GPS Settings: Performance Options (improvement)
- Thread starter shaneaus
- Start date
Ive tried everything listed in this thread, and I still can't get a lock. Been sitting here trying for the last 30 minutes... meanwhile me N1 gets a lock in less than 30 seconds...
Ok finally got a lock after trying all morning, but in google maps it keeps moving my position all around where I should be, and I'm just sitting here.
I edited the gps.conf like posted, re-booted, and using gps status it took about 10 minutes to get a lock. But the lock isn't steady, it keeps fluctuating, it won't stay locked on. So in Google Maps, its locked on, then its not, it moves around, etc. Meanwhile my Nexus sits there rock steady with a perfect lock.
Ok finally got a lock after trying all morning, but in google maps it keeps moving my position all around where I should be, and I'm just sitting here.
I edited the gps.conf like posted, re-booted, and using gps status it took about 10 minutes to get a lock. But the lock isn't steady, it keeps fluctuating, it won't stay locked on. So in Google Maps, its locked on, then its not, it moves around, etc. Meanwhile my Nexus sits there rock steady with a perfect lock.
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After sitting for 15 minutes. I swear I didn't have this problem when I first got the phone... rooting and removing AT&T software couldn't possibly have any effect on this right??
this picture really says it all. I am so pissed off about this whole GPS BS. Really? XDA members know how to get a fix for this stupid shi.. while Samsung does nothing? WTF It's been what, a month since the phone came out worldwide and no freakin fix? WTF Sammy!!!!
GPS always on
Is it just mine, or is it normal for the GPS to stay on all of the time.
Before i made the changes posted here, the GPS would only be on while an application was set to use it.
My short term fix was to download a GPS On Off widget, I don't want it sucking down the battery when I do not need it.
Thanks
Is it just mine, or is it normal for the GPS to stay on all of the time.
Before i made the changes posted here, the GPS would only be on while an application was set to use it.
My short term fix was to download a GPS On Off widget, I don't want it sucking down the battery when I do not need it.
Thanks
No, mine turns on and off when used. I was able to get a decent fix, accurate down to 5m only when I put the phone next to the window. I'm about to go try it outside with Navigation. (haven't used it yet on the Captivate)
Lost my braggin' rights
Last night I was using it and was on a highway that had others running on each side, separated by about 75-150 foot medians (maybe more...not sure) , and it couldn't decide which one I was on. Bounded back and forth, and gave all kinds of crazy instructions.
But still getting a fast hook. Accuracy is the issue now for me.
Last night I was using it and was on a highway that had others running on each side, separated by about 75-150 foot medians (maybe more...not sure) , and it couldn't decide which one I was on. Bounded back and forth, and gave all kinds of crazy instructions.
But still getting a fast hook. Accuracy is the issue now for me.
I have two thoughts\concerns regarding this GPS issue. I have tried nearly everything people have posted regarding different configurations.
First - I really wish we had some kind of proof that the menu everyone is accessing and modifying is actually the internal GPS settings and not simply a GPS Testing menu. Based on the number of different settings people claim are "correct", and the number of people who see nearly no change at all, it's starting to feel more and more like a placebo effect.
Second - While the GPS certainly seems to be a little weaker than other phones (my phone always sees 2 - 4 fewer satellites than my friends EVO in the same spot), I am still able to see at least a few satellites even when indoors (with wireless assistance off). The biggest issue I see is it seems like the phone never wants to get a fix. Does the Signal Noise Ratio actually indicate strength of signal, or simply the quality of the signal (low signal\noise ratio but very weak link)? My SNR can range from 14 - 34 and it won't get a fix on four different satellites. Outside, or on my friends EVO, satellites with an SNR as low as 14 will lock.
Is the default software just expecting too strong a signal before considering the satellite locked? I really wish Samsung would speak up on this, or a site like Engadget would light a fire under them to get some more informabout about what's going on. I love everything about this phone EXCEPT the flaky GPS and GPS is a pretty important aspect of a Smartphone!
Edit: I do want to add I've used the Captivate for driving directions before, such as through town and from one city to the next - it DOES work - rooted and with default settings (not messing around with the GPS menu, whether it works or not), and it stayed locked the entire time, rerouted when I took a better direction, etc. It's not like it's completely broken or defective - it's just incredibly sensitive about locking.
First - I really wish we had some kind of proof that the menu everyone is accessing and modifying is actually the internal GPS settings and not simply a GPS Testing menu. Based on the number of different settings people claim are "correct", and the number of people who see nearly no change at all, it's starting to feel more and more like a placebo effect.
Second - While the GPS certainly seems to be a little weaker than other phones (my phone always sees 2 - 4 fewer satellites than my friends EVO in the same spot), I am still able to see at least a few satellites even when indoors (with wireless assistance off). The biggest issue I see is it seems like the phone never wants to get a fix. Does the Signal Noise Ratio actually indicate strength of signal, or simply the quality of the signal (low signal\noise ratio but very weak link)? My SNR can range from 14 - 34 and it won't get a fix on four different satellites. Outside, or on my friends EVO, satellites with an SNR as low as 14 will lock.
Is the default software just expecting too strong a signal before considering the satellite locked? I really wish Samsung would speak up on this, or a site like Engadget would light a fire under them to get some more informabout about what's going on. I love everything about this phone EXCEPT the flaky GPS and GPS is a pretty important aspect of a Smartphone!
Edit: I do want to add I've used the Captivate for driving directions before, such as through town and from one city to the next - it DOES work - rooted and with default settings (not messing around with the GPS menu, whether it works or not), and it stayed locked the entire time, rerouted when I took a better direction, etc. It's not like it's completely broken or defective - it's just incredibly sensitive about locking.
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Mine locks great as long as I'm not moving, even walking or jogging and it loses all accuracy and ability to track me. So far the GPS is basically worthless. And for those of you surprised by Samsung's lack of acknowledgement of the issue, you're not experienced samsung users. Samsung almost NEVER puts out software updates or acknowledges problems. The way the phone is now is the way it'll be at the end of the year. Its going to take some smart developers/hackers to actually figure out the problem and fix it.
Drove across the state today and wanted to use Google Navigation, but after giving it 15 mins to get a lock inside the car I was still getting "waiting for location.." so I ended up having to just read the maps directions which was pleasant since I was driving. I really can't wait for GPS to be fixed.
I tried to use it yesterday and my finding is:
if I just let it sit on my lap, it always lost fix; but if I hold it higher it worked.
I think this is true - these settings appear to be for the test app only - when I change one of the settings and then reboot my phone, it goes back to the original settings.
But...I think I've found these settings in the settings database - when I was enabling sideloading I started looking at some of the other tables and found the settings. I suspect that changing them in the database will make them apply to all apps and will make them permanent.
Changing these should be similar to the process for enabling sideloading by changing the database values - copy the dbdata/databases/com.android.providers.settings/settings.db database to the SD card, transfer it to your PC and open it, select the "system" table (instead of the "secure" table used when enabling sideloading), make the changes, and copy the database back to the phone. This is explained in more detail in another thread.
The values are _id's 1353 through 1375. The names and values are:
SessionType = 1
OperationTestMode = 0
OperationMode = 0
StartingMode = 1
GPSPlus = 1
DynamicAccuracy = 1
DynamicAccuracyValue = 50
UseSkyHook = 0
UsePcTool = 0
ServerCustomUrl = (spirent-lcs URL)
ServerCustomPort = 7275
SERVER_MODE = 1
ServerUrl = (spirent-lcs URL)
ServerPort = 7275
SecureSocket = 1
AGPSMode = 0
Some of the values in the database are self-explanatory - for example the server URL and port values. Others are not - the mode values, for example, are stored as an integer - I don't know what values should be used or what corresponds to the options seen in the test app.
DISCLAIMER - I have NOT tried changing any of these values yet, so don't come whining to me if you brick your phone.
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Add me to the list of skeptical people. I'm fairly certain that the only settings that even MAYBE affect the phone outside of that menu is the SUPL server data.
That said, I've tried all different settings, and went on a road trip to the beach for the weekend. I was NEVER ONCE able to get a GPS lock. This isn't acceptable and needs to be fixed. Now we don't have GPS or HSUPA. This phone is quickly turning into a piece of ****.
That said, I've tried all different settings, and went on a road trip to the beach for the weekend. I was NEVER ONCE able to get a GPS lock. This isn't acceptable and needs to be fixed. Now we don't have GPS or HSUPA. This phone is quickly turning into a piece of ****.
Just wanted to say here is another phone that I am fed up with. I am have terrible problems with the GPS and about ready to return the phone.
None of the settings seems to help, when I do get a lock it works for awhile. If i go back later back to searching forever. Seems like if i mess with it enough i get a lock but only for awhile. I have seen all the problems listed, including locking and then searching again. Almost seems like it know where the Sats are but doesn't' want to lock on them.
I really don't want to return it and go back to WinMo (HTC Fuze), but this is very annoying. Almost makes me want to switch carriers and get a Droid X.
I will keep playing with it and see if I can't get it to work.
Rooting or removing AT&T apps shouldn't mess it up, i could put them back as I just renamed them. If I remember correctly when I first got the phone it seemed to work fine, that was before I enabled using wireless networks.
None of the settings seems to help, when I do get a lock it works for awhile. If i go back later back to searching forever. Seems like if i mess with it enough i get a lock but only for awhile. I have seen all the problems listed, including locking and then searching again. Almost seems like it know where the Sats are but doesn't' want to lock on them.
I really don't want to return it and go back to WinMo (HTC Fuze), but this is very annoying. Almost makes me want to switch carriers and get a Droid X.
I will keep playing with it and see if I can't get it to work.
Rooting or removing AT&T apps shouldn't mess it up, i could put them back as I just renamed them. If I remember correctly when I first got the phone it seemed to work fine, that was before I enabled using wireless networks.
Rooted and took off all the ATT apps, but other than that, haven't tweaked GPS at all.
Not sure if it matters but I pulled up Google Maps... Not the Navigation. Just to see if I could discover the same issues and nope, mine worked fine.
Hmm, do you have use wireless networked checked? It was unchecked out of the box for me.
Anyone else have it unchecked out of the box?
Do you think you can check your GPS settings and see if it using sprint-lcs out of the box?
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I honestly can't remember now. It's checked ATM but I can't remember if it's because I saw this thread and turned it on (obviously if you can acquire it via cellular triangulation that's faster than GPS) or not. I really never use my phone's GPS so the only time I fire it up is just to see if it works, really.
If I can remember I'll try it on the drive home today and see if I can't see any difference.
? Where do I check that?
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1I changed all my settings last night and it seemed to fix the issue. I was getting a lock within 10 seconds or less. Now I cannot get a lock with the exact same settings and reboot. Has anyone contacted Samsung over this? Anyone get an answer from them? I love this phone but the GPS issue sucks.1
Dude, it BARELY works in my car with all my windows rolled down on a clear sky sunny day. If the windows are up, there is zero hope...
Grabbing a signal from my back yard, then walking behind my all glass door (placing the phone up against the glass) visibly looses all signal on the GPStest app.1I greatly improved my GPS performance by doing this: First, a brief background: I was always curious about the two electrical contacts mating to the aluminum battery cover; if they were a ground plane or part of the antenna. For the heck of it I tried improving the connections by cleaning the small square contacts on the inside of the cover with a pencil eraser (they looked like they had a thin coating on them); and then gently, slightly prying up the contact on the right with a small screwdriver (the left is spring-loaded) and thats it. I was surprised to see an immediate improvement in signal strength resulting in locks within a minute and spot-on navigation. As a side note I noticed a better signal if I held the phone by it's sides vs cradled in my hand. It may be my imagination but I also seem to get a better signal (more bars) on the phone itself. I don't want to get anybody's hopes up, but this worked for me. Give it a try and let me know!1
And it's pretty easy to remember the digits if you memorize it by the pattern of key presses. You start in the upper right and spiral around till you hit 5 and then jump to 0.1What Ever Happened to Ephemeris Downloads?
I work with satellites and have some knowledge. When I had a WM6.5 phone, there was an option to dowload ephemeris. Ephemeris is updated satellite location data of the satellites. Even though satellites are in geosynchronous orbit (stationary orbits), they do tend wobble a bit (not perfect), enough to delay lock-on and have less accuracy. Therefore, the need for ephemeris.
Is ephemeris downloaded automatically in the background unoticed in Adroid?
TIA for any answers...
