Database Info

How is the GPS working on your phone?

In all the threads I've been reading about the issues with the GPS, I keep seeing a few people chiming in that they have no problem, and other saying that the GPS is so bad it is unusable. Since I'm still up in the air about what phone to get (b/w the Aria and Captivate), I'm wondering how many people have 'working' GPS units vs. not.
In addition to voting in the poll, add a post if you can saying where you are and what kind of environment you're in (urban/rural, indoor/outdoor etc.).
EDIT: Make sure to vote if you post! I see a few posts already claiming good reception, yet the poll still shows 100% unusable.

Mine sucks. If I do get a lock, it takes about 2-5 mins to get one.. I have tried the tweaks posted but did not work for me

I live in the suburbs, (not exactly urban) and it does not work at all. However, upon doing diagnostics in the hidden GPS settings I found more then 7 satellites are in view leading me to believe this is a software problem. Since it will get fixed later this year (and the Samsung Captivate is a far better spec-ed phone) I'd go with the Captivate

I don't think I have any issues. when I'm out in the open the app typically takes less than a minute to acquire my location and I'm off. Even inside my house if I am next to a window I can usually get a signal, which is something I didn't think was possible with GPS. I live in the bottom floor of a two story apartment building and my old phone could just forget about trying to acquire a signal inside any building, and I thought that GPS was pretty solid. I also have not performed any GPS tweaks.

Mine works fine. Gets a lock on 7 sats while inside my house within a minute. Its rooted, but I have done no tweeks to the GPS at all.
(Sent from my Captivate with XDA app)

I'm n the suburbs. I get 9 satellites and lock in under 30 secs. most of the time. Under 10 secs some times.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897

Mine's working amazingly. Connects within 10 seconds and is only off by about 5-10 ft.
I'm rooted and I did the gps.conf hack and these are my current Application and supl/cp settings:
APP>Operation Mode>MS Assisted
APP>Accuracy>20
APP>Use SkyHook>ON
supl>Server>supl.google.com
supl>Server Port>7276
supl>supl Secure Socket>OFF

Crappy. I get 7 sat, but they come and go and never fully lock. Only time it seems to work is when im standing outside in an open field.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

if I'm driving around (when its important) i'll get a lock. I usually have to restart maps or copilot though.
in my house though...forget it haha

TWiG420 said:
Mine works fine. Gets a lock on 7 sats while inside my house within a minute. Its rooted, but I have done no tweeks to the GPS at all.
(Sent from my Captivate with XDA app)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
davidusr said:
I'm n the suburbs. I get 9 satellites and lock in under 30 secs. most of the time. Under 10 secs some times.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Screenshots or pictures please. I no longer trust anyone. I've seen too many videos of people claiming they have x number of locks when in fact they are confusing the number in view and the number actually locked to. You're probably telling us the number of sats in view, not the number of locks you have.

I had 5 within 10 seconds, 7 at 30secs and 9 after ~90secs. I'm assuming they are locked, correct me if i'm wrong.
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davidusr said:
I had 5 within 10 seconds, 7 at 30secs and 9 after ~90secs. I'm assuming they are locked, correct me if i'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have 9 satellites in view but are only locked to 3 (denoted by *). That is the whole problem with the Galaxy S phones. They have no problem seeing satellites, but they never lock to very many.

Compare to the Aria I had for 28 days, the GPS sucks on the Captivate. It usually take 1-5 min to get a lock while it never took more than 1 min on the Aria. I use RunKeeper to keep track of my walks and I usually lost the first few minutes of tracking.

Voted unusable. Over the weekend on a road trip to the beach I think I was able to get a lock ONCE the entire time.
Right now I'm in GPS Test and I have 8 satellites in view and 0 in use, 6 of which have a signal of 30+. It's been running for about 1-2 minutes. I've never seen that many satellites with that high of a signal and no lock. And just now while I was typing this, it lost all the satellites and dropped to 0 and is only picking up 4 (in view of course, not in use) now after 30 seconds or so.
This needs to be fixed. Messing with those settings isn't fixing the real issue, IF it's doing anything at all.

[Q] Snapdragon S4 unlock GLONASS ?

Hi, i am new here thefore i cant post in "One S Android Development"
I KNOW that (HTC one s)Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 has support for GLONASS. can it be unlock ?
anyone known what soundchip it got onboard also ?
Appreciate the help.

Are you sure it needs unlocking? Mine said on the box "Supports GPS/GLONASS". Not that I have any idea how to check.
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA

Download GPS test from the market.
Fire it up and see if you log any satellites numbered 65 to 88.
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My Htc one s, havnt arrive yet, i still waiting, i think it would come next week, then i can do the gps testing. It would be nice to hav a good gps.
I am using Samsung galaxy s1 and its worthless in sweden..
Btw i hope Snapdragon s4 get Wolfson audio chips

My HOS IS showing satelites number 69 and 71... are those GLONASS sats

Out of 15 satellites that I could see, 6 were #65 or over. Looks like GLONASS is working fine.
Edit: Just to clarify, I'm in Japan, but my phone came from the UK so is the European model (No One S for the poor Japanese, lol)

So it works completely transparently to the user and does not need special software or adjustments, it will just work by "supplementing" the accuracy reported through the GPS interface and therefore also every navigation software etc. will automatically benefit from it?
That is kinda cool if its the case.

This is going to be GREAT for once i can use "GPS" correctly in sweden, anyone knowns more about the Sound chips onboard the S4 ?

psych0t1c said:
So it works completely transparently to the user and does not need special software or adjustments, it will just work by "supplementing" the accuracy reported through the GPS interface and therefore also every navigation software etc. will automatically benefit from it?
That is kinda cool if its the case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, looks like it. There is no separate setting to "Enable GPS" / "Enable GLONASS". Although rather than being transparent to the user, it is more like hidden from the user. I guess the average user neither knows nor cares about GLONASS, as long as the thing shows them where they are on the map.

I do not get satellites > 28, but total 22 visible and 14 in use.
Don't know if GPS or GLONASS - but 22 are a lot

My HOS consistently sees ~17-21 even when indoors although while indoors I get no GPS lock even though GPS Test says that it uses ~5 satelites. But once I take it to a window it gets a good lock immediatly.
My old Desire and my TF101 only sees ~4-5 when doing the same test. So it seems that the HOS really are using GLONASS too.

Yes they do. With GPS only I never had a situation where I could "see" more than 6-8 sats at once with a mobile and not all of them had a fix/lock because the signal was too weak (only once supposedly had 9, reported by an Audi in-car satnav with dedicated external antenna, but I am not sure if that was fixed sats or just the visible ones). I think as of now I think there are less than 30 functional sats in orbit globally and the GPS architecture hovers around an amount of 32-36 sats maximum (with higher coverage of landmasses and lower coverage on the oceans).
Also, GLONASS will be very beneficial to anyone in the upper northern hemispere, and lower southern hemispheres as the system is of course globally active, but due to sat orbit inclination and distance (orbit heigth) it allows a better coverage of the regions closer to the polar regions, while GPS seem to be more designed to cover the "middle ground" and also have a lower orbit.
And when the US went to war in the middle east, I think I have read about some of the satellites being repositioned to give a better signal feed to the troops and equipment in that area, therefore automatically neglecting the rest of the world a little bit.
This is a really good feature I did not even read about in the reviews prior to purchasing. I pity the folks with the One X who don't have that... It will double satnav usability and accuracy even in less than optimal conditions (cities with high buildings covering satellite line of sight etc.)

[Q] GPS - 12 satellites, no lock ever

I know this topic has been beaten into the ground but I think my problem may be slightly different. Within seconds I get a whole bunch of satellites in view between 22 and 34 SNR but I NEVER get a lock, I can leave it for half an hour and nothing happens.
I know the hardware works because it worked (badly) when I was running Froyo Audiophile. I just flashed Valhalla Black FB Edition and I get the satellites beautifully fast (way better than before) but it just won't lock. I've tried:
http://www.darkyrom.com/index.php?threads/guide-gps-quickest-fix-solution.2022/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33463758 (Currently have the Google non-SSL set)
A bunch of sites giving different setting configs.
GPS Aids (Paid) w/ it's own GPS Doctor
GPS Doctor (Paid)
One thing I did notice is that in GPS Aids it won't do XTRA data, just LTO, and it's own GPS Doctor couldn't fix it. Another thing I noticed is that in GPS Test, it won't show the satellites on the map, it shows them on top of each other above the map (in the SNR scale box). Below I have a picture and video of this happening.
Picture (numbers a bit lower than they should be, drops when I shake the phone to activate the screenshot)
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Video as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip23sCSUMmw

ScottyDoesKnow said:
I know this topic has been beaten into the ground but I think my problem may be slightly different. Within seconds I get a whole bunch of satellites in view between 22 and 34 SNR but I NEVER get a lock, I can leave it for half an hour and nothing happens.
I know the hardware works because it worked (badly) when I was running Froyo Audiophile. I just flashed Valhalla Black FB Edition and I get the satellites beautifully fast (way better than before) but it just won't lock. I've tried:
http://www.darkyrom.com/index.php?threads/guide-gps-quickest-fix-solution.2022/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33463758 (Currently have the Google non-SSL set)
A bunch of sites giving different setting configs.
GPS Aids (Paid) w/ it's own GPS Doctor
GPS Doctor (Paid)
One thing I did notice is that in GPS Aids it won't do XTRA data, just LTO, and it's own GPS Doctor couldn't fix it. Another thing I noticed is that in GPS Test, it won't show the satellites on the map, it shows them on top of each other above the map (in the SNR scale box). Below I have a picture and video of this happening.
Picture (numbers a bit lower than they should be, drops when I shake the phone to activate the screenshot)
Video as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip23sCSUMmw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you do Note 26 per my thread? Did you uninstall all of those APPS you discuss for GPS assistance BEFORE using my patch? Did you try another ROM such as STOCK deoxed to ensure it isn't a bad ROM?

crypted said:
Did you do Note 26 per my thread? Did you uninstall all of those APPS you discuss for GPS assistance BEFORE using my patch? Did you try another ROM such as STOCK deoxed to ensure it isn't a bad ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been manually copying the files in, and ya I copied them in again after trying all the fixes. I read through the notes thoroughly now, tried the cache wiping, battery out, etc...
Currently I'm trying out a whole bunch of different versions of the file(s), and then I'll try flashing a different ROM. Is there one you can recommend? This is the list I'm going off:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S/SGH-T959V/List_of_ROMs
I'm not sure if I should switch back to Froyo or not, and the only stock Gingerbread one I see doesn't seem to be deodexed.
Thanks for the response.

Alright, well after flashing back to stock gingerbread then stock froyo I got it back to its slow self. Then flashed back up to valhalla and working but slow. Added in google 3.1 no ssl and hasn't done too much, but at least I have GPS again and I can go through all the notes and see if I can get it working a bit faster. At this point it still waited for 9 connections (5-10 minutes) to lock 4 of them.

ScottyDoesKnow said:
Alright, well after flashing back to stock gingerbread then stock froyo I got it back to its slow self. Then flashed back up to valhalla and working but slow. Added in google 3.1 no ssl and hasn't done too much, but at least I have GPS again and I can go through all the notes and see if I can get it working a bit faster. At this point it still waited for 9 connections (5-10 minutes) to lock 4 of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If stock and/or stock plus this patch cannot resolve your problem, I would venture a guess that you have a weak GPS receiver.

Question GPS Problem Joying JY-UL128N2 Android 6

Hello to all. I have a big problem with my unit's GPS signal. I have tried various firmware with Android 6 and various MCUs but always with the same result. My problem is that randomly, after hooking up the GPS signal, the signal is lost and no longer hooked. The bars in the GPS screen are not active and do not even activate with a good position. I have read about other forums on this issue, but no solution has been found. I do not think it's in the HW problem, maybe some of the SW crashes and do not recover.
Thanks for anyone who can help me.

killerpiller said:
Hello to all. I have a big problem with my unit's GPS signal. I have tried various firmware with Android 6 and various MCUs but always with the same result. My problem is that randomly, after hooking up the GPS signal, the signal is lost and no longer hooked. The bars in the GPS screen are not active and do not even activate with a good position. I have read about other forums on this issue, but no solution has been found. I do not think it's in the HW problem, maybe some of the SW crashes and do not recover.
Thanks for anyone who can help me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to disable two cores and lower the CPU frequency to 900Mhz with Kernel Adiutor (ROOT), I managed to get to a 60 degree centigrade temperature, believing the problem was temperature but the GPS problem reappears.

killerpiller said:
I tried to disable two cores and lower the CPU frequency to 900Mhz with Kernel Adiutor (ROOT), I managed to get to a 60 degree centigrade temperature, believing the problem was temperature but the GPS problem reappears.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.
Have you checked your GPS cable? It could be (partially) broken somewhere internally. When driving it might start to swing and loose connection. Please try with the cable in your hand and make gentle bends over the cable length. See if you loose signal.

surfer63 said:
.
Have you checked your GPS cable? It could be (partially) broken somewhere internally. When driving it might start to swing and loose connection. Please try with the cable in your hand and make gentle bends over the cable length. See if you loose signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I lose connection even when the car is off and stops, without movement. It does not seem like a cable problem, I was thinking of a problem with some service on Android that randomly interfere with GPS.

killerpiller said:
I lose connection even when the car is off and stops, without movement. It does not seem like a cable problem, I was thinking of a problem with some service on Android that randomly interfere with GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carjoying support advised me to check this out.
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I was suggested to verify that the GPS slot has 3.2 voltage.

killerpiller said:
Hello to all. I have a big problem with my unit's GPS signal. I have tried various firmware with Android 6 and various MCUs but always with the same result. My problem is that randomly, after hooking up the GPS signal, the signal is lost and no longer hooked. The bars in the GPS screen are not active and do not even activate with a good position. I have read about other forums on this issue, but no solution has been found. I do not think it's in the HW problem, maybe some of the SW crashes and do not recover.
Thanks for anyone who can help me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI: The gps is on the SoM, not the mainboard. That means that the MCU has absolutely no relevance to it.

Is there a solution found for this? Is it really caused by the 3.2V?

Can you tell me about the fix? I have the same problem on erisin unit for e46, sometimes it works i have signal, sometimes no signal... And it stay with no signal untill the car is off for 2-3 hours, from where shoud i start?

I have this same problem but on a brand new Joying Android 10 unit.

TheOtherLeft said:
I have this same problem but on a brand new Joying Android 10 unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Send it back.

Help identifying head unit for fixes and/or upgrades - PX6 RK3399 in a BMW E38

LONG story short I bought this used MCMW head unit, tried getting my money back but PayPal sided with the seller even though it's missing pieces and constantly crashes after about a week of use. Performance has been under par (compared to AVINUSA.com or Joying unit's I've got running in other BMW's) and the manufacturer hasn't been helpful when I keep asking for firmware to reflash the unit to see if that'll help. It'll run decently for about a week, then suddenly Waze, the DVR app, etc will continually crash leaving me to only use the unit for Bluetooth and that's about it...unless I reset it back to factory, reinstall apps and then buy myself another week. The touchscreen is oddly either unresponsive or too sensitive as I'm scrolling around, it's just getting frustrating for daily use. I just wanna see if anyone has any advice on how to improve it's performance so it's usable and doesn't need weekly resetting. Even pointing me to the correct forums would be helpful but direct links to actual flashable firmwares, updates, etc would be awesome.
https://mcmwtuning.co.uk/e38-android-audio
Android 10 10.25" 6-Core 4+64GB Car Radio GPS Stereo HDMI For BMW E39 M5 E38 528 | eBay
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Unfortunately, the forum crystal ball doesnt know what you unit is and from the hundreds of made up models and brands, the seller could be selling units of different types, from different factories, despite branding with the same model name.
Post screenshots from Android system information, including the MCU version when posting questions.
Doing this will at least help others help you, or you might find the information has already been posted or discussed here, yourself.

Damn it, man...just squint harder and you'll see it!! ;-)
My bad....I'm at work, meant to post these and then got caught up. Hopefully these suffice.
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Hello, your unit is MCU: MTCH, the app crashes problem is doing the last updates of android webview and chrome. Maybe that's your problem too. Just uninstall and disable their updates, reboot the unit. Ignore any requests to update them. A firmware update won't help, this is the only working solution on Android 10 so far.

Ok, I'll try that since I did update Android Webview and Chrome during my lunch, yet Waze and my dashcam app crashed consistently on my drive home. I'll try uninstalling both and see if that helps me avoid having to completely reset the unit again.

Requested moderator moves to MTCD section.
Op read through MTCD section, the issue has been discussed already.

Pavel-71 said:
Hello, your unit is MCU: MTCH, the app crashes problem is doing the last updates of android webview and chrome. Maybe that's your problem too. Just uninstall and disable their updates, reboot the unit. Ignore any requests to update them. A firmware update won't help, this is the only working solution on Android 10 so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disabled, cleared their storage and now Waze works again. Unit's still slow to respond (dragging apps for split screen took like 8 tries) vs it's stats but at least it works now. Thanks for the help.

I bought the same unit for my E38 but I bought it from Xtrons directly thru xtrons-usa on ebay I almost purchased it from MCMW until I figured out he is reselling an Xtrons unit even though he says he is not and says that Xtrons is rubbish. I can tell you it is the biggest POS I've spent $400 on so MCMW is right it is rubbish. I think it runs better after updating webview seams to be more fluid but I just updated it after reading this thread lastnight so time will tell, you understand.
Xtrons PQS1139BL issues
Hello, I purchased an Xtrons PQS1139BL and it's been a toxic relationship. I love the features but its very buggy. Xtrons says there are no updates for this unit and I think they are tired of dealing with me. This is my bug list. Every...
forum.xda-developers.com
I did resolve the noise issues by dumping the factory amp since I posted this.

Ooh I'm sure they're the ones exact same units, I guess the only saving grace of keeping this used unit is that it included all the iBus converter and another module I'm forgetting about but I can read everything from the OBC on the iBus app and it adds features like triple blinkers.
My current frustration with the unit (which happened to bring me back to these forums today) is that I wanted to see if there's a way to adjust screen sensitivity/accuracy. As I mentioned above it takes multiple times to move apps around in the app drawer, trying to run dual apps and even general use.

m5james said:
Ooh I'm sure they're the ones exact same units, I guess the only saving grace of keeping this used unit is that it included all the iBus converter and another module I'm forgetting about but I can read everything from the OBC on the iBus app and it adds features like triple blinkers.
My current frustration with the unit (which happened to bring me back to these forums today) is that I wanted to see if there's a way to adjust screen sensitivity/accuracy. As I mentioned above it takes multiple times to move apps around in the app drawer, trying to run dual apps and even general use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is horrible to navigate. I use carplay and use my phone as much as possible.