Database Info

GPS is a quality control problem

Hey guys,
I got in my 3rd "refurbished" Captivate last Friday and I have been collecting some data. For the record, I am using Cognition BETA5.5 FROYO on it without any lagfixes or modified GPS settings.
My first two Captivates -- the GPS sucked. I tried every fix in the book: Jupiter.xml fixes, Epic 4G fixes, LbsTestMode settings, different firmwares etc... some things helped a bit, but the GPS was still unreliable.
My 3rd Captivate's GPS works great from day 1. I've been testing it daily since I got it. I had a long trip to the New York Comic Con, which I used my 3rd Captivate to navigate. In areas that I previously had problems with, my new Captivate handles them with ease. I attached a screen shot of "My Tracks" on a turn that the GPS always overshot previously (now which works fine).
Anyway, I believe JH7 was the software fix for the GPS. The software problem was keeping locks from satellites <20dbHz and using >8 satellites. The rest of the problem is hardware due to poor quality control. This would also explain why so many people have so many different experiences. I say, if you want a reliable GPS in a Captivate, keep warranty swapping it until you get one that works.
/this also explains why some Captivates shutdown randomly, while others don't: poor quality control.

I disagree with this. I bought mine a few days before the JH7 update and didn't have a ton of time to play with the GPS. Using GPS test I was finding 8 satellites and locking onto ~6 of them in a minute or so. With the JH7 update I was finding and locking onto 11 satellites in 15 seconds or less consistently. My accuracy would stand at 16.4 feet (I don't think anyone has achieved better than this with this device). Starting this past Friday (10/8) however my phone won't lock at all. I'm only seeing 4 satellites and no matter how long I leave it, or what settings I touch there is no lock. This is a problem many people have. The GPS works for a while then suddenly stops. This to me suggests a software issue.

I think it is partially hardware related as well. My GPS on stock didn't work so well with the factory settings but worked perfectly with the supl.google.com. Every update since then up to Cognition 2.1.6 has worked perfectly every time for me. If this was a software or firmware issue we would all be having similar problems.

If someone proposed the theory that maybe supple.google.com isn't the best source I must have missed it. So I propose it. Spirent obviously is not, that's a test site.
I wonder if there is supple1.google.com supple2.google.com tzpst.supple.google.com etc.

phr00t said:
/this also explains why some Captivates shutdown randomly, while others don't: poor quality control.
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I agree that Samsung has poor quality control problem, or lack there of from my past experience with various Samsung products. However, I believe the GPS issue is a bad hardware design in Samsung's part. Based on my own observation, it is the poor GPS antenna design that causes poor GPS signal reception. In compensation for this poor design, Samsung tries to boost the GPS chip amplification power which in turn causes interference from all the difference radio sources and bad S/N ratio. Since this is purely an analog signaling issue, different phones show different results and even the same phone could show different results in different environment. I particularly noticed that whenever I pass by those noise isolating walls around the highways I travel daily, my GPS starts to jump all over the place. This indicates to me that the GPS receiver is very suspectible to signal reflections from those walls, may it be cell tower signals or else.
The problem with warranty replacement is that it is really a crap shot. You typically get a refurbished phones unless AT&T runs out of refurbs. Guess where those refurbished phones come from: (1) returns due to GPS issue. (2) returns due to shutdown issue. Since neither issue can be resolved or easily identified (the later is not even acknowleged as a problem AFAIK by AT&T), Samsuung/AT&T will simply refurbish those phones and send out as warranty replacements.

bwolmarans said:
If someone proposed the theory that maybe supple.google.com isn't the best source I must have missed it. So I propose it. Spirent obviously is not, that's a test site.
I wonder if there is supple1.google.com supple2.google.com tzpst.supple.google.com etc.
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Click to collapse
That's BS. spirent is not the problem. The original theory has been proved wrong long time ago. Change to supl.google.com does not solve the problem. Period. And getting a lock is only 1/3 of the GPS trouble you get into.

1) I am using spirent (or whatever the stock SUPL server settings are) and my GPS is working great. The problem is not the SUPL server (although changing it might have helped some).
2) If it were purely a software / firmware issue, we would all be experiencing the same GPS problems, which we are not. In addition, I would see the same problems with my new Captivate (which is running the same software), which I am not.
3) I do not have poor S/N ratios on my phone. I get 25-40 (sometimes better) S/N ratios, which is a bit better than my wife's Aria. I did notice poor S/N ratios on my second phone (15-30), which had the worst GPS performance. If it was poor hardware design, we would all have the same poor S/N ratios (and performance), which we do not.
4) Yes, getting a warranty replacement is a crapshoot. But hey, your current phone sucks and your next refurbished phone might not. So, swap it out -- you might get lucky. Samsung owes you a good phone anyway.
The problem is really chaotic, and people cannot reproduce the same problems (and resolutions) across different devices. This can only explained by people not getting the same devices... some are just more broke than others. Poor quality control.
/personally, I'm sick of digging through the Captivate GPS problem.. now that I have one that works, I want to just enjoy my phone.

phr00t said:
3) I do not have poor S/N ratios on my phone. I get 25-40 (sometimes better) S/N ratios, which is a bit better than my wife's Aria. I did notice poor S/N ratios on my second phone (15-30), which had the worst GPS performance. If it was poor hardware design, we would all have the same poor S/N ratios (and performance), which we do not.
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You are confusing digital circuitary with analog circuitary.
An analog hardware issue hardly will cause uniformly the same results. What you will see the S/N varies a lot between phones that's why some works, some doesn't. The antenna and satellite signal processing are still analog circuitary and prone to variations even with the same design. That's why SOME iPhone4s work just fine but others will drop calls when touched But no one is calling Apple lack of quality control.
Mine is 20 to 35 which is borderline.
The BroadCOM BCM 4751 is supposedly better at dealing with weak signals. I think Samsung is still experimenting different ways to get better locks in those marginal signal levels without causing the noise interference that in turn destroys the stable locks.

What is the general consensus of the % of owners actually having perceived GPS issues?

Someone please make a DIY on how to fix the damn thing myself... (hardware fix that is)

*Deep breath*
I know my 2cents really wont change this debate at all but ill go ahead and post my experiences with this issue K?
Cappy 1: Gps was just ok. it still worked but on navigation would try to "predict" where i was, jump off the roads and i would say on average i would be 20-50m off roof overhead and 10-20m if i put it directly on my dash where i couldnt see it.. This on average also took about 5 minutes to get a lock from standstill. Replaced for brick issue *incorrect flash being a newb*
cappy 2: Gps seemed to get worse everyday with this phone. mind you change the supl and jupiter tweaks seemed to help just a bit but honestly this one was just not usable. I could get a a lock in 5-10 seconds from a standstill and it would always be 10m accuracy.. so ok, it could help me know where i am immediatly but i cant see me standing in the woods going *deeerp where am i??* This was was replaced for random poweroff issue.
cappy 3: i literally just got this thing 2 hours ago picking up my mail so its fresh as can be guys.. jf6 stock right now. pulled my sim and battery into the phone at the mailbox and immediatly out of curiousity descided to test GPS. in no more than 20 seconds it got a lock of 50m..and then just a few seconds later im 5...5!!!!meters off. My eyes pop out of my head its in my hands at this time so i get ballsy and decide to put it in the lower tray in my car and take a drive. Wow...it just works now. It knew where i was and even told me and showed me a streetview of my destination before i got there...i should note this has NEVER happened i didnt even know it could/would do that :eek.
So my verdict is this. there are sofware tweaks to improve the quality and for some i dont doubt flashing firmware or applying changes has helped...BUT... overall this 3rd cappy is ...it just FEELS like the gps hardware is working right WITH the software. Things could always change with froyo and the the great devs here and if im proved wrong then wow count me impressed. Just dont hold your breath guys
EDIT: just to note exchanging your device is like playing the lottery. although these latest devices seem to have a higher success ratio im noticing. Ill also note i have NEVER exchanged instore but have always used mai to get my new cappy.

Based on the two comments here it sounds like I should try for a 3rd Captivate. Seems like 3rd times the charm. My 1st one GPS didn't work, I didn't run GPS Test or anything. Just know it never locked on me without the AGPS or whatever on. 2nd one same story. I have ran GPS Test on it and I'm lucky if I can get a view of 3 satellites outside in clear sky. It's usually 0 or 1. I've never had a satellite locked on.

Gps broken forever? Hardware or software.

I really need to know because I drive an ambulance for a living is the GPS actually fixable? I love the phone but hate the GPS that locks up and is inaccurate, or just doesnt lock on.The tweaks I've tired. No luck. I called Samsung and asked and they have no clue and think the Sept patch worked. I think its a cover up and the first run is just plain defective. What's the probability its hardware and not fixable.
Thanks Travis

Call att and get it replaced. I got a replacement phone and so far the GPS has worked when I needed it. It locks pretty quickly most of the time. Sometimes it takes 20 to 30 seconds but always locks reguardless
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'm pretty certain it is a hardware problem and Samsung is trying very hard to see if they can fix it, or 'optimize' it, in software to avoid a mass recall of millions of these phones.

Smallsmx - a quick lock is very different from reliable navigation. Driving around using Google Nav as well as analyzing using something like MyTracks is the way to go to see if the GPS is actually accurate.
Here's a track I just created with MyTracks. If you zoom in, you can see that the track jumps between the north-bound & south-bound lanes of the highway several times, as well as veers off of the road several times. These may seem insignificant, but they're the kind of things that play havoc with navigation software (constant re-routing, etc). Also note that I'm in a rural area; i.e. no interference from tall buildings to blame this on...

I'm pretty convinced it is a hardware problem.. I've been through 4 Captivates, and only 1 has worked. The Captivate that has the working GPS works on all ROMs, but works best after JH7 (or the froyo builds). The other 3 Captivates, the GPS doesn't work anywhere.
I wouldn't want to trust my life to the Captivate's GPS navigation! If I found out my ambulance was being navigated by a Captivate, I'd wait for the next one

tblindt said:
I really need to know because I drive an ambulance for a living is the GPS actually fixable? I love the phone but hate the GPS that locks up and is inaccurate, or just doesnt lock on.The tweaks I've tired. No luck. I called Samsung and asked and they have no clue and think the Sept patch worked. I think its a cover up and the first run is just plain defective. What's the probability its hardware and not fixable.
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Please don't use the C(r)appy GPS for anything like that! It's just not up to it! Even if the GPS does work from time to time, you'll spend too much time second guessing it. Get a dedicated GPS that you KNOW works so you can concentrate on doing the important stuff like not hitting other cars and saving lives!
foxbat121 said:
I'm pretty certain it is a hardware problem and Samsung is trying very hard to see if they can fix it, or 'optimize' it, in software to avoid a mass recall of millions of these phones.
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Agreed 100%. If it was a simple software bug, it would have been fixed in JH7. They initially claimed JH7 fixed it... And then they contradicted themselves and said there was no GPS fix in JH7.
So Sammy is confusing us with smoke and mirrors and hoping they can still circumvent what is likely to be a recall only fix. Imagine the impact of a recall. Cost would be huge. PR would be a nightmare. Impact on future Galaxy S sales would be massive. See how cleverly and deviously Apple avoided an iPhone 4 recall with what was clearly a major hardware defect.
And for those of you that say your Cappy's GPS works perfectly, there is one of two conditions that apply:
1. You got a lock while stationary from > x satellites and assume from that alone that GPS works. A better criteria would be GPS tracking while driving in an urban environment with accuracy < 5m.
OR
2. The hardware defect is an intermittent assembly or fabrication issue that shows up in the majority but not all handsets.
So here's to hoping I am wrong and the official Froyo build is being held up while they correct the GPS problem once and for all. If not, here's to class action. In the meantime, Sammy and AT&T product managers, if you are reading this (doubtful) give us the source for 2.2 (kernel, hardware drivers and all) and let the XDA community have a crack at fixing it (and enable HSUPA, FM radio, native etx4, etc while their at it).

Before i flashed to the JPM and the reorinted 2.1 my gps would not get a lock after 10 mins after I flashed to the i9000 rom and shanged the gps settings to ms based I get a lock after 15-25 sec at 15m. its software related and att's reps are just dumb as dog **** and full of it too

tjsooley said:
Before i flashed to the JPM and the reorinted 2.1 my gps would not get a lock after 10 mins after I flashed to the i9000 rom and shanged the gps settings to ms based I get a lock after 15-25 sec at 15m. its software related and att's reps are just dumb as dog **** and full of it too
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Click to collapse
Share a GPS track with us then.....

Tonite I will take screen shots of my gps settings and post them

tjsooley said:
Tonite I will take screen shots of my gps settings and post them
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Click to collapse
No need. We have millions of threads for just that. We need the evidence that you actually use it for navigation while driving. That's where it all falls apart (for majority of the Captivate anyway).
I can get a lock no problem as well with no tweeks in settings. But that doesn't mean the GPS is anywhere near usable.

foxbat121 said:
No need. We have millions of threads for just that. We need the evidence that you actually use it for navigation while driving. That's where it all falls apart (for majority of the Captivate anyway).
I can get a lock no problem as well with no tweeks in settings. But that doesn't mean the GPS is anywhere near usable.
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Misread the forum. I have not used it for a gps on the road for navigation yet.
I have watched it on the way home from work and it was prittyy accurate.
funny thing.
I dont get a lock from my cup holder but i get a lock no problem and the gps works on the dash board.
maby
if it is any differance all the sgs varriants are having a bunch of gps issues.
and there are people that have had no problems.

ianwood said:
Agreed 100%. If it was a simple software bug, it would have been fixed in JH7. They initially claimed JH7 fixed it... And then they contradicted themselves and said there was no GPS fix in JH7.
So Sammy is confusing us with smoke and mirrors and hoping they can still circumvent what is likely to be a recall only fix. Imagine the impact of a recall. Cost would be huge. PR would be a nightmare. Impact on future Galaxy S sales would be massive. See how cleverly and deviously Apple avoided an iPhone 4 recall with what was clearly a major hardware defect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure the loss of future sales will cost Samsung more than a recall. My last 3 phones were Samsung and I sure as hell know if they don't fix the GPS issue, whether it be through firmware or a recall, Samsung will never see another dime from me ever again and I'm sure there's plenty of others feeling the same way.
There would probably also be about no PR. Samsung is no Apple. The media and general public really don't give a damn about them. The issue is not so controversial that the news will pick up on it, like the Toyota recalls. At most there would be a couple sentences on the news about it that most people will just ignore because they don't have the phone. Apple got worse PR by ignoring the issue than if they simply would have addressed it with a recall. They got away with it because they're Apple. 90% of the population worships them.

I was just thinking the same thing. My GPS does not work.
I don't understand people who think it's no big deal. It's a major feature and an Advertised feature...not some hack.
I would not have bought the device without GPS. What if you bought a new car that said it had air conditioning...but after you bought it...you realized it didn't work....no big deal or recall?
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

yea its a cover up
My whole plan and philosophy was that hey Google maps is great and so is Linux so this should, be better than those goofy slow interfaced GPS units.... which always give you the wrong location....
Anyhow I ordered one more..to see if its a dud too.
1ST SAMSUNG AND MY LAST YOU HEAR THAT SAMSUNK.. BTW your customer service is so poor girl who knows nothing about phones and thought the update was "real".

Jupiter fix w/vibrant ROM. Seems like I tried everything. Plenty of sats and locks while stationary. Can't get this thing to maintain lock or be accurate while moving in navigation for the life of me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'm hoping for a software fix, but I'm doubtful that we'll ever see one. This is the same GPS chip as used in at least one blackberry where it has no problem. Combine that with the fact that there's 5 different Galaxy S phones that have these issues, each with slightly different layouts of where the chips are on the board, it's more likely a software issue.
If it is a hardware issue, or if it's a software issue that they never get around to fixing, I could see a very nasty class action lawsuit pop up. Personally, I hate class action lawsuits, as the only people who usually benefit from them are the lawyers, but one can always hope for the best.
One interesting thing I did notice was that when in my vehicle (a Jeep Wrangler with a fiberglass hardtop) or on my motorcycle, the tracks are just about spot on... as long as there aren't any tall buildings right next to me. It stops when I stop, it turns when I turn... You know, pretty much what you expect out of a GPS.
On the other hand, when I'm in a friends vehicle (metal roof, no sunroof), my position wanders all over the place. We stop, but the icon keeps on going. We turn, it doesn't. And, of course, there's always fun times when it thinks your a block or two over from where you are. Oh, and can't forget the lag... sometimes it's as much as 5 seconds behind me.
That makes me suspect the filters Samsung has in place for when the signal is weak. Either that, or the antenna design they use might win the distinction of being the most craptastic one of the decade. Hell, maybe both might be the case.

This whole thing with the GPS has me baffled..after reading a bunch of threads...posts..and personal experience, I believe the problem with the Captivate's GPS is the delay in getting a lock. Once it's locked, the accuracy is excellent. Maybe the agps is not functioning properly...these devices really need agps to get a rapid lock. Is the supl server that is built into the device reliable? I believe this is the crux. Anybody having any inaccuracies is the exception to the rule once the device is locked. But a 3-4 minute lock time is fairly unacceptable

Same results as others. If I have the captivate high up in the windshield so it has a larger uninterrupted view of the sky, it will track almost as well as my Blackberry sitting on the center console. Seems the captivate is not nearly as sensitive as other GPS devices.
As for PR, a recall would not be in your nightly news but it would be all over the trade news. The Galaxy S brand has been in the trade news almost daily for the past few months. A recall would put a serious dent in all that positive momentum. That would have a serious effect on future deals with carriers, retailers, etc. Not to mention investors. And finally disaffected consumers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Mine works with no view of the sky
My GPS is working good after COG Froyo version6. This track is from a mountain bike ride, phone was inside my camelback.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=e...16556845834261.00049360088f52c5ed399&t=h&z=16

nice looking track.. is your navigation app good too???
itsjustaphone said:
My GPS is working good after COG Froyo version6. This track is from a mountain bike ride, phone was inside my camelback.
[/url]
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Click to collapse
Questions for ya if ya don't mind.
1. Did you have problems before with same phone?
2. Phone new or refurbished?
3. When was it made give or take? (maybe import in terms of factory runs???)
Hmm thats it far as identifying maybe some know how to timestamp/get ingo from imei or serial.
I'll post a track from mine in a little bit I Think that would be a great idea for this thread.. POST YOUR TRACKS RESULTS AND BASIC SPECS.
Believe program is called "mytracks"

[Q] Rogers Samsung Captivate - Has it Died on You?

I'm looking to purchase a Galaxy S in Canada, and I'm just worried with the problems that I'm hearing here for the Bell Vibrant owners. For the Vibrant owners, I'm hearing problems such as the internal SD died and so a motherboard replacement is required to fix it, the phone refuses to boot, etc. Owners of the Rogers Captivate, please report back so you can help me, as well as helping other Rogers Captivate owners.
I hope this isn't a repost btw. I did a search and didn't find anything here..

Hey,
I purchased one the day it was released in Victoria, BC. Since then, I've rooted, nandroid backup, and installed the OCLF and a bunch of other cool ****.
I'm constantly turning it on and off. On and off. I have the screen brightness to the max (that's the way I like it), and at stock firmware, it's freaking awesome! Runs really smoothly. I don't really find much lag, but I can see room for plenty of improvement, which are going to be coming up shortly. My biggest complaint is the battery life (65% of mine goes to the brightness), but lasts just as long as any phone on standby. I went on eBay and got 3 batteries and a charger for $10. All hail, removable batteries.
I don't doubt more phones will come out within the next month or two, but if you want one today. I'd recommend it.
Let me know if I can influence your decision in anyway.

100% agree with TheShamsMan above ^
Got this phone from Vancouver @ Day 1 when Rogers launched it. Have done a ton of flashing on it, adding things, removing things, turning on and off the phone..haven't had a single problem with it so far. GPS has worked wonderfully for my needs so far(haven't tried car navigation yet though but i'm sure it would aswell work well). 100% recommend the phone. Even though some info for the Nexus S is out, I think the Captivate's looks beat it hands out. Let me know if you have any question~

Only had it a few days, but delighted with it so far.
I wasn't thrilled with the battery life, until I figured out the default wi-fi sleep policy was killing it.

The phone is pretty good, i've had it about 2 1/2 weeks right now.
I did encounter the shutdown issue though, but after using CaptivateKeepAlive for a little while (and then uninstalling it), it has seemed to gone away, though it did happen one more time recently, so I'm playing around with the battery and seeing what the trouble is (I have contacted futureshop though, and have a replacement phone waiting for me whenever they get more in stock).
Besides that issue, I'd say the battery is the only other thing. It seems to me, that even after applying all the good settings, I use quite a bit of battery. Its hard to tell because I play games on the phone often, but using batteryplotter and spareparts, it seems that most of this is caused by my wifi, and the phone always in a 'running' state. I don't mind very much right now, as I'm always near a plug, and I could make it last a day if I needed to without charging (though no games, and very little use).
So Battery problems, and shutdown problems aside, the phone is lovely. I have no GPS problems like ATT phones report, and no problem with lag either (though perhaps I just don't notice it yet).
All in all, the phone is quick and responsive, and the 16GB internal SD is quite nice. I wonder though, if its possible to use the roms for the ATT captivate on the Rogers captivate? (given the phone is a different model #)

FiniteSM said:
I have no GPS problems like ATT phones report, and no problem with lag either (though perhaps I just don't notice it yet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope the your GPS non-issue is the rule and not the exception on the Rogers Captivate. I do remembering reading an article where a Rogers rep stated that their phone with throughly tested to make sure the GPS was fixed.
Assuming it's the rule ... I wonder what change they made to get the GPS working as it should?

crabjoe said:
I hope the your GPS non-issue is the rule and not the exception on the Rogers Captivate. I do remembering reading an article where a Rogers rep stated that their phone with throughly tested to make sure the GPS was fixed.
Assuming it's the rule ... I wonder what change they made to get the GPS working as it should?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know what they tweaked...but it also works great for me.
All in all the phone is great. I am coming from a Blackberry Bold 9000 that I used for 2 years and decided that I wanted to try something differents.
The Wifi Sleep policy is something you should change when you get your phone.
Settings -->Wireless and network --> Wi-Fi settings --> (menu button) Advanced Settings -->Wifi Sleep policy --> Never
The constant switching between wifi and 3G drains the battery like you won't believe!

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll have an excellent time with my Captivate.
It's nice to hear that no one's Captivates died on them yet. It has me worried, but at the same time I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion.

Hey,
I bought my Captivate from Rogers on Sept 25 (I believe it was the launch date) in Ottawa, ON. I tried out the stock firmware and everything worked swimmingly. I had great GPS locks, the phone was quick enough for anything I did, and did everything it was supposed to. As long as I was mindful of how bright my screen was and whether GPS/WIFI/Syncing was toggled, I was able to push my phone reasonably into the second day without charging it.
Since the first few days, I've been loading Cognition software (currently 2.4) onto my phone. Not because the stock firmware was horrible or anything, I'm just an obsessive tinkerer who needs the absolute best performance and reliability out of his phone. Unlike many of the AT&Ts out there, I didn't break my GPS after loading cognition. My phone is lightning quick, whether it is picking up a GPS satellite lock or playing my music through the auxiliary input in my car. The battery lasts just as long as it ever did, maybe even longer. Again, Cognition isn't a miracle battery cure, and you still have to be mindful of any running apps in the background or if any of the GPS/WiFi/Syncing is toggled to really max out your battery life. Alternatively, you could get an app like locale which automates things like that for you.
If you're looking to buy a version of the Samsung Galaxy S, I really can't think of a better version to buy than the Rogers one. I haven't had ANY troubles with it and it seems to have the least amount of problems between the ones released in Canada and the US. I may be wrong on that, since my researched focused mostly on the Captivate, but perhaps someone could verify what I just said.
I'd go for it,
Tom

The phones pretty damn fantastic, I just wish Samsung would drop Touchwiz and release vanilla Android. Seriously, no one likes it, and everyone likes new versions of Android.

FiniteSM said:
All in all, the phone is quick and responsive, and the 16GB internal SD is quite nice. I wonder though, if its possible to use the roms for the ATT captivate on the Rogers captivate? (given the phone is a different model #)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DOUBLE POST! (Sorry guys, not sure if it's an issue here, I know on some forums it is)
To answer your question, yes you can. Personally, i've had issues with data not working and OCLF + stock is more than fast enough for me, after I got rid of TwLauncher. One thing to note though, is that you will have a permanent ATT screen before the "I896" screen, so if that bugs you, stay away.

I picked up the Captivate last night and loving it a lot. However I am having a few problems with it that I dunno how to solve yet. One of em is the poor battery life, and another is texting. I'm not gonna repost it here. If I have to, I'll make another thread.
Thanks for the feedback guys!

This is all very good news. I had the Samsung Vibrant (Bell) version before and never really ran into big problems other than some freezes, but let go of it because my buddy's internal SD died, so that phobia caused me to get the Captivate, since they are all the same internals..
Mine is coming in the mail from retentions.. Lets hope i'm not disappointed. Already got a case from SGP lined up and on its way, also the 2 battery + battery charger combo. Already know what to expect.. Surprised that the GPS is fixed!.. I will be sure to check when I receive my unit tomorrow.
Has everyone checked it with the actual GPS receiver turned on? Because, I know that the "wireless networks" gps box always works. But what if it is unchecked, and only the GPS box is on, does it still work then?

FiniteSM said:
I wonder though, if its possible to use the roms for the ATT captivate on the Rogers captivate? (given the phone is a different model #)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would also like to know if someone can please confirm whether the roms for the ATT captivate (i-897) are still compatible with the Rogers Captivate (i-896), just incase I want to flash a rom in the future.
Also, if the OCLF is safe to install? Or do we have to wait for one specially made for the Rogers Captivate?

CORRECT Hardware GPS Fix - For Captivate?

Hey guys,
Wanted to know if anyone has tried this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=878970
I was trying to do the same thing on the Captivate realizing that the connector is readily accessible just by opening the battery door. Mine is a 1008 (number below S/N) telling its an August 2010 build so I tried. I am not sure about the results (improvements) and this may be because I am missing something. Want to know if anyone who has 1010 or earlier tried this successfully?!
Also, if that is a true fix which we are hoping, then does that mean the GPS antennae is on the battery door? Is that solid chip looking thing pasted a gps receiver? Experts please comment. And if that is a real antennae on the door, then without the battery cover the GPS should not work at all (with network thing off), but mine did. And if that is NOT the antennae, is it below the screwed down panel below the battery (like the vibrant)?
Just trying help myself and possibly others. Maybe I am going in completely wrong path, but it never hurts trying .
Feedback and comments please.
Thanks!

This would be awesome if it worked but I wanna make one comment. My GPS before the latest Dary 7 roms (The Darky 7/7.5/7.6 and now 7.7 ROMs) has been complete and utter crap. It never could maintain a lock if it ever got one in the first place, but now it is WAY better and even gets a lock when I'm under cover sometimes. Even when I'm driving it is totally usable and feels almost as good as my Nexus One did. I know my phone was manufactured before oct, but try out one of those ROMs before you go modifying your phone physically.

A thread for this fix is located here.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=876179

I have done both, bending the contact up a bit and scraping the film of the other contact off. It definately made an improvement. Now, will that improvement sustain throughout ROM's is a different story. But I definately got locks in 2 different places within 30 seconds. Very accurate locks I might add.

I think that the GPS problem is a hardware issue and not software. Sure, software can make it a little better. I had to replace my phone due to shutdown problem and the GPS on the new phone is absolutely perfect, no matter what ROM I use. That's my 2 cents though.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

just wanted to add this to the GPS saga-
my Father In-law has the Sprint Intercept - this just got the 2.2.1 update - I know this is a different phone than the Captivate and the hardware is probably not laid out the same, but I wanted to compare GPS side by side.. before the 2.2.1 update the phone took FOREVER to get a lock and accurate reading.
So his Intercept in my right hand, and my Captivate with JPY ROM (and with the Google GPS files floating around here as well) in the left hand.
Tapped on Google Maps at the same time, and the Intercept phone got to 2meter Accuracy before the Captivate got to 10M accuracy.

This has already been covered 3 or 4 times on this forum. search before posting please.

You guys should try Doc's 6.2.1 Rom. I am getting instant gps lock and it follows quite well.

Thread moved to General.

Bloody crap gps.

Anybody else's gps connectivity generally crap? Seems to take for ever to connect then struggles to keep a connection.
Any known software conflicts? Running stock 2.35 rom.
No trees, walls, flying saucers in the way and Tried various gps info and fixer appear but to no avail.
Starting to really p*ss me off now.
Ta!
Sent from my HTC Desire S using XDA App

Yes, happens to me too. expecially when i go for walks. It takes reaally long time to load. Use Gpsfix ( Google it, Not able to post link because of post count) . It makes to process a lot faster.

khamoshpathak said:
Yes, happens to me too. expecially when i go for walks. It takes reaally long time to load. Use Gpsfix ( Google it, Not able to post link because of post count) . It makes to process a lot faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be warned that gpsfix adds air push adverts to your phone. You may want to also instal add-on detector to find and remove them.
OP: Are you using a case? You may find that without root, you can't change the agps server location (mine was set to Asia by default) so it takes a while to lock pulling satellite info via 3g from the other side of the planet!
GPS Status and toolbox (which doesn't need root) forces an AGPS data download on startup and might help. Make sure 3g is on.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda premium

Have observed that the GPS fix times are ROM dependent during my journey through many many excellent ROM's available for Desire S. I have even tried the AGPS fix which is recommended in the Dev section which was indeed helping to get a faster fix but the fix wasnt stable afterwards, especially while using apps like endomondo sports tracker..
The first ROM I saw that the GPS was excellent was in MIUI (GB) - without any AGPS or any other market apps or hacks I began to see a fix within 20 secs. Now, I'm presently on Reaper 2.2 (without AGPS fix) and the GPS continues to be excellent (<20 sec fixes).

I'm using ice cold sandwich with GPS+agps fix and find satellites in 3 seconds
Sent by my fingers to your head.

GPS fix issues can be as simple and HW-related as bad contact between the phone cover that includes GPS antenna (I guess it's the lower cover, but it might be an upper cover too), and the golden connector pin on the board. If you test all possible SW workarounds and they don't help - try to locate the antenna and make sure the connection is firm. Look for Vibrant GPS problems, they had such problem in the early batches.

For me the thread AGPS Patch Desire S 3.1 & 2.2 | GET BACK TO RAPID GPS LOCK, CAN LOCK ONTO MORE SATS helped a lot to get rapid GPS lock. Though, I'm not sure if root is needed for all installation methods. Good luck!
P.S.: The described patch is allready included in some custom roms like Endymion.

Jack_R1 said:
GPS fix issues can be as simple and HW-related as bad contact between the phone cover that includes GPS antenna (I guess it's the lower cover, but it might be an upper cover too), and the golden connector pin on the board. If you test all possible SW workarounds and they don't help - try to locate the antenna and make sure the connection is firm. Look for Vibrant GPS problems, they had such problem in the early batches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GPS and WiFi antennas are in the upper (camera lens) plastic cover, and, yes they use sprung pins to (hopefully) make connection. The phone antennas are in the lower (battery) cover.
I have found that many types of case massively deteriorate GPS reception of my phone. What puzzles me is why some users seem to be entirely unaffected; it's almost as if individual phones vary; even as an experienced engineer I cannot expalin it.

Since cases create mechanical pressure on the phone body and the contacts are very sensitive to their cover bending (they usually have a very light touch), it might be one of the reasons for reception deterioration. Sometimes even a hit of a falling phone can either destroy reception or improve it - saw it happening live on friend's Desire HD, it was very funny to see how the GPS that wouldn't lock properly for weeks, after the phone fell, started locking in 5 sec all of a sudden. Pure plastic cases shouldn't matter for reception otherwise, or at least I can't think of how can they possibly interfere.
By the way, Desire S' GPS is a bit on a weaker side - I compared it side-by-side to my MT4G, and it's always several lock seconds and a couple of locked satellites below. It should be plenty powerful for a good fast lock, though, and that's why I suspect disturbance on the HW side, rather than SW misconfiguration.

now that you guys are talking about cases, I was using a case mate barely there case before... long time ago gps fix was on the slow side (around a min).. but somewhere down the line of moving across ROM's I moved to MIUI GB (with the case still present) and the fix improved (without any AGPS patches or GPS fix apps).. now I dont use the case and have moved to Reaper CM7 based ROM and the GPS fixes are brilliant... looking at the build of Desire S I dont think that the contacts for GPS, wifi or phone antennas are at fault or can change with just a fall.. I can't pin the problem but I definitely feel removing the case has helped the gps fixes.

Jack_R1 said:
GPS fix issues can be as simple and HW-related as bad contact between the phone cover that includes GPS antenna (I guess it's the lower cover, but it might be an upper cover too), and the golden connector pin on the board. If you test all possible SW workarounds and they don't help - try to locate the antenna and make sure the connection is firm. Look for Vibrant GPS problems, they had such problem in the early batches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems legit. By so far I am experiencing also constant GPS problem. It really might be the problem. I will make a try and let here know how it goes.

Forwox said:
Seems legit. By so far I am experiencing also constant GPS problem. It really might be the problem. I will make a try and let here know how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clining contact did not help..
adding some wires to the antena (made some improvement)..
Than i orderd "new antena" for 8 eur form "Taiwan".
no may fix quick and with 12-18m an i does not lose fix anymore..
(and now i have working gps.. after 1 year of trying roms and waiting for better radio firmwares)
---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:38 PM ----------
fasty said:
What puzzles me is why some users seem to be entirely unaffected; it's almost as if individual phones vary; even as an experienced engineer I cannot expalin it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have first version of gps antenna which has been silently improved..
I bougt new antena (upper cover) and wifi antena is printed the sesame number, but gps antena has an number increased by 10. (which by my means, mean new version)
And with "new antena" i have reliably working gps now.
(htc service (here in SLO) wanted th have the phone one service for 14 day-s thats teh reason i didnt apply for warranty repair)

on stock rom gps is really slow..i have that experience before,actually one of the reason i rooted mine...now,got gps locked in less than 15 minutes...(my gps always turn off,on when want to use navigation only)

oTeMpLo said:
Clining contact did not help..
adding some wires to the antena (made some improvement)..
Than i orderd "new antena" for 8 eur form "Taiwan".
no may fix quick and with 12-18m an i does not lose fix anymore..
(and now i have working gps.. after 1 year of trying roms and waiting for better radio firmwares)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's awesome! Could you please share a link to that item, please? I am really interested in that. I am still fighting with GPS. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don't...