Database Develop

GPS Fix for Google Maps?

I know ppl use GPS test to get the GPS to be activated then launch google maps afterwards, is there not a reg key or another way other than having to launch 2 apps to get one to work?

Frontline said:
I know ppl use GPS test to get the GPS to be activated then launch google maps afterwards, is there not a reg key or another way other than having to launch 2 apps to get one to work?
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Click to collapse
The reason people are using another app to initialize the GPS is because Google Maps default timeout is riduclously low. As someone who has read 99% of the GPS-related posts in the Kaiser forum, I do not believe there is any other way to do it.
That being said, I am far from a master of Windows Mobile, so if someone knows different, please correct me.

Treo is right. the google time out is pretty shallow, and and about 25-30 seconds. Just use Live Search, its a lot better in terms of the amount of crap it allows you to search for.
Plus, the time out isn't as shallow's as google. As long as you have COM4 selected you'll get a signal within 50-60 seconds from a soft reset. Otherwise once the port is already open its a matter of seconds.

Hmm... strange...
With Google maps installed, I have a GPS signal within about 10 seconds (7 or so), but with Windows Live I don't connect for almost 1 minute. I personally was thinking the new "my location" feature was helping the GPS in some way to narrow the search area.
I have also noticed that I can get a signal within my house without much trouble using google, but again Live Search rarely hooks up.
Am I alone in this finding?

pyro9219 said:
Hmm... strange...
With Google maps installed, I have a GPS signal within about 10 seconds (7 or so), but with Windows Live I don't connect for almost 1 minute. I personally was thinking the new "my location" feature was helping the GPS in some way to narrow the search area.
I have also noticed that I can get a signal within my house without much trouble using google, but again Live Search rarely hooks up.
Am I alone in this finding?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what rom and radio are you using?

1.62.502.0 ROM
1.27.14.09 RADIO
Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy with it! I could care less if the GPS works in my house, I think I've mastered the bathroom and kitchen locations
Just noting an opposing observation I've had with my phone in the Portland Oregon Area.
Another observation I've had (it's been a few months since I have used Live Search) is that I can't find a person's house using the Live Search, while I can using the Google.
Finally, I find neither program really what I'd like - Google's only real downfall in my eyes is the lack of auto-updates when not on course (Live Search does this with a prompt). Live search fails because I know products can be faster to get the satellites, as well as lack of residential directions. Google also loads faster, and is the only one that could find the Intel location I work at (one of the largest and well known, would figure it's in both services!) Google also has the aerial view which is nice when trying to figure out massive parking lots (such as at an Intel Campus). Live Search won a few points back because I liked the movies listings, buggy voice searching and auto-updates, but not enough to make me use the product. I will probably be loading it up again sometime before the summer though just to see what sort of progress they have.

And that stoopid connection error poop
I have just gotten used to opening QuickGPS weekly, and gps tool each time. It takes just a few seconds to open GPSTool and start the thing, then close it, and most apps will work after that.
I find GoogleMaps to be poorly designed, albeit free. My biggest issue by far is the connection error. There's a place on the way to work where Google maps just stops, throws a "you have to have a connection" error, and the only option is quit. I quit, immediately restart, and it works from there. I've had that error in some very densely populated areas (River Oaks is the highest price homes, you can bet they have cell antennas in abundance around there, yet it happened around there yesterday.) If it needs to download maps, it can just keep tracking, and get the map when it can, or mention "waiting for map". Idealy you'd be able to cache, best would be able to define certain areas, and it wouldnt even have to download the maps if they havent updated.
Dont get me wrong, as usual Google has done some neat work here, but there are disctint design flaws that make it nearly unusable. So much so that if I dont need the traffic, and just want to see streets, I use tomtom.

sunglint said:
There's a place on the way to work where Google maps just stops, throws a "you have to have a connection" error, and the only option is quit. I quit, immediately restart, and it works from there. I've had that error in some very densely populated areas (River Oaks is the highest price homes, you can bet they have cell antennas in abundance around there, yet it happened around there yesterday.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version of Google Maps are you running?

Frontline said:
I know ppl use GPS test to get the GPS to be activated then launch google maps afterwards, is there not a reg key or another way other than having to launch 2 apps to get one to work?
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Click to collapse
The question is not WHY people open GPSTest before opening Google Maps.
The question is how to open both apps via a script, batch file, etc...
I would also like to know if it is possible....

HD7 GPS issue???

I notice my Bing Maps doesn't show the right coordinates of my location. What could be wrong?

You could be standing indoors or somewhere where there's not a good enough GPS signal, or you may have location services switched off.

jtphl said:
I notice my Bing Maps doesn't show the right coordinates of my location. What could be wrong?
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Click to collapse
You are not alone. I started a thread where I called it =garbage. I don't want to generalize just in case it's a hardware issue on my part but it always shows my location in a different city and when using the GPS on maps it seems to always be trying to catchup.

GPS settings
How can we tell if the GPS has locked on to any satellites...or for that matter, if it's even on??? There doesn't seem to be any direct mention of GPS in the settings menu...just a general option to turn location services on or off. Am I missing something here...or does ms not think that giving users direct control over GPS is important?

JoePR31 said:
How can we tell if the GPS has locked on to any satellites...or for that matter, if it's even on??? There doesn't seem to be any direct mention of GPS in the settings menu...just a general option to turn location services on or off. Am I missing something here...or does ms not think that giving users direct control over GPS is important?
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Totally agree with you. My guess though is that when the circles radius is just a couple pixels from the central point then its GPS; since GPS is accurate to a couple feet and A-GPS when the radius is about half the screen. Again just guessing but I really do wish there was an option.

alabij said:
Totally agree with you. My guess though is that when the circles radius is just a couple pixels from the central point then its GPS; since GPS is accurate to a couple feet and A-GPS when the radius is about half the screen. Again just guessing but I really do wish there was an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you're right about the meaning of the radius of the circle in the stock map app. But, it probably isn't as obvious in other kinds of apps that use GPS.
I'm gonna shoot ms an email regarding this...and I suggest that anyone else that agrees that this is less than ideal do the same. Its too late to have them do anything about it in the upcoming January update, but if they hear enough complaints about it, maybe they'll do something about it in the update after that one.

Personally I'd rather Ms did NOT add in any such options. I have the option to use or not use location services, that's enough. Apps that can utilize GPS will switch the circuit on and use it while they're the active app. As soon as you switch away, the app tombstones and GPS switches off, to save battery life. That's just the way I like it, nice and simple. No need for an option of any kind there. It just works.

Jim Coleman said:
Personally I'd rather Ms did NOT add in any such options. I have the option to use or not use location services, that's enough. Apps that can utilize GPS will switch the circuit on and use it while they're the active app. As soon as you switch away, the app tombstones and GPS switches off, to save battery life. That's just the way I like it, nice and simple. No need for an option of any kind there. It just works.
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Click to collapse
Jim, if the battery on my HD7 were more robust, I would agree with you. But it's not...so I don't. I would like the option to utilize only tower/WiFi triangulation...and to be able to enable my GPS only when I need my location to be precisely determined.
You are right...it does just work...which was more than I could say for my Vibrant's GPS for quite a while. But, access to any setting that could help me milk some more life out of my battery is access that I want.

GPS ?!?
I have both the HD2 and the HD7. The HD7 with services ON show my location over half a mile away from my office. This is consistent and constant. It shows me in the middle of a hwy norht east of my office. My HD2 not have this issue. It pinpoints my location, tells me in meters how accurate it is and tells me how many satellites it is in contact with. It will actually follow me accurately around the building inside and out. What's the problem with the HD7?? Seems like it is a step backward to me in this regard!

HD7Sol said:
I have both the HD2 and the HD7. The HD7 with services ON show my location over half a mile away from my office. This is consistent and constant. It shows me in the middle of a hwy norht east of my office. My HD2 not have this issue. It pinpoints my location, tells me in meters how accurate it is and tells me how many satellites it is in contact with. It will actually follow me accurately around the building inside and out. What's the problem with the HD7?? Seems like it is a step backward to me in this regard!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How wide is the circle around the dot? It may be using the Cell tower / WiFi to determine your position and therefore be very inaccurate.
What country are you in?
I guess it's possible that the actual maps are wrong and are showing the incorrect map overlay for your country?

after reading this thread i tested my HD7 with the bing map and its accurate, showed me where i am i changed to aerial map to confirm it...
i believe the data (3G) have to be connected, i am on unlimited data plan so its on all the time, wifi do not work as i tested with the wifi after that and it showed my location far away from my home...

this should fix everyones issue Go to setting and select find my phone check box both opitions and now try bing maps again. you will also notice well driving bing maps will keep a better track well your moving

did that and it now works perfectly, previously it was over a mile off my actual location

Me living in Thailand, whenever my HD7 connected to WIFI (no matter where), the current location always changes to San Jose. I have no idea why this happens ?

pongpatara said:
Me living in Thailand, whenever my HD7 connected to WIFI (no matter where), the current location always changes to San Jose. I have no idea why this happens ?
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Mate, this issue was happen to me in Bangkok too,
I try many apps to fix this, but the result was same..
I see my location was stand in somewhere on the sea at Europe.
That's suck...
Make them REAL MS !!

hd7 no gps please help
gps dosent work on google maps when i flash back to old rom gps works

As far as I know location services do not use GPS exclusively. It uses GSM cell and tower info as well to speed up approximation and let enough time for GPS satellite locking. GSM cell data is stored in internet databases (do not know where and how) but if there is a mislocated tower (e.g.i Thailand) your location might be determined in a wrong way.
To keep it simple M$ hidden this mixed mode location service. I don't know what happens if you switch off location service in settings and use a GPS application for locating yourself. Is there a difference? Might be.

[Q] *sigh* I have had enough... Does this phone have a real GPS receiver or not?

I'm getting sick of ignorant people saying stuff like "oh yeah your GPS works as long as you have a data or wifi signal."
NO. THAT IS NOT GPS. That is the cheap triangulation signal method via cell towers that just about ANY phone can do. If you don't know the difference between GPS and cell tower triangulation then do not bother contributing to this discussion.
Real GPS uses satellites. You know, the ones in space. Nothing else.
Tomtoms don't use a cellular signal, they use GPS.
If you have real GPS, you can pinpoint almost perfectly where you are in realtime, and even accurately track your velocity, so long as there is a clear line of sight to the satellites. If your location is "bouncing back and forth", then you do not have GPS enabled. Period.
I would like to know, once and for all, was HTC lying on their phone specifications in saying that the HD7 has GPS or not?
My old HTC Touch HD had it. Why on earth does this HD7 not seem to have it?
Has anyone here ever actually managed to verify that a true GPS receiver even exists in this phone?

There is a GPS reciever in the phone or it wont be able to pinpoint your exact location in Bing Maps.

fazkaz said:
There is a GPS reciever in the phone or it wont be able to pinpoint your exact location in Bing Maps.
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Click to collapse
I have never had bing maps pinpoint my "exact" location though, only maybe to the nearest 20 metres. And the pointer doesn't seem to move as I move, which suggests to me it isn't using satellites at all...

You seem to be confused. To clear up your misunderstanding, read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS
FWIW, I use the GPS radio on my daily 6km runs. My old Holux devices (CF-Card, USB external), used to take 30-60 seconds to grab a 3D fix. My HD7 does it in just 15-seconds. If a data connection is available, AGPS will acquire a 'quick fix' first, then based on that position determine which satellites it should look for, elminating the old trial and error method. Hence, a 'true' gps connection is acheived immediately after the AGPS system does it's job.
Bing Maps is just simply a built-in GPS client for the hardware radio and firmware.
To those concerned about data roaming charges, a data connection is not required to use the GPS radio, but is necessary to use downloaded maps, etc. As the newly released Navigon system stores maps on your device (1.6-2.5gb!) it will run independent of a data connection.
Cheers

I understand perfectly what A-GPS is. However I have yet to see my HTC HD7 actually acquire a satellite signal.
Is there anything in the phone that actually indicates when it has acquired a signal from GPS satellites?
What I believe to be the case is that this phone never actually uses GPS signals, at any stage. I believe it simply uses the cellular towers to triangulate your position, and you never get anything more accurate than that.
I would happily be proven wrong. Or if you could show me somewhere on the phone which says "now receiving from (6) satellites" like my old HTC used to do, I will happily stand corrected.
Bing maps has never ever been "GPS accurate" in my experience, and I have had the phone for just under a year now.

What about the Navigon select app that some German carriers implement on their HD7s, isn't that satellite GPS signal ?

i'm using navigon navigator,that show me speed,exat position,and many other info:hd7 HAS A GPS RICEVITOR!!!

I used Bing maps navigation the other day to find a junk yard about 2 hours from where I live and it was pretty accurate. Even merging onto another highway showed the cursor right where I was. After the initial routing pretty sure I was out of signal since I had no service way out in the sticks yet Bing maps never lost the route. I wa pretty satisfied.
But your right real gps shouldn't need a data signal at all like navigon select. Maps are stored locally.
Sent from my HD7 T9292 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

Heofz said:
I understand perfectly what A-GPS is. However I have yet to see my HTC HD7 actually acquire a satellite signal.
Is there anything in the phone that actually indicates when it has acquired a signal from GPS satellites?
What I believe to be the case is that this phone never actually uses GPS signals, at any stage. I believe it simply uses the cellular towers to triangulate your position, and you never get anything more accurate than that.
I would happily be proven wrong. Or if you could show me somewhere on the phone which says "now receiving from (6) satellites" like my old HTC used to do, I will happily stand corrected.
Bing maps has never ever been "GPS accurate" in my experience, and I have had the phone for just under a year now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to back this post up 100% on my end. I stand outside of my building and have NEVER had my bing map... and it shows me 3 or 4 blocks away from my actual location. I've actually had this question sitting on my end for quite some time now.
I, personally, don't believe that the HTC can be used as a true GPS. It just uses the cell towers like mentioned above.
If somebody could actually prove this, other than saying... IT HAS GPS BECAUSE IT SHOWED ME DIRECTIONS AND ACCURATE DIRECTIONS TOO.... Turn by turn directions though Bing is fine.. but it's still not a true GPS location being used.
Would downloading a GPS program like the 35$ garmin one actually give me a different reading on my map? Would it actually work if I have no cellular signal like a true GPS, and work off of a GPS signal?

@NachoNut and @Heofz: Do the apps in the marketplace that provide system information tell you if the phone is using triangulation or actual GPS? You could also try tweeting @windowsphone, @winphonesupport, @attcustomercare, or @htc asking about it. They're generally pretty responsive

I can't verify the exact GPS hardware, but the "system view" app from the WP7 marketplace shows "GPS location" on my HD7 and reads out to the 100th's place in latitude and longitude and ALTITUDE. You would not be able to read altitude via cell tower triangulation.
I think the issue gets confused because many of the location aware programs will use the triangulation method first while waiting for the GPS to get a reading. For instance, in Bing maps, your location is shown in a wide circle but as GPS locks in the circle shrinks down to a much more accurate location.
Even AGPS cannot get down to +/- a few meters without other outside assistance or references though.

download tools for wp7 app from the marketplace. This has a gps reciever app. Put your phone in airplane mode, and then check if you get a location... I'd do it, but my phone is currently updating to mango.

Not entirely sure what this rant is about to be honest. Just because bing maps is sh!t (which surprise surprise we all know...) doesn't mean that the inbuilt GPS receiver in the phone is useless?! Have you tried Gmaps yet?
As an alternative, why not download WinPhone Info for Mango and it will give you your exact location.
I use the GPS functionality quite often for work, because I have to see lots of different customers in London, on foot. Anyone who knows London, knows how narrow the streets are and how tall the buildings are. Worst case scenario for GPS, yet it works every time and it's very quick to find my location. Even though I think the rest of the phone is underwhelming, this is actually one of the features that works fine. If only Bing was up to Google Maps standards!

I'd like to know the best positioning for the handset it's set for 'line of sight view'.
I go cycling round the park often and I must admit it does not seem as accurate as it did with my old HD2. Could it just be down to construction.

It's the rom. I switch to Telstra rom and my gps is working fine now. The gps on tmobile rom never be able to track my location

Mine used GPS as it came from T-Mobile... in Airplane mode it received the location etc,. but maps can't update because they need a data signal to load their data. It does indeed have a TRUE GPS satellite receiver in it.

Shortly after the mango update, using the free GPSInfo app I managed to get it to tell me it had acquired a satellite signal rather than data only. It gave me altitude readings etc as well as accurate speed info.
Hurrah!
Now all I need is software equivalent/better than tomtom and I'll be a very happy bunny

I was using Navigon Select 2.0 / 3.0 on my HD7 on my holiday to Spain during the summer; for a whole two weeks I had the data connection disabled, and there was no phone reception in some of the mountaineous areas, yet the GPS functioned absolutely perfectly, getting the position quickly and accurately. So yeah there is definitely a proper GPS in the HD7.
My own recommendation for navigation on the HD7 (whether you have access to data or not) is Navigon Europe / USA (ie version 4 of Navigon Select). It's a bit pricey but is price-matched with proper navigation apps on iOS and Android. It does all the usual offline navigation that you would expect with proper POIs, rerouting, etc, but if you let it at your data connection it will also retrieve traffic data, Google Local business results, etc. You can also pin destinations to your Start screen (Home, for example). Absolutely brilliant.

pin point location works fine for me on bing... shows my house on arial view... and while on the move bingel and gmaps both work...
i dont understand why ppl are complaning..

Me too
This has a GPS, but it doesn't lock on very well (or sometimes ever) for me. I am using the T-Mobile version so that may be the problem. If you use the GPSInfo app, it will tell you if you are using AGPS or if you have actually acquired satellites. I have been able to acquire satellites a couple of times, but mostly it just sits there on AGPS mode. I was starting to really like this phone, but the GPS thing might just be a deal breaker for me.

honest reviews of the gps on 8.9 att lte

ppl said that the built-in gps for the 8.9 is great...is not true.
currently i don't have any data plan with att on my 8.9. just using the 8.9 via wifi. well google maps recently allowed the download of maps for offline use. well i download offline map for nyc and was testing outside today. it was bright sunny day. i tested outside in midtown of manhattan for about 10 minutes and then downtown for another 20 minutes.
here is the result i got:
1. i loaded google maps and it wasn't able to find me when i was in midtown. the device was turn on for about 10 minutes. as soon i was near bryant park which have free wifi and connected to it, google map was able to find me right away.
2. then i travel downtown and was outside for about 20 minutes and it was searching for satellites and can't find me where i'm located. i was not near any free wifi. so i gave up.
so i think either google map either require data to work properly or the built in gps for the 8.9 is not that great or doesn't work at all.
i heard another offline gps map program called locust. i will do testing with that app later this week and will let you guys know the result.
any1 here also have the same result as me, please post your opinions here also. thx.

Nope.
However, I am using the P7300 non-LTE, non-US flavor.
Tablets have room for big-ass antennae, especially for GPS and they will usually get a steady lock without aid. It still is A-GPS, though (as in Assisted-GPS, meaning it uses all available data to get a lock - network cell towers, wi-fi networks in range, sensors and satellite data).
Mine gets a lock even inside an apartment building. Maybe you should have it looked at, if your warranty applies.

de3pkeeper said:
Nope.
However, I am using the P7300 non-LTE, non-US flavor.
Tablets have room for big-ass antennae, especially for GPS and they will usually get a steady lock without aid. It still is A-GPS, though (as in Assisted-GPS, meaning it uses all available data to get a lock - network cell towers, wi-fi networks in range, sensors and satellite data).
Mine gets a lock even inside an apartment building. Maybe you should have it looked at, if your warranty applies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which offline mapping apps are you using?

I'm not sure it's only the wifi availability that's the differentiator here. You went from within a city that has extremely high buildings (where you got no gps sats) to an open park with open sky (where you suddenly locked on to sats) and then back into the city with the high buildings again..... See where I'm going with this.
Maybe I'm off on my assumption but you can't blame me for thinking it.

Jiggity Janx said:
I'm not sure it's only the wifi availability that's the differentiator here. You went from within a city that has extremely high buildings (where you got no gps sats) to an open park with open sky (where you suddenly locked on to sats) and then back into the city with the high buildings again..... See where I'm going with this.
Maybe I'm off on my assumption but you can't blame me for thinking it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The park has high buildings around it too. When I was walking to the park and was near the park, it still couldn't find any satellites until I use the park free wifi.
For the ppl that got the gps working w/o wifi or any data plan? Can you confirm what map apps are u using? Can you elaborate how u got ur 8.9 gps working w/o wifi or any data plan?
Maybe let's all here do an experiment, go outside, turn off ur wifi and 4g and see if ur google map are able to find where u r with ur gps on only w/ offline map for google map? Please report back ur result. Thx.

vincentnyc said:
The park has high buildings around it too. When I was walking to the park and was near the park, it still couldn't find any satellites until I use the park free wifi.
For the ppl that got the gps working w/o wifi or any data plan? Can you confirm what map apps are u using? Can you elaborate how u got ur 8.9 gps working w/o wifi or any data plan? Maybe let's all here do an experiment, go outside, turn off ur wifi and 4g and see if ur google map are able to find where u r?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can use only the internal gps without wifi and find my location indoors using Maps app.
Sats aren't always directly overhead in the sky so it could have everything to do with time of day and where they are located in the sky. Hence my buildings and open park comment.
*Haven't had to do this on this tab but maybe your location files are messed up from something you installed or maybe you have a tab with foreign location information here in the states. Maybe try the info at the link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17081413&postcount=1

Jiggity Janx said:
I can use only the internal gps without wifi and find my location indoors using Maps app.
Sats aren't always directly overhead in the sky so it could have everything to do with time of day and where they are located in the sky. Hence my buildings and open park comment.
*Haven't had to do this on this tab but maybe your location files are messed up from something you installed or maybe you have a tab with foreign location information here in the states. Maybe try the info at the link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17081413&postcount=1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you said you can use your internal gps w/o wifi using maps app...is that google maps? were you on wifi and then you turn off your wifi? if you did, i think maps aka google map will remember your last location even w/o wifi. can you try again when you are outside w/o any wifi and report back your result? thx.

Btw i dont physically have any 4g sim card in my device...dunno if that has anything to do with it?

hmmmm...found an interesting specs:
http://mobilesyrup.com/2011/12/15/bell-samsung-galaxy-tab-8-9-lte-review/
- WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS
noticed it said a-gps. a stands for assisted. that means the 8.9 doesn't really have a physical gps chip and will need data in order to get gps to work properly.
any1 has who has a 8.9. can you try this for me and report back the result? can you go into settings > locality> gps and check only gps and UNCHECK assisted gps for mobile network use by google etc.. so just check the middle for gps and uncheck all the rest, which i below is the first and third related to A-GPS or anything with google.
now go into google map and see if your gps still work and find where you are?

Quick search found this thread. Unfortunately he doesn't state how he found the tablet has internal GPS and there are no follow on comments to confirm/deny. But seems that someone would have caught and corrected.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1271350
Also I always have assisted gps turned off because I don't particularly like Google knowing everywhere I am, anonymous or not.
Could be my brief experiences with it are a fluke as I just have started playing with this tab and have been more concerned with other stuff working. But nonetheless that's what I've experienced.

Jiggity Janx said:
Quick search found this thread. Unfortunately he doesn't state how he found the tablet has internal GPS and there are no follow on comments to confirm/deny. But seems that someone would have caught and corrected.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1271350
Also I always have assisted gps turned off because I don't particularly like Google knowing everywhere I am, anonymous or not.
Could be my brief experiences with it are a fluke as I just have started playing with this tab and have been more concerned with other stuff working. But nonetheless that's what I've experienced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmmm...u have 8.9 and have assisted off? which version of 8.9 do you have, wifi only or lte version? can you state your os and can do a screen shot with your gps working with google map? how does it takes your 8.9 to lock to a satellites?

vincentnyc said:
hmmmm...u have 8.9 and have assisted off? which version of 8.9 do you have, wifi only or lte version? can you state your os and can do a screen shot with your gps working with google map? how does it takes your 8.9 to lock to a satellites?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i957 LTE version running... in between right now. About to install CM10 fresh again and reload all my data.
Hmmm... Not sure when this became about me showing my tab. Again, was just stating my experience. I'll look at it again when I load CM10 from scratch. I usually poke around on here when I'm not at home doing more worthwhile stuff. I may have time in the next couple of days.

Jiggity Janx said:
i957 LTE version running... in between right now. About to install CM10 fresh again and reload all my data.
Hmmm... Not sure when this became about me showing my tab. Again, was just stating my experience. I'll look at it again when I load CM10 from scratch. I usually poke around on here when I'm not at home doing more worthwhile stuff. I may have time in the next couple of days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm...i maybe interested in loading cm10 and if i can get my gps to work properly. what os is cm10? is that still honeycomb version? what is the pros and cons of cm10? is the con cm10 that the camera and usb charging doesn't work?

Use app like "Gps status & toolbox". It tells you how many satellites are locked
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&hl=en
I know my 7300 has real gps, but I can't speak for your LTE model

fred_be9300 said:
Use app like "Gps status & toolbox". It tells you how many satellites are locked
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&hl=en
I know my 7300 has real gps, but I can't speak for your LTE model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx...installed this app....see attached screenshot.
Here are my settings:
Wifi turn on
Inside my apt
Use of wifi or mobile network aka agps are turn off
Gps turn on
Only able to lock to 1 satellite. But google map still not able to locate me.

vincentnyc said:
Only able to lock to 1 satellite. But google map still not able to locate me.
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It takes at least 3 sats to locate you (spherical intersections and all that). So I'm not surprised you are not located in this instance.

Dude... Inside you can't use gps... It needs a line of sight with satellites in the sky... Jeez, please lookup gps on Wikipedia...

fred_be9300 said:
Dude... Inside you can't use gps... It needs a line of sight with satellites in the sky... Jeez, please lookup gps on Wikipedia...
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Well one poster here were able to work inside his house. Go look up in previous post. Anyway I will test this out outside today, beautiful clear day today. But I don't expect any gps to work properly. Will report back result later.

Inside a building, gps might work near windows, or under a glass roof or so. Surrounded by concrete, it is impossible. But a device might position you based on cell towers or a database of locations for WiFi routers, as Google has built up.

was walking to work today. here are my settings and results:
wifi - turn off
agps - turn off
gps - turn on
clear sunny day, outside for about 5 minutes. got 3 satellite to locked from that app i installed last night.
google map and locus still UNABLE to locate me. see attachments for my results.
well at least i was right that gps won't work for me...lol

GPS?

The ifixit teardown indicated the possibility of a GPS capable chip in the 7" model.
Anyone load a GPS app and see if you get any results?
Thanks!

Google Maps location doesn't work, and I have been unsuccessful sideloading any of the GPS apps I have available. All fail on install.

What about one of the free GPS apps on the Amazon app store, like:
http://www.amazon.com/EclipSim-GPS-...ps&ie=UTF8&qid=1348158531&sr=1-1&keywords=gps

bleclair said:
What about one of the free GPS apps on the Amazon app store, like:
http://www.amazon.com/EclipSim-GPS-...ps&ie=UTF8&qid=1348158531&sr=1-1&keywords=gps
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Hmm well interestingly enough that one installed. It took a while, but it gave me a coordinate read out as well (see screenshot, I blanked out my location but you can see what I mean). I'm not familiar with that app, so I don't know if it uses Wifi at all for determining location. It does have an option for "do not launch if GPS is not enabled" though and that is set by default. Yet, it works. You have my wondering now, I'll keep playing with some of the other apps I'm a bit more familiar with and see if I can get them to install.

The OS build might not have adequate drivers to run the GPS. This might get fixed once we get a different ROM....someday.

I have google maps up and running, though I believe it is functioning off wifi location, the location is off a little. I installed GPS satellite app and it launches, gives me data but does not show that it is picking up any satellites.

alkemist80 said:
I have google maps up and running, though I believe it is functioning off wifi location, the location is off a little. I installed GPS satellite app and it launches, gives me data but does not show that it is picking up any satellites.
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I got GPS Test Plus installed and see the same. It doesn't find any satellites, but it is indeed finding my location based on Wifi. Acurracy of only about 200 feet. Think we are SOL for now.
UPDATE: I am playing with it more (it has a handy green light when it has GPS signal) that is yellow with WIFI off, and Green with it on. Seems to indicate it only uses Wifi for location.

even if gps is on the chip, maybe there's no antenna ?

So far no joy on getting any sort of GPS working. I bought a TomTom BlueTooth GPS module and it will not pair with the Fire HD. I get a message saying that the BlueTooth device is not compatible. None of the apps to make it work will even install.
Amazon apparently went all out in preventing people from using GPS. From what I understand the Nook will allow you to use a BlueTooth GPS.
FWIW, I tried using Google Maps on the way to and from work the last few days, and it is starting to get pretty good at finding my location via WiFi. Most of the time it was showing me within a block of my actual location, and sometimes it was actually tracking me accurately, even showing me driving up to an intersection and stopping right at the intersection. It seems to get better every time I take the same route.
I did discover that the Fire HD has a magnetic compass and accelerometer. But the compass is not very reliable.
I have a sneaky suspicion that there were some lawyers involved in these decisions...

Amazon took it really out of their way to lock down their tablets. They don't want people to use anything that doesn't rely on their services. Such as maps, either it be google, Bing, tomtom, anything not made by them. Amazon never activated voice search, the potential is there (apk in system files) but until they make it used through their ecosystem, KFHD will probably never see it. They even make it annoying to change the keyboard. Supposedly according too their website, BT only works with headphones. That is a complete limitation and annoyance.
As for GPS, I can see it somewhat irrelevant on a device that is wifi only and was omitted, though I do enjoy it on my N7. Something, I believe it was hootsuite would constantly annoy me about location services when I had it turned off, as they claimed it was turned off via twitter and had no options and I had it off in my twitter. Location services on the KFHD killed my battery for some unknown reason.

alkemist80 said:
As for GPS, I can see it somewhat irrelevant on a device that is wifi only and was omitted, though I do enjoy it on my N7.
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How so? With Maps you can download your entire city to use offline. If you start Navigation while online, and give it a couple of minutes to cache the info, it will take you all the way to your destination offline. I tested this on a 5 hour trip, and the audible turn-by-turn took me all the way to the destination, even though in some places the map itself was blank, and it didn't know the name of the street or exit. "Take the exit on the right" instead of "Take exit 6" It was even able to do some limited rerouting offline (which is something fairly new)
Besides, now I have a MiFi and a phone with a portable HotSpot. .On long trips, however, I turn off the MiFi while underway unless I need a major reroute, or need to find something. On a long trip a few weeks ago, my wife called from our tax accountant's office and needed some info from an old bank statement. I was out in the middle of nowhere in Alabama, and I though I was going to have to drive to Birmingham to find a Wells Fargo. So I fired up the MiFi, and asked my N7 "Google...where is the nearest Wells Fargo?" and it found one in a small town less than 10 minutes away and led me straight there.
Driving in Atlanta drives me insane. Now with the MiFi and Google Maps, I can see where the stop-and-go traffic jams are and get around them.
Irrelevant??? Not hardly!
I REALLY wanted the GPS to work on the Fire HD because the pitiful speakers on the N7 aren't loud enough to hear turn-by-turn directions in heavy traffic or heavy rain, or while the radio is playing. And the washed out screen on the N7 makes it hard to make out the streets (white and yellow on off-white) They stand out much better on the Fire HD's screen.

Not everyone tethers data through their phone or device. Most cell phone plans still require additional payment services. I refuse to pay another $35-$40 a month just to tether data. If I want to use GPS, then I use my phone or my Garmin Nuvi, though I prefer google maps since they are mostly up to date.
Caching maps, ok, but you need to know exactly where you want to go. Without data, the GPS is useless unless you are using a strict GPS app to determine location only. Amazon took it out to reduce costs. While it's nice to have, it's irrelevant to their entertainment device, they don't want you to use maps anyways.

question
Would it be possible to make a hack to enable spp bluetooth profile on KFHD. Because the tomtom bluetooth gps receiver uses that profile.
I have to completely agree with drhanley i wish i could have at least bluetooth gps on the kindle fire hd.
Drhanley have you seen in the android market bluetooth spp app make an app from the market could enable the spp profile needed for tomtom gps receiver ????????