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gps

i got a question on gps. HOw fast does your tytn ii gps find signal? mine takes forever like 3-4 min? is there a way to increase the signal search? thanks

Which radio are you using?
Mine takes couple of seconds max.

pinx said:
Which radio are you using?
Mine takes couple of seconds max.
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I think it depends upon the radio a lot. Some radios are very quick (I am currently using NIKI XX.17 as I need quick GPS locks - now takes seconds not minutes), others are not.

When I first got my kaiser, T-mobile vario III the GPS was very quick to get a fix taking less than one minute to get the first fix after boot up and subsequently a matter of a few seconds.
Unfortunately this was about the only thing that was quick though, so I installed one of Dutty's ROMs which vastly improved the overall performance of the device for most tasks, except getting a GPS fix which all of a sudden was intolerably slow, sometimes almost impossible.
I experimented flashing various radios but nothing seemed to make much difference so I kind of gave up. The other day I upgraded again, to Dutty's latest ROM and all of a sudden my GPS performance is back to how it was when I first got the kaiser, despite the fact the radio version included in the rom is the same as the one I had before. So I'm very pleased about this, but also perplexed. I don't know what factors influence the speed of getting a GPS fix but for me Dutty's latest ROM is good so maybe you should try that.
One thing that I did notice is that getting a GPS fix was always quicker when travelling in the car not standing still.

look9001 said:
One thing that I did notice is that getting a GPS fix was always quicker when travelling in the car not standing still.
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Which is strange... Normally GPS's are quicker to fix when stationary rather than moving...
I'll be getting mine soon, so once I have it, I will test with the T-Mobile standard and - if I get it installed, being a WinMob n00b myself that is by no means certain! - with Dutty's latest...

CescoAiel said:
Which is strange... Normally GPS's are quicker to fix when stationary rather than moving...
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It is strange isn't it? But I'm sure it was true in my case. For example I once walked to work with the GPS switched on as a test, I was holding it in my hand so it had a direct line to the sky at all times. When I got there about fifteen minutes later it still hadn't got a fix. The next day I drove somewhere and after about two minutes it had a fix.

As long as I'm outside (or in the car) under clear sky, I get a lock in Google Maps or Telenav in only a few seconds. Inside my apartment, but near a window, Google Maps will eventually get a lock, but it can take it 3-5 minutes to do so. In my office, which also has a window but which faces out to a courtyard surrounded by brick walls (and up 5 stories above my floor), I just cannot seem to get a fix at all.
Outside with clear sky above though, moving or stable, it is very quick - never more then 10s and usually far less.

What kind of buildings and other obstructions were around you? In order to get enough fixes to pinpoint your location it will often have to see sats out to some pretty steep angles. One guy we met who does commercial GPS systems showed us where the birds were from out on a beach. The 4th one was only something like 20 degrees above the horizon out over the ocean.

Did i break my GPS antenna somehow?

i've been switching roms trying to get my GPS to lock back on.
i used to get it down to exactly which room I was in in my House.
i think it said accurate to 2 meters.
I could use google nav like a champ and it would lock on quickly.
now i can't get it any closer than 20 m. It seems to refresh my location slower and I have problems using google nav b/c it continuously loses my GPS signal.
Any suggestions? thoughts? people with the same problem?

Where do you live, remember weather is a significant factor when it comes to GPS. It is getting about that time of year where it is going to be cloudy and rainy a lot. We had a big rain storm come through a couple weeks back and I couldn't even get a lock in my car.

ah i was replying to this thread when XDA froze.
But i'm in southern cali and everywhere it wasn't working.
on the 101 freeway, 110, 405, highway 1
anywhere
it used to be so spot on.

Was it overcast or raining when you were having problems? I have checked the public GPS interference notices and there is nothing specified in your area and there are only 2 unavailable sats right now, although there is the slight possibility that there is something on the classified notifications that may explain any service disruption, but I doubt it. Most likely it is due to atmospheric effects, although there is also the chance that something is indeed broken, whether physically or in software. There is an app on the market called GPS status that has an interface similar to old-school garmin devices where you can see where all the sats are and your signal strength for each of them. Also, once you get it installed play around with it in different weather conditions and times of day(the signal should be stronger at night if it is clear). If you want I can do some baselines and send them to you to compare, although I am in CO, so it may be better for you to compare to someone else in CA.

I just received my new hero and it definitely was an internal problem. I can get a lock in seconds now and.within two meters.
Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk

How bad is the GPS?

im considering buying this phone,but i hear there's problems with the GPS. my current phone has a great GPS receiver and i use it a lot for day to day navigation.How much will i be disappointed if i were to expect the same from the galaxy s?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=42858169

Here in holland I have no problems with the GPS reception...

Personally, I found that straight out of the box the gps was dreadful, but an hour later after I did the simple gps fix, it navigated me on a hundred and fifty mile round trip with no problems at all.
The fix is simple and easy and takes literally no skill. When you take your sgs out of the box, see if the gps works for you, then try the fix. If there is still no joy then take it back and say the navigation is busted and you want a different handset.
I'd certainly say its worth trying at least. Chances are can get it working and everything else that you like about droid is better on the galaxy .
It's worth remembering that the gps is not battery friendly and you'll need a potent (2A output)car charger to keep you running on the move.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Basically, in summary:
1) In late firmware, the lock is quite quick, especially compared to car GPS units. Maybe not as fast as some other phones, but fast enough. Certainly faster than my Garmin Forerunner
2) The accuracy boundaries on this phone are wrong sometimes (at least in XXJM5), but this may be a bug in that specific pre-release.
3) With JM5, the unit seems to only lock onto 8 satellites max, but, some people are saying apparently newer firmware's are locking onto more
4) People are complaining of issues getting locks when moving with the unit. However, I've experienced this on ALL GPS units I've owned. AGPS should help with this though (but I've never tested initial lock whilst moving except in a firmware where GPS was 100% broken for me).
5) In some cases, the GPS goes skitzo, this might be fixed in later firmwares
6) Finally, sometimes the track is a bit off to the side, and doesn't handle cornering well.. This is likely related to (2). But this makes it useless for fitness at the moment
Anyway, the GPS is usable, but there are serious accuracy problems with it still. Samsung has said that they are working on optimising GPS for a September update. My best advice is wait until then, because if it isn't fixed in September, the possibility that it is due to poor hardware design seems to grow significantly..

thank you for your valuable input,this forum really is the best on the internet.I'm gunna be buying it next month anyway,so lets see if the update fixes the GPS or not.To be honest,theres no other phone that can match it,so theres no alternative to this phone even if the GPS IS dodgy

The GPS sucks so hard that I'd rather use a regular map for navigation.

My Galaxy S has no gps problems. The first time i went out from house to check GPS accuracy I got GPS signal after 3 seconds. It's stable in 100% cases.

Acquiring signal is not the issue. I don't understand why people keep comparing signal to accuracy. it's not the same thing.

Exactly, there are people in other topics that are just inflating the whole issue, their claims are way exaggerated, and the original issues has already been fixed on newer firmwares, yet they refuse to accept it.

AllGamer said:
Exactly, there are people in other topics that are just inflating the whole issue, their claims are way exaggerated, and the original issues has already been fixed on newer firmwares, yet they refuse to accept it.
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Go for a 20min jog then and show a track of your perfect GPS. I have a lower standard than many of them, but all tracks I saw lost lock excessively at some point or another..
I haven't tried it myself, but can on tuesday.

damn,so many different opinions on this issue.also not being able to track my runs is a BIG minus but still not a deal breaker.day-to-day city navigation is a must though.

It's just as simple as that - you don't check gps functionality just by its fix time. you put it in your car, and start driving - if it's accurate (highly unlikely), gewd. if not - go back here and whine.

kingofkings2603 said:
damn,so many different opinions on this issue.also not being able to track my runs is a BIG minus but still not a deal breaker.day-to-day city navigation is a must though.
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The big problem is that many of them seem to be testing quickly from their chair.. There is overwhelming evidence that the GPS doesn't work accurately, but barely any showing it does.. In fact, in one case, I saw someone claim the unit was working perfectly, but the track they showed was on a straight highway, and was fluctuating excessively between both sides of the highway. And the most vocal of those who claims it works perfectly don't seem to be posting logs..
There is also some confusion between whether it is "fitness grade" or "car grade". Car navigation GPS can snap to tracks, and has more room for accuracy errors, because it can assume you always exist on the closest road, and if you use directions, it can assume you took the correct turns when it told you to do so (and correct itself a bit later). That's what most car units seem to do, and it helps compensate for most inaccuracies. It can lead to a bit of pain though if you make lots of turns, some of which aren't correct. Some people are possibly happy because they have used dedicated car units before which suck (some navman's take at least 5 mins to get a basic lock, negating any benefits of having them), but, since some phones offer better directions apparently, people are complaining it should be better.
Fitness grade requires MUCH higher resolution to be usable, because the distance is shorter (generally), and if your GPS veers off course, it gives you a false indication of jogging distance. Garmin forerunners feel generally like they are within 1 or 2 meters a of the time (but occasionally veers off 3), but from what I've observed standing still, the flaws may be less visible when moving, but simply appear as slightly off course.
Then there are those people who stare at the SNR/locked satelites for hours at end without checking whether the long/lat is actually correct, or the accuracy boundary (they see 5m accuracy, but don't actually check if it is accurate within 5 meters). I was one of these, until I realised that the accuracy boundary was wrong..
Part of the issue also comes down to firmware though. People are using pre-release/leaked firmware (which might not even be complete) and are judging the GPS quality based on that. No comment needed except, don't assume that Samsung aren't working on fixes because there is no fix in pre-release firmware.
I haven't properly tested either though personally because I use a forerunner for jogging (waterproof), and since I fly, I prefer to use maps to understand locations better. I did notice though that leaving my phone on my desk for a long period of time sometimes allowed the signal accuracy boundary to not include me (ie, allow a position of 20m away from me, but show 5m accuracy) intermittently. And this might explain the fluctuations in position many others have gotten..
Either way, it is debatable. The biggest issue is that the assumption so far is that everyone got exactly the same hardware, and exactly the same revisions. But the other problem, is that GPS quality is open to opinion, because in some areas, roads are so far spread out that even inaccurate GPS works fine for driving. It really depends on your needs. But the facts are, the accuracy of the GPS isn't worth debating anyway currently, because Samsung have already told us they are "optimising" the GPS in Sept, which may make this unit as good as a garmin forerunner anyway. All any of us can tell you as that we'll know the TRUE potential of the unit after the september patch.
But for me anyway, I think the GPS is fine (I don't need perfect accuracy, even if I needed this as a fallback in a plane)

The GPS is bad to the point of being unusable for car navigation or fitness tracking. Yes you may get a lock in GGps test but when moving the reported location is all ov
er the place.

andrewluecke said:
Then there are those people who stare at the SNR/locked satelites for hours at end without checking whether the long/lat is actually correct, or the accuracy boundary (they see 5m accuracy, but don't actually check if it is accurate within 5 meters). I was one of these, until I realised that the accuracy boundary was wrong..
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Case in point to illustrate what andrewluecke is trying to explain here about the accuracy not being exactly...well, accurate. Take a look at the attached screenshot. My GPS had a great fix with accuracy of 5m (the best it's able to report), stable for a few minutes, everything was working perfectly. Or so it seems. Except for the slight problem that I was actually standing where the red dot is... There's no scale on the screenshot, but it's a good 30-40 meters off. And that's quite common for me.

Case_ said:
Case in point to illustrate what andrewluecke is trying to explain here about the accuracy not being exactly...well, accurate. Take a look at the attached screenshot. My GPS had a great fix with accuracy of 5m (the best it's able to report), stable for a few minutes, everything was working perfectly. Or so it seems. Except for the slight problem that I was actually standing where the red dot is... There's no scale on the screenshot, but it's a good 30-40 meters off. And that's quite common for me.
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Exactly Case_. The point of the accuracy measurement is to say "you are somewhere within this range". But, with the Galaxy S, it isn't, and that shouldn't happen, at least not as often as it does (except maybe at the beginning whilst obtaining a lock"). Professional systems have something known as RAIM and FDE which detect when the accuracy may be incorrect due to external factors (such as shonky satelite, or serious atmospheric interference). But this happens a LOT, and I would have thought it affects GPS units equally (unless the Garmin forerunners in fact DO ship with fault detection, which could explain it, in which case, Samsung should implement fault detection and exclusion too, to make it usable).
Anyway.. What I am trying to say is summed up easiest with Case's post.

Fatherboard said:
Acquiring signal is not the issue. I don't understand why people keep comparing signal to accuracy. it's not the same thing.
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It most certainly is an issue. It takes a minute or longer to acquire a lock in some cases despite stationary and clear line of sight.
The people who stomp their feet with "The GPS is fine" are no different than the iPhone4 users who claim there is no attenuation in their phones.

In my case with the DDJG4 update, I see some minor issues.
Once in a while when I am at home (indoors with no visible satelites) my location shifts from bangalore to toronto. All my stuff changes to that. It looks like AGPS is not turned on or buggy becuase 80% of the times it works well. Does anybody else face the same problem ?
So when my phone takes me to toronto, i restart the phone and everythng is back to normal
SOmetimes, the location service fails to find where I am and shows Toronto in Google website. Is there anyway to avoid this.

It's just like what most people say, you can get a fix, and GPS seems fine. Try to use it, and it's a whole different story.
Somebody on the forum posted a link of a run, where the SGS GPS went everywere but on the straight line, it even made a hilarious loop. Too bad i can't find it.
People need to stop saying "Firmware updates fixed it already" as that's just not true.
Hah, there it is, posted by sjdean.
Desire, and SGS GPS.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...52.48542,-1.742063&spn=0.014138,0.045319&z=15
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...=52.48082,-1.761761&spn=0.01414,0.045319&z=15

Is the GPS fixed by Google?

I know this seems odd but the GPS seems fixed; without tampering with the settings. A friend bought a Fascinate so we started comparing crappy GPS. While his had him in Eastern Europe, mine was dead on accurate. It was like it wasn't the phone I've been using for months that couldn't keep a lock in the middle of a field on a sunny day.
I was running JH7 and started using the GPS every chance I got and it never lost a lock and usually locked in 30 seconds or less. The Fascinate also isn't having any problem after he got the market app to connect.
It's been almost two weeks and it's still working perfectly. I'm in my basement and it's locking me within 80ft right now; which I consider pretty good for being underground. I've never changed the settings so I had no idea why it started working.
Anyway; I bought my wife a Focus and spent a lot of time in AT&T stores while she SLOWLY shopped for a phone. Two different stores both told me that the GPS is fixed. I blew it off as not caring (see below comments about Froyo) but even the display model was locking fast and finally got 'in' the building after a minute. 3 reps at two different stores told me it's been fixed.
What I don't understand is they both stated the fix didn't come from Samsung. It came from an update of Maps over the last month. Maybe they were versed.
So my GPS magically works now. I ocassionally get a larger blue circle but most of the time have no range of error. It does sometimes jump in fast turns like i'm going straight but corrects itself before Navigation gets a chance to re-route.
Is anyone else seeing this?
Lastly; one guy was irritating me with arguing with me why I was telling my wife she'd want more space then the 3GS 8GB offerred. I tried to annoy him and started badgering him about my Froyo. His response is below.
"Don't know and don't care! We sell the phones as is and don't care if they ever get updated as they are great phones as is"
Coming from a corporate AT&T store making this comment didn't appease me. His comment, and the announcement well be the only non-froyo galaxy by month end led me to put Cognition on the phone again.

i did read that the US govt was preforming some tests on GPS satiltes lately and some people in the mid (EAST??) Us would experiecne problems

As much as I want to believe a fix is coming, I've given up on it. Keep in mind I live near Baltimore, MD, and my GPS has always been 'good enough to barely get me turn-by-turn directions.'
The update you are referring to (as well as most people whom first claim an update fixed GPS), is a google maps update that allows path prediction. The best way to test this is to take your phone for a drive with MyTracks, but there is an easy way to test the prediction vs. actual performance.
If you are driving along a road (lets say you get to 40mph+) and are coming up on a red traffic light or stop sign; proceed and then try to stop fairly quickly (please be safe). Immediately look at your phone for your location, and you will notice your arrow being way ahead of you, and it will start working its way back to your current location. The same thing will happen if you take a right-turn detour from your projected route (it will show you go straight past, and then try to work it's way over to finding your actual location). The stronger lock you have, the more responsive this will be.
Either way, I'm fortunate enough to have a Garmin for road trips since the captivate generally has trouble keeping me tracked with a decent level of accuracy.
FYI: For my trips, it's all outside Baltimore. No big buildings, clear day no clouds, etc.

[Q] GPS Issue

Anyone else have issues with their GPS?
Mine seems to get confused about where I am even though I have high accuracy enabled for location.
If I just go by the voice prompts it would get me lost.
It tells me to keep going on a street I've already turned off of.
The map seems right but is as if the gps needs to be calibrated or something.

Will Rickards said:
Anyone else have issues with their GPS?
Mine seems to get confused about where I am even though I have high accuracy enabled for location.
If I just go by the voice prompts it would get me lost.
It tells me to keep going on a street I've already turned off of.
The map seems right but is as if the gps needs to be calibrated or something.
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Click to collapse
Mine did this for like 5 minutes and then locked on and was perfect every time since.

Will Rickards said:
Anyone else have issues with their GPS?
Mine seems to get confused about where I am even though I have high accuracy enabled for location.
If I just go by the voice prompts it would get me lost.
It tells me to keep going on a street I've already turned off of.
The map seems right but is as if the gps needs to be calibrated or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is finnicky as well for GPS games like Ingress. It's a noticeable lock on lag difference compared to the HTC One M8 which was pretty much spot on every time without much drift. I hope it'll get patched in the future :]

Sometimes the solid circle inside my GPS icon flashes rapidly and other times the whole icon appears and disappears several times a second. Any idea what's going on with that?

When using Waze to navigate, I often lose GPS lock if the phone is resting on my leg. Returns when I lift the phone.

I downloaded GPS status and did the compass calibration thing.
We'll see if that makes any difference next time I use it.