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geocaching?

what is geocaching, and how can that have a positive effect on our GPS?

Geocaching
Geocaching is like a global treasure hunt where you use your GPS to find hidden containers. Inside the containers will be items people have left which you can trade for and usually a notebook to leave the record of you visiting the cache.
It has no effect on your GPS but you can download GPS software to list and locate these caches. I've thought about trying it myself.
try visiting geocaching.com

I actually went this weekend with my kaiser and bluetooth gps. i use beeline gps software. anyway from this weekends experience i found out that the phone is not really what you want to use for geocacheing; the distance to the way point jumps around a ton, i am not really sure if that has to do with the actual gps (telenav bluetooth)or the software that i am useing. eather way i was able to find one geocache out of 2.

Not too accurate then?

count0zero said:
Not too accurate then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure what was the problem. the waypoint was just jumping around though.

hmm, maybe I'll give it a shot.. not sure I'll have a lot of time to do this, I've got a wife n kid and we just bought a house, so I have large honeydo list.

I haven't done too well geocaching with my Kaiser or Raphael.
I gave up using them and stick with my Garmins...

My brother does the Geocaching thing. If I remember correctly, he has to use WAAS mode (http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html) on his Garmin in order to gain enough accuracy to make it worthwhile. not sure which phones support WAAS GPS, though.

[Small Review] CoPilot Live is an interesting (in a not so good way) GPS app

When it comes to no cost, data-dependent GPS solutions, Android has a great app in the form of Google Navigator.
But as someone who travels fairly frequently and can go to all sorts of places in areas I've never even heard of (and not friendly to HSDPA), that sort of solution was simply not viable. I needed a GPS app that worked offline, had routing options, and allowed me to set advanced settings for it to work as I needed. Typically, my GPS app of choice has always been Tomtom, though I also liked Navigon, and considered iGo My Way/Roadmate to be viable choices. Unfortunately, as I'm sure many are aware, the major GPS manufacturers haven't released a single GPS app for Android...with none seeming to be on the horizon.
However, while browsing the Android Market, I did come upon one solution I'm also familiar with: CoPilot Live. I remember my experience with it (on the iPhone) as being rather iffy, but it seemed to be the only good choice on Android, so I decided to give it a second chance. Well, today, after a week or two of usage, and after coming back from a journey to yet another new place in another state, I think I'm ready to give my assessment of CPL.
I don't like it.
Frequently throughout the trip, CPL had me driving around in circles. Other issues include jumpy location fixes (it would frequently indicate I'm on a road I'm not or say I passed a road I didn't). In one case, it even completely listed the name of a road on the info bar incorrectly...despite having the correct name on the actual map. Other times, it would freeze after telling me to make a turn thus making me miss the next intended turn or, best of all, tell me to make a turn only to then afterwards ask me to make a U-Turn.
The funny thing was that even when it did work fine (which was about 60% of the trip), the routing it gave was baffling. Leaving my house, I asked CPL to give me the most 'economical' routing. This is actually one of my favorite routing options CPL has -- it gives you the routing that saves gas, yet does not increase the travel time by too much. It worked well too; the routing it gave me saved over 10 miles, but did not take too much longer than the normal route.
So the routing on my way out worked fine, but the routing for the way back? Not so much. Going back, I decided to ask CPL to give me the 'quickest' routing. Now, I had also asked it to avoid tolls if possible, so logically, it should have taken me back to the 'economical' route (which had no tolls) for a part of the way before jumping me out onto a faster highway.
Instead, it seemed to have done the exact opposite: It took me through the toll, then promptly jumped me back into the 'economical' route for the rest of the way home.
Afterwards, out of curiosity, I decided to look up the turn list for 'quickest' and 'economical' towards the location I went to. The routing were almost exactly the same with only small changes. I set CPL to allow tolls and tried again; same routing as before. It seemed as if one of the best (and very well known) interstate highways used for traveling was completely left out of CPL's routing. Why is this the case? Hell if I know.
I could go on all day -- but sufficed to say, it wasn't what I had expected. It's probably unfair of me to assess it the way I did considering it's less established and (probably) less well funded than the likes of Navigon, but that's the way I feel. It's a shame really. I've been using my handheld electronics for GPS since I first discovered that my Palm TX was capable of such a thing, but at this rate, I may have to end up buying a Tomtom GPS unit.

What are the odds that your location issues are from the faulty GPS drivers and will be fixed in the forthcoming firmware update?

CoPilot's maps are the worst. They use their own data instead of using Navteq or TeleAtlas and their maps are atleast 5 years out of date in my area.
So far, I haven't found a standalone GPS app I like in Android either.

I like and use waze all the time. Doesnt work too well with the crap gps on here but on winmo it was the best app.

I used the stock samsung one that comes on the european roms that works pretty well

fooldog01 said:
What are the odds that your location issues are from the faulty GPS drivers and will be fixed in the forthcoming firmware update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost none, I'd say.
Unlike many here, I haven't experienced any GPS issues with my Captivate. Lock-on speeds are fairly quick (it seems comparable to what I experienced on the iPhone and HTC Fuze) and the GPS fix remains in all applicable areas and not in others (bridges, forest, etc). Aside from all of that, The problem doesn't appear nearly as much with Google Navigator.
smokestack76 said:
I like and use waze all the time. Doesnt work too well with the crap gps on here but on winmo it was the best app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that's the case, I wished I had tried Waze back when I had owned a WinMo phone, but the problem was that WinMo had fantastic GPS solutions, so I didn't bother using the less well known brands.

I would love an "offline" GPS App. Whatever happened to Navigon USA?

smokestack76 said:
I like and use waze all the time. Doesnt work too well with the crap gps on here but on winmo it was the best app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Waze is still an online solution like Google Navigation. It downloads the maps and data as you drive, so if you go out of coverage, you're stuck, unless it cached enough of the map to still work with no signal.

mindfrost82 said:
Waze is still an online solution like Google Navigation. It downloads the maps and data as you drive, so if you go out of coverage, you're stuck, unless it cached enough of the map to still work with no signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats why i like waze. Even in areas that i have no reception it still works ok. And still works ok with the crap gps on the captivate for now. So all good with me And i drive a truck so i use it alot. So far no issues that were too bad

I've been using Sygic Mobile Maps for about a month so far. It is an "off-line" Nav App.
I like it so far, was just up in Canada, on the north side of Lake Superior, with no cell/data service and it worked great. Has a pretty good POI database. Even allows you to navigate to Contacts.

Navigon for Android
Navigon actually makes an Android version now.
Not sure if they have any US maps for it yet though.

Video of Sygic
Found a video of Sygic Mobile Maps 10 running on a Galaxy S phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfDodvbyl2w

ozone777 said:
Navigon actually makes an Android version now.
Not sure if they have any US maps for it yet though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah no maps yet for the US.... hopefully soon..

NDrive for Android
NDrive also has a version for Android.
http://www.ndriveweb.com/products/product/96/
US maps are available.
Get it with a 7 day free trial from the Market Place.

ozone777 said:
Navigon actually makes an Android version now.
Not sure if they have any US maps for it yet though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They don't. Aside from that, even if they did have it, the Android version of Navigon is not supported on the Captivate; the APK is available, but without a supported phone, registering appears to be impossible (as registering requires you to enter the last four digit of your phone number which then goes through Navigon's servers).
ozone777 said:
NDrive also has a version for Android.
Get it with a 7 day free trial from the Market Place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll give it a try.

I also travel extensively. After trying every possible phone based GPS (iPhone, B-berry and Android), i came to the conclusion that, while some are better than the others, none of them are reliable enough to be used exclusively. So, I still carry a dedicated unit that always gets me from point A to point Z.

myx0mop said:
I also travel extensively. After trying every possible phone based GPS (iPhone, B-berry and Android), i came to the conclusion that, while some are better than the others, none of them are reliable enough to be used exclusively. So, I still carry a dedicated unit that always gets me from point A to point Z.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand your sentiment.
Even on the iPhone and WinMo (both of which had great GPS apps), I still felt the need to occasionally turn to Google Maps to supplement my driving. With GM plus whatever GPS app I was using, I never had trouble navigating regardless of where I was going.
Aside from that, as I said, my primary GPS software of choice is Tomtom. I'm not so sure about the other GPS companies, but Tomtom uses the same GPS software in phones as they do in their dedicated GPS units, so there really is no benefit to using their dedicated unit as opposed to their phone versions. In fact, I would actually dare claim the phone version is better due to more functionality from the integration with your phone.

I have TomTom on my 3Gs, but the problem is not with the software, which is fine, but with the phone that periodically loses the GPS lock.

I've used TomTom for 3+ years on my WinMo phone, and it has worked perfectly.
They only problem I have wiht TomTom is they don't 'officially' support my Tilt, and getting U.S. Maps was a pain. Due to that, I've been thinking of not going back with TomTom if/when they do come out wiht SW for Android.
But, if nothing else is available, or is not any good, I ultimately may go back with them. But only if my phone is supported, (which will be the Captivate).

myx0mop said:
I have TomTom on my 3Gs, but the problem is not with the software, which is fine, but with the phone that periodically loses the GPS lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh, that's strange. I'm a former 3GS owner and I would actually rank its GPS as among the best I've ever used. Extremely fast lock-ons in virtually every condition (including the inside of my home) and I've never experienced a lost GPS lock under normal conditions, even during the one time I used it when I had to drive 200 miles out of state.
Meh, but being the owner of the Captivate, I know fully well how much the experience varies with different owners. Aside from that, the ability to field phone calls and use the GPS at the same time must be nice.

AT&T Store Experience

Today as the first time I've seen a captivate turned on. It looks like an awesome phone. I talked to the sales guy for a while and he said it was the only worthwhile Android phone AT&T has.
I asked about the Bravo coming out and he didn't seem to stoked on it (plus, I've heard you can't get rid of MOTOBLUR).
Anyways, everything was great until the GPS. The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock. We updated to the newest firmware (without a hitch, probably because it hadn't been modded) but the GPS did not improve.
I need with the phone because Apps rely on location services and having GPS on a bus or walking is really nice. I'm hoping this gets fixed
Has 2.2 improved the GPS at all? Is the consensus that this is a hardware issue? Is there a difference between newly manufactured phones and older ones?
I want this phone sooo bad and the AT&T lineup for Android phones is garbage (sans this one).
JOe K.

It's a great phone. GPS seems to be hit and miss. If yours is a miss switch it out for a new one. You will love this phone.

I must say, when I was using froyo the GPS worked perfectly. I switched back to stock recently but still have had a great experience with the GPS, its just that it takes about a minute to get a good fix on me instead of the 5 seconds froyo did. For me, it was either this phone or a blackberry torch. Then I remembered that I was considering choosing a RIM product over an android phone, and quickly bought the captivate.
I love it.
And if you have a problem with the phone, well, there's probably an app that fixes it. That's why I love this little monster!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using AT&T's awful network.

JOe K. said:
The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol GPS is not designed to work indoors. Most phones and standalone GPS units will not get a lock indoors. Next time you're at the store, go into settings and enable use wireless networks in location settings. Then you will get your indoor lock.

If you get your location by using wifi it is hardly a gps lock, is it now?

I returned my first Captivate because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the perfomance of the GPS. After flashing Froyo it worked better but not as good as to wait for a new fix.
Yesterday I received a new captivate, I flashed Cognition's 2.2 Beta 5.5 and the GPS is perfect. I did a test drive today and I am very glad I got it replaced. Now I am 100% happy with my Captivate!! It's an awesome phone!!!

pilot_xphile said:
I returned my first Captivate because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the perfomance of the GPS. After flashing Froyo it worked better but not as good as to wait for a new fix.
Yesterday I received a new captivate, I flashed Cognition's 2.2 Beta 5.5 and the GPS is perfect. I did a test drive today and I am very glad I got it replaced. Now I am 100% happy with my Captivate!! It's an awesome phone!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
waiting for my 3rd one to come in myself and i have to say its funny. ive had different issues that have caused me to have to return the phone but..somehow...i still think this phone is great! and im starting to think that maybe the best solution for people is to keep trading in their phone till you get one from "the perfect batch" so to say. maybe on this next one the gps will be just perfect as the first was terrible. my current one requires me to stick my arm out the window to navigate *but can lock instantly from standstill*...crossing my fingers and toes when i get the new one

gtg465x said:
lol GPS is not designed to work indoors. Most phones and standalone GPS units will not get a lock indoors. Next time you're at the store, go into settings and enable use wireless networks in location settings. Then you will get your indoor lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS does work indoors, without wireless turned on. My stand alone unit does too. And I must be one of the lucky ones, bought my phone in July never had a problem with it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

JOe K. said:
Today as the first time I've seen a captivate turned on. It looks like an awesome phone. I talked to the sales guy for a while and he said it was the only worthwhile Android phone AT&T has.
I asked about the Bravo coming out and he didn't seem to stoked on it (plus, I've heard you can't get rid of MOTOBLUR).
Anyways, everything was great until the GPS. The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock. We updated to the newest firmware (without a hitch, probably because it hadn't been modded) but the GPS did not improve.
I need with the phone because Apps rely on location services and having GPS on a bus or walking is really nice. I'm hoping this gets fixed
Has 2.2 improved the GPS at all? Is the consensus that this is a hardware issue? Is there a difference between newly manufactured phones and older ones?
I want this phone sooo bad and the AT&T lineup for Android phones is garbage (sans this one).
JOe K.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Bravo (been testing it) and it is a decent phone, but it is not in the same league as the captivate. GPS is better, but that is the only thing better. It is more a midrange phone - slower, smaller, more plastic, etc.
As for MotoBlur - if you don't use it, it doesn't really bother you - so don't base to much on that.
If GPS is the number one thing you need in a phone - then wait for it to get sorted out or get a different phone. For me, the GPS works well enough. For walking, I can't imagine the GPS not working well enough - and you can generally see 100' in all directions to find what you are looking for anyway - even google maps is not that accurate as they always put stuff on the wrong side of the street or the wrong block.

cappysw10 said:
GPS does work indoors, without wireless turned on. My stand alone unit does too. And I must be one of the lucky ones, bought my phone in July never had a problem with it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poster said GPS was not DESIGNED to work indoors and he/she is correct. In most buildings it won't work indoors - especially commercial buildings.
If GPS were designed to work indoors it would use a different radio frequency. If it works indoors for you, it is because your house poses little interference - this is more an exception then the norm. In most houses, even standalone units don't work.

Im just wondering if anyone of you who said the gps works perfectly have tried the gps on captivate for several times. To me, the first time using gps whenever I upgrade new firmware or flash back to stock is very good. But after that it is very bad. I dont know if it is just bad using with google navigation, havent tried with offline gps yet. Maybe I should look for an offline gps apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

bamonkey said:
waiting for my 3rd one to come in myself and i have to say its funny. ive had different issues that have caused me to have to return the phone but..somehow...i still think this phone is great! and im starting to think that maybe the best solution for people is to keep trading in their phone till you get one from "the perfect batch" so to say. maybe on this next one the gps will be just perfect as the first was terrible. my current one requires me to stick my arm out the window to navigate *but can lock instantly from standstill*...crossing my fingers and toes when i get the new one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are you waiting for your third one? Are you still within the 30 days? Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? Are you getting it from Samsung or swapping at an AT&T store? I can't afford to go without a phone for a day (which is sad).
Has there been a correlation between phone manufacturing date and GPS reliability?
Thanks,
JOe K.

GPS was never meant to work indoors. So don't bother to try and get a fix if you're sitting on your couch, that's just dumb.
I just drove to Morgantown, WV to go to WVU to see my friend. I used my GPS on the phone the entire trip. I did not use it as my sole resource for directions, I printed them out. But the entire trip (round trip 400+ miles from Baltimore) the GPS was pretty spot on. A few times it would go off onto the side roads that we're next to I-70 but it fixed itself pretty fast.
I don't believe there is any correlation between when the phone was made and it's reliability. Update to FroYo, and go for a long drive with Google Nav, you'll see a vast improvment.

How does AT&T's 30 day defect warranty return work?
If you get a new phone Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? I've seen people get 3 and 4 phones.

JOe K. said:
How does AT&T's 30 day defect warranty return work?
If you get a new phone Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? I've seen people get 3 and 4 phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its actually very painless. I am actually OUT of my 30 day warranty but the phone is covered for a year *i dont have the insurance btw...if you do just trade in store*
anyways call ATT and get to their tech support.. they will do some stuff that is required at the first level and then get you to warranty support. they will make sure your phone is still covered by the one year warranty..make you agree that your phone hasnt been put in a toaster or the like and then tell you a new one will be shipped and to send the defective one back in a prepaid RMA...oh this assumes you are in the states so they can send one out from a distribution center. so really no gap since they send you a new one first..just make sure you send the old one back in time or they charge you for a brand new phone
edit: i also wanted to note i bought mine USED off a random stranger..they still honored the one year warranty the very first time i had an issue

Did you have your phone rooted (with diff ROM's such as COG)? If so, did you restore it before sending it back (odin to stock, master clear)?
I'm wondering if Best Buy would have a better warranty policy. I'm gonna get a cap by the end of the week!
Thanks,
JOe K.

I've been messing with mine a bit and I've tried both the suggested settings as well as the stock ones and it hasn't been that great. Now I am running the stock rom right now. I'm going to update with the OTA one and see if it helps at all tomorrow. If not then I'll likely go ahead and exchange it at AT&T for another unit citing GPS issues while moving. It does get a lock while standing still. Usually once it sees 10 sats it decides to lock on half of them and hold that. It never really got a lock moving though. I had someone else drive while I kept it close to a window and nothing even with wireless assist.

JOe K. said:
Did you have your phone rooted (with diff ROM's such as COG)? If so, did you restore it before sending it back (odin to stock, master clear)?
I'm wondering if Best Buy would have a better warranty policy. I'm gonna get a cap by the end of the week!
Thanks,
JOe K.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first one couldnt even power on after a failed flash so i couldnt do anything. on the second i just odin one click to stock and master clear. its possible best buy 'might' have a better policy but being they are still selling through ATT i imagine there is still the 30 day in store policy like most..
just ask about the instore before you buy. i went into this knowing how i would be covered before hand id say do the same here too

GPS Band-Aid

This post got lost in a locked thread, figured I would repost it.
It's a real big band-aid, but it works fine for the car and is easier than rolling the dice and getting a new phone.
I spent 20 bucks and got a tom tom bluetooth GPS receiver, combined with a free up on the market called "Bluetooth GPS Provider" and I get 1M accuracy in Maps/Nav. Since I primarily only use the GPS in the car, it's not that big of a deal to leave an accessory in there.
If you need good in car nav, and are tired of waiting for a fix, something like this is the way to go. Tested for over 400 miles of driving, never lost a fix or lost track.
http://www.amazon.com/TomTom-Blueto...I2YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292625649&sr=8-1
Edit: Link fixed, thanks.

Whole link did not copy ...
http://www.amazon.com/TomTom-Blueto...I2YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292625649&sr=8-1

Thats what Samsung should do to resolve the issue, they need to release the Galaxy S GPS Repair Kit. It comes with one of these GPS Receivers and a piece of double-sided sticky tape...EPIC!

Yeah, it's kludgy, but it works great for the car. Only thing that really sucks is that the tomtom doesn't charge from USB, means having to carry another charger too. Oh well, battery last a good long time at least.

Holy markdown batman! $149.99 marked down to $18.99? How could that thing ever be worth $150?!
That's actually kinda tempting.

polarbee said:
Holy markdown batman! $149.99 marked down to $18.99? How could that thing ever be worth $150?!
That's actually kinda tempting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That receiver is old school. It's from the pre-smartphone days when everybody rocked iPAQs. The $150 MSRP was normal back then.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

It's still a sirf-star and better than what's working on the captivate right now!

I decided to go the same route as you. Although, I wish I did earlier because that TomTom receiver is longer available for $20 on Amazon. I ended up getting a Globalsat BT-359 for $40.95 instead.
I have to say, while not the ideal solution, it's by far the best one yet. GPS now works perfectly. Fast locks, pinpoint accuracy, no lag, and never loses its lock. It basically works how you expect a GPS to work. While it does suck that I had to spend extra money on the receiver, and that I now have the extra steps of connecting/disconnecting the receiver whenever I need to use it, it's a small price to pay to eliminate the frustration induced when using the poor excuse of a built-in GPS.
I don't know about you guys, but I always had a bit of anxiety when using the built-in GPS. Cuz at every point, I was worrying about something. At the beginning, I'd worry about how long it'd take to obtain a lock. Then once I get the lock, I worry about how accurate it will be, how long I'll keep that lock, and whether or not the GPS will lag behind. It felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders when I was able to drive without having to worry about how the GPS was going to behave.
Although, this still doesn't change my attitude towards Samsung Mobile (I specify Mobile because I've had no issues with their TVs). As soon as AT&T releases a high-end Android phone that doesn't have a deal breaking issue, I'm buying it outright and selling my Captivate on craigslist.

I have a question about this thing: I use BT stereo to play music in the car. Can I use both devices at once?

Me too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

ScottyNuttz said:
I have a question about this thing: I use BT stereo to play music in the car. Can I use both devices at once?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm able to use my bluetooth headset at the same time, so probably.

Donatron said:
I decided to go the same route as you. Although, I wish I did earlier because that TomTom receiver is longer available for $20 on Amazon. I ended up getting a Globalsat BT-359 for $40.95 instead.
I have to say, while not the ideal solution, it's by far the best one yet. GPS now works perfectly. Fast locks, pinpoint accuracy, no lag, and never loses its lock. It basically works how you expect a GPS to work. While it does suck that I had to spend extra money on the receiver, and that I now have the extra steps of connecting/disconnecting the receiver whenever I need to use it, it's a small price to pay to eliminate the frustration induced when using the poor excuse of a built-in GPS.
I don't know about you guys, but I always had a bit of anxiety when using the built-in GPS. Cuz at every point, I was worrying about something. At the beginning, I'd worry about how long it'd take to obtain a lock. Then once I get the lock, I worry about how accurate it will be, how long I'll keep that lock, and whether or not the GPS will lag behind. It felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders when I was able to drive without having to worry about how the GPS was going to behave.
Although, this still doesn't change my attitude towards Samsung Mobile (I specify Mobile because I've had no issues with their TVs). As soon as AT&T releases a high-end Android phone that doesn't have a deal breaking issue, I'm buying it outright and selling my Captivate on craigslist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you running Eclair or Froyo on your Captivate?

Found it here...
hxxp://dealsproshop.auctivacommerce.com/TomTom-Bluetooth-GPS-Receiver-for-USA-and-Canada-P1259994.aspx#

This is a great idea. Also, if anybody has an older android phone with working gps that they no longer use, the same outcome can be achieved with a couple simple apps. I'm using my lg eve to send the gps signal to my captivate via bluetooth and it works flawlessly.

GPS on Captivate is already fixed, it works great on latest versions of Axura/Phoenix, but for 20 bucks it's good purchase anyway
Too bad that shipping to Europe costs more than reciever itself.

joedoe said:
Are you running Eclair or Froyo on your Captivate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Froyo. I'm currently running Cog 2.3b8.

TheNaturat said:
GPS on Captivate is already fixed, it works great on latest versions of Axura/Phoenix, but for 20 bucks it's good purchase anyway
Too bad that shipping to Europe costs more than reciever itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't tried Phoenix yet, just Axura before it died. When you say "fixed", do you mean significantly improved, or legitimately fixed. Like if you were to do a head-to-head comparison with a Captivate paired with a bluetooth GPS receiver, would you be able to tell the difference? Cuz with the receiver, it's pretty much perfect performance.

Donatron said:
Froyo. I'm currently running Cog 2.3b8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to attach a MTK v2 based i-Blue 737A+ Bluetooth GPS Receiver to Eclair, but it says
paired but not connected. However it works great with Galaxy Pad with less then 1 meter accuracy

There seem to be some limitations on the bluetooth. Im able to use any 2 of the gps, my bt headset or my bt obdii scanner, but all three at once and one of em wont work.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Donatron said:
I haven't tried Phoenix yet, just Axura before it died. When you say "fixed", do you mean significantly improved, or legitimately fixed. Like if you were to do a head-to-head comparison with a Captivate paired with a bluetooth GPS receiver, would you be able to tell the difference? Cuz with the receiver, it's pretty much perfect performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's fully working, reliable GPS device. I don't have Bluetooth reciever, but in comparision to my dedicated Garmin navigation based on legendary SiRFstar III chipset there is no real diffrence, maybe it takes few seconds more to lock, but it's diffrence between like 5 and 10 seconds, so rather negligible in real use.

A working way to get a GPS lock

Well... As we all know, gps is **** on our captivates. That being said, i found a way to get a gps lock, and almost all the time..
However the method isnt as simple as opening up Gmaps and pressing my location.
I have only tried this with Apex 8.2
To do this.. you have to enter AngryGPS (*#3214789650#*)
Then go to tracking test... Wait for it to present values of your latitude and longitude.
Once these values are there... press maps, and voila

Uhhh seems like the code is for lbstest. Well if so... By using a test feature all you are really doing is turning your gps on(all the time). Which will basically always give you quick lock because the gps is always on unless you kill all your apps or re-open lbstest and back out. Not really a fix, more of a drain on your battery. Only true fix for older models of this phone is to get a refurb'd from atnt/rogers in your case. (not samsung).

Once opened, Angry gps looks just like lbstest. For some reason it was renamed.

Just need to figure out a way to do this with Tasker.

Ah, in that case.. cant you just program tasker to only turn gps on when you open maps or a navigation app?
kimocal said:
Just need to figure out a way to do this with Tasker.
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Yeah, but how do you program tasker to open up lbstestmode... then run the tracking test... wait about 10 seconds... then open up maps?

So let me see if I get this straight. You start GPS, wait till it gets a lock and then open maps and you have a lock?
that's what we used to do on Eclair.
NascarFastcar is right, the only real way to have a working GPS is to get a refurbished unit. Most of us early adopters are going past our 1 year mark, so if you haven't, get one quick!

I still have a couple months in my warranty left. What problem would I go to them with?

The GPS is fixed on a refurb?

supaphreek said:
I still have a couple months in my warranty left. What problem would I go to them with?
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Tell them the gps dosent work. That's all. They will most likely try to get a lock indoors lol and then they will just give you a refurbed. They like to use google maps. I tried to show them gps test etc and they tried to blame my gps not working via a 3rd party app.
ifederov said:
The GPS is fixed on a refurb?
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Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.

NascarFastcar said:
Tell them the gps dosent work. That's all. They will most likely try to get a lock indoors lol and then they will just give you a refurbed. They like to use google maps. I tried to show them gps test etc and they tried to blame my gps not working via a 3rd party app.
Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.
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Okay... but im currently running apex 8.2.. So i cant go to them with a rooted and rommed phone. Do i downgrade to a 2.2 stock rogers rom?

NascarFastcar said:
Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.
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I disagree that the gps is fixed. I just got a refurb about 6 weeks ago. The gps worked awesome for a few weeks. It now sucks eggs - actually worse than my last phone. Totally stock, just like my previous phone. I don't know the build number because it has a weird refurb sticker that doesn't have a build number on it.
-Rich

Take it back and get another one until they give you one that works.

cappysw10 said:
Take it back and get another one until they give you one that works.
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I've learned how to use it. I know others have tried, but here are the ONLY real instructions that work:
1) You have to always look 2 steps ahead of what it says when using Google Maps on a Captivate because you never know when all of a sudden it will think you're on a different street and start giving you directions on how to get back on the correct path.
2) When she it starts telling you how to correct yourself (when you're actually already on the right path) learn how to IGNORE it or it will confuse you
3) It's ok for occasional use, but always and I mean ALWAYS have a real GPS handy in the glove compartment for the occasions when your Captivate decides that it isn't in the mood to lock onto any statellites even when it sees 7 or 8 with a with strong signals
4) Always have a real GPS handy when your Captivate can't locate ANY satellites.
5) When in Maine or rural New Hampshire don't even think about using your Captivate!!!
6) Overlook it's GPS defects because it's so awesome in every other way.
Does this post earn a sticky? We should coin a pharse that encompasses all of the above (you know your Captivate has trained you in a similar manor).

richb500 said:
I've learned how to use it. I know others have tried, but here are the ONLY real instructions that work:
1) You have to always look 2 steps ahead of what it says when using Google Maps on a Captivate because you never know when all of a sudden it will think you're on a different street and start giving you directions on how to get back on the correct path.
2) When she it starts telling you how to correct yourself (when you're actually already on the right path) learn how to IGNORE it or it will confuse you
3) It's ok for occasional use, but always and I mean ALWAYS have a real GPS handy in the glove compartment for the occasions when your Captivate decides that it isn't in the mood to lock onto any statellites even when it sees 7 or 8 with a with strong signals
4) Always have a real GPS handy when your Captivate can't locate ANY satellites.
5) When in Maine or rural New Hampshire don't even think about using your Captivate!!!
6) Overlook it's GPS defects because it's so awesome in every other way.
Does this post earn a sticky? We should coin a pharse that encompasses all of the above (you know your Captivate has trained you in a similar manor).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah but you see, i dont drive. Well i do... but i dont have a car. So public transport is what i use and luckily, google maps supports it. Basically all i need is a position lock, rather than finding my house, tracking down whatever streets i used to get to wherever i am, then selecting that as a point...

I returned my 1008 Captivate because of random shutdowns last week and received a 1007 refurb and the GPS was perfect on 2.2.1 and continues to be perfect on Apex 8.2. Also, no random shutdowns.

Exchanged a 1007 Captivate in My, got a 1010 refurb. GPS is about 98% as good as my Garmin GPS in one car. In the other, there must be some kind of interference scit doesn't keep a good signal in the location I put it navigate.
I find it fun to see the difference in the routes they provide.
The 1010 model can also track me walking on the sidewalk. I was watching Google Earth zoomed in as far as it would go.

+1 on returning the phone to an AT&T device service center. I went several weeks back and tested my phone when I got home and it was worse. Went back the next day, the girl there first turned on the "use mobile network" option and told me the gps was now working. I got a little aggrevated but politely pressed on, she then told me the samsung captivate has no gps in it, this sparked my asshole lawyer mode. After making the girl feel embarrased in front of her coworkers for insulting my intelligence I demanded a different rep work with me. I had him go thru 7 phones before getting one that had a working gps. After the 2nd, they told me I would have to call customer service, I laughed and told them that this is a customer service center and my contract entitles me to burn through every single unit they have until they fix my device issue. After the 6th the guy finally paid attention to what I was telling them about looking at the build number (because they have to send all those phones back to samsung). I now have an 1101 that has been working great for about a month. If it screws up again I will go ruin their day again.