Gingerbread, GPS, Google Nav, and Telenav

[boostm3]

Running stock phone with Gingerbread. So I was able to successfully install the GPSFix.zip file using the 18 step proc well documented in the Sprint community. I now routinely lock onto at least 90% of the satellites found as opposed to less than 40% before the fix.

But here's something I simply do not understand.. Google Navigation will lose the signal and report gps signal lost after a period of about 30-60 minutes, whereas Telenav, which I will sometimes run at the same time just to compare the two, rarely if ever drops the signal.. And, this seems to happen with Google Navigation when almost all the satellites are fixed onto! Why would Google Nav report signal lost when GPS Status app reports 7 out of 8 satellites locked onto? And why not Telenav?

Has anybody else noticed this? Its forcing me to use Telenav when I really prefer Google Navigation. BTW, I did a complete factory reset just a week ago. I cant figure out why this is happening...

Anybody?

 

[TechnoGeezer]

I haven't noticed that (yet) but I've seen something different that I can't explain. I'm fully stock GB & haven't done the GPS fix. I'm frustrated by the deterioration of GPS functionality since GB upgrade. On Froyo, Nav by GPS was OK, not perfect. Now it works only sometimes & not predictably, seen by many here. I started monitoring GPS on my route to & from work. In the am I pick up only 2 or 3 of 8 or 9 sats in view but in pm I get at least 4 and usually 6 to 9 of 8 to 12 sats (GPS Test app). Since sats are in geosync orbits, time of day shouldn't matter, right? I've seen this consistently for about a week. Any ideas?

 

[boostm3]

Just do the gpsfix... it'll make things easier for you.

 

[unclefacts]

boostm3, would you happen to have a link to the site where you got the fix and the 18 step instructions?

thanks!

 

[boostm3]

boostm3, would you happen to have a link to the site where you got the fix and the 18 step instructions?

thanks!

Sprint Community: Gingerbread GPS Issues

 

[TechnoGeezer]

I checked this out but haven' done it yet. Look at post #190 for 18 step procedure to remain stock but see post #204 to root & install modified kernel. Post # 209 explains it all. I'll probably do it this evening.

 

[boostm3]

I found post 190 pretty straight forward and not difficult to do.. just take your time and follow each step. Once installed, make sure you have an app like gps status and you should find youll be locking on to something like 9 out of 10 satellites, which should be much better than stock gingerbread.

 

[cerobles1]

Funny. I thought we already had this on this website.

 

[TechnoGeezer]

I found post 190 pretty straight forward and not difficult to do.. just take your time and follow each step. Once installed, make sure you have an app like gps status and you should find youll be locking on to something like 9 out of 10 satellites, which should be much better than stock gingerbread.

OK, so I started the process and got to Download mode on the Epic and I can't get my PC with Odin to recognize the phone. I often connect to the PC (Win 7 64 bit) and just did so to back up the SD card just before starting the GPSFix process. I re-tested the two cables I use regularly (stock Samsung E4G cable and one from my Kindle). Both work to connect to PC & transfer files but won't work to connect in download mode. Any suggestions? Tried normal front port & one back port. I always use the front ports to transfer files successfully. Merry Christmas, by the way!

 

[boostm3]

OK, so I started the process and got to Download mode on the Epic and I can't get my PC with Odin to recognize the phone. I often connect to the PC (Win 7 64 bit) and just did so to back up the SD card just before starting the GPSFix process. I re-tested the two cables I use regularly (stock Samsung E4G cable and one from my Kindle). Both work to connect to PC & transfer files but won't work to connect in download mode. Any suggestions? Tried normal front port & one back port. I always use the front ports to transfer files successfully. Merry Christmas, by the way!

So, you were able to get your pc to see the phone in order to copy the gpsfix.zip to your sd card? But then, in download mode, the drivers wouldnt install? In cases where Ive heard that people had this problem, it was usually a cable issue, although I really dont know in your case whats causing this.

From your samsung usb drivers you downloaded to your pc, did you Extract, and run “Samsung_Mobile_USB_Driver_V1.3.800.0.msi” to get them installed?

 

[TechnoGeezer]

I was stuck in download mode, so I pulled the battery & rebooted the phone & tried again. No luck. So I shutdown the phone & pulled the SD card, put it back in and tried again. This time it worked! No explanation for that. I've found a couple of other issues that I'm not sure about. First the ACSRecovery file has a different name once downloaded. The QBKing77 video shows ACSRecovery1.0.0.5.zip on the site, which becomes ACSRecovery1.0.0.5.tar.md5 when downloaded. On my machine it stays as the zip file and another file, ACSRecovery1.0.0.5.tar.tar
but no ACSRecovery1.0.0.5.tar.md5. Is that right or do I have the wrong file? Also, the link to the superuser file is broken and apparently doesn't exist anymore.

 

[TechnoGeezer]

Sorry, I skipped the answer to your last question. Yes, I have downloaded, removed & re-loaded the Samsung USB drivers numerous times. It didn't make any difference until I pulled the SD card. I actually intended to boot into download mode with the card out but somehow lost track of what I was doing and put the card back in before I booted into download mode (and it worked).

 

[boostm3]

ACSRecovery1.0.0.5.tar.tar was the name of the file I used. Dont know about the superuser file...

 

[TechnoGeezer]

I went with CWM 5 and everything worked great, once I found the GPS_Fix.zip file on the "apply zip file from sd card" menu. It was on a second page of files. Not I'll have to test the GPS function but so far it looks good. Inside at the computer I have 4/4 sats in use., but fluctuating from none to 5/6 so it's probably a reception issue. Thanks to all who contribute to these forums, here and at xda etc. Merry Christmas to all.