weak GPS signal problem? - LG V20 Guides, News, & Discussion

Is anyone experiencing problem with their GPS signal? Mine would lose the GPS lock constantly. Thanks.

Working fine on my end. Out and back, my drive was 5 hours total.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

No, no problems at all. And I used the GPS allot.
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

Make sure yours is set to High accuracy. Mine was not after set up. I had to change.
Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

Even in high accuracy, I lose the gps signal frequently. Sigh

Do you have a case on your phone?
I just got my cases in and have noticed weaker gps performance since putting the phone in a case.

I've been having major GPS problems. Going for a run and expecting the phone to track my route and calculate my speed accurately shouldn't be too much to ask in late 2016. But my phone constantly loses the GPS signal (this was never a problem with my previous phone in the same location) and even when it doesn't, it can't figure out where I am. My run traces often show me two streets over in addition to thinking I'm jumping back and forth across a busy 5-lane road every 5 seconds or so. I run 6 miles and the phone thinks I've gone 8.25. Not useful for training for events.
Even if you don't want to use the phone to track exercise, there's another reason the bad GPS is annoying. It makes it impossible to take advantage of the feature allowing you to unlock the phone without using your fingerprint or pin based on your location. I have my phone set to be unlocked at home, but the phone apparently can't tell when I'm at home, making this setting completely useless.
As to GPS issues while driving, I haven't noticed them, but I've not used the phone for navigating either.
Would like to mention that while I have a case on it, it is quite light and doesn't seem like it should interfere so badly with the GPS. Will try checking the accuracy without the case and will update if this resolves the issues. Also, I have tried tinkering with the GPS accuracy settings but even selecting all the options to optimize accuracy has not worked for me.

The only thing you can do to test the case theory is to use the phone without that case. That said, it is possible you have a defective phone. I have read many articles about poor GPS being caused by a loose, internal connection. You might want to take your phone to a repair facility and have them check it out.
I have a US996 and, so far, GPS is nice.

how
wtharp2 said:
The only thing you can do to test the case theory is to use the phone without that case. That said, it is possible you have a defective phone. I have read many articles about poor GPS being caused by a loose, internal connection. You might want to take your phone to a repair facility and have them check it out.
I have a US996 and, so far, GPS is nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how can you change it to high?

No issues on my end yet, I use it navigating on a daily basis (racking up Waze points basically) and walking around, can't think of maybe one time it lost GPS driving and that was only briefly.

Mine was misbehaving horribly. I tried using google maps to see if it was something to do with Navigon, (my normal gps app) and somehow it seems like just running maps fixed it. It has been working great with Navigon now.
Go figure.

GPS on my Sprint version has worked great in all 3 options since day 1
Sent from my LG V20 using XDA Labs

On my rooted VS995 software version VS99513A on notsostock kernel v1.2 the GPS seemed to never be able to locate my current location. When I used it before without root it picked up quickly. Am going to try nostock kernek v1.1 the updated version and see if I get a difference. Plus now am running magisk instead of supersu so will see if that makes a difference.

It's possible that the a-gps data is corrupt. I'm not sure how you'd go about clearing that. There must be a cache file associated with gps daemon.
Try installing this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2
And when GPS isn't working, run the app and see if it's receiving/decoding any satellites at all (bar lengths indicate strength, colour indicates successfully received all ephemeris data from satellite and therefore has lock - it can take a while without a-gps).
---------- Post added at 08:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 AM ----------
P.s. I found that taking the back off my phone improves Wi-Fi. Metal blocks radio signals.
If you have low or no signals in a specific location, try popping the back of the phone and seeing if the signals become useable.

mmar3087 said:
Is anyone experiencing problem with their GPS signal? Mine would lose the GPS lock constantly. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to bring up an old thread. I just bought a used LG V20 (at&t version, H910) on Craigslist the other day, and have had GPS issues that made me highly annoyed like I bought a lemon phone, and was getting ready to call LG Support, and pay a lot of money for repairs.
Happily, I did discover a trivial solution that I haven't really seen, so I thought I'd share it.
After I purchased the phone, I factory reset it. It seemed like the device would be able to triangulate a position, but it would be unreliable, move around, and the accuracy would be highly variable. (observed in Google Maps and Waze). These symptoms seem to be consistent with other people's experiences. The useful and highly recommended "GPS Status" and "GPS Test" apps, that normally show visible satellites were showing ZERO satellites. As suggested in various places, I used "GPS Status" to re-download the A-GPS databases, set "sensor filtering" to medium. Still, zero satellites, but a semi-functional GPS, which is confusing. I found the hidden menu code for the H910 (*#546368#*910#), and SAAT->"Manual Test"->"GPS/BT/Wifi test" and ran the hardware-level GPS diagnostics. I was getting signals of 0.0 db for GPS and GLO satellites, kind of suggesting the GPS hardware was faulty, and made me even less optimistic/more annoyed.
I was basically convinced GPS on my phone was kaput, and would need to be serviced, until I discovered ........
Rebooting the phone solved all of the GPS problems, and made GPS and GNO satellites visible and now GPS is 100% functional. It seems that since I initially factory reset the phone and did my normal installation, I never did a simple reboot. Since I haven't seen that kind of obvious solution on any of the forums, I thought it would be useful to report. I'm cautiously optimistic that was my only problem ......
good luck
=mxasf=

Bought a used one and having problems: it'll fix on several satellites but it's usually unable to acquire the specific location (latitude and longitude). Depending on the program, it will say "waiting for GPS fix" in osmtracker or "looking for GPS location" within 'GPS Status' (the app).
When it does get a 'Lock' (a specific location), its accuracy is 200-300m off. :/
I tried some of the other common tips and tricks:
I've downloaded new A-GPS data (using the 'GPS Status' app); tried using the GPS without my case on; doing a simple reboot, none of them work.
After more searching, I found this guide: https://imgur.com/a/VxeaU which recommends to place copper tape on the GPS antennas of your phone.

i have 2 V20's.. the one i bought back for myself is 12/2016 and another one is another batch 3/2017 for my wife..
What i'll found is the earlier one ( 12/2016 ) have the following issue :
- overheat
- kaput gps
- screen burn
While the one i bought for my wife ( 3/2017 ) doesn't even have the following issue above.. Furthermore, the screen also different.. my wife V20's tend to have a more saturated color, brighter screen and doesn't overheat as much as mine..
My conclusion is, only those with earlier batch of production have all this defect.. and to those who own it ( including me ).. i guess, we're unlucky!
i'll use my wife V20's as gps since mine V20 is good for nothing when GPS is a needs.... if she's not around, i'm totally doomed !
-----
if you guys wonder, there was no different in camera.... unlike G6 ( pheww~ )
both my and my wife V20's produce the same images quality..

mxasf said:
Rebooting the phone solved all of the GPS problems, and made GPS and GNO satellites visible and now GPS is 100% functional. It seems that since I initially factory reset the phone and did my normal installation, I never did a simple reboot. Since I haven't seen that kind of obvious solution on any of the forums, I thought it would be useful to report. I'm cautiously optimistic that was my only problem ......
good luck
=mxasf=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an old common fix

skorasaurus said:
Bought a used one and having problems: it'll fix on several satellites but it's usually unable to acquire the specific location (latitude and longitude). Depending on the program, it will say "waiting for GPS fix" in osmtracker or "looking for GPS location" within 'GPS Status' (the app).
When it does get a 'Lock' (a specific location), its accuracy is 200-300m off. :/
I tried some of the other common tips and tricks:
I've downloaded new A-GPS data (using the 'GPS Status' app); tried using the GPS without my case on; doing a simple reboot, none of them work.
After more searching, I found this guide: https://imgur.com/a/VxeaU which recommends to place copper tape on the GPS antennas of your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed that guide (credit https://www.reddit.com/r/lgv20/comments/7fx2gz/becareful_buying_the_top_plastic_bezel_of_the_v20/)
and bought copper tape (https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Conductive-Adhesive-1inch-12yards/dp/B018RDZ3HG) off amazon.
For me and my VS995; there were metal contacts (see picture 1 of the imgur album) and the metal contacts were silver, not gold.
Nonetheless, I put some copper tape only on the first contact as shown in picture 1 and my signal improved dramatically. The lowest accuracy that I can get (lower is better) now is about 8m and it has been hovering around 15m; and still takes a few seconds to
This is compared to my s5, where I could get an accuracy as low as 4-5m and usually hovers around 8-10m and could obtain my location within 10 seconds after turning on GPS.

Related

Fuze: GPS Faaarked :(

Ok, I've moved from a Touch Pro to a ex-AT&T Fuze so that I could get 850Mhz band I needed on Telstra (Australia). It's all working awesomely thanks to the guys help here and after a diversion where I had to get my SIM card holder replaced.
Now the remaining glitch is that the GPS is totally unusable Which is a show stopper since I use it a lot. I had it in the car for a 2 hour drive, and it only found one or two satellites the whole time, and they were not strong enough to get a lock. Most of the time it showed zero. Sometimes I eventually get a lock, but it doesn't last.
By comparison the Touch Pro has no problem getting and keeping a GPS lock under the same circumstances (with the two units side by side). They are both running Tael's ROM and the same version of Tomtom. Google Maps has the same issues.
Two possibilities I can think of are:
1) The Fuze has a bad radio ROM and upgrading/downgrading might help
2) When the phone repair place replaced the SIM holder, they didn't connect the GPS aerial correctly - so I'll need to take it back
For #1, I'm a bit doubtful as it is reporting v1.14.25.35, protocol 52.64c.25.35U and this thread seems to rate the GPS reception as one of the best. Also can I put any Raphael radio ROM on the Fuze? Or do I need to find an 850Mhz AT&T one?
#2 is going to be awkward as I'll have to convince them they have done something wrong and get them to repair it free of charge. Can anyone tell me how likely this is? Has anyone pulled one of these units apart? Is the GPS aerial something that they may have just not plugged in?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated. (I'd be over the moon if there was a simple software fix. Anything else I should check? (I have updated QuickGPS with the latest data etc).
Thanks in advance!
I'd say run GPS Test while standing still and wait for a lock - I'm not sure what conditions you've tested in, but I've had experiences in the past with the Fuze (and a magellan) that if you were driving, the thing would take forever to get a lock if you didn't get a lock before moving.
Also; I'm running 1.14.25.05 - I ran .35 for a while, but reverted because NRG uses the .05 rilphone.dll; you could try that....
Thanks for the reply, but I've tried it standing still. Very occasionally I can get a lock, but it takes about 30 minutes, and doesn't seem to matter if I am moving or not. My Touch Pro is running a really old radio (10.x from memory) and it can lock and hold the satellites fine.
Has anyone pulled one of these things apart and can tell me what could be a hardware issue? Is the GPS aerial something which needs to be plugged into the mainboard for example?
Does your quick gps have the correct regional setting? Check HKLM/Software/HTC/QuickGPS. There is a value for region-I'm not sure if it updates automatically or not for your location. All I know is that my fuze's GPS sucked donkey balls in the UK. Normally, it just sucks French Poodle balls. I don't use A-GPS, so that wasn't the issue.
Hmm...ok. I had assumed that A-GPS was the technology, and QuickGPS was HTCs implementation. Are they different things?
Anyway, both the Fuze and the Touch Pro are running exactly the same ROMs (Tael's latest) with the same QuickGPS software and identical registry settings (but different Radio ROMs).
I just did a refresh of the QuickGPS data and put them side by side on my balcony for about 10 mins. Ran Tomtom with the GPS diag screen. Not a great view of the cloudy sky, but...
Touch Pro:
Shows a number of satellites, and finds reception from 3 or 4. The dots move around the compass a bit. Not as many detected initially (grey dots down the bottom of the screen is only about 10). Still can get a signal from one satellite sitting inside on my couch.
Fuze:
Full bottom row of grey dots, but didn't get any signal from a single satellite the whole time. Nothing. Also, the positions of the satellites on the compass seem to be in different places than the Touch Pro.
Re the region settings... the registry on both devices doesn't have this entry. There is a curRegion=dword:00000000, but no region at all. I'm wondering why this would be needed since the Touch Pro doesn't have it either and seems to work, but suggestions are welcome.
I notice there is no Services key either, like I found in some other posts. eg:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Services\QuickGPS]
"Keep"=dword:00000001
"Index"=dword:00000000
"Order"=dword:000000FF
"DisplayName"="QuickGPS app service"
"Description"="dll for icon in TodayScreen"
"Context"=dword:00000000
"Dll"="GPSAux.dll"
"Prefix"="GUX"
Again, the Touch Pro is working fine without this, but is this still needed in modern ROMs?
Still wondering if this is a hardware problem. Can anyone tell me how likely it is that the phone repair guys forgot to plug an aerial in or something?
Also, is there any better GPS diag software or is Tomtom the best bet?
Thanks.
A-GPS and QuickGPS are unrelated. A-GPS uses cell towers to help get a fix. If you've got the same roms on each device, I'd guess they're working the same. I think the gpsaux.dll service just warns you when the data expires, but I'm not 100% sure of that.
Try different radios; that's all I can suggest. The GPS on my fuze pretty much blows, so you're not alone.
Ok...how do I turn AGPS on again then?
By "pretty much blows" I assume you don't mean you can drive on an open freeway for 2 hours with clear skys and only faintly see one satellite the whole time do you?
I was kinda happy with the GPS on the Touch Pro even though it would sometimes take until the end of my street to get a lock.
Wonder if I should do a hard reset before taking it back to the repair shop... sigh.
You can turn A-GPS on with advanced config, and also enable logging, which will tell you if it's working or not. These are the keys for logging (I don't use it, so mine are blank).
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver]
"MaxLogFileSize"=dword:00000000
"OldLogFile"=""
"CurrentLogFile"=""
I think that A-GPS is HKLM\software\HTC\SUPL-AGPS\enabled=1, or something like that.
I used to get pretty good cold locks, like in less than 2 min reliably, but now it seems to take forever, as much as 30 min. It seems like my gps has gotten worse over time. Once it's locked, it works fine, though.
Ah yep - thanks. Advanced Config says "Assisted GPS = Yes". It's logging, but for some reason I can never open the log file (error, cannot be opened). The backup log file opens, but I'm not sure how to read it. About 4 lines with seemingly random text and lots of commas...
Ok, this is still not working...
I took it back to the repair place, who opened it up, did a visual inspection and told me there was nothing wrong with the hardware. They said it is a software problem (which it may be, but faaarked if I can work out what)
I have downloaded the HTC GPS Tool. I don't exactly know what the log data that it shows is, but I'm guessing since it seems to connect ok to COM4 that it is finding the GPS chip in my phone, just not getting anything useful as far as a signal goes.
Does anyone know how to read the logging data from this tool? I'm guessing that just because it is receiving data doesn't mean that it can see any satellites (since it performs just as well indoors)
Next I tried loading 'Raphael Radio 1.08.25.20M1' and the relevant Rilphone cab - when I read up about Rilphone cabs I started to wonder if that was the source of the problem, since I assume TEAL's ROM doesn't include the specific version for my radio. No luck though.
Next I put on the latest TEAL ROM, mainly just to set everything back to defaults in case I had screwed anything up. Updated the QuickGPS and then spent ages standing on the side of the road with my fingers crossed...
Nothing. Not a single satellite signal.
Any suggestions? Otherwise I'm going to have to buy a new phone. Should I keep trying different radio ROMs? Is there any way to check the hardware is actually ok?
I don't know if the microsoft gpsid.dll is included in the rom or not, but you could try switching from using the HTC intermediate driver (gpsidhtc.dll) to it. I've been using the gpsid.dll for a few weeks, and it's not worse, but may be better than the HTC one (tough to say, really).
These are the reg keys for gpsid.dll:
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\BuiltIn\GPSID]
"Dll"="GPSID.dll"
"Order"=dword:10
"Keep"=dword:1
"Prefix"="GPD"
"Index"=dword:0
"Context"=dword:0
"Flags"=dword:2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer\ActiveDevice]
"Dll"="GPSID.dll"
"Keep"=dword:1
"Flags"=dword:2
"Context"=dword:12344160
Here are the ones for the HTC driver:
Code:
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\BuiltIn\GPSID]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer\ActiveDevice]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\BuiltIn\GPSID]
"Dll"="GPSID_HTC.dll"
"Order"=dword:100
"Keep"=dword:1
"Prefix"="GPD"
"Index"=dword:0
"Context"=dword:0
"IClass"="{A32942B7-920C-486b-B0E6-92A702A99B35}"
If you try it, do a full backup beforehand. I had trouble trying to get the HTC driver reloaded once. You may need a hard reset/restore.

A GPS Grading System

Well it seems the GPS on our Captivates has been improving over time due to adjusted Jupiter files, ROM updates, improvements in some leaked builds, and now a new GLGPS Daemon port, etc, but still seeing posts by lots of folks who still have trouble achieving good results. So, while the improvement quest continues, was thinking it might be helpful to have a common scoring or grading system for people to use when reporting on their gps results.
Would appreciate any comments on the usefulness of this, or agreement or disagreement with the descriptions. Just seems to me that currently it is often difficult to know what someone means when they say their GPS is good, best its ever been, or terrible.
(Note - to be most helpful to others please post your grade/results and anything you've done that has improved the gps performance.)
It would go something like this:
Captivate GpsGrade
A Common Way to Report GPS Effectiveness
Grade = A. Description – Performance is excellent at all times and very consistent. Applications such as Maps, Copilot, Google Nav, MyTracks always perform perfectly. Tracks as recorded by MyTracks consistently show the route accurately. GPS Locks are quick – under 30 seconds, and accuracy shows 5 to 10 meters or better as measured by lbstest, or GPS Test applications. When used for navigation, there is no drifting off of the road, no lag, and no overshoot of intersections. In short – its how we would want it to be.
Grade = B. Description – GPS function often works as expected, but occasionally does not. Usually no problem seeing several satellites and get locks within 30 seconds but always under a minute. Navigation apps are usable but sometimes there is a small bit of drift and sometimes will lag or show overshooting of intersections. Tracking via MyTracks is often accurate to the route taken, but sometimes off by a bit. Locks are sometimes lost but the system usually locks on again in just a few seconds. Accuracy often around 30 meters. Its not quite what we would like, but can live with it. Might call it pretty good.
Grade = C. Description – system achieves locks but often takes 60 seconds or longer. Locks are sometimes maintained while moving, sometimes not. Erratic performance. Can sometimes get Apps like Maps and Nav to work, but often have trouble with them or the system shows being on the next road or off the road. Routes recorded by MyTracks show inaccurate performance – route shown is close to the one taken but has occasional gaps with loss of lock. Accuracy is between 30 and 50 meters. In other words, performance may be good enough for location based services to be used, but not too useful for map or navigation functions. Mediocre.
Grade = D. Description – system sometimes gets a lock but cannot maintain lock. GPS Apps are not useable do to poor performance. In GPS Test or lbstest can sometimes see a couple satellites, but trouble getting a fix. Basically the GPS Icon is flashing pretty much the entire time. Awful would describe it.
Grade = F. Description – system does not work at all – cannot get locks, and cannot use any GPS Apps such as Maps or Nav, ever. Its just horrible.
good idea.
The problem with this, is most people have no idea how to properly test anything. For this to have any meaning, all tests should be conducted as follows:
Using multiple devices - not just a Captivate but another phone as well on another run
Not holding the phone in your hand - we know this can cause signal issues
Repeatable routes (testing on the same route)
Driving - walking does not allow for fast enough position change to reveal problems
No other apps running on phone - try to reduce any type of processor or storage contention issues
1. Mount device in car mount in the front windshield - other windows may have tint that interfere with signal reception
2. Launch Google mytracks - start driving after 10 seconds (fixed time for lock - equal for all)
3. Drive route with local and highway speeds and turns
4. Repeat with another device
5. Compare MyTracks recordings
Turn-by-Turn nav is a nice way to view accuracy BUT it has no way to record measurements. Comparing devices with a tool like Googles MyTracks is the only way to show that the captivate GPS sucks or not - maybe other phones suck too in certain environments.
This same methodology should be used before and after any mods as well - otherwise it is all hearsay.
alphadog00 said:
The problem with this, is most people have no idea how to properly test anything. For this to have any meaning, all tests should be conducted as follows:
Using multiple devices - not just a Captivate but another phone as well on another run
Not holding the phone in your hand - we know this can cause signal issues
Repeatable routes (testing on the same route)
Driving - walking does not allow for fast enough position change to reveal problems
No other apps running on phone - try to reduce any type of processor or storage contention issues
1. Mount device in car mount in the front windshield - other windows may have tint that interfere with signal reception
2. Launch Google mytracks - start driving after 10 seconds (fixed time for lock - equal for all)
3. Drive route with local and highway speeds and turns
4. Repeat with another device
5. Compare MyTracks recordings
Turn-by-Turn nav is a nice way to view accuracy BUT it has no way to record measurements. Comparing devices with a tool like Googles MyTracks is the only way to show that the captivate GPS sucks or not - maybe other phones suck too in certain environments.
This same methodology should be used before and after any mods as well - otherwise it is all hearsay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are there actually people that have GPS that is consistently accurate to 10 meters or less? I can't even get a lock like that standing in one spot on a sunny day. If I don't enable wireless networks, my GPS icon will flash forever.
ChaoticKinesis said:
Are there actually people that have GPS that is consistently accurate to 10 meters or less? I can't even get a lock like that standing in one spot on a sunny day. If I don't enable wireless networks, my GPS icon will flash forever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, many of us has GPS that works fairly well. I have had my phone since launch and running the stock GPS config.... it works OK.
My GPS is an A. I got a replacement and has worked perfectly since.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
ChaoticKinesis said:
Are there actually people that have GPS that is consistently accurate to 10 meters or less? I can't even get a lock like that standing in one spot on a sunny day. If I don't enable wireless networks, my GPS icon will flash forever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Results are extremely variable. Your phone sounds like mine. By trial and error I have gotten mine to an "A", but only by doing these four things 1) flashing new ROM - Assonance (5.0), 2) installing Da_g's GPS fix, 3) Removing the rear cover and just using my Bodyglove cover, and 4) when in the car plugging into car charger.
There are other solutions and reported good results from other ROMs and methods, but these are the things that work for me. I have done extensive testing with each of the four items, including MyTracks recordings, to validate the impact they each have. Good luck with yours - it IS possible to get a working system.
Mines grade b at most.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Where can I get this Da_G fix? I'm using Assonance 5.2 and it works fairly well - about a C+ or B I guess. I tried searching XDA for the Da_G fix and couldnt find anything
PixelPerfect3 said:
Where can I get this Da_G fix? I'm using Assonance 5.2 and it works fairly well - about a C+ or B I guess. I tried searching XDA for the Da_G fix and couldnt find anything
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get Da_G's fix at the post below. Three options - I have been using the Google version and had good success with it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=881941

GPS Lock Troubles

I'm sorry if this is addressed somewhere, but I couldn't find anything solid while searching. I use my G2x every day with SportyPal Pro for my bike rides. I am currently running stock 2.2.2 with root and am having some difficulty attaining an initial GPS lock. It seems like when I go to launch any GPS app, it will not get a lock. To get it to work, I have to open GPS Test, select tools, and clear out the A-GPS data. After doing this, it looks almost instantly and will keep a lock forever.
The next day, however, I must do the same thing, and this happens nearly 100% of the time. The funny thing to me is when I open GPS Test, it will show a strong signal from a lot of satellites, around 7-9, but it doesn't use these signals to find the lock. Again, after resetting the A-GPS data, it works every time almost instantly.
I have just dealt with this but it is getting more frustrating. Today, GPS Test wouldn't load, just kept showing a blank screen and force closing eventually, even after fix permissions, clear data, uninstall and reinstall. Only after another reboot, would GPS Test even load. I can't explain because I don't know well how the inner software works, but the GPS seems to have a hard time relocating itself when using the cached A-GPS data. Any fixes that anyone knows of, or things I could try?
Thanks a lot in advance.
jimbo831 said:
I'm sorry if this is addressed somewhere, but I couldn't find anything solid while searching. I use my G2x every day with SportyPal Pro for my bike rides. I am currently running stock 2.2.2 with root and am having some difficulty attaining an initial GPS lock. It seems like when I go to launch any GPS app, it will not get a lock. To get it to work, I have to open GPS Test, select tools, and clear out the A-GPS data. After doing this, it looks almost instantly and will keep a lock forever.
The next day, however, I must do the same thing, and this happens nearly 100% of the time. The funny thing to me is when I open GPS Test, it will show a strong signal from a lot of satellites, around 7-9, but it doesn't use these signals to find the lock. Again, after resetting the A-GPS data, it works every time almost instantly.
I have just dealt with this but it is getting more frustrating. Today, GPS Test wouldn't load, just kept showing a blank screen and force closing eventually, even after fix permissions, clear data, uninstall and reinstall. Only after another reboot, would GPS Test even load. I can't explain because I don't know well how the inner software works, but the GPS seems to have a hard time relocating itself when using the cached A-GPS data. Any fixes that anyone knows of, or things I could try?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know how to help but wheres tools in the gps test app? Ahhhh I see gps status not gps test...
smashpunks said:
I dont know how to help but wheres tools in the gps test app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you launch the app and go to the satellite view screen, press menu, and it is one of the options.
jimbo831 said:
I'm sorry if this is addressed somewhere, but I couldn't find anything solid while searching. I use my G2x every day with SportyPal Pro for my bike rides. I am currently running stock 2.2.2 with root and am having some difficulty attaining an initial GPS lock. It seems like when I go to launch any GPS app, it will not get a lock. To get it to work, I have to open GPS Test, select tools, and clear out the A-GPS data. After doing this, it looks almost instantly and will keep a lock forever.
The next day, however, I must do the same thing, and this happens nearly 100% of the time. The funny thing to me is when I open GPS Test, it will show a strong signal from a lot of satellites, around 7-9, but it doesn't use these signals to find the lock. Again, after resetting the A-GPS data, it works every time almost instantly.
I have just dealt with this but it is getting more frustrating. Today, GPS Test wouldn't load, just kept showing a blank screen and force closing eventually, even after fix permissions, clear data, uninstall and reinstall. Only after another reboot, would GPS Test even load. I can't explain because I don't know well how the inner software works, but the GPS seems to have a hard time relocating itself when using the cached A-GPS data. Any fixes that anyone knows of, or things I could try?
Thanks a lot in advance.
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Sadly, I am having the same problem
I think I'm having the same problem too: I can pick up plenty of satellites (more than the 3-4 required for a lock), and they turn green, but I don't actually get positioning data available.
andrewNY said:
I think I'm having the same problem too: I can pick up plenty of satellites (more than the 3-4 required for a lock), and they turn green, but I don't actually get positioning data available.
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Click to collapse
Well, I guess if you are seeing the same problem, it could be a software failure. Why can't Android phone makers release a phone with GPS that works out of box? Do they not test these things? Hopefully the Gingerbread update addresses this issue.
I have GPS issues often as well.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
I don't have this problem but I have heard of others that do. My device locks in literally 3 seconds and is accurate to 5 feet. I have to say it's the best GPS I have ever used.
I think this problem is an android issue not hardware. I have to load gps test on my vibrant before being able to get a lock also. Wont lie the lock time on this phone is considerably longer but when finally does lock its strong and accurate.
via LG G2x
It takes me forever to get a GPS lock too. However, once it finally gets one, it's fairly strong and accurate.
Gps is way crap now.my vibrant beats the crap out of it... I'm getting like 40000 feet accuracy. It eventually works itself out but still crap..
In gps status in tools deleting the a gps stuff it takes a long time (5 seconds) vs my vibrants agps data. Vibrants clears instantly almost like the lg remembers too much causing conflict....
I cant find my location via gps in google maps. In the gps status app, it appeard to be locking as fix/sats shows 3/3. Ive cleared agps data and also tried to download agps data. Does anyone experience a similar issue? Any suggestions as what elsd i can try?
I dont think its the hardware because it did work the last time i tried about 2 weeks ago. Since then I tried to use a location spoofing app (that has since been uninstalled and mock locations disabled).
On the O2X the mongs at LG left out the gps.conf file, adding it manually sped up lock time no end. I guess it's possible they did the same on the G2X?
I actually exchanged a G2x yesterday that was having problems with GPS
Regardless of whether it was on stock or not, rooted or otherwise, my phone would not find any more than 4 satellites, and would never lock. Factory resets did nothing. My fiancee's phone, however, would find 8 or more within 10 seconds when both phones were set right next to each other. Both phones had a 4/05 manufacture date.
Because of that, I was pretty sure my issue was hardware, as I was never able to get the GPS to work properly. The phone they gave me yesterday (4/12 manufacture date) does seem to work ok, though the screen bleeding a bit worse (but that doesn't bother me *that* much)

[Q] Galaxy Nexus GPS PROBLEM - Hardware or software issue?

I've owned a GSM Galaxy Nexus (Samsung i9250) with JB 4.2.1.
The one deficiency that I didn't initially notice is the lack of decent GPS reception.
My friend have a galaxy S3 take 30seconds or less for fix gps without wifi ou 3g. The nexus make maybe 10min GPS lock on its own (no Wi-Fi required) and then would keep the lock the whole time when the phone was in my pocket.
The GPS of nexus is, quite simply, broken. It takes, on average, 5-10 minutes to get a GPS lock when standing outside with a clear view of the sky and the phone in the palm of my hand. Sometimes it takes longer but usually I give up after 10 minutes because, strangely enough, I do have a life. Unfortunately, even after this GPS lock is achieved, it loses it easily. Putting the phone in my pocket will cause the GPS lock to be lost within a few minutes, typically.
Unfortunately, it appears that I'm not the only one with the problem. This is unfortunate because this means if I call Samsung asking for a replacement phone most likely my situation will not improve.
Strangely enough, if I enable Wi-Fi and are within the vicinity of some networks, I can get a GPS lock fairly quickly. In fact, even sitting here in my condo typing this, with Wi-Fi enabled I can get a lock within a few seconds by holding the phone near the window. The phone will only see 4-5 satellites, but that's all that is needed for a 3D lock. This makes a little bit of sense because WPS probably seeds the GPS subsystem with location data so it knows exactly where to start (vs. a cold or warm start).
After searching around a little bit I found a few suggestions. One was to shut off the phone and remove the battery for a few minutes, which seemed silly since this suggestion only temporarily fixes the problem. The second, that seemed to work for a few people, was to force a cold start and redownload A-GPS data, both of which can be done using GPS Status & Toolbox, an application I've used in the past and is pretty darn neat.
Unfortunately, performing the cold start (reset) and redownloading the A-GPS data didn't work out for me. I was still left in the same situation as I was before. However, using the GPS Status & Toolbox provided me with some additional information about the GPS problems. Apparently when the Galaxy Nexus is stuck searching for a GPS lock, usually it actually does see a whole boatload of satellites, but fails to receive any data from them.
GPS lock with Wi-Fi enabled. I don't even have a clear view of the sky since I'm indoors. However, I'm standing at a window:
Why does the GPS on the Galaxy Nexus not quickly receive the second and third parts of the GPS message from any satellites when Wi-Fi is disabled? According to the first screenshot above, it can clearly be seen that a number of satellites are providing adequate signal strength, but most are just stuck in the no info stage or have only processed the first GPS message. I wish I had an answer.
I suspect the problem may be due to inadequate RF shielding of the GPS receiver inside the hardware itself. Perhaps the GPS receiver is getting a strong signal but it's too noisy and the messages are chock full of errors and can't be processed correctly. This is really only speculation, though
I tried so many things, gps.conf etc..maybe is a hardware problem ? isnt the google location server problem..
Anyone have any suggestions or comments?
hoobinho said:
I've owned a GSM Galaxy Nexus (Samsung i9250) with JB 4.2.1.
The one deficiency that I didn't initially notice is the lack of decent GPS reception.
My friend have a galaxy S3 take 30seconds or less for fix gps without wifi ou 3g. The nexus make maybe 10min GPS lock on its own (no Wi-Fi required) and then would keep the lock the whole time when the phone was in my pocket.
The GPS of nexus is, quite simply, broken. It takes, on average, 5-10 minutes to get a GPS lock when standing outside with a clear view of the sky and the phone in the palm of my hand. Sometimes it takes longer but usually I give up after 10 minutes because, strangely enough, I do have a life. Unfortunately, even after this GPS lock is achieved, it loses it easily. Putting the phone in my pocket will cause the GPS lock to be lost within a few minutes, typically.
.
Unfortunately, it appears that I'm not the only one with the problem. This is unfortunate because this means if I call Samsung asking for a replacement phone most likely my situation will not improve.
Strangely enough, if I enable Wi-Fi and are within the vicinity of some networks, I can get a GPS lock fairly quickly. In fact, even sitting here in my condo typing this, with Wi-Fi enabled I can get a lock within a few seconds by holding the phone near the window. The phone will only see 4-5 satellites, but that's all that is needed for a 3D lock. This makes a little bit of sense because WPS probably seeds the GPS subsystem with location data so it knows exactly where to start (vs. a cold or warm start).
After searching around a little bit I found a few suggestions. One was to shut off the phone and remove the battery for a few minutes, which seemed silly since this suggestion only temporarily fixes the problem. The second, that seemed to work for a few people, was to force a cold start and redownload A-GPS data, both of which can be done using GPS Status & Toolbox, an application I've used in the past and is pretty darn neat.
Unfortunately, performing the cold start (reset) and redownloading the A-GPS data didn't work out for me. I was still left in the same situation as I was before. However, using the GPS Status & Toolbox provided me with some additional information about the GPS problems. Apparently when the Galaxy Nexus is stuck searching for a GPS lock, usually it actually does see a whole boatload of satellites, but fails to receive any data from them.
GPS lock with Wi-Fi enabled. I don't even have a clear view of the sky since I'm indoors. However, I'm standing at a window:
Why does the GPS on the Galaxy Nexus not quickly receive the second and third parts of the GPS message from any satellites when Wi-Fi is disabled? According to the first screenshot above, it can clearly be seen that a number of satellites are providing adequate signal strength, but most are just stuck in the no info stage or have only processed the first GPS message. I wish I had an answer.
I suspect the problem may be due to inadequate RF shielding of the GPS receiver inside the hardware itself. Perhaps the GPS receiver is getting a strong signal but it's too noisy and the messages are chock full of errors and can't be processed correctly. This is really only speculation, though
I tried so many things, gps.conf etc..maybe is a hardware problem ? isnt the google location server problem..
Anyone have any suggestions or comments?
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Click to collapse
Hoobinho,
I'm having the same problem.
I'm pretty sure it's software related, because 4.1.2 worked very nice with GPS. This issue started after 4.2, and continues with 4.2.1. I will roll back to 4.1.2 as soon as I have time to do it, and stay there until Google fixes it.

GPS / Navigation problems

Struggling badly with the GPS often being wildly inaccurate. It is at times 20-30km off, other times a few hundred meters. Either way, I have lost faith in it completely which is troublesome given the use of it is very important to me. Especially when I'm hiking. Wondering if it was an app issue with the trail apps I have, I also double-checked on Google Maps and it's just as bad there so definitely something phone related. My Garmin watch and my wife's S7 work perfectly fine, showing a very high location accuracy, when I face these issues with my HTC11+
The further away from the city I am, the more obvious the problem becomes. My location setting is High Accuracy. I briefly tested using just GPS but that, if anything, made it worse.
Has anyone else had difficulties with the GPS? Any ideas on what I could possibly do to rectify it?
I have no issues whatsoever. I did have this sometimes on my old HTC 10. Restarting my phone would solve this issue.
Have you tried restarting your phone?
I have tried that but to no avail, sadly. This morning, while firmly ensconced in my sofa the entire time, my phone has had me 450m south, 600m north-west and 2km north of my actual location.
Think this one might have to go back which is a shame because mostly I like it quite a bit.
Downloaded an app (GPS Reset Com) and seems to have solved the problem. My location is now pinpointed to my exact street address which is nice. Definitive success will have to wait until I can try it on the trails but looks promising.

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