Database Info

GPS Fix from Samsung?

I have one more week before my 30 days is up. I need to make a decision if I should keep my Captivate very soon. Do you think Samsung will be able to fix the GPS issue? Can it be fix by a firmware update? Is it a hardware problem? I don't want to live with this problem for the next 2 years.
The time it takes for Captivate to get a lock is one problem but the GPS accuracy is a bigger problem for me. I can be driving down the street and all of a sudden the arrow will jump to a neighboring street. Sometime I stop at a stoplight but the arrow continue on. Basically it's unusable.
Last night I used Glympse to share location from my wife's iPhone 4. The 2 phones were sitting side by side. For 15 minutes, the iPhone's location was steady while the Captivate location kept moving within a 500 yard area.
I've try every solution I could find and none of them would fix all the problems I have.

Im at the same page as you... i have two week from my 30 days. This phone is awsome.. the battery is good enough for me. But thw goa is trowing it off very badly... im forced to go to iphone 4 since i muat stay at att cuz of family plans... shame.. i love this phone and i will wait for an update till the very last date..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I had the same GPS problems as everyone when I first got my Captivate, I even tried the fixes by changing the server and enabling skyhook, etc. Then I flashed the JM2 ROM from the Development thread, and my GPS works great now! I always get a lock within 1-2 minutes on a cold start, and within 10-15 seconds on a warm start. The accuracy does jump around a bit, but it is usually within 15-20 feet.
Not to mention the ROM just flies, especially with the Lag fix.
Cheers
Brian

Brian_W said:
I had the same GPS problems as everyone when I first got my Captivate, I even tried the fixes by changing the server and enabling skyhook, etc. Then I flashed the JM2 ROM from the Development thread, and my GPS works great now! I always get a lock within 1-2 minutes on a cold start, and within 10-15 seconds on a warm start. The accuracy does jump around a bit, but it is usually within 15-20 feet.
Not to mention the ROM just flies, especially with the Lag fix.
Cheers
Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the message bug that does not allow gmail and texts to clear? That it wkly I always go back to stock.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Brian_W said:
I had the same GPS problems as everyone when I first got my Captivate, I even tried the fixes by changing the server and enabling skyhook, etc. Then I flashed the JM2 ROM from the Development thread, and my GPS works great now! I always get a lock within 1-2 minutes on a cold start, and within 10-15 seconds on a warm start. The accuracy does jump around a bit, but it is usually within 15-20 feet.
Not to mention the ROM just flies, especially with the Lag fix.
Cheers
Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your google navigation work with the flash rom? I can never get it off of the "searching for GPS",

madjsp said:
Do you have the message bug that does not allow gmail and texts to clear? That it wkly I always go back to stock.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen it a few times, but mostly it does clear.
Cheers
Brian

thindery said:
Does your google navigation work with the flash rom? I can never get it off of the "searching for GPS",
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I just tried it. It did take a bit longer than normal to acquire since I am at work and inside a 6 story building, but I just put it by the window and in about 2 minutes it acquired 4-5 sats, launched navigation and it said searching for GPS for about 9-10 seconds. I am VERY happy with the JM2 ROM with lag fix.
Cheers
Brian

Brian_W said:
Yeah I just tried it. It did take a bit longer than normal to acquire since I am at work and inside a 6 story building, but I just put it by the window and in about 2 minutes it acquired 4-5 sats, launched navigation and it said searching for GPS for about 9-10 seconds. I am VERY happy with the JM2 ROM with lag fix.
Cheers
Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you talked me into flashing this rom and seeing if it is any improvements. The GPS issue is the only thing holding me back on if I should keep this phone or not. I have a week to decide and hopefully this JM2 ROM does something. Was the ROM designed to help GPS problems?

thindery said:
Well you talked me into flashing this rom and seeing if it is any improvements. The GPS issue is the only thing holding me back on if I should keep this phone or not. I have a week to decide and hopefully this JM2 ROM does something. Was the ROM designed to help GPS problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same situation as you, I really love the phone but do not want it if they can not get the GPS working properly.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on flashing the ROM!

Brian_W said:
I have seen it a few times, but mostly it does clear.
Cheers
Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way I can get a text to clear is if I click each individual text that I receive. It stopped me from using the stock rom.

[Q] Did v2.2 fix your GPS?

I was really hoping it would, but after installing Cognition v2.2 BETA5.5. my GPS is no better. I really miss this feature.
If others are having this fix theirs than I need to see about getting new hardware. If not, then ... I don't know.... Start shopping for another (not a Samsung) phone?

Phredeee said:
I was really hoping it would, but after installing Cognition v2.2 BETA5.5. my GPS is no better. I really miss this feature.
If others are having this fix theirs than I need to see about getting new hardware. If not, then ... I don't know.... Start shopping for another (not a Samsung) phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.2 helped my GPS immensely though it was already decent before hand.
and not to be a PITA but the really shouldn't be in the dev forum, shoulda posted it in the Q&A one.

This belongs in general.
That aside, froyo is better than stock but not fixed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

cropythy said:
This belongs in general.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I put it here since froyo is not official yet. Thus a development topic.
Thanks for the response.

Phredeee said:
I put it here since froyo is not official yet. Thus a development topic.
Thanks for the response.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google maps still can't get a fix very well, but its a software issue, my tracks shows that my gps has near perfect accuracy, sensor assist in settings does not work, it only makes the run on arrow, and driving through the woods worse.
Once you get a good fix in google maps you should then get fixes faster but the initial fix may take a while. Getting a fix with other software first seems to help, but may be coincidental.
Before you go trading in the phone make sure you do a clean install, master clear in odin one click, then odin flash jf6, then upgrade, either with odin or via clockwork mod recovery.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

Didn't really fix it for me. It takes a long time to get a fix and once I get it, it would lose the fix within a few seconds.
I'm not using a window mount so the GPS signal has to go through the roof of my car. That may or may not affect it.

Didn't fix it at all for me. Very frustrating.
-Can't get a lock while moving
-Can't get a lock inside
-When I do get a lock it will lose it If I start moving
-Accuracy is waaay off.

2.2 broke my GPS It pretty much worked fine before I updated... now I cant even get a lock!!!

Mine will lock fine if I'm not moving but will not work once I'm moving, so still no navigation. I've heard it works for some so I wonder if there are just alot of hardware issues or what

My advice to you guys is to learn how to tweak lbstestmode settings. You can make your gps a lot better or a lot worse with these settings. Read up on the best settings and apply them to your phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I gave up on my gps ... I am now "hoping" that the official release fixes it for everyone

update, i previously reported that it had more or less fixed my gps, that was with beta 4. beta 5.5 cant seem to get a fix, bad install im guessing. any number of things could be responsible. and no lbs test mode settings do not fix the gps. i almost wonder if it has something to do with titanium backup which i did not use before. its all purely speculation though.

Using Cognition Froyo 2.2 b5, GPS works almost 100% out of all the apps, google (Nav mostly)is the one with issues but very few now. It just looses me sometimes, usually when going under 20 mph but it does find me again in seconds.
I don't have a dash mount yet (due to questionable GPS) so it sits on the seat next to me in a truck, not the best. My trick is to run GPS test for a minute before I use Nav, seems to work every time. I lock on 7-10 sats in 6 or 7 seconds and they stay locked which never happened before, A lot of the time I'll be locked on 9 to 10 while moving with gps test reporting my speed within 1 mile an hour. I've also noticed that I get very few mistakes from Nav if I turn on the satellite layer, don't know why but works solidly for me when I do that.
This phone couldn't do a thing with gps before I flashed Cog's froyo and I had flashed a lot of different fixes, files, and roms almost bricking the phone a few times but nothing worked like the cognition froyo. I haven't used the jupiter v 006 files neither, no need with the gps working well.

GPS
I'm hoping that there was some parallel development going on and Samsung hasn't included a GPS fix in the leaked Froyo ROM. The GPS is pretty bad now - it's taking forever to obtain a fix again.

With 2.2, mine works fine. It takes a full minute to get a lock that status solid while in motion, but it gets a usable lock in twenty seconds. It's not as good as an iphone, but it's usable. In eclair, it's useless. Most of the time I can't get a lock at all, even if I let it try for a half hour. It will see 8 satellites and not lock a single one. In short, 2.2 has fixed my gps.

Mine has yet to have the GPS functioning well enough to use it.

No
........... 10 chars.

No, not at all.
My old ancient TMO G1 running Edge on ATT had lock on GPS 100% of the time. It was dead accurate and GPS was always on point. Can't say the same about my Captivate.
I'm on my second Captivate. I exchanged my first one thinking it was a hardware issue but alas I've given up. I flashed my phone with a couple different versions of ROMS (but not before trying the OTA Official fix before flashing any customs or rooting) it updated successfully but the GPS was still hella slow.
I'm not sure what's going on but these workarounds and everything absolutely do not work for me at all.
The only time the GPS works is when I turn Wi-Fi on, which defeats the purpose of having a wireless device in my opinion since you won't ALWAYS be around a Wi-Fi network (especially on a highway connected between the middle of nowhere) ...

I drove 450 miles with the GPS on my Captivate using Google Nav. It was pretty darn accurate. Only lost me 3 times the entire trip and by that I mean it went off onto the sideroads that ran parallel with the highway and then immediately came back. I'd have to say that 2.2 definitely fixed my GPS without a doubt.

I recently was having the crazy compass issue where it jumps back and forth. But my gps had always worked well as long as I wasn't moving to fast... I know I know. But cog 5.5 fixed my compass and improved my gps as well. Note I said improved not fixed, lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

GPS problems thread

I know this has been discussed some, but i can't seem to find a solution. This is a great phone, but the gps really makes me mad.
My OG Droid and inc would get a position lock pretty fast. about 15 seconds. the thunderbolt on the other hand sucks... Never have i even seen before the shrinking (or sometimes not) circle around your position arrow in google maps.
This is a big deal to me because i use the gps as the main navi in my truck, i assume lots of others do too. I also use it for marking fishing spots so pinpoint accuracy is a must.
I know and for those who don't, you can download GPS status and see the fix its getting and also reset or update your GPS. This kind of works for a while, but still doesn't get the most accurate fix (but ok for driving) and is a PITA. Also takes a minute.
I have a feeling this is software/radio related, and hopefully can be fixed. But just a hunch as i know nothing about the matter.
Anyone have any other ideas??

I should add i just got 12/12 in gps status. not too bad. and maybe the circle around the position arrow was MAYBE just added in a new version of maps. but still it takes multiple trys when i hit navigate to find my position.

GPS is awful on both my and my wife's Thunderbolts too. Can't get a lock standing outside even after 5 minutes; completely unusable. And, we shouldn't have to download another (non-official) app just to get GPS to work.

Glad it's not just me. My GPS takes forever to lock (has taken up to 10min before).

ntguru said:
Glad it's not just me. My GPS takes forever to lock (has taken up to 10min before).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my pgs sucks as well. I didn't use it much before rooting and flashing roms, so I can't really compare pre and post ROM flashing. Either way, it sucks, can't lock on my location, it get "waiting on location" then "location unavailbale at this time". However, it seems to work when I on pgs navigation after waiting for a while. Hopefully we can get a fix for this soon.

i didnt try GPS much before root either. Don't think that would make a difference. I was on the stock rom just until yesterday and was having the same problems with it.
BUMP

I'm having the same issues. I love my phone but this is very aggravating. I would like to know if this is just isolated to a few of us( ie our particular phones are defective) or is the a phone wide issue.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

GPS issues..
I've been having the same issues with GPS. I posted about this in another thread but i'll post again.
I get three different locations from three different apps using GPS. Google maps is off by a few blocks, but at least it shows me in downtown houston (my actual location). My time widget pulls the time based on location, and currently, its somewhere near a lake in Russia right above mongolia. Foursquare thinks i'm on the coast of Lithuania and gives me locations in that area to check into.
I called VZ tech help and breezed through to the L2 support. The lady put me on hold to grab a thunderbolt phone to help me troubleshoot. When she came back on the line, she said her google maps was showing her location as blocks away from where she really too!!
Long story short - she gave me a call back later that day and said HTC is aware of the problem and is currently working on a fix for the issue , but gave no timeframe for when it would be fixed

My thunderbolt is fine. Just did a maps test and it found me in about 10s. I have two thunderbolts and the other one took about 1 minute to lock. Both tests were done from inside my house.

having the same problem with my gps...im going head to a verizon store today!

magnafides said:
GPS is awful on both my and my wife's Thunderbolts too. Can't get a lock standing outside even after 5 minutes; completely unusable. And, we shouldn't have to download another (non-official) app just to get GPS to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"non official"
you shouldn't be on this forum, if you don't like "non official" stuff, btw if you use GPS status you can clear the cache, and download the assistance data. maybe that'll help you guys

Mine gets a lock indoors, away from all windows, under 2 minutes. Not the most accurate, 60ft, 6 satellites. But hey I'm in the frikkin house. Outdoors I get a lock instantly. 12+ satellites.

Gps status helps, but doesn't fix it. So chill dude.
But I just downloaded das bamf 1.3.1 and now its working like normal! In the change log it says edited some gps settings in the build prop!
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

Damn my gps doesn't work at all...
Das bamf 1.3.1

Varelse said:
Damn my gps doesn't work at all...
Das bamf 1.3.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sucks. I assume you tried updating thru gps status? Maybe it will work after awhile or a reboot.
Anyways since mine works good now I am at ease cause I know its not HW. I'm sure there will be a patch one of these days.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

I am using Das Bamf 1.3.1 and have no gps problems

Running Das BAMF 1.3.2. No problems at all with GPS, indoors, outdoors, or in car -- pre- and- post-root.

headcheese said:
Sucks. I assume you tried updating thru gps status?
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dumb question, but where do I find this option?

So it's just not me, mine takes minutes to lock on, after that it's no problem, but that initial lock is a PITA, 3-5 min...

I've also noticed subpar gps performance compared to my incredible from the first day I got the phone.
The Gps status app seems to have helped and the time to get a lock has improved even more with bamf 1.3.2. Even still it doesn't seem to get a lock as quick as I was used to with my incredible. Takes anywhere from 30s to 2min, but on the lower end of that.
Would still like to see this addressed by HTC/vzw. I'm sure there's other people out there having this issue and I know they can do better.

The real cause of nonworking gps!

so this is my 3rd G2X, my first was a horrible rebooter so i exchanged it for a second, which was pretty good but i could never get the GPS to work. so i just got my 3rd g2x sent to me, and everything was working, including GPS. Then i downloaded GPS status and toolbox. when i opened the app it told me GPS assistance downloaded, and from then on my GPS won't work. i tried a factory reset and it is still broken, so i think i have found the cause of the problem. Anyone agree?
also is there a fix, or do i need to get a 4th g2x sent to me?

I have GPS status on my G2X and my GPS works perfect.

slowpig38 said:
so this is my 3rd G2X, my first was a horrible rebooter so i exchanged it for a second, which was pretty good but i could never get the GPS to work. so i just got my 3rd g2x sent to me, and everything was working, including GPS. Then i downloaded GPS status and toolbox. when i opened the app it told me GPS assistance downloaded, and from then on my GPS won't work. i tried a factory reset and it is still broken, so i think i have found the cause of the problem. Anyone agree?
also is there a fix, or do i need to get a 4th g2x sent to me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You, sir, should work as a journalist. What a wonderfully sensationalist headline!
'This is the absolute truth!! I think...'
Why would an app that a lot of us don't use be the cause of such a widespread problem?

Man, there is no need to be rude. He is just trying to figure out what is going on with his gps.
Slowpig, I highly doubt it's the program making the gps nonfunctional. You have several options though. You could try rooting and flash EaglesBlood (froyo) and see what that does. I like it a lot better than the stock, and everything works just fine. Also, try searching before you post, as there about a million gps fix threads. Here are a few I found doing a quick search....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1092016&highlight=gps+fix
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1079304&highlight=gps+fix
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1085664&highlight=gps+fix
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1078750&highlight=gps+fix
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1049370&highlight=gps+fix
Anyway, do some reading, and see what you come up with. Again, I'd give a new rom a shot and see what that does for you. Hope this helps.

before you guys go off calling me retarded, know that this is my 3rd g2x and my second one ahd a faulty gps, and i tried all of the fixes on the forum to fix it. when i aquired my new one it worked out of the box, but after the instalation of the app in question it stopped. when i went into the hidden menu and deleted all aiding data it worked perfectly again. see why i might be led to my conclusion? it mightve been a bit rushed, but i was very upset that my brand new G2X's gps had suddenly stopped working after only an hour of use.

slowpig38 said:
before you guys go off calling me retarded, know that this is my 3rd g2x and my second one ahd a faulty gps, and i tried all of the fixes on the forum to fix it. when i aquired my new one it worked out of the box, but after the instalation of the app in question it stopped. when i went into the hidden menu and deleted all aiding data it worked perfectly again. see why i might be led to my conclusion? it mightve been a bit rushed, but i was very upset that my brand new G2X's gps had suddenly stopped working after only an hour of use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that is the reason then can you explain why I have those apps on my G2X and the GPS still works better than any other GPS I've ever used?

It seems its just random, some g2xs have problems while others don't. Its just poor QC by LG
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

I finally got around to try the gps. Maps, earth, gps status all work fine, except for the speedometer apps.

Are you not getting a lock at all, or is it just taking FOREVER to get a lock. There was a fix I flashed for mine (mine took forever to lock), and now mine locks almost instantly! I'll try to see if I can search and find the thread, but the thread had different files to flash with cwr and each had it's own region. (ie south east, west coast, etc).

Mine works now. I just had to do a factory reset
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

Mine finds satellites but takes forever to lock. Even on stock ROM with a factory reset.
Like n 1-2 seconds it find 6 satellites, but lock takes 10 to 20 minutes at least.

ce3jay said:
I finally got around to try the gps. Maps, earth, gps status all work fine, except for the speedometer apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem with speedometer apps!
It acts like it only wants to display speed in increments instead of the actual speed.

strung said:
Mine finds satellites but takes forever to lock. Even on stock ROM with a factory reset.
Like n 1-2 seconds it find 6 satellites, but lock takes 10 to 20 minutes at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine was taking a long time until I flashed this fix. Give it a shot, it worked for me. I get locks in a few seconds. Here is the link...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1085354
Hope this helps!

This is my third G2X and all have had gps issues. Currently I applied the download fix (southeast region fix) last night and I saw an immediate transformation. Very quick locks and much improved accuracy.Unfortunately this morning I am back to either no locks or locks after 30 seconds to 5 minutes and the accuracy is horrible. Right now where last night I got almost instantaneous locks and 16 to 39 ft accuracy I am getting very very slow locks and 37209 ft accuracy. I was elated last night but now I am as confused as ever. I have tried every gps fix I can get my hands on and I am right back where I started.

Mine works pretty well. Glad a factory reset fixed your problems.

slowpig38 said:
It seems its just random, some g2xs have problems while others don't. Its just poor QC by LG
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed!
I love my android phone but coming from an Iphone 3gs to a vibrant to a g2x. The phone(s) on paper are Superior to Iphone (specs are amazing and way faster) But apples qc is far superior to lgs and sammys I hate waiting over 7 months for an os upgrade so they can bloat it up with crap, What I hate even more is when you spend your hard earned cash on a phone that looks amazing, and a standard feature (GPS) don't work. Despite apples ass raping when it comes to hardware and its lack of software features(android is an will always be king) They put out solid phones (other than that iPhone 4 antennagate crap). Androids strength and most detrimental weakness is its partners. Google Does not get that if a person is disappointed over and over they will jump ship! This is my second disappointment after my vibrant (GPS not working correctly). But i'm quick to forgive, others are not... If I were a regular customer and not a geek who loves tech and i switched from Ios (iphone) to android (vibrant, G2x) and had all these issues screen bleed, gps,freezing etc. id switch back after the first week, and androids image would be tarnished.

2.3.4 KG4 GPS settings?

So I'm having issues getting a GPS lock after installing deodexed KG4. I can't access LbsTestMode like in Froyo to mess around with the settings. Any ideas on how to check the GPS settings in Gingerbread (SUPL, standalone vs MS based, etc)?

try out gps aids donate. it has yet to fail me.

jager555 said:
try out gps aids donate. it has yet to fail me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ack. Even with that I can't get into the settings. I'll give it another whirl and then let it sit forever to get that first lock.

sorry. i should have been more clear. download gps aid. go to gps doctor, and click regenerate. the phone will reboot. then go to gps status and let the phone sit for 5 min, but keep the screen on. then reboot and try the gps again

jager555 said:
sorry. i should have been more clear. download gps aid. go to gps doctor, and click regenerate. the phone will reboot. then go to gps status and let the phone sit for 5 min, but keep the screen on. then reboot and try the gps again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya, I just started that. Got a lock in the status section TTFF 231 s, then went away. I'm leaving it for a while and we'll see what it comes up with. The first lock was a good sign, no doubt. Thanks jager.

Worked. Got my GPS fix.

fideli. said:
Worked. Got my GPS fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
glad to hear it, man. it is horrible when the gps doesnt work. i've gotten myself into very interesting situations because of it...

So this app (donated version) will fix the GB KG4 Issue with GPS? I am in the same boat.. no lock-ons. And I've been battling with it for a little bit now.. I've tried GPS Aids lite, but it seems to do nothing to help.. doesn't even d-load the "XTRA" file... refuses to even with a perfect net connection and GPS view...

I got a few quick locks with the help of GPS Aids, but overall it was just too slow to lock so I'm back on Froyo now (ICBINB). I get sub 30 s for TTFF, and 1-2 s afterwards, which I'm just too used to now in every app that needs location awareness.
What I want to try next is flash a GB rom and not restore my data. Maybe the Froyo LTO or XTRA is messing up GB locks. I've just been too lazy at nights to work on it; need my phone 100% in the daytime.

I'm guessing there is no overall big fix for the GB ROMs? Or particularly, KG4?

Jager here to save.the day once again
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App