I hope I don't lose the ability to root it.
Keith
Another response... If I load GPS Test, it shows the satellite number and each S/N ratio. On the Atrix sitting right next to it, there is a 20-40% increase in S/N on the Atrix compared to the TF. On the TF, they are all 15-25 and on the Atrix the same satellites are 22-40 (data from inside a building). If I were to guess, this appears to be an antenna problem more than anything software related. From the TF teardown pictures, the GPS antenna looks to be a very simple part and I wonder if it is optimized.
Older phones also had problems with GPS antennas (Nokia for example) so much so that there are hacks to increase its sensitivity by soldering a wire to it. I am wondering if we could appropriate an antenna for a phone and solder it in instead of the one already in the TF...
Still waiting for ASUS to respond to my query.
Keith
still nothing back from ASUS. This is a pic of the 2 devices side by side. I do not know if I am just noticing it now or not, but it is not very 'solid' of a lock ever with GPS. I recently turned off WiFi location, so it is now completely dependent on GPS and seldom knows where it is. Am I the only one with a weak GPS performance? Notice that my phone shows 0ft and the TF shows 45ft precision on location.
This is with the latest OTA update of 8.6.5.9.
Keith
keithspg said:
still nothing back from ASUS. This is a pic of the 2 devices side by side. I do not know if I am just noticing it now or not, but it is not very 'solid' of a lock ever with GPS. I recently turned off WiFi location, so it is now completely dependent on GPS and seldom knows where it is. Am I the only one with a weak GPS performance? Notice that my phone shows 0ft and the TF shows 45ft precision on location.
This is with the latest OTA update of 8.6.5.9.
Keith
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I seem to have the same GPS issues as you do. The GPS reception is so weak that it is pretty much impossible to use Google Maps for navigation. I've tried it with and without the wireless option and it has made no difference. It takes about 15 minutes to get a lock with a view of the open sky, then 2 minutes later it is again searching for GPS. Yet GPS Status sees all the satellites quite quickly. When I did travel with it, it usually showed (on Google Maps) a GPS location hundreds of kilometers from where I was located in an area I had never been to. I had to give up trying to use it and use my phone instead.
I'll add to the list of problems when I once again send my tablet in on RMA (after a month without it, Asus repair broke it much worse than it was before I sent it).
Note that the percision number is a calculation done by an algorithm. Different algorithms result in different results but they are somewhat subjective. I do not believe any commercial gps will yield 0 error so it sounds like your phone is a little optomistic.
keithspg said:
still nothing back from ASUS. This is a pic of the 2 devices side by side. I do not know if I am just noticing it now or not, but it is not very 'solid' of a lock ever with GPS. I recently turned off WiFi location, so it is now completely dependent on GPS and seldom knows where it is. Am I the only one with a weak GPS performance? Notice that my phone shows 0ft and the TF shows 45ft precision on location.
This is with the latest OTA update of 8.6.5.9.
Keith
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Try:
* Taking the third-party case off. No idea what the construction is, but it's conceivable it could contain materials that are shielding the tablet
* Performing the test outdoors with a clear view of the sky (as much of it as possible), and the devices a couple of feet apart, not sitting on top of each other
* Giving the tablet several minutes to download ephemeris data from the satellites before performing the test. Phones can pick up info from their cell towers that gives them a huge head start in determining a fix. Your tablet can't.
* Reenable the network detection. That's the next best thing to what your phone has, and it's not likely that you're going to see a single router with the same details (it looks at more than just the network SSID) in multiple locations. Unless you've intentionally set your routers that way, anyway.
AGPS is a red herring. There's no such thing as AGPS in the Transformer, and so there's nothing to "clear". The A stands for Assisted, and that's Assisted by the cell connectivity in a phone or connected tablet. The Transformer -- unless you have the 3G version -- doesn't have cell connectivity, so it doesn't (and can't) have AGPS either.
I get the same results with our without the case. It is leather over cardboard.
outdoors I get better numbers on both devices, but the TF is always lower in value than the atrix.
I have the wifi location turned off on both devices. (trying to make it a fair comparison.) Does the phone still use the cell tower data to get location even if I have "Use wireless data" turned off on the"location" setting on the phone.
As it is, my TF is useless for maps or navigation. I am curious as to what Asus will say. I have a feeling that the antenna is just not very good. I don't know if it is just mine our if it is on all of them.
Keith
keithspg said:
Does the phone still use the cell tower data to get location even if I have "Use wireless data" turned off on the"location" setting on the phone?
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I would imagine so, yes. Wireless data isn't the same thing as AGPS data.
As it is, my TF is useless for maps or navigation. I am curious as to what Asus will say. I have a feeling that the antenna is just not very good. I don't know if it is just mine our if it is on all of them.
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Mine is accurate enough to correctly show which corner of my two-bedroom house I'm standing in.
Just to give a reference, I'm 12 feet from the nearest windows and my Transformer locked on to 6/8 satelites in about 2 seconds. My Vibrant takes about 2-10 minutes to do the same with a clear line of sight. B50.
dburckh said:
Just to give a reference, I'm 12 feet from the nearest windows and my Transformer locked on to 6/8 satelites in about 2 seconds. My Vibrant takes about 2-10 minutes to do the same with a clear line of sight. B50.
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If yours is more typical, it may be that I have a defective one. From the replies, it also seems that I an not alone. Mine is a B60 serial number if that is relevant.
What serial number is yours?
I really do like this tablet, but would like a functional GPS.
Keith
I took the plunge and popped it open. The WiFi and GPS share the same ultra simple antenna. I did a bit of google-ing on GPS antennas and it may be a decent idea to buy a GPS antenna, but I will try making a more appropriate antenna with a piece of wire, first.
Keith