soo....are they gonna fix the GPS problem or not..

**TechnoGeezer** · 01-04-2012, 06:24 PM

I can give some support for the 4G part of this prob. I've been testing various scenarios and yesterday I was running with 4G off (car Home Ultra as car dock with Google Nav running in maps mode). I decided to turn on 4G (in a known 4G service area) and the phone locked up immediately, req'ing battery pull to reset. Per prev posts here, this could be due to memory or app interactions. Car Home automatically shuts off WiFi and activates BT, but 4G status remains unchanged so it stays however it was set before docking. I'm going to try to free up more memory to see if that is the issue. I'm usually down to ~75MB on the phone with all possible apps on SD.. (I know, I know, dangerously low!)

**uscpsycho** · 01-04-2012, 07:19 PM

For me, it seems like 4G & Wifi off is the answer to my prayers.

I just spent the last 40 minutes trying in vain to make navigation lock up. I simultaneously streamed music. I constantly forced rerouting. I changed destinations. I panned across the map. Nothing would lock the phone up. Previously I'd be lucky to make it even ten minutes while doing everything I could think of to keep it from locking up.

This is still no guarantee lock-ups won't resume but this is the most uninterrupted navigation session I've had since I got Gingerbread.

As for memory, I only have 55MB free, so low memory isn't a factor for me.

**TechnoGeezer** · 01-04-2012, 09:15 PM

I'm giving it a try tomorrow & crossing my fingers!

**MojaveMike45** · 01-04-2012, 09:28 PM

Samsung Galaxy S (rooted), nothing worked including hardware fixes (antenna contact,external antenna, etc), tweaked the SUPL/CP settings, 1 or 2 birds max, G Nav never locked ................ until GPSFix .... now 5 or 6 hot birds indoors, 10 to 12 outside ...... G Nav working

**uscpsycho** · 01-05-2012, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by MojaveMike45

Samsung Galaxy S (rooted), nothing worked including hardware fixes (antenna contact,external antenna, etc), tweaked the SUPL/CP settings, 1 or 2 birds max, G Nav never locked ................ until GPSFix .... now 5 or 6 hot birds indoors, 10 to 12 outside ...... G Nav working

You realize that you're posting in a Samsung Epic 4G forum, right? The GPS fix makes the lock up problem worse for most people with this phone.

**treotraveler** · 01-05-2012, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by uscpsycho

You realize that you're posting in a Samsung Epic 4G forum, right? The GPS fix makes the lock up problem worse for most people with this phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S is the Epic 4g. The Samsung Galaxy SII is the Epic 4g Touch....

**uscpsycho** · 01-05-2012, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by treotraveler

The Samsung Galaxy S is the Epic 4g. The Samsung Galaxy SII is the Epic 4g Touch....

"Samsung Galaxy S" is the base model. There are several vairants: Epic 4G, Vibrant, Captivate, Fascinate, Mesmerize.

If one is specifically referring to their Samsung Galaxy S, and not one of the variants, then you have to assume they have the base model which is not the subject of this forum.

From Wikipedia:

The Samsung Galaxy S is an Android smartphone that was announced by Samsung in March 2010... The base version of the phone, the GT-I9000, was quickly followed by variant models for the US carriers such as the Epic 4G, Vibrant, Captivate, Fascinate, and Mesmerize.

**TechnoGeezer** · 01-05-2012, 07:04 PM

Tried no 4G (or WiFi) today and phone locked up in a different location than before but where there is very poor or nonexistant 3G data or phone service. Google Nav map froze at that position. Battery pull req'd to reset. So turning off 4G may help but it will probably depend on your 3G/phone coverage. Frustrating because I can't seem to get a combination that works reliably.

**Zeinzu** · 01-05-2012, 08:11 PM

I have no issues with gps on cm7.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

**uscpsycho** · 01-07-2012, 03:14 AM

Originally Posted by TechnoGeezer

Tried no 4G (or WiFi) today and phone locked up in a different location than before but where there is very poor or nonexistant 3G data or phone service. Google Nav map froze at that position. Battery pull req'd to reset. So turning off 4G may help but it will probably depend on your 3G/phone coverage. Frustrating because I can't seem to get a combination that works reliably.

Sorry to hear that. In the time that I've been navigating with 4G & Wifi turned off I've only had to pull the battery once. There were two other times where navigation locked up but I was able to exit without a battery pull. Once, maybe both of those times, the phone rebooted itself but it didn't require a battery pull. Still, this is gargantuan improvement for me because before I could only navigate for a few minutes before I needed a battery pull.

Here's another thought which probably won't help but I'll throw it out there. For a few days before trying with Wifi & 4G turned off I tried driving with navigation in the background, just to see if my phone would lock up. It never did. So you can set a destination, start navigating, then go to another app and leave the nav running. While running in the background the nav should keep track of where you are and won't lock up, so you can check in periodically to see where to go next.

I mention this for two reasons. One is that this might be a "better than nothing" plan B for people like me who experience frequent lock ups. The other reason I mention it is the outside (VERY OUTSIDE) chance that driving with nav in the background as much as I did may have triggered something resulting in fewer navigation lock ups.

**peterallen** · 01-07-2012, 03:13 PM

I am really surprised that there has been no word from Sprint or Samsung about a fix to the GPS issue. My wife and I both have an Epic 4g and were in LA for two weeks and could not use our phones for navigation.

Went to a Sprint store and they had no solution to fix the Epic 4g GPS issue other then to give us another one, already did that with no luck.

I then asked if there was another phone they could give me that would work. I do not qualify for an upgrade so they said the best they could do is switch my Epic 4g for a Nexus S.

There are other issues that we are having with our Epic 4g since being upgraded to GB that has pushed us to change to the Nexus S. We should be getting our phones in a couple of days.

Have any of you thought about doing this or have done this?

**uscpsycho** · 01-07-2012, 03:21 PM

I think the majority of us would have moved on to another phone by now if there was a comparable QWERTY phone. The thing that keeps me holding on is that darn physical keyboard I can't live without.

**peterallen** · 01-07-2012, 05:08 PM

Yes, we will miss the keyboard, but we would rather have a phone that works. We have had other issues since GB, like phone locking up and requiring a battery pull, and random reboots several times a week. And yes we both have had the phones replaced since GB with no changes.

**Zeinzu** · 01-07-2012, 06:32 PM

I've never had gps issues, even on stock. My Epic has always run flawlessly.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

**TechnoGeezer** · 01-07-2012, 07:51 PM

Been busy so just had a chance to check in. GPS w/o 4G or WiFi tried again on Fri. Still locked up but in a different place. Oddly, but perhaps significantly, the lockups are always in the am on my way to work, never in the pm on the way home. I looked into Cyanogeod 7 (CM7) w/4G on xda forums. There are still some bugs & features that don't work but GPS is said to be working. Prob is you have to root & convert to new file system (MTD) & going back to stock req's Odin etc. Sound redirect thru USB is one feature not available. Still, I might do it.

**Zeinzu** · 01-07-2012, 10:14 PM

Oh... It's so worth it for the performance alone.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

**cluefree** · 01-09-2012, 07:40 AM

On a sample space of 1...
I rooted and put in "mostly stock" GB, including Nubernel's kernel (which includes the gps fix to use more than just 3 satellites)...I didn't know if this would alleviate the gps lockup issues or not, our just give me faster gps lock and better accuracy... On the way to work this morning, kept gps and google maps on for the whole drive (35 minutes) and it worked like a charm... Was using 8/8 satellites at the end and was accurate to single digit feet...

Again, I stress: sample space of ONE! However, I could bit do this

**Jaggrey** · 01-09-2012, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by peterallen

Yes, we will miss the keyboard, but we would rather have a phone that works. We have had other issues since GB, like phone locking up and requiring a battery pull, and random reboots several times a week. And yes we both have had the phones replaced since GB with no changes.

I wish my Sprint store gave me that option. They just hard reset the thing and say "see if that works", and it never does. It seems to be more Samsung's wonky radios, but a Nexus S replacement that works is better than an Epic that doesn't. Guess I'll try them again, or maybe a different store. I'm ready to try to let go of the keyboard, at least until I qualify for an upgrade.

**Skunkape60** · 01-09-2012, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by peterallen

I am really surprised that there has been no word from Sprint or Samsung about a fix to the GPS issue. My wife and I both have an Epic 4g and were in LA for two weeks and could not use our phones for navigation.

Went to a Sprint store and they had no solution to fix the Epic 4g GPS issue other then to give us another one, already did that with no luck.

I then asked if there was another phone they could give me that would work. I do not qualify for an upgrade so they said the best they could do is switch my Epic 4g for a Nexus S.

There are other issues that we are having with our Epic 4g since being upgraded to GB that has pushed us to change to the Nexus S. We should be getting our phones in a couple of days.

Have any of you thought about doing this or have done this?

I went from the epic to the nexus s4g. No issues with gps.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

**TechnoGeezer** · 01-09-2012, 06:59 PM

I switched to TeleNav today instead of using Google Nav to test the lockup issue and had no problems to or from work today. So I'm thinking the lockup issue may be a Google Nav problem and not a GPS or system problem. I'll keep trying it for a few days. I switched to using Google Nav just because I wasn't navagating and just wanted to view the maps. Before that I always used TeleNav to actually navigate to unknown destinations.

**uscpsycho** · 01-10-2012, 01:29 AM

I hate telenav. Seems to have fewer features and it locked up even more than Google navigation for me.

That being said, my navigation is rock solid now. I drove for over four hours straight today before I had any issues. During this time I texted, streamed music, made phone calls, checked for alternate routes and turned satellite imaging on. It was amazing. At the very end of my drive I had issues when my battery got really low. Not sure if that was the cause of my lock up but my battery was essentially dead so I think it was a factor.

Not sure why my luck has turned, other than previously mentioned theories, but now that GPS is working I'm pretty happy with my phone. Now if Chomp SMS would stop force closing I'd be really happy.

**TechnoGeezer** · 01-10-2012, 06:53 AM

USC, glad to hear your GPS & Nav are working. One small victory at a time. I liked & used TeleNav 'cause it worked. I'll stick with it for now til it crashes.

**Skunkape60** · 01-10-2012, 06:54 AM

Used my daughters epic yesterday for navigation because my battery was dead on my nexus. GPS worked fine the whole time. Only issues was when i lost 3g data. Without data there is no maps. For this reason a true GPS is always better than a phone. I have never had any issues with GPS on the epic once i rooted and loaded clean gb ROM.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

**uscpsycho** · 01-10-2012, 08:40 AM

So pros & cons of rooting with a gb rom vs cm7?

I know there are issues with visual voice mail on cm7 which is a bit of a deal breaker for me.

My GPS is working but I'm still having major memory issues so rooting still may be in my near future.

**TechnoGeezer** · 01-10-2012, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by uscpsycho

My GPS is working but I'm still having major memory issues so rooting still may be in my near future.

Seems to be true for many of us ... something doesn't work that we need/want so rooting may be the solution. I'm thankful there are devoted devs out there who figure this stuff out & solve these probs ... but it really shouldn't be necessary (IMHO).