Related
So after reading around and trying things and discovering that LbsTestMode.apk doesnt exist for our phone, I just editted the file directly.
So without futher ado follow the below steps to see if it fixes YOUR gps.
MOST of the credit for this goes to the guys in the captivate and vibrant forums.
1. Copy the following into a file named secgps.conf
Code:
#Generated by GpsLocationProvider.
#Thu Dec 02 13:09:21 EST 2010
SSL=1
SSL_TYPE=0
POSITION_MODE=7
OPERATION_TEST_MODE=0
ACCURACY=50
SESSION_TYPE=1
SERVER_MODE=0
ENABLE_NMEA=false
START_MODE=HOT
GPS_LOGGING=0
AGPS_MODE=0
DYNAMIC_ACCURACY=1
ADDRESS_MODE=1
TIME_BTW_FIX=2000
OPERATION_MODE=MSBASED
USE_DEFAULT=true
DYNAMIC_ACCURACY_VALUE=50
SUPL_PORT=7276
ENABLE_XTRA=true
SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
NUM_OF_FIX=999999999
TIMEOUT=3600
2. adb push secgps.conf /sdcard/secgps.conf
3. adb shell
4. su
5. remount rw
6. cat /sdcard/secgps.conf > /data/gps/secgps.conf
or copy it with root explorer of esfile explorer
7. reboot
Secondary fix to help speed up gps locks.
Code:
Use Root Explorer or some other method (I use Root Explorer as it has a built in Text Editor and automatically backs up the altered file.) to go to here:
system/etc/gps.conf
Use the text editor to alter the gps.conf file to this (if you are in the US):
NTP_SERVER=us.pool.ntp.org
XTRA_SERVER_1=north-america.pool.ntp.org
XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
Now go to some place you should normally get a gps signal and launch maps.
this should correct it.
Couple of notes, this file appears to be dynamically generated, so if we can someone get a LbsTestMode.apk that works with the epic, or a script to copy the file over cron based through to make sure the settings stick that would be best.
if your gps stops working as it did after the fix, simply copy it back to /data/gps/ and reboot.
This is entirely a beta attempt and may not correct anything..
this is also for ADVANCED people, do not bother posting if you dont understand how and what you're doing above as we're not here to hold hands we're here for a solution.
art3mis-nyc said:
So after reading around and trying things and discovering that LbsTestMode.apk doesnt exist for our phone, I just editted the file directly.
So without futher ado follow the below steps to see if it fixes YOUR gps.
MOST of the credit for this goes to the guys in the captivate and vibrant forums.
1. Copy the following into a file named secgps.conf
Code:
#Generated by GpsLocationProvider.
#Thu Dec 02 13:09:21 EST 2010
SSL=1
SSL_TYPE=0
POSITION_MODE=7
OPERATION_TEST_MODE=0
ACCURACY=50
SESSION_TYPE=1
SERVER_MODE=0
ENABLE_NMEA=false
START_MODE=HOT
GPS_LOGGING=0
AGPS_MODE=0
DYNAMIC_ACCURACY=1
ADDRESS_MODE=1
TIME_BTW_FIX=2000
OPERATION_MODE=MSBASED
USE_DEFAULT=true
DYNAMIC_ACCURACY_VALUE=50
SUPL_PORT=7276
ENABLE_XTRA=true
SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
NUM_OF_FIX=999999999
TIMEOUT=3600
2. adb push secgps.conf /sdcard/secgps.conf
3. adb shell
4. su
5. remount rw
6. cat /sdcard/secgps.conf > /data/gps/secgps.conf
or copy it with root explorer of esfile explorer
7. reboot
Secondary fix to help speed up gps locks.
Code:
Use Root Explorer or some other method (I use Root Explorer as it has a built in Text Editor and automatically backs up the altered file.) to go to here:
system/etc/gps.conf
Use the text editor to alter the gps.conf file to this (if you are in the US):
NTP_SERVER=us.pool.ntp.org
XTRA_SERVER_1=north-america.pool.ntp.org
XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
Now go to some place you should normally get a gps signal and launch maps.
this should correct it.
Couple of notes, this file appears to be dynamically generated, so if we can someone get a LbsTestMode.apk that works with the epic, or a script to copy the file over cron based through to make sure the settings stick that would be best.
if your gps stops working as it did after the fix, simply copy it back to /data/gps/ and reboot.
This is entirely a beta attempt and may not correct anything..
this is also for ADVANCED people, do not bother posting if you dont understand how and what you're doing above as we're not here to hold hands we're here for a solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol... i'll hold ur hand. Plus it seems that the GPS locks faster now. but like u said it's temporary
I was playing around with this at work yesterday (also saw this on the captivate forum), but didn't have time to give it a test last night.
Here is a reference for more info on the captivate discussion http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=789383
Edit 20101203:
There are four major things going on in this fix, so lets talk about each one separately.
============================================================
1) Operation Mode - Switch to MSBASED
Standalone - The handset has no connection to the network, and uses only the GPS satellite signals it can currently receive to try and establish a location.
MS Based - The handset is connected to the network, and uses the GPS signals and a location signal from the network.
============================================================
2) Switching from WARM to HOT
Should make getting a fix faster provided you have cache money.
##GPSCLRX# if you aren't feeling as fresh as you would like to be
============================================================
3) SUPL server change for SUPL
Broadcom's Hosted Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP) offers Mobile Network Operators (MNO) and service providers all the functionality of the most precise wireless location technologies including Assisted GPS (AGPS) without the need to make investments in Location Based Services (LBS) infrastructure.
SUPL is the emerging standard developed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) for AGPS using existing IP networks as the underlying data bearer. SUPL lends itself very well to a hosted
solution where the vendor takes responsibility for providing a specified quality of service, assured by Service Level Agreement.
Doing a quick pingarooski, the google SUPL servers seem to be faster
============================================================
4) Time server
Do-whatcha-like but if you are in the US, the pool us.pool.ntp.org is probably going to be the fastest. But hey be my guest. If you want to run a time server from your phone you could always put in localhost.
How did you switch from hot to cold start? The old dialer code doesn't work in froyo.
Is this file erased with #gpsclrx## dialercode?
Hi, I have a broken GPS. Im running the Froyo Stock(ish) ODIN Tar that has the built in root and clockwork.
I was running 2.1 Epic Experience before and GPS worked fine. I wiped my data and cache and then used ODIN to flash the DK17 Froyo.
My GPS has not worked and I have not gone back to other roms just to perform a workaround.
I did try as you suggested with the secgps.conf file but it still will not give me a lock.
Thanks for all your efforts on this.. I really want GPS working
Brian
Gps would not work at all, before.
This fixes it for me.
For those wondering, it didn't work until I did both fixes. do both fixes...
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
brian_hoffman said:
Hi, I have a broken GPS. Im running the Froyo Stock(ish) ODIN Tar that has the built in root and clockwork.
I was running 2.1 Epic Experience before and GPS worked fine. I wiped my data and cache and then used ODIN to flash the DK17 Froyo.
My GPS has not worked and I have not gone back to other roms just to perform a workaround.
I did try as you suggested with the secgps.conf file but it still will not give me a lock.
Thanks for all your efforts on this.. I really want GPS working
Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this issue. I put on stock..got a gps fix. the applied a froyo ROM Quantum over my stock..got another GPS fix. THEN I wiped the froyo ROM.
All good now. I use ##GPSCLRX# to reset the GPS if it's taking to long too lock. I get lock in about 10 seconds now. 9 satellites and more.
ZenInsight said:
I had this issue. I put on stock..got a gps fix. the applied a froyo ROM Quantum over my stock..got another GPS fix. THEN I wiped the froyo ROM.
All good now. I use ##GPSCLRX# to reset the GPS if it's taking to long too lock. I get lock in about 10 seconds now. 9 satellites and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm hesitant to format my phone.. I just got it up and going and customized and synced. Not that its THAT big of a pain..
I guess I just hoped I could run this build till the official froyo comes out without re-doing everything.
On a side note, I did try both the above fixes as it was mentioned that it worked for someone else.
I also tried your ##GPSCLRX# to clear my GPS.. But it didn't work.
At this point it may be best to start over again.
I tried downloading some GPS test app, flashing some update.zip (gps Fix) from a different thread, manually changing the files mentioned here and clearing my GPS from the dialer code.
I'm feeling defeated, I'm not sure why we need to lock in a from a different modem. I'm guessing it generates some file? that sticks on a system upgrade?
I really hope this gets resolved the right way.
My GPS was working wonderfully using Mammon's Froyo 1.0.3 (I went through a bit of a process inspired by the first Froyo GPS fix post, involving flashing to DI18 and getting a lock before flashing Froyo)
Then today the nav program started to lose the GPS signal (going back to maps or toggling the GPS off and on seemed to get the signal back, but it was still flaky). I tried parts of this mod (I left start mode on warm and operating mode on standalone, going to experiment with each setting one at a time to look for any noticeable changes)
So the only thing I changed so far is the uml server and port, and while I am getting roughly the same performance as before the change, now my position is off - it used to be almost spot-on when reporting anything lower than 4m accuracy, but now it claims 1m and is still a good 15 feet (roughly 4 - 5m) north east of my actual position. It's still plenty accurate enough for navigation, so this is simply an observation - the google server appears to be slightly off, whether it's an (admittedly tiny) location error, or the maps aren't quite in sync with the GPS data on the server (I don't know much at all about how GPS works, so if anyone can explain the uml's role in the locating process, or anything else about how GPS works under the hood, please enlighten us)
That being said, I do think that I'm getting a lock ever so slightly quicker, but I was already getting a fairly rapid lock pre-mod so it's hard to be certain.
fastmikey1969 said:
How did you switch from hot to cold start? The old dialer code doesn't work in froyo.
Is this file erased with #gpsclrx## dialercode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is no dialer code(or associated program) in froyo on the epic for some reason hence the need to automate a cron to replace this file once it's been editted.
you can switch it just by editing the file directly and changing but im still not sure under what circumstance s the file gets regenerated dynamically.
brian_hoffman said:
I'm hesitant to format my phone.. I just got it up and going and customized and synced. Not that its THAT big of a pain..
I guess I just hoped I could run this build till the official froyo comes out without re-doing everything.
On a side note, I did try both the above fixes as it was mentioned that it worked for someone else.
I also tried your ##GPSCLRX# to clear my GPS.. But it didn't work.
At this point it may be best to start over again.
I tried downloading some GPS test app, flashing some update.zip (gps Fix) from a different thread, manually changing the files mentioned here and clearing my GPS from the dialer code.
I'm feeling defeated, I'm not sure why we need to lock in a from a different modem. I'm guessing it generates some file? that sticks on a system upgrade?
I really hope this gets resolved the right way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no real reason to format the phone, give the above settings a try thoruhg whatever file explorer you use and see how it works.
if nothing else it may work for a few hours
The "gps fix" post by BThomas22 does some of this (modifies the /system/etc/gps.conf). I'm curious about "secgps.conf" as it doesn't exist on the filesystem at all typically, and there's already a "gps.conf" with those settings in it. Are you sure that tool didn't just do backups to a secgps.conf or something? Are we sure this file is actually read?
This also seems more likely to help with slow locks and cache issues some people are facing, but is almost certainly not the solution to the no GPS at all issue some people are having after flashing a froyo modem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=839710 has an inexplicably working solution (verified by several people including myself) for at least some of the people who get no lock ever. If you're on a froyo modem, install "GPS Status" or "GPS Test" from the market and if you don't get any sats in view, you'll likely be fixed by those steps.
I haven't had the cache/slow issue, so I can't speak to whether this helps that or not, but the AGPS parts seem as though they would.
drunix said:
The "gps fix" post by BThomas22 does some of this (modifies the /system/etc/gps.conf). I'm curious about "secgps.conf" as it doesn't exist on the filesystem at all typically, and there's already a "gps.conf" with those settings in it. Are you sure that tool didn't just do backups to a secgps.conf or something? Are we sure this file is actually read?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope not at all.
This also seems more likely to help with slow locks and cache issues some people are facing, but is almost certainly not the solution to the no GPS at all issue some people are having after flashing a froyo modem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=839710 has an inexplicably working solution (verified by several people including myself) for at least some of the people who get no lock ever. If you're on a froyo modem, install "GPS Status" or "GPS Test" from the market and if you don't get any sats in view, you'll likely be fixed by those steps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That method has also not worked for a lot of people as well, so it's rather hard to say. I suspect that the only reason the modem flash "works" is because it caches data that the dk17 modem then reads as far as sat position and other things to basically give directions without actually "locking". No sats in view could also mean you just dont have a good line of site either(happens to me at work until i move near a window)
I haven't had the cache/slow issue, so I can't speak to whether this helps that or not, but the AGPS parts seem as though they would.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And the ntp part is meant to speed up caching and lock but the rest of it is more to configure it correctly.
I don't have the gps problem at all so couldnt say for sure.
PS: did you try this on your phone completely without other gps "fixes" or did you just come in to post a rather meaningless post about a bunch of stuff we're already aware of and attempting to dealing with, and not offer any solution or any new information or even just results?
brian_hoffman said:
I'm hesitant to format my phone.. I just got it up and going and customized and synced. Not that its THAT big of a pain..
I guess I just hoped I could run this build till the official froyo comes out without re-doing everything.
On a side note, I did try both the above fixes as it was mentioned that it worked for someone else.
I also tried your ##GPSCLRX# to clear my GPS.. But it didn't work.
At this point it may be best to start over again.
I tried downloading some GPS test app, flashing some update.zip (gps Fix) from a different thread, manually changing the files mentioned here and clearing my GPS from the dialer code.
I'm feeling defeated, I'm not sure why we need to lock in a from a different modem. I'm guessing it generates some file? that sticks on a system upgrade?
I really hope this gets resolved the right way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same/similar issue with GPS not working at all. Sound 0 satellites. Tried all of the stuff, but the only thing that I found to fix it was to redo the ODIN flash of froyo. I hope that helps.
ZenInsight said:
I had this issue. I put on stock..got a gps fix. the applied a froyo ROM Quantum over my stock..got another GPS fix. THEN I wiped the froyo ROM.
All good now. I use ##GPSCLRX# to reset the GPS if it's taking to long too lock. I get lock in about 10 seconds now. 9 satellites and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get a good lock as well(most of the time). How do you see how many satellites are locking? I get accuracy reading of 8ft but nowhere does it state how many satellites...
1deviant said:
I get a good lock as well(most of the time). How do you see how many satellites are locking? I get accuracy reading of 8ft but nowhere does it state how many satellites...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get the app GPS Status, that will show ya all the infos
art3mis-nyc said:
The "gps fix" post by BThomas22 does some of this (modifies the /system/etc/gps.conf). I'm curious about "secgps.conf" as it doesn't exist on the filesystem at all typically, and there's already a "gps.conf" with those settings in it. Are you sure that tool didn't just do backups to a secgps.conf or something? Are we sure this file is actually read?
Nope not at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you delete secgps.conf and reboot, the file is regenerated. This would seem to indicate that it is being used, as it is recreated upon reboot if it is missing. If it exists, it isn't overwritten however.
Also, gps.conf does not have the same settings as secgps.conf.
plapczyn said:
If you delete secgps.conf and reboot, the file is regenerated. This would seem to indicate that it is being used, as it is recreated upon reboot if it is missing. If it exists, it isn't overwritten however.
Also, gps.conf does not have the same settings as secgps.conf.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phil, you're very smart! Thanks for the info!
chillaxtodamax said:
Phil, you're very smart! Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Yuhan. I was waiting all semester for you to tell me that.
plapczyn said:
Thanks Yuhan. I was waiting all semester for you to tell me that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. See you in homeroom on Monday!
How to fix the gps on the Samsung captivates GPS.
Insted of MS Based use MS assissted
Lbstestmode -> application settings -> operation mode-> MS Assisted
Let me know how it gose
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
*facepalm*
This does nothing. It makes it marginally better at best (read: not better at all). If you're really having that much trouble, flash to KB1 and use the PlumbBob GPS fix. Those ACTUALLY do something.
For most your suggestion will give them the most lag and least accurate GPS positioning.
I suggest you in stall Adams GPS fix to your phone, that or use ga_D's. (gadnarf_gpstweak_att)
Both are much better than what Samsung has provided...
There is also plumbBob GPS fix, but when I tried his version 2nd Beta 6, my GPS only saw 2 sats with no locks even with 10+ minutes of waiting... I did not try version 1 of his fix.
As for the GPS settings, use either Standalone or MS Based(some drift with this setting, much less than ms assisted) . Set your support server to google, distance to 80 and good luck...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
mwiz123 said:
How to fix the gps on the Samsung captivates GPS.
Insted of MS Based use MS assissted
Lbstestmode -> application settings -> operation mode-> MS Assisted
Let me know how it gose
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MS Assisted = uses cell towers only to determine position. Intended to be used for 'dumb phones' that are not GPS equipped or where only 'coarse' location data is required.
MS Based = uses cell towers to provide approximate location for initial fix, then GPS thereafter.
Thing of it is, Samsung's configuration interface for the GPS is so silly that changes in LbsTestMode don't always really affect anything. If you're getting good results after applying this 'fix' it's just coincidental, or perhaps that you'd finally used GPS long enough to get almanac and ephemerides downloaded over the satellite signal and your GPS was able to function unassisted.
What about this has anything to do with development?
crenshaw1979 said:
For most your suggestion will give them the most lag and least accurate GPS positioning.
I suggest you in stall Adams GPS fix to your phone, that or use ga_D's. (gadnarf_gpstweak_att)
Both are much better than what Samsung has provided...
There is also plumbBob GPS fix, but when I tried his version 2nd Beta 6, my GPS only saw 2 sats with no locks even with 10+ minutes of waiting... I did not try version 1 of his fix.
As for the GPS settings, use either Standalone or MS Based(some drift with this setting, much less than ms assisted) . Set your support server to google, distance to 80 and good luck...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.0 is in beta. It's still in development and is very much a work in progress and still has some issues. 1.0 is stable.
Thread moved.
Plumbob GPS fix works.
After flashing continuum, my gps works great (for this phone ). If you check the OP on Continuum in development, it says which gps fix cezar used.
Sent from a place my wife doesn't know about (yet)
After flashing Andromeda v3, the gps works great! Gets a lock and STAYS locked for once!
My personal experiences with MS Assisted and supl.google.com etc are that it works great for a few days... Tracking and all. Then you start to only see satellites and never get a lock...
The GPS on my warranty replacement works great out of the box.
Hooligan63 said:
The GPS on my warranty replacement works great out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you please be so kind as to post the info on the phone?
What's under "settings-->about phone:
--> Model Number
--> Firmware Version
--> Baseband version
-->Kernel Version and
--> Build Number?
What's under the battery? (aka 1004, 1008, etc -- mine says "1010 rev. 0.4"
Thanks!!
DD
I decided to make this a separate post...
My original phone had all sorts of trouble - GPS was the worst. I don't know what my original one was, I do recall I'd applied the OTA update that was supposed to fix the GPS issue - it didn't.
So I got a warranty replacement phone - it worked fine out of the box, but the next day it was doing the same old crap.
This one came with the OTA update pre-installed. It's a "1010 rev. 0.4" if I'm reading the sticker under the battery correctly...
I read countless pages of stuff online, tried various "fixes" that were posted, all with similar results.
One discussion I read was posted by a guy who claimed some GPS expertise, and indicated that the problem was in the driver - to paraphrase from memory it was something like the cache was getting corrupted and the HW/driver wasn't cleaning it up.
He basically said that they needed to write a new driver, but until hen you could use a 3rd-party app to clear the cache and re-download clean data from the satellites.
I found a (FREE!) app called "GPS Status & Toolbox" by author "EclipSim" (Disclosure: I have NO CONNECTION to this guy, just like his app!)
It has 2 menu options:
"Tools -->Manage A-GPS State-->Reset" and
"Tools -->Manage A-GPS State-->Download"
After doing those, it will usually grab a fix within 15 seconds at most. Once it's "timestamp" is updating every second (you'll see, in the app) I can then switch to Google Maps and it too will get a fix before too long.
Another nice thing about the GPS Status app is that it shows you how many satellites you "see" vs how many you're connected to. When it only sees one or 2, or when it sees a bunch but isn't connecting, you can be sure you need to reset/download again...
This thing DOES eat battery - so it's a good idea to be plugged in, or to kill the app once you've got Maps working the way you need it to...
Yes - it's a PITA to have to do all this to get a basic function of this high-dollar phone to frigging work - but it beats having it NOT work...
Hope this helps someone!
DD
Dedicated_Dad said:
Would you please be so kind as to post the info on the phone?
What's under "settings-->about phone:
--> Model Number
--> Firmware Version
--> Baseband version
-->Kernel Version and
--> Build Number?
What's under the battery? (aka 1004, 1008, etc -- mine says "1010 rev. 0.4"
Thanks!!
DD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a refurb warranty replacement which came loaded with 2.2 Froyo
SGH I897
I897UCKB1
2.6.32.9
1008.
Tested again last night on two rides. Worked great even sitting in the cupholder. Major improvement over my original Captivate which was returned for speaker problems.
not really much better for me.
Connor1 said:
Plumbob GPS fix works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it dose try it
Plumbob didnt do much for me. I am pretty well convinced that with the utmost optimization, the crappy hardware in the captivate can operate marginally well at best.
Ryans Plumbob fix does work. Its a much better improvement over stock on defected models. I had a 1009 and it worked great but the tracking and navigation were still buggy unless the phone was placed on the dashboard. (Always had a larger blue circle and would skip at times).
Finally gave up and noticed that the local atnt is a device service center. Went in and got a refurbed 1008 with stock 2.2 and the navigation is excellent. Even sitting in my lap...
I mean you all should still have the 1 year warranty. Just find a service center and exchange your phone. Hell the refurbed one I got was in better cosmic condition then my original.
YoungGun821 said:
After flashing Andromeda v3, the gps works great! Gets a lock and STAYS locked for once!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running Andromeda3 and my gps sucks!! Could it be google maps?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
DaWongOne said:
I'm running Andromeda3 and my gps sucks!! Could it be google maps?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i know everyone will tell me im wrong but try running the samsung gps restore app once then remove it from your phone. it is free in the market. and i assure you t doesn't revert to stock settings. atleast not in any location that i am aware of. i have checked the jupiter .xml and secgps.conf and lbs test mode before and after running the app and it doesn't revert anything. but it does seem to clear errors that may be caused by messing with settings without haveing a proper jupiter.xml or config file first. for instance on old roms if i chose msbased mode in lbs test mode it would work for 6 minutes and turn off. even after reverting the settings and clearing gps data the gps would turn off after 6 minutes. running gps restore or doing a factory reset were the only two things that would make my gps work again.
also yes google maps and captivates dont agree with each other 100% of the time. it is thought by some that the gps is recieving interference from the cell antenna (that's one theory at least) so the more data you use as you navigate the more issues you might see if that is true. try a gps app that downloads the maps to the phone. it takes up alot of space but if the app agrees with the phone it is worth it. in the past i had trouble with some aftermarket apps as well while others swore the same apps had solved there navigation problems, so try a few and find one that works. navdroyd is great on my phone.
also, though people are raving about plumb bob's fix, i have more blue circles with it. the problem is the msbased mode. it doesn't work on my phone very well. (back to the data/interference theory) i instead use Da_g's fix the control plane version with lbs test mode supl settings set to control plane and i turn off dynamic accuracy. and i use the kc1 modem. there are other modems with good gps but kc1 has the best call quality of them.
The inconsistent GPS on our phones had me looking for a solution. We had two choices, run stock-based roms to get lightning fast GPS, or run AOSP based roms and get spotty, work-when-I-feel-like-it GPS.
I wasn't content with running stock-based roms, so I tried all the following:
1) Fasterfix/bloater/gpsstatus - No go
2) Editing gps.conf to reflect my area in addition to utilizing supl.google.com and tmobile's supl server - No go
3) Adding in the SuplRootCert file to /system/etc and calling for it in gps.conf - No go
I was looking through one thread where the user Docmjldds mentioned that one difference between most modded roms and stock roms was the build.prop. Apparently the modified build.prop file doesn't "name" the correct phone, so the tmobile servers don't register them as one of their own. This translation may not be correct, but I figure that in layman's terms it'll fit.
Anyways, he suggested to do this:
1) Use root explorer or a similar program to access your /system
2) Modify build.prop within the file explorer, or copy it to somewhere where it'll be easier to modify
3)Paste the following lines into your build.prop under the Additional section at the end:
ro.com.google.clientidbase=android-lge
ro.com.google.clientidbase.ms=android-hms-tmobile-us
ro.com.google.clientidbase.gmm=android-lge
ro.com.google.clientidbase.yt=android-lge
ro.com.google.clientidbase.am=android-tmobile-us
ro.ril.def.agps.feature=1
ro.ril.gprsclass=10
Make sure you remove any duplicates from the old build.prop contents.
4) Save it, and make sure the permissions still match (looks like a mirrored 7 in the permissions boxes in root explorer)
5) Head on over to this thread and follow his directions
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1264427
I had a pretty heavily modified gps.conf, but for simplicity's sake I went with what the OP recommended (it's more streamlined than most custom gps.conf's you'll find)
Complete all that, ensure that permissions are correct, then restart your phone.
I tested both of these using maps and gps status. Maps would typically take well over a minute to lock with my phone on the window sill. Gps status would normally show 3/4 satellites after 1 min or so. After the two mods I posted up above, I get 5/5 or so locks from my window sill within 20 seconds. Mind you I have some roof overhanging my window sill so there's no direct line of sight going up.
Huge thanks to nrvnqsrxk and Docmjldds!
Edit - removed the last addition "ro.telephony.default_network=0" Apparently it was hosing the GPS for some. Thanks for all who chimed in.
I'm going to try this now, but do watch this line you suggested we add:
ro.telephony.default_network=0
Right now line is commented out (with the same value, 0) in the most current CM7 build.prop with the comment: "# This appears to be causing "Unknown" network type"
I'm going to try it without that line first. I can't imagine it has anything to do with GPS anyway (just tells the phone whether to prefer GSM or WCDMA network).
GPS seems to be working better after applying this fix, but it is still not 100%. Seem to have to enable Wi-Fi to get a good 20m lock, which is near instant now where before it would never occur. Without Wi-Fi on the GPS still never quite locks up any closer than 500-1100m.
I followed link you posted and replaced files in system/etc....damn so far instant locks every time, i have tried it several times during the day and all of them lock up within 5-10 seconds. Thanks for the post.
Working fine tnks
Need flashble zip for g2x.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
sukhochir said:
Need flashble zip for g2x.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somebody will have to help you out with that one, I have no idea how to do it.
sukhochir said:
Working fine tnks
Need flashble zip for g2x.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You dont need flashable nothing, just copy the dloaded files and paste them in the right place, make sure the permissions for the new files are the same as the old.
Update: just confirmed it, this morning jogging turned on gps instant lock!
Wow, this "fix" annihilated my GPS. For 5 minutes I waited and it never once picked up a satellite. Not even putting backups back could fix it; I had to re-flash the rom.
Sent from my Nexus Prime using XDA Ultimate App
LordButtersI said:
Wow, this "fix" annihilated my GPS. For 5 minutes I waited and it never once picked up a satellite. Not even putting backups back could fix it; I had to re-flash the rom.
Sent from my Nexus Prime using XDA Ultimate App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At first I followed all the steps, from updating the build.prop and pushing the files in the other thread, and it too did completely break my GPS.
Then, on the latest Nightly, I tried updating the build.prop again, leaving "ro.telephony.default_network=0" commented out, and didn't push the additional files in the other thread, and now I'm getting locks within 30 seconds. I'm going to give this some time to see if it continues to work well.
I only pushed the two files i dloaded from the link in op, its a gps.conf and a suplrootcert, fixed permissions to match original ones and i was amazed at the results, did nothing to build.prop. This is for tmo only i belive.
fcisco13 said:
I only pushed the two files i dloaded from the link in op, its a gps.conf and a suplrootcert, fixed permissions to match original ones and i was amazed at the results, did nothing to build.prop. This is for tmo only i belive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy crap, that worked perfectly! Ten second locks, and I've tried EVERYTHING before this!
Disregard this
I know man, still can't believe how good my gps is now, have been testing it often and it never fails locks within seconds!
It seemed to fix at first, but if I drive around it still can't lock even though it sees 10 satellites. It locks fast if I there is a wifi hotspot nearby. Try going somewhere where there is no wifi see if it still locks fast.
serglex said:
It seemed to fix at first, but if I drive around it still can't lock even though it sees 10 satellites. It locks fast if I there is a wifi hotspot nearby. Try going somewhere where there is no wifi see if it still locks fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only use wifi in my house, once i leave wifi is off and i still get instant locks. I have tried when i leave work and jogging in the morning.
Fix is working perfectly for me. Running CM7 nightly build 173 on T-Mobile. GPS lock in under five seconds with a clear sky in a field.
Even if wifi is off it still for some reason locks faster if wifi hot spot is nearby. Also it takes forever to lock if I am driving on a freeway. I am in utah so it may be different here
Yeah i would assume if you on a freeway it will take a bit longer, it is still the best my gps has been on cm7 fits kang, im going to try miui and the fix to see if it helps, miui had bad gps for me.
I updated build.prop and attempted to flash the (correct) zip in the linked thread but that failed for some reasons that made my eyes glaze over. Decided to try out the results anyway: getting locks in < 5 seconds whereas before I got a Location Unavailable every time I tried with Wifi off. As soon as I get my 10 posts you'll be gettin some thanks from me! Cheers.
Great find, thanks a lot!
I don't take credit for this, I'm just basically confirming that if you are inside the US, the following tweak should improve lock speeds and accuracy. I was able to lock on inside my house < 10 secs, with a 6 meter accuracy. It's been done on a number of phones -- just posting it for the folks here who haven't found the tweak yet.
It requires root - see the threads in this forum.
To install it, you should create a backup of your /system/etc/gps.conf file before doing anything. The easiest way is to use Root Explorer and then copy the file to somewhere on your sd card. (Make a directory, or put it in a safe place).
[ Edit: Sorry, I'm having trouble getting the new file attached - the links below work (I think) but look sort of funny ]
Download and unzip the file View attachment 784134, then copy the attached file to /system/etc/gps.conf. Reboot or power off/on and you are done. (Again, use Root Explorer if you aren't comfortable enough with terminal/adb shell to do this on your own.)
Alternately you can edit your existing file with the text editor of your choice. All you are doing is replacing the NTP server and adding the SUPL lines at the bottom.
Code:
# Thanks to Da_G from the xda-forums for additional information on data for
# the below changes. Switch to the us.pool.ntp.org for better time resolution
# inside the US, but the xtra1 servers are good worldwide. You can
# Also just choose one of the below *.pool.ntp.org areas for where you plan
# to use your GPS.
########################################
###Uncomment only one NTP_SERVER line!##
########################################
##### US Time Servers
NTP_SERVER=us.pool.ntp.org
##### Worldwide
#NTP_SERVER=xtra1.gpsonextra.net
##### Continental Servers
##### Asia
#NTP_SERVER=asia.pool.ntp.org
##### Europe
#NTP_SERVER=europe.pool.ntp.org
###North America
#NTP_SERVER=north-america.pool.ntp.org
XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
# DEBUG LEVELS: 0 - none, 1 - Error, 2 - Warning, 3 - Info
# 4 - Debug, 5 - Verbose
DEBUG_LEVEL = 5
# Intermediate position report, 1=enable, 0=disable
INTERMEDIATE_POS=0
# GPS Capabilities bit mask
# SCHEDULING = 1
# MSB = 2
# MSA = 4
# default = MSA | MSB | SCHEDULING
CAPABILITIES=0x7
# The SUPL_HOST and SUPL_PORT lines below can be commented out if
# you will be using your GPS outside the AT&T network and/or outside.
# the US. The Skyrocket is configured to use the AT&T servers by
# default, and Da_G's says that the AT&T has a more accurate
# geolocation database.
#SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
#SUPL_PORT=7276
After you have made the changes reboot your phone. (power off/on)
Here's the gps.conf file - just unzip it and replace. It is *NOT* something that can be flashed, just the conf file: View attachment 784134
Enjoy.
tejones36 said:
I don't take credit for this, I'm just basically confirming that if you are inside the US, the following tweak should improve lock speeds and accuracy. I was able to lock on inside my house < 10 secs, with a 6 meter accuracy.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone already does this, even while indoors. Has anyone been having worse GPS quality?
Mine was at 25ft previously. It's been reported on quite a few forums to improve both lock time (mine improved here as well) and accuracy.
Two seconds to first lock with 3 sats. 4 seconds later floating between 9 and 10 sats locked.
F'n sweet. No tweaks needed.
gheck911 said:
Two seconds to first lock with 3 sats. 4 seconds later floating between 9 and 10 sats locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine improved from 5m to 3m accuracy indoors and better lock times so I thought I'd share something I found useful.
Daedalus_ said:
My phone already does this, even while indoors. Has anyone been having worse GPS quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. We shouldn't be scaring people into thinking that the SR has accuracy issues.
Dranakin said:
Same here. We shouldn't be scaring people into thinking that the SR has accuracy issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By that logic, we shouldn't be building custom kernel's or ROMs - we shouldn't be scaring people into thinking that the SR has UI or development issues right?
tejones36 said:
By that logic, we shouldn't be building custom kernel's or ROMs - we shouldn't be scaring people into thinking that the SR has UI or development issues right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know that's not even a logical analogy. Don't be a douche now.
Does this file work on all GB devices, or at least Samsung devices, or at least least an Infuse?
thx
Yup, pretty much everything that I've seen so far.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
(nothing to see here, move along...)
How is the GPS Lock and Tracking say compared to HTC or Motorola? Just wondering because I am debating on going back to BB tomorrow and swapping out my HTC Vivid for this phone. Just slightly worried as I have hear horror stories about Samsung and horrible GPS.
malickie said:
How is the GPS Lock and Tracking say compared to HTC or Motorola? Just wondering because I am debating on going back to BB tomorrow and swapping out my HTC Vivid for this phone. Just slightly worried as I have hear horror stories about Samsung and horrible GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about either of those phones, but I had the Captivate which was pretty horrible. both the SGS2 and the skyrocket are excellent right out of the box with none of those problems.
This post was meant to be about getting that last couple percent of accuracy and lock time, or to possibly help if someone had a restricted view of the sky via the SUPL lines at the bottom of the config along with closer geographic time servers. I've used the GPS heavily in the last couple of weeks and it's been terrific.
( Obviously the Skyrocket was only released this past Sunday, but I was using the OGS2 prior to returning it for the Skyrocket upgrade. )
tejones36 said:
I don't know about either of those phones, but I had the Captivate which was pretty horrible. both the SGS2 and the skyrocket are excellent right out of the box with none of those problems.
This post was meant to be about getting that last couple percent of accuracy and lock time, or to possibly help if someone had a restricted view of the sky via the SUPL lines at the bottom of the config along with closer geographic time servers. I've used the GPS heavily in the last couple of weeks and it's been terrific.
( Obviously the Skyrocket was only released this past Sunday, but I was using the OGS2 prior to returning it for the Skyrocket upgrade. )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good to know. I am actually one of those that has issues getting gps lock in my house not sure even this will help considering I have a tin roof. Still good to know that this has good GPS out of the box.
(wave) Hi
On the topic of this thread,
I did some disassembly on the GPS kernel module, and it is looking at 3 seperate config files for configuration infos. /etc/gps.conf, /data/data/angryGps/secgps.conf (i think there's a com.android in there, have to go double check, don't remember from memory) and /etc/loc_parameter.ini.
loc_parameter.ini appears to be the most interesting one, with a number of previously undocumented configurations. Notably the GPS is always defaulting to start up in "driving mode" vs. "pedestrian mode" which anyone familiar with the function of GPS will know means there is a filtering algorithm active to prevent some GPS updates from getting to the user (if the location has not moved more than 5 meters in any direction since the last update, assume this falls within the margin of error and report no movement)
Pedestrian mode is desirable in many cases as there are no GPS reports filtered out and you get the constant position updating every second.
Also the GPS driver reports 1Hz update mode, which is common for consumer level GPS receivers. More expensive/higher level receivers can report as fast as 3 times per second. It might be possible to tweak our GPS to perform similarly (boy wouldn't that be sweet)
Lastly, the GPS driver defaults to full verbosity in logcat output. This might be slightly detrimental to performance and flipping a simple bit in loc_parameter.ini cuts the amount of output by a large amount with every position update.
Out of box the GPS daemon is configured to use AT&T's SUPL server, so switching to google's SUPL server should actually be detrimental to GPS time-to-first-fix performance, since AT&T has a much more accurate geolocation database driving their SUPL platform vs. google. Outside of the US however, I imagine google's SUPL server will perform better. Also, outside of AT&T's data network their SUPL server is not accessible, so this is another case switching to google's SUPL server would be advantageous.
Further disassembly tonight
Da_G,
Thanks for the very informative post! Glad to see someone well versed in the subject commenting.
Da_G said:
I did some disassembly on the GPS kernel module, and it is looking at 3 seperate config files for configuration infos. /etc/gps.conf, /data/data/angryGps/secgps.conf (i think there's a com.android in there, have to go double check, don't remember from memory) and /etc/loc_parameter.ini.
loc_parameter.ini appears to be the most interesting one, with a number of previously undocumented configurations.
.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This does sound pretty interesting and worth playing with. Is there an easy way (like killing a process, like in system panel or from a terminal) to get the process to reread the config file short of a reboot? I have no idea if mobile phones can take a kill -HUP <pid> and reread, or just a -TERM and the system restarts it.
Pedestrian mode is desirable in many cases as there are no GPS reports filtered out and you get the constant position updating every second.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does sound interesting - I wonder if the "pedestrian" routing on google maps actually does something besides changing how it routes - maybe it also changes the gps functionality as well?
It might be possible to tweak our GPS to perform similarly (boy wouldn't that be sweet)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely!
Lastly, the GPS driver defaults to full verbosity in logcat output. This might be slightly detrimental to performance and flipping a simple bit in loc_parameter.ini cuts the amount of output by a large amount with every position update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you'd like me to include that file with instructions in the first post, I can certainly do so (and properly accredit you of course).
Out of box the GPS daemon is configured to use AT&T's SUPL server, so switching to google's SUPL server should actually be detrimental to GPS time-to-first-fix performance, since AT&T has a much more accurate geolocation database driving their SUPL platform vs. google. Outside of the US however, I imagine google's SUPL server will perform better. Also, outside of AT&T's data network their SUPL server is not accessible, so this is another case switching to google's SUPL server would be advantageous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. What amount of time do you think the first fix might be delayed, order of magnitude wise? (1s, 10s, etc.) I'd trade a short period of time for better global/rural data possibly, but it's good to know the trade offs.
Further disassembly tonight
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thanks for the info!
So I tried to download the attachment didnt work. Then I tried to put in that information and rebooted. But it still doesnt lock on with google maps.
atomoverride said:
So I tried to download the attachment didnt work. Then I tried to put in that information and rebooted. But it still doesnt lock on with google maps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've included the full file now in the main post, it's working on my phone. Here's a copy of the file as well - I'll try to relink it in the original post.
gps.zip - gps.conf replacement: View attachment gps.zip
@Da_G
Is the 5 meter update condition meant to filter out noise from inaccuracy? Does increasing the Hz on the position update compromise battery life?
@tejones36
Earlier I wasn't trying to be rude, I was just saying that my GPS works fine and if yours isn't it might've been broken.
What is the address for AT&T supl? Or does it default to this if you have no supl lines?
Good evening guys-
After updating from ICS to JellyBean, my gps cannot find or lock onto any satellites.
If I enable wifi, its accurate to 20meters.. If not, it won't lock even after 15 minutes.
Any help is greatly appreciated-
mine has been similar in PA2.00 and CM10.
It actually will lock after a long time. Sometimes up to 30 minutes.
Interested in any answers... I noticed in the gps.conf file agps appears to be off. I don't know if that is the issue.
Unfortunately searching for a fix just reveals too much information with a lot of supposed fixes, but no consensus so far as i can tell.
brian Marshall said:
mine has been similar in PA2.00 and CM10.
It actually will lock after a long time. Sometimes up to 30 minutes.
Interested in any answers... I noticed in the gps.conf file agps appears to be off. I don't know if that is the issue.
Unfortunately searching for a fix just reveals too much information with a lot of supposed fixes, but no consensus so far as i can tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually agps was turned off to improve lock times...some people noticed no difference with it off, others noticed huge improvements with half the lock time
You can change it to true, then wipe cache and dalvic cache in recovery and see if it makes a difference
Sent from my SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2
mg2195 said:
Actually agps was turned off to improve lock times...some people noticed no difference with it off, others noticed huge improvements with half the lock time
You can change it to true, then wipe cache and dalvic cache in recovery and see if it makes a difference
Sent from my SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is that a 'go ahead and try it, it wont work, but go ahead and try it anyway' ?
It seems like a lot of people are having problems with GPS in jellybean, and some aren't. There's so many 'this worked for me' solutions, but I'm starting to think it's coincidence.
Someone mentioned installing and running copilot once. Did that. it didn't work. Without root permissions what could it really change to improve anything?
I ran Faster Fix. It edited my gps.conf file (which it doesn't tell you that it does) It didn't help. it might have made it slightly worse.
I found a few other gps.conf files for jellybean ROMs, but haven't tried those yet.
This is how we learn and share our info, by trying. Just make a back up of anything that you want to change or replace.
GPS works perfect on my PA Jelly Beaned Infuse. First I ran GPS Test, it took a good twenty minutes if not more for it's first lock.
But now, I get a lock in a few seconds.
GPS Test, is free in the market.
Planning my escape!
GPS Test has kicked my GPS in the butt and got it working with almost every ROM I've flashed. Once you get over that first delay (downloading satellite data?) the first time you run it, it locks on fairly well afterward. At least, that's been my experience
Truckerglenn said:
This is how we learn and share our info, by trying. Just make a back up of anything that you want to change or replace.
GPS works perfect on my PA Jelly Beaned Infuse. First I ran GPS Test, it took a good twenty minutes if not more for it's first lock.
But now, I get a lock in a few seconds.
GPS Test, is free in the market.
Planning my escape!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already done that. It helped the next time I ran maps. When i left work yesterday I had maps give me turn by turn directions home. It took a couple minutes to lock, but after that it was working.
Then this morning I tried again. It wouldn't lock at all on the way in to work this morning. (only a 15 minute drive)
I also tried editing my GPS conf file this morning. I tried using ES file explorer, root explorer, and flashing. All three resulted in an empty file. ES says it was successful. Root explorer gives an error message 'there was not enough free disk space to complete the paste operation'
Flashing says it was successful, but again, it ends with an empty file. 0 bytes.
The file i used for the flash attempt is here. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1817558
With the gps.conf file I'm going to go leave the phone out in my car with gps on and see if it locks.
I understand that developers do a lot of work on this. I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just see a lot of people having the same issue and no agreement on a solution or even what the actual problem is.
brian Marshall said:
...
I understand that developers do a lot of work on this. I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just see a lot of people having the same issue and no agreement on a solution or even what the actual problem is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe this is because there is no solution. If you want to try to help solve the problem, "adb shell" in and start tinkering.
You'll quickly find that GPS is anything but an easy thing to fix. A good SUPL provider for you may be completely different for others.
I can't find the Answer that fixed it for me,
but what I did:
Plug phone in, disable wifi, leave phone near window, and let
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...251bGwsMSwyLDYsImNvbS5hbmRyb2lkLmdwc3Rlc3QiXQ..
that app run... :45 minutes later it locked (GPS icon on Status Bar stopped blinking and showed locked, solid) with 7 satellites.
waited, rebooted the phone, and it locked in about 3 minutes.
-hope this helps.
other than that, love this ROM!
choffman said:
I believe this is because there is no solution. If you want to try to help solve the problem, "adb shell" in and start tinkering.
You'll quickly find that GPS is anything but an easy thing to fix. A good SUPL provider for you may be completely different for others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that is an actual answer.
I suppose part of the problem for us noobs sorting through 300 page threads is all the filler with people saying "great rom omgz so awesome" even when they are posting on the first page and the ROM hasn't even been up long enough to do much more than flash it and swipe through the home screen.
All through out the CM10 and PA threads there are people saying GPS is working flawlessly... and then other people saying they have some fix. I guess people aren't supposed to post frivolous stuff in the dev threads, but they do.
Anyway, I ended up going back to GB as GPS is something I really need.
Hey guy's, i've also been having allot of issues with GPS just not being what it used to be, and it's pretty obvioius that this is an issue across the board for all JellyBean roms. I think those who mention that "GPS works flawlessly" don't quite understand the issue with AGPS (Assisted GPS), or they are not quite testing it thoroughly enough to see the problem.
To get an understanding of what AGPS is, and how it helps improve initial lock times, have a read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS
Also, to gain a better understanding of what I mean by "cold start" as you read below, and how it differs from a warm or hot start please read the following: http://m.gsmarena.com/glossary.php3?term=gps
That being said, i have been doing allot of digging in the hopes that someone out there has a solution to the problem with AGPS on the CM10 based ROMs on our phone.
To clarify the problem: AGPS does not seem to work and Initial lock times from a cold start can take several minutes, (this is not normal if AGPS is doing it's job). To clarify further, no one is saying that GPS does not work, it does in fact work, it just takes it's sweet time to lock and it seems to rely on pure GPS to download ephemeris data from the actual GPS birds for satelite lock acquisition, rather then downloading AGPS data over the network to speed things up. After the initial lock though, GPS functions as it should. After this point, if you do not use the phone again for several day's, it seems that upon first firing it up again you will experience the long delay in first lock. This is especially true if you keep GPS services turned off ussually to conserve battery. Those who report GPS is fine are probably keeping GPS services on all the time, and your GPS is probably working in the background at times and obviously will start up allot faster then it would from a cold start. (This is where i believe all the conflicting info comes from!)
The only info i have been able to find that did actually have an impact on my lock times was the thread below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1881655
I just started testing this out yesterday and i have seen some positive results. But i would caution those of you out there, and say that this is probably not a "fix" per se, but it did help cut down lock times in my case and at the very least it is a very inoformative thread that everyone should read.
What i have realisticly been able to achieve from a cold start is about 75 seconds to lock at the fastest. i.e. GPS services were off, i turned them all on, and now i started up GPS Status or GPS Test to get a lock. After that, as long as I haven't rebooted my phone it takes only a few seconds to lock.
How i tested, i started GPS Status, I then went to Tools --> MANAGE A-GPS STATE -> RESET (This is important to ensure you are clearing previously cached data. We want to make sure your previous cached info does not skew the effects of your changes.
I then replaced the gps.conf with the one contained in that thread, and i also made the change that was suggested in the Notes section that suggested modifying or adding a line in your build.prop file to "ro.ril.def.agps.mode = 1". This change set's your gps to use AGPS in Mobile Station Based (MSB) mode. For reference, setting it to "2" would set your AGPS to function to Mobile Station Assisted (MSA) mode. (Mode 1 - gave me more accurate initial locks at the expense of a bit longer lock times, Mode 2 gave me slightly quicker initial lock times, but was rather flaky and my position drifted quite a bit until GPS was running for quite some time.)
If your curious what is the difference between the two modes, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS#Modes_of_operation
After making the changes to gps.conf and build.prop i rebooted my phone. When phone reboots, i then go back into GPS Status app, select settings, Tools --> MANAGE A-GPS STATE -> RESET, and then back to settings, Tools --> MANAGE A-GPS STATE -> DOWNLOAD (This should force the phone to attempt an AGPS download, if it hasn't already done so upon launching the app).
I have seen this same gps.conf being used in the newer RemICS-JB build. However based on the lack of feedback in that thread, i don't know if this is the golden fix we have all been looking for.
Even though this may not fix all your issues, i hope at the very least it helps clear up what the actual problem is, and how AGPS is supposed to work.
** Important Notes: **
- The version of the config that i was using was the Download the Google Specific No-SSL v3.1
- If you use the SSL version, then it will also require that you download the certifcate file. It's best to just stick with NO SSL as is explained in the thread.
- You should also note that i have cleaned out all the live wall papers, face unlock, and allot of other crap that i don't use to free up space in the /SYSTEM partition. I now have aproximately 21MB free in this partition. I think at least part of the problem with certain ROM's is that they have the /SYSTEM partition filled to the max with virtually no free space at all. I'm no expert on the subject, but i'm guessing that the AGPS data get's downloaded to this partition some where. Obviously if there is no space, then that would cause issues. Several others have reported shortened initial lock times after making room in the /SYSTEM partition.
- Another mistake people are making when testing AGPS and reporting false info, is having their WIFI on when testing GPS. To isolate the issue guy's you need have wifi off and you need to use a tool like GPS Status or GPS Test that shows that actual lock to satelites. You cannot properly test this and see the issue by using WIFI and turning on Google maps. Google maps will look at your reported wifi position and to you it looks like bamm.. i just got a lock in 2 seconds to withing 50 meters, wow these guy's are nut's, my GPS is awesome. Guess what.. your wifi and google maps is awesome.. not your GPS.. lol
- If anyone is familiar with running log's, it would be great if you could do a comparison of before and after. Showing the log of a completely fresh JB build, that shows that the AGPS data is not being downloaded, and then another log after all the changes above (including freeing up space in /SYSTEM) and hopefully it will show that AGPS data is now being downloaded and utilized. I myself am not familiar with logging data on the infuse, so i cannot and will not call this a fix until someone can actually show with real log's that AGPS data is now being utilized after these mods.
Thankfully, I'm one of the lucky ones who have always had a working GPS. It worked great when I was running AT&T stock Froyo, really good while I was on XDA GB roms, and fair > good after I went to PA JB. By far Scott's latest release of PA JB has been the best in this respect, but I can't help but tinker now that I've turned into a Droid zombie Strictly speaking the stock GPS configuration included on Scott's PA JB ROM worked charmingly, but I still had an issue whenever the phone went into deep sleep (say overnight without using it) the GPS lock the next morning took almost as much time coming from a sleep state as a cold boot. So, Like DaMeatMan I decided to give http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1881655 a go. I chose the flashable option, and like DMM also edited the prop file. I picked the Google "no SSL" version 3.1 instead of the AT&T specific version. I figured I would give that one a try.
I'll keep everyone posted, buy my first impression (could be placebo effect) is that this configuration file and modification actually does improve over the original PA JB configuration by a small margin. Reported accuracy is better (by 10ft on average). Satellites in view and actually locking are 1-2 better than before. My main hope is that I can actually fire up Navigation in the morning and get working directions without having to fire up GPS Test first and relock all the NA satellites. I travel a lot, both for business and outdoor sports (hunting and fishing), and I have come to rely pretty heavily on GPS. I got spoiled when I got my first GPS capable phone because that meant I could leave my handheld GPS at home most of the time and that was one less thing I had to carry.
wevsspot said:
Thankfully, I'm one of the lucky ones who have always had a working GPS. It worked great when I was running AT&T stock Froyo, really good while I was on XDA GB roms, and fair > good after I went to PA JB. By far Scott's latest release of PA JB has been the best in this respect, but I can't help but tinker now that I've turned into a Droid zombie Strictly speaking the stock GPS configuration included on Scott's PA JB ROM worked charmingly, but I still had an issue whenever the phone went into deep sleep (say overnight without using it) the GPS lock the next morning took almost as much time coming from a sleep state as a cold boot. So, Like DaMeatMan I decided to give http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1881655 a go. I chose the flashable option, and like DMM also edited the prop file. I picked the Google "no SSL" version 3.1 instead of the AT&T specific version. I figured I would give that one a try.
I'll keep everyone posted, buy my first impression (could be placebo effect) is that this configuration file and modification actually does improve over the original PA JB configuration by a small margin. Reported accuracy is better (by 10ft on average). Satellites in view and actually locking are 1-2 better than before. My main hope is that I can actually fire up Navigation in the morning and get working directions without having to fire up GPS Test first and relock all the NA satellites. I travel a lot, both for business and outdoor sports (hunting and fishing), and I have come to rely pretty heavily on GPS. I got spoiled when I got my first GPS capable phone because that meant I could leave my handheld GPS at home most of the time and that was one less thing I had to carry.
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I have been have many of the same problems as others in this thread but I tried the fix in the S3 thread quoted above and it seems to have helped for right now. The first time I ran GPS Test after rebooting it did take a while (5-8min), but after that I get a lock in few seconds. I used the Google "no SSL" package also. I will do some more testing tomorrow and see if its reliable.