[Q]gps signal and google maps

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the only way i can connect is if im having free sky above me....
however if im in a mall whit 70% glass rooftop i cant get a gps signal going
is this a general problem or should i go try another device

also is there any way to make the screen not switch off wile ur in google maps(not navigation)

Gps needs direct line of sight to the sky. The mall side walls surely will block the necessary satellites on the mid to low horizon which is why you can't get a lock.

And glass is a solid substance, the same as any other roof, so it has an attenuating quality. The light has no idea that it is transparent to human eye.
And yes, it needs atleast three satellites to triangulate your position somewhat accurately, so there's more to it than just a line of sight upwards.

Am I the only one that thinks that must be a ginormous mall in order to need GPS while inside it?

As far as leaving the screen on while google maps is on the screen....the only thing that immediately comes to mind would be to go into your display settings and set a longer timeout.

even in a car with the phone sitting on the dash you can have issues getting a signal. The only sure way your going to get a super fast lock is outside with clear lines of sight to the sky.

Originally Posted by knytphal

Am I the only one that thinks that must be a ginormous mall in order to need GPS while inside it?

LOL.

But seriously, many apps use location services as a big part of the app (Yelp, Foursquare, etc), or as an added feature (any twitter app), and even Google's browser app uses location for Latitude and for location-based search results.

Or maybe he's a mall walker for exercise and needs his GPS enabled tracking app (RunMaster Pro is free this month on the Market instead of the usual $9.99 by the way) to track his progress.

You may not need GPS for those to work if there are enough mapped wifi spots to get a fix, but there's plenty of reasons to want your GPS to work inside a mall.

dude i dont need gps in the mall but compared whit my old htc touch hd the gps signal is alot harder to get; just wanted to know if its a issue whit my phone or its a general problem

Gps, wifi and network conections all are ****tyer on this phone then on my 2 year old htc touch hd....i expected a bit more from the latest google phone

Originally Posted by funstuffalex

dude i dont need gps in the mall but compared whit my old htc touch hd the gps signal is alot harder to get; just wanted to know if its a issue whit my phone or its a general problem

Gps, wifi and network conections all are ****tyer on this phone then on my 2 year old htc touch hd....i expected a bit more from the latest google phone

well in that case it might just be the problem with the nexus s. many people do seem to say it's GPS is weaker than other phones. and if you have other phones that can get a solid gps lock in the mall, but your nexus s cant, then it just must be weaker.

search for GPS status in the market. run the app. go to tools and manage a-gps.

reset the gps then download a-gps data. you should see an improvement in GPS reception. for me it is a BIG difference compared to before.