Related
If I use it while I'm driving (with TomTom) seems to be working fine.
However, if I use it while I walk, sometimes the position doesn't update even if you walk for 30 seconds. After that, you get a new position. Then it works for a few minutes and I stop getting new positions. I have to wait a few seconds again.
I have tried in different places (no tree cover) and with different programs and I got the same problem.
Anybody had a similar problem?
Thanks
Don't worry... Your GPS works fine.
This GPS is not intended to work while walking. The reason is simple: it needs a minimum of speed in order for it to calculate the direction you move in.
That's why it works on the car and not on the "walk".
I can't remmeber the details, but I think GPS has a error range of.. 15m or 50m, from which you may have problems. As such, if you were to walk a long enough distance, it ought to update itself.
migueloncete said:
Don't worry... Your GPS works fine.
This GPS is not intended to work while walking. The reason is simple: it needs a minimum of speed in order for it to calculate the direction you move in.
That's why it works on the car and not on the "walk".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd have to disagree, at least as far as my device goes. I use iGuidance software, AT&T Rom, and everytime I take the dog for a walk (three times since I got the unit) I bring it with me and do a walking nav test. It works perfectly everytime.
It's not defective, it's due to a feature of GPS hardware to prevent erratic jumping around due to accuracy errors. For more info, go here and search down to where it talks about "Static Navigation".
Once of the reasons I got this phone was for the GPS, because we like to do geocaching. However, unless my phone is defective I won't be able to use it for that...
Not unless you can find a way to disable static navigation. While I'm sure this isn't an acceptable solution, I've found that if I shut down whatever GPS application I'm using (such as google maps) and re-open it, it does seem to reinitiate GPS and update to the current position.
I hear people talking about the GPS on this phone and I have to say that I find it to be amazing. Here are a few of my happy stories.
1) I got 4 sats inside of a hockey rink yesterday
2) On google maps if I zero in on my back yard I can tell if I moved from one side of my yard to the other
3) Tom Tom, Pocketstreets, WindowsLive search and google maps all work great with out any issues at all.
People have to remember that it is a phone not a camera (although it does well at that), not a guidance system for missles requiring 1cm accuracy. It is a phone and a damn good one if you ask me.
dscline said:
It's not defective, it's due to a feature of GPS hardware to prevent erratic jumping around due to accuracy errors. For more info, go here and search down to where it talks about "Static Navigation".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the information. It helped me a lot.
However it seems that there is not a way of disabling Static Navigation for this model of GPS, right?
I don't know. I guess someone would have to discover how to do it, if it's even possible.
InRBigness said:
I hear people talking about the GPS on this phone and I have to say that I find it to be amazing. Here are a few of my happy stories.
1) I got 4 sats inside of a hockey rink yesterday
2) On google maps if I zero in on my back yard I can tell if I moved from one side of my yard to the other
3) Tom Tom, Pocketstreets, WindowsLive search and google maps all work great with out any issues at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I aggree, I can tell which room of the house I am in using Google Maps
wizzzard said:
I aggree, I can tell which room of the house I am in using Google Maps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can to some extent as well. But if I move from one room to another, it doesn't update unless I close google maps and re-open it. That is the issue the OP is having... when traveling at low speeds, you have to travel a relatively long distance before it updates. But I've found it to be extremely accurate using navigation software in the car, which is what static navigation optimizes for.
HTC TYTNII GPS Problem
I got my TyTnII when was lauched 2 days in Malaysia, replaced with the second unit, still the same problems, the GPS dun work.........
So waiting for the second release. anyone having the same problem?
...........................
Just tried the new GMaps 2.0 and my location works flawlessly.
Called "My Location," the feature comes as part of the release of version 2.0 of Google Maps for mobile. My Location uses cell tower ID information to determine (approximately) where you are. Google says that it uses special "Google-developed-algorithms" to determine this, which sounds like fancy talk for triangulation (a supported phone can determine how far it is from the three closest cell towers and then pinpoint the approximate spot of the caller).
Anybody else tried it?
Did you try while driving ??
(I'll still keep my GPS chip for a while)
It's better than nothing but not very accurate. On my Kaiser, I will continue to use my GPS.
sebbes said:
Did you try while driving ??
(I'll still keep my GPS chip for a while)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About to will update when I get back
Just tried it in the UK and the location thingy is temporarily unavailable.
kavi said:
Anybody else tried it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, though when I'm on 3G towers it gives the "temporarily unavailable" message, works when I get an EDGE tower - 1600meter granularity!
Great feature, very cool, will not replace GPS. Our 3G towers just came up last month so that may be why they're not in the Google database yet....though I recall other reports of 3G location not working.
Richard
Didn't work for me either, I'm in the UK (south wales)
Did notice the GPS location is a little more accurate with 2.0
Tended to jump a lot with the older version
I heard it was only good to a 3 mile (4.8km) radius. Not nearly good enough to give you turn by turn directions.
jgermuga said:
I heard it was only good to a 3 mile (4.8km) radius. Not nearly good enough to give you turn by turn directions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, even google's site says the accuracy is dependent on the cell tower spacing. In my case, at my desk at work it reports 1600m (1.6km) accuracy, so definitely not turn-by-turn. In a densely towered (urban?) area, I suppose it's vaguely possible to have sufficient accuracy for rough turn-by-turn though.
Richard
Still, GPS is obviously much better.
I would have appreciated this with my older non-gps phone though and I am hopeful that they will offer this as an iPhone update for my wife.
jgermuga said:
I heard it was only good to a 3 mile (4.8km) radius. Not nearly good enough to give you turn by turn directions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried the Navizon version and it can be a lot better in urban environments where the cells are far smaller. In most of central london, Navizon can get a fix to an accuracy of a hudred yards or so. I have seen it do better than GPS since it is less vulnerable to the "Urban Canyon" effect. In rural areas, the coverage of each cell is much larger and I would expect the accuracy to fall to half a mile or worse.
Martin
I live in Minneapolis. AT&T rolled out 3G here on 1 November. I loaded up GM2.0 and it was right on the money. I was even inside my house.
I don't see how the program could triangulate a device out in the suburb. In a metro, yes, it's possible. Satellite GPS navigation is not going to be replaced anytime soon; however, I can see the "traingulation" come in handy for emergency situations.
sherpa said:
I don't see how the program could triangulate a device out in the suburb. In a metro, yes, it's possible. Satellite GPS navigation is not going to be replaced anytime soon; however, I can see the "traingulation" come in handy for emergency situations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't matter where you are, suburbs or metro. If you have 3 antennas, you can use triangulation, period.
While it's not good for turn-by-turn navigation, it would be good enough to get a quick fix and be able to search for something in the immediate area.
Try thinking of it as a tool for people without gps. Imagine you're lost and you can get a general idea of where you are. Then drive a mile and do it again...now you have a bearing on where you are headed.
This won't replace gps or give you directions until it can get to that accuracy.
I just install it, and i was coming on here to create a thread but looks like someone beat me to it. gMAP just got a whole lot better, I was like oh sh*t it uses the cell phone towers to show my location. this the bomb. google stepping the game up.
Mine works great on the 3G but i do get that unavailable bar sometime.
so for those of us that like the way the old version works with 'track location' gps feature, is the new 2.0 version beter or just stick with the old ?
bobcho10 said:
so for those of us that like the way the old version works with 'track location' gps feature, is the new 2.0 version beter or just stick with the old ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still works with GPS, but you can also get a quick location fix via cell towers like people have been discussing.
Built in GPS not working anymore
Lidberg said:
It still works with GPS, but you can also get a quick location fix via cell towers like people have been discussing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not appear to be able to use my built in gps in this new version of Google Maps. The settings are identical to my previous installation which worked flawlessly. The cell based location does appear accurate on my initial tests. But if I turn off the gprs or 3g radio and switch to wifi I am unable to get a fix at all.
I broke my own cardinal rule and overwrote my backup of cabs so I cant reinstall the previous version, Doh.
Does anyone have a copy of the previous version installation cab? Or is there a trick to using the Kaisers built in gps? as I said earlier my settings are setup the same way as worked previously.
wizzzard said:
Does anyone have a copy of the previous version installation cab? Or is there a trick to using the Kaisers built in gps? as I said earlier my settings are setup the same way as worked previously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.0.0 works fine on my Tilt, as did 1.7.1 - both with the GPS Options set to let Windows manage the GPS. Way back when I had to tell it COM4: to get Gmaps to work, IIRC.
In any case, 1.7.1 can be downloaded from Google here:
http://www.google.com/gmm/winm_apps/v1.7.1/L1/GoogleMaps_compressed.CAB
HTH,
Richard
Hi, i had problems with my GPS, i had enabled the two option avaliable in the location settings. However i am able to find my location using the cell tower, but my gps sign just keeps on flashing and it was not able to lock to satellites. May i know if it is hardware issues or software?
I am able to lock to satellites before, however now it takes forever. Thank You.
Are you trying outside? It's difficult to get a signal inside.
"GPS Status" free from the market shows you some good data, like how many birds it can see.
BTW "flashing", the icon itself is appearing and disappearing or the icon is animating? Also what ROM are you on and in which application(s) are you trying.
This may not help that much but I damaged my long coax to the gps chip while I changed my housing. Since then it acts the same as you described, so you could be experiencing a hardware issue. The parts for the gps can be found online for about $40 if you determine its a hardware issue.
Reply
Hi, i am on KB7SQI's Rogers Mod 2.3, hmm i did tried it outdoor before and it refuses to lock on to the satellite. The icon of the gps will come on and off, it does not stay fixed, i have also tried on Google Maps App. It cannot detemine my location. Locking onto the satellite should take a few seconds, however mine took forever.
I am hoping it is not a hardware issue, importing parts would be very very expensive for me. I believe if it is a hardware issue,the icon will not even appear. Is there anyway i could test out whether my gps chip is working? Thank You.
hazeline said:
Hi, i am on KB7SQI's Rogers Mod 2.3, hmm i did tried it outdoor before and it refuses to lock on to the satellite. The icon of the gps will come on and off, it does not stay fixed, i have also tried on Google Maps App. It cannot detemine my location. Locking onto the satellite should take a few seconds, however mine took forever.
I am hoping it is not a hardware issue, importing parts would be very very expensive for me. I believe if it is a hardware issue,the icon will not even appear. Is there anyway i could test out whether my gps chip is working? Thank You.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you try a factory wipe/reset?
Reply
I have just upgraded from v2.1 with a wipe, thus this is a wierd problem for me. Any Idea, besides hardware problem? Thanks
This might seem like a really stupid question to some. When I was on my last trip I thought it would be nice to try out the GPS function while on the road or even on the plane. I would have loved to follow my movements on the Xoom!
So I downloaded some apps that looked promising (GPS Status, GPS Test, and Maverick). I thought I would get at least the coordinates and maybe an altitude and speed reading. But all three applications failed to acquire sufficient GPS satellites to determine my position. After the plane ride I decided it might have been that the GPS receiver is turned off during airplane mode. So I enabled all radios, made sure all location settings are correct, and tried it again. Still nothing. I see a few satellites in range but they are not sufficient for some reason.
I then tested the Google map app. I tried different settings (use wireless network etc.) and it seems that the GPS location is never really showing correctly.
Am I doing something wrong? Any help is appreciated!
All of those programs you mentioned should have done the trick. Keep in mind that you were in a big metal tube and GPS signals are pretty weak. You would need to get the Xoom close to a window and even then it may not work very well due to poor coverage. I am in a building with a metal roof and no luck getting a GPS lock, but as soon as I step outside it works fine.
HuckFinn said:
I am in a building with a metal roof and no luck getting a GPS lock, but as soon as I step outside it works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I gave it a good chance but you are right; I should be fair and have the Xoom enjoy the nice weather outside with me once I get off work.
getting a GPS signal while flying in the air at 600mph+ is kinda hard... I've tried without success except for 1 occasion (and finally got my Garmin app on my old Nokia to register a max speed of 569mph haha)
funnycreature said:
...it might have been that the GPS receiver is turned off during airplane mode. So I enabled all radios, made sure all location settings are correct, and tried it again. Still nothing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a similar, but not the same issue, but the work around might be helpful.
I have found that if I turn off the GPS radio, and then turn it back on, it really does not turn back on. The work around is to turn on your GPS in the settings and then turn your Xoom off (long press the power button only), and then turn it back on. Now try your GPS and see if it works.
I opened the Maps app and it put me in the exact part of my house in 5 seconds. Literally.
Sent from my Xoom
Being outside did the trick. I guess I overestimated the power of GPS satellites indoors. I am thankful for all the suggestions!
[sent with Xooming Android technology]
the xoom must have a super-GPS chip because it catches the signal and puts you instantly in the right spot on earth a lot faster than the nexus one on 3g/gps ... awesome.
MitchRapp said:
the xoom must have a super-GPS chip because it catches the signal and puts you instantly in the right spot on earth a lot faster than the nexus one on 3g/gps ... awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe that's because of the aGPS which takes advantage of the WiFi and wireless signals for positioning? I don't have 3G activated but the WiFi surely helps and is pretty accurate.
just tried it with the WIFI off on my xoom and booya... quick lock and exactly in the right spot in the building I'm in
this thing is awesome.
MitchRapp said:
getting a GPS signal while flying in the air at 600mph+ is kinda hard... I've tried without success except for 1 occasion (and finally got my Garmin app on my old Nokia to register a max speed of 569mph haha)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's possible if fortune (and satellites) on your side But you will need to stick your phone to the window for a few minutes, also helps if get location just before boarding to a plane.
MitchRapp said:
the xoom must have a super-GPS chip because it catches the signal and puts you instantly in the right spot on earth a lot faster than the nexus one on 3g/gps ... awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tablets probably have a bigger GPS antennas, Asus Transformer and even NI Adam have a great signal reception.
My Streak 7 wifi, stock ROM- gps unable to lock. Other than that, device is great. Wifi connected. In settings, Wireless networks and GPS satellites in use. GPS Status & Toolbox app downloaded aGPS data but not helping, GpsFix app not helping to lock also. Any other suggestions? thanks in advance.
dang1970 said:
My Streak 7 wifi, stock ROM- gps unable to lock. Other than that, device is great. Wifi connected. In settings, Wireless networks and GPS satellites in use. GPS Status & Toolbox app downloaded aGPS data but not helping, GpsFix app not helping to lock also. Any other suggestions? thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to be too mundane, but have you tried a simple reboot, or going outside where you'd be more likely to get a GPS fix? My T-Mobile S7 has had trouble getting a GPS fix several times, but other times it locks right in.
How long have you left in in clear line of sight of the sky to get a lock? I use mine as my primary in-car multimedia center/GPS and at first, to save battery, would turn it completely off when not in use. I found that when I'd get in my car to go home from work it could take up to 10 minutes to get a lock. Then I started just letting it sleep, have had no battery issues and GPS lock is nearly instant.
Long story short: Give it a good while to lock after a full shut down.And maybe you have, I just thought I'd share my experience.
Jeff
I have absolutely the same issue. After turning it off completely, the GPS does not lock for ages in any sky conditions, etc. Moreover, I put another two Android devices (Galaxy S and Optimus One) also after complete shut off juyst nearby and they are getting locked almest immediately. No doubts, there is a bug in the S7 GPS. But what is it ? Is it a hardware problem ? Can it be fixed ? Keeping it in a sleep mode for a long time is not a good solution for me, though it works indeed.
Does anybody know how to fix it ? At the moment I am using an external GPS. It works perfect, but it is also not that elegant solution.
Same thing here too. I downloaded "GPS test", and found that it will lock on pretty quick, then fire up GPS, and all is well.
margol1 said:
I have absolutely the same issue. After turning it off completely, the GPS does not lock for ages in any sky conditions, etc. Moreover, I put another two Android devices (Galaxy S and Optimus One) also after complete shut off juyst nearby and they are getting locked almest immediately. No doubts, there is a bug in the S7 GPS. But what is it ? Is it a hardware problem ? Can it be fixed ? Keeping it in a sleep mode for a long time is not a good solution for me, though it works indeed.
Does anybody know how to fix it ? At the moment I am using an external GPS. It works perfect, but it is also not that elegant solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS on android devices need the assistance of the cell tower or ISP location to get a quick lock. When you first boot up the ds7 and turn on GPS, make sure you are connected to wifi in order to get a quick lock. If you search this forum you will see a thread that give a fix for this, but I think its too much of a hassle. Just be on wifi for your first lock will do the trick. This is not bug on the ds7, its android.
otnos said:
GPS on android devices need the assistance of the cell tower or ISP location to get a quick lock. When you first boot up the ds7 and turn on GPS, make sure you are connected to wifi in order to get a quick lock. If you search this forum you will see a thread that give a fix for this, but I think its too much of a hassle. Just be on wifi for your first lock will do the trick. This is not bug on the ds7, its android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? More misinformation on this subject? No, Android devices do not need aGPS, in this case you're confusing aGPS (ie: download of ephemeris data) with Network location, which are quite different.
And it really doesn't matter if it's the first or the Nth time, if the DS7 is always offline for some reason, it would likely make that first fix take 5+ minutes but subsequent fixes (for 7 or so days) would be fine. However, as soon as he goes online, it's going to download the ephemeris data.
My guess is that his GPS conf is set to the wrong part of the world, so the ephemeris data is basically invalid. FasterFix in the market can help correct this mistake if you're rooted, or you can replace it manually.
khaytsus said:
Really? More misinformation on this subject? No, Android devices do not need aGPS, in this case you're confusing aGPS (ie: download of ephemeris data) with Network location, which are quite different.
And it really doesn't matter if it's the first or the Nth time, if the DS7 is always offline for some reason, it would likely make that first fix take 5+ minutes but subsequent fixes (for 7 or so days) would be fine. However, as soon as he goes online, it's going to download the ephemeris data.
My guess is that his GPS conf is set to the wrong part of the world, so the ephemeris data is basically invalid. FasterFix in the market can help correct this mistake if you're rooted, or you can replace it manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I beg to differ with you. When I was on stock froyo, I had the same GPS lock problem on one of my trip. So I pulled into a McDonald and connected to their free wifi and got an instant lock. This morning I tested it again. I have been running honeycomb sine Oct 5th and have never turn on the GPS. I connected to my wifi, turned on GPS, and opened Google map and got an instant lock. I didn't have to wait 5+ min..
otnos said:
I beg to differ with you. When I was on stock froyo, I had the same GPS lock problem on one of my trip. So I pulled into a McDonald and connected to their free wifi and got an instant lock. This morning I tested it again. I have been running honeycomb sine Oct 5th and have never turn on the GPS. I connected to my wifi, turned on GPS, and opened Google map and got an instant lock. I didn't have to wait 5+ min..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And none of that has anything to do with what I said.......
This is a little FAQ I wrote up on how to fix this problem. Just a matter of replacing the file that runs the GPS, based off the area you live in.
http://tabletroms.com/forums/showwiki.php?title=DellStreakFAQ:GPS-FIX
giveen said:
This is a little FAQ I wrote up on how to fix this problem. Just a matter of replacing the file that runs the GPS, based off the area you live in.
http://tabletroms.com/forums/showwiki.php?title=DellStreakFAQ:GPS-FIX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good list, although not sure why you're specifying dozens of NTP servers vs the pool server, but I assume t-mobile lets anyone connect to its server to download the ephemeris data? Otherwise, probably better to use supl.google.com
Here's mine, for North America, with other regions commented out for NTP. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/334233/gps.conf
It'd be interesting to know if all of the other dozen or so configuration options are actually used, I've heard they aren't, just part of a spec.
I bought my DS7 in the US and I live in Israel. The above explanations perfectly fit my case. Unfortunately, the given link does not include my region (Israel or Middle East, etc). Can somebody help me ? My DS7 runs a stock HC 3.2. The device is unrooted, but I will root it just for solving the GPS problem. BTW, why my Galaxy S bought in Europe does not have such problem ? Is this gps.conf specific in tablets only or in the US devices ?
Another thoughts. Now it seems to me extremely unreasonable to run specific GPS files in different regions. GPS, by definition is supposed to be used in different regions. Should I replace the GPS file in my every trip? Sounds more than unreasonable. I used a Windows CE based PDA with GPS all around the globe without that issue. It does took me a while to fix satellites in a new region for the first time. But then it was getting fixed fast even after complete shut off.
I can't beleive Android is that imperfect. If this option would be included in the menu (e.g. in Regional settings), I would like it. But performing such complicated actions in each trip ???
margol1 said:
Another thoughts. Now it seems to me extremely unreasonable to run specific GPS files in different regions. GPS, by definition is supposed to be used in different regions. Should I replace the GPS file in my every trip? Sounds more than unreasonable. I used a Windows CE based PDA with GPS all around the globe without that issue. It does took me a while to fix satellites in a new region for the first time. But then it was getting fixed fast even after complete shut off.
I can't beleive Android is that imperfect. If this option would be included in the menu (e.g. in Regional settings), I would like it. But performing such complicated actions in each trip ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stop your trolling, ephemeris data, ie: what's set up in gps.conf, is to speed up cold starts. it does nothing else, it's not Android specific, in fact all it's doing is downloaded a set of the data that your GPS would otherwise have to slowly acquire from the satellites, which takes 2-10 minutes, depending on conditions and how many sats are seen.
All GPS units do this, but GPS units that have a network available will potentially download ephemeris data to speed up satellite acquisition. Otherwise they just download it. Only time you'll really notice it going slow is if it's been more than 4-5 days (I believe 7 is the official data expiration, but the older it is, the less accurate it is) or you've changed areas since you last turned on the GPS.
Keep in mind that phone-based GPS's suck. They're inaccurate, they're not sensitive, their antennas are not optimal. This is true for nearly all PDA's or Phones, Tablets, etc.. Some may be better than others. They're optimized for space, price, and somewhat for battery life. Not accuracy, precision, or cold starts (beyond A-GPS data downloads, which is an OS function that makes the data available to the GPS)
This means my unit is faulty (apparently it is a common problem for DS7). Otherwise I would have similar cold starts for all three devices I have tested (DS7, Galaxy S and Optimus One). On the other hand, in the light of your explanataion, my tests are, probably, wrong. DS7 is WiFi only, while another two are GSM (no data plans though). In other forums, I read that changing gps.conf file in WiFi only devices dramatically improves cold starts. Apparently they all have been connected to WiFi while starting. I have prepared the appropriate file for my region, but don't know how to root my DS7 with stock HC 3.2. The thread I found here is not sufficiently detail for noobs like me. So, in the mean time I will continue using the external GPS. It is indeed much better than the internal one besides the cold start problem (though much less convinient). If you know a link to the step-by-step instructions for rooting DS7 running stock HC 3.2, I will greatly appreciate it.
margol1 said:
The thread I found here is not sufficiently detail for noobs like me. So, in the mean time I will continue using the external GPS. It is indeed much better than the internal one besides the cold start problem (though much less convinient). If you know a link to the step-by-step instructions for rooting DS7 running stock HC 3.2, I will greatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Always possible there's a problem with the GPS, maybe the antenna is defective or connected badly. Hope you figure it out.
I have two bluetooth GPS, one Holux 236 I've had about 6 years, another Columbus V900 I was going to replace the Holux with, as it's newer, should have better sensitivity, and has built-in track logging. Except that its accuracy is off, it's precise.... precisely wrong. It's always about 9 meters off. And my primarily use for it is Geocaching, and my Holux 236 is always dead on.. So my new BT GPS is basically used as a track logger. Ah well All that said, I primarily use the BT GPS with my phone while geocaching or hiking or such, but I have used it on the tablet a few times, but most often I just use the built-in GPS on my DS7 because I don't need high precision with it the way I use it.
khaytsus said:
Stop your trolling, ephemeris data, ie: what's set up in gps.conf, is to speed up cold starts. it does nothing else, it's not Android specific, in fact all it's doing is downloaded a set of the data that your GPS would otherwise have to slowly acquire from the satellites, which takes 2-10 minutes, depending on conditions and how many sats are seen.
All GPS units do this, but GPS units that have a network available will potentially download ephemeris data to speed up satellite acquisition. Otherwise they just download it. Only time you'll really notice it going slow is if it's been more than 4-5 days (I believe 7 is the official data expiration, but the older it is, the less accurate it is) or you've changed areas since you last turned on the GPS.
Keep in mind that phone-based GPS's suck. They're inaccurate, they're not sensitive, their antennas are not optimal. This is true for nearly all PDA's or Phones, Tablets, etc.. Some may be better than others. They're optimized for space, price, and somewhat for battery life. Not accuracy, precision, or cold starts (beyond A-GPS data downloads, which is an OS function that makes the data available to the GPS)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, khaytsus.
All this fix does is speed up the initial contact to the GPS satellites for your region. You don't have to use this, you can wait till the GPS in the DS7 makes contact if you want.
khaytsus said:
Always possible there's a problem with the GPS, maybe the antenna is defective or connected badly. Hope you figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The most strange is that the GPS is fine after getting fixed . At least, no difference with Galaxy S, i.e. roughly the same number of satellites, SNR, accuracy. So, the only problem is unreasonably long cold start. I am not sure how it could be caused by a defective antenna. Anyway, in the mean time I decided to use an external GPS. I have three units, two BT and one mouse, which I used to use with my nettop in the pre-tablet era. Yesterday I connected my Hollux 236 to 12 V using a concealed cable and switch. So, now the procedure is reasonably simple: switch on 236, a few clicks on BluetoothGPS and, when the connection is established, I am clicking iGO8. It works like a charm, besides several additional actions I have to perform. When I will sicceed to root my DS7, I will try to play with the gps.conf file anyway.
P.S. I got an idea to connect my mouse GPS using the DS7 docking unit. I have a simple one with two microUSB I/O. Not sure it will work, but, if yes, it can simplify everything dramatically. I will try it on the weekend and let you know about the results.
Thanks.
OK, after two weeks of testing I still don't have a reasonable solution:
1. The USB mouse GPS connected the cradle does not work at all.
2. My greatest disapointment is with the external GPS. It works perfect... when it works. I am using the Bluetooth GPS application to get connected. After several successful connections, without any visible reason, the GPS is not getting connected to DS7, although the application shows many satellites with large SNR (>30-35). However accuracy = 0 and no GPS signal message in iGO8. This happens only from time to time and as I have already mentioned without any visible reason.
Will try another applications and GPS devices.