Every GPS enabled device I've ever owned has seemingly had a defective GPS

[melody5697]

With the possible exception of a device that I didn't know had GPS until long after I broke the screen (I don't mean I just cracked it, it actually stopped responding when I touched it), every GPS enabled device I've ever owned has seemingly has GPS problems. That's three tablets and a phone. They worked fine for a while, but then they started not working right. They would say, "GPS signal lost" and then not work for anywhere from a minute to an hour. That's understandable for my phone since it only cost $60 (one of the cheapest no-contact Android phones you can get from AT&T and actually pretty good for the price), but the tablets all cost over $100 (except one was given to my dad by his employer and my dad gave it to me, and I bought one refurbished for less than half the normal price, but they would've cost over $100 if I'd gotten them new). My newest tablet, the Insignia Flex 10.1, was the worst. I ordered it last week and it arrived on Saturday, and I had problems with the GPS the first time I used it and every time until I decided to try something different. I downloaded GPS Test and everything looked normal, so I started thinking about other possible explanations for the problem. I decided to try a different app. That didn't work, but the one I was using was owned by Google, so I decided to try HERE Maps instead. Now it works just fine. My theory is that there's something wrong with Google Maps. That explains how every GPS enabled device I've ever owned can have the same exact problem. Has anybody else had this problem and found the same solution? Here's a list of my GPS enabled devices, in case that's important:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4
ZTE Maven
Dell Venue 7
Insignia Flex 10.1

 

[ManiacJoe]

"Lost signal" messages mean that something is blocking the GPS signals where you are at. Normally this is the house you are in, or the tall buildings you are surrounded by.

 

[melody5697]

So what you're saying is that it has nothing to do with the app and that nobody has a functional GPS where I live? Then how come my grandparents have no problem and the problem went away when I tried a different app? Did a different app magically make the buildings around me no longer block the signal? What about when I'm driving where there AREN'T any tall buildings (which is pretty much everywhere I go)? Am I psychotic and I only think there aren't tall buildings?

 

[ManiacJoe]

So what you're saying is that it has nothing to do with the app and that nobody has a functional GPS where I live?

No, you said that, not me. But thank you for the extra info about tall buildings not being the problem.

Not all devices are created equally.
Not all apps are created equally.

 

[Rukbat]

There can also be interference where you are that's affecting GPS signals (which, in the US, is HIGHLY illegal - but it's done by people not knowing that they're doing it, bu running equipment that's defective - the FCC clamped down on Heath a few decades ago, and made them recall an entire product line).

BTW, a $100 tablet is still considered a cheap tablet.

 

[melody5697]

No, you said that, not me. But thank you for the extra info about tall buildings not being the problem.

Not all devices are created equally.
Not all apps are created equally.

I have the problem with ALL of my devices.

 

[melody5697]

There can also be interference where you are that's affecting GPS signals (which, in the US, is HIGHLY illegal - but it's done by people not knowing that they're doing it, bu running equipment that's defective - the FCC clamped down on Heath a few decades ago, and made them recall an entire product line).

BTW, a $100 tablet is still considered a cheap tablet.

If the problem had to do with interference, my grandparents would have the same problem.
Actually all the tablets I've had were more expensive than that (or would've been if I'd bought them new). I just didn't feel like looking up the prices, but I did just now, and the cheapest (Dell Venue 7) costs about $140 at Best Buy. That's actually more expensive than I thought. (The only one I paid for myself is the Insignia Flex 10.1, which I bought refurbished for $68.99 including shipping.) Still cheap, but not total-piece-of-junk cheap.

 

[Rukbat]

If a Dell Venue can't receive GPS signals (I assume you've checked with GPS Status & Toolbox and waited at least a few minutes for the first lock), and your grandparents can receive GPS signals in the same spot, the Dell is defective. (But I've found that about 95% of "my GPS doesn't work" "problems" on non-Samsung devices are user error or expectation of something that's not going to happen. (When you enable GPS, all that happens is that you enable GPS - you don't see any indication of anything. A consuming app, like Maps, has to ask the GPS module to give it location data.)

Run GPS S & T and wait until at least 5 or 6 satellites show green and you should see your location. As I said, the first time, it's going to take a while - the GPS has no idea where in the world it is, so it has to listen for 24 satellites, and start recording any it hears. And it needs a full transmission from at least 5 of them to give you a location. After that it knows the time and the approximate location, can look up which satellites should be available (that's the "A" in AGPS - assisted by data supplied externally), so it can listen for 7 or 8 that will normally be in range anywhere, any time, find them and lock to them. I usually get a warm start like that in 3-6 seconds. But fly across the country, or the world, with the phone off, turn it on and run the GPS, and it can take 5 minutes to lock.

 

[melody5697]

If a Dell Venue can't receive GPS signals (I assume you've checked with GPS Status & Toolbox and waited at least a few minutes for the first lock), and your grandparents can receive GPS signals in the same spot, the Dell is defective. (But I've found that about 95% of "my GPS doesn't work" "problems" on non-Samsung devices are user error or expectation of something that's not going to happen. (When you enable GPS, all that happens is that you enable GPS - you don't see any indication of anything. A consuming app, like Maps, has to ask the GPS module to give it location data.)

Run GPS S & T and wait until at least 5 or 6 satellites show green and you should see your location. As I said, the first time, it's going to take a while - the GPS has no idea where in the world it is, so it has to listen for 24 satellites, and start recording any it hears. And it needs a full transmission from at least 5 of them to give you a location. After that it knows the time and the approximate location, can look up which satellites should be available (that's the "A" in AGPS - assisted by data supplied externally), so it can listen for 7 or 8 that will normally be in range anywhere, any time, find them and lock to them. I usually get a warm start like that in 3-6 seconds. But fly across the country, or the world, with the phone off, turn it on and run the GPS, and it can take 5 minutes to lock.

I'm not gonna bother checking the Dell Venue 7. It crashes at least one a day, so I don't use it anymore. That's why I got the Insignia Flex 10.1. Perhaps I still haven't been clear. ALL of my devices (Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, Dell Venue 7, ZTE Maven, and Insignia Flex 10.1) have this problem, but my Insignia Flex 10.1 DOES NOT have this problem if I use HERE Maps instead of Google Maps or Waze. I assume it's the same with the other devices. I didn't come here asking for help. I know nobody believes me, but the problem only exists if I'm using Google Maps or Waze. Everything is fine if I use HERE Maps instead. I just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this. Since nobody can understand that, I'm just gonna leave.