GPS Problems on Froyo

**Crackiswack_Bold_is_cool** · 03-10-2011, 11:54 PM

Did anyone else experience this? The GPS was decent in open areas only really bad in downtown cuz of the tall buildings. Now I cant get it to hold any signal? Is there anyway to correct this?

**chestvrg** · 03-11-2011, 08:53 AM

I don't get GPS at all in my GT-i9000M it must be a hardware or either software issue, I'm so dissapointed.

**loraque** · 03-11-2011, 09:34 AM

One of the components of the GPS "equation" is the modem. The modem changed from 2.1 to 2.2, and the GPS did seem to suffer with stock settings. You can try this-

You can try some of the configuration changes if you install Launcherpro to get at lbstestmode... but the bulk of the "fix" requires you flash a zip from Recovery, which probably means you need ROOT to install ROM Manager and Clockwork. So if you are not root, you are probably up the creek with no paddle.

Don't feel too terribly bad, as this fix seems to only get it as good as it was before... which is barely usable, but at least it IS usable.

I paid $40 for an external Bluetooth GPS receiver to resolve this problem for me. I still fix the internal GPS so it is as usable as possible without the BT unit, so I can say that this fix DOES help. It does not get the less than 1m accuracy that the external unit gives me, but it is "good enough" to only get a wrong turn on occasion, so long as you are used to the drift. Which I assume we all are by now.

**chestvrg** · 03-11-2011, 10:04 AM

Thank you so much for the info and yes I am rooted. So I'll be able to apply this fix to my GT-i9000M.

**DerekCA** · 03-15-2011, 10:39 PM

Battery life has been great for me.

If you want to improve your battery life, get rid of your widgets and turn down the frequency that programs update. I can easily get a full day.

I am at 12h31m since unplugged and I have 51% remaining. I don't think the battery life could get any better.

**fldude99** · 03-15-2011, 10:51 PM

There's also something called GPS Aids in the market that I've heard seems to work

**mikeymopar** · 03-16-2011, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by loraque

One of the components of the GPS "equation" is the modem. The modem changed from 2.1 to 2.2, and the GPS did seem to suffer with stock settings. You can try this-

I did PlumbBob's fix last week after flashing Darky's ROM and the GPS has been the best it's ever been; very accurate. And I agree, a big part is the modem used.

**Crackiswack_Bold_is_cool** · 03-17-2011, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by loraque

One of the components of the GPS "equation" is the modem. The modem changed from 2.1 to 2.2, and the GPS did seem to suffer with stock settings. You can try this-

You can try some of the configuration changes if you install Launcherpro to get at lbstestmode... but the bulk of the "fix" requires you flash a zip from Recovery, which probably means you need ROOT to install ROM Manager and Clockwork. So if you are not root, you are probably up the creek with no paddle.

Don't feel too terribly bad, as this fix seems to only get it as good as it was before... which is barely usable, but at least it IS usable.

I paid $40 for an external Bluetooth GPS receiver to resolve this problem for me. I still fix the internal GPS so it is as usable as possible without the BT unit, so I can say that this fix DOES help. It does not get the less than 1m accuracy that the external unit gives me, but it is "good enough" to only get a wrong turn on occasion, so long as you are used to the drift. Which I assume we all are by now.

Thanks! Is rooting easy? I always been nervous about doing it, scared i'll brick my phone or something.

**Crackiswack_Bold_is_cool** · 03-27-2011, 01:40 PM

What is the best ROM to use for the captiavate that would resolve this? Any suggestions?

**datastar** · 03-28-2011, 08:27 AM

After I updated to FROYO my Captivate finds a GPS signal in the Atlanta, GA area much much faster. Previously I was only seeing two GPS but now I can connect to five and even six sometimes. The issue I am having is the app really needs a lot of work. The directions are not too accurate and it seems to think it is on different roads at times by jumpig to different streets. I suspected the app was using WiFi hotspots to aide it in finding it's current locatons so I installed GPS test and GPS Status to verify connections. Both GPS apps verified the additional connections so I am not sre what is happening.

**loraque** · 03-28-2011, 09:07 AM

GPS is unreliable on the Captivate, as with most all i9000 devices. It is not a fault of the app, it is the GPS signal/antenna/reception. Some people it works fine, others it does not. Most others, it does not.

Firefly gave decent GPS for me... the problem with recommending anything however, is just how random the problem seems to be from device/location to device/location. The best I EVER had, was Cognition 2.3b8 ROM. The newer Cogs not so much.

Even with the best I have ever seen GPS on my phone (without using the bluetooth receiver I bought), I would still get re-routed sometimes because my phone would suddenly think was on the frontage road, turned, or otherwise just placed me someplace odd.

The reason I know it is not the app, is because it all works flawlessly as soon as I connect an external GPS receiver to the phone.

The best theory I heard yet, the one that makes me the least annoyed, is that the SAMOLED screen on the Samsung phones is putting out more EMI than expected and it is interfering with GPS reception. It is a shaky hypothesis, but it might explain why a quick GPS antenna change at the last minute was required for the Nexus S.

**larrytxeast** · 04-06-2011, 08:56 PM

I have had a Captivate for a week or so now and really like it except for a major biggie--despite several tweak attempts, the GPS is just horrendous.

I have tweaked the settings (the ones that include changing that one setting to supl.google.com etc) I have used GPSRestoreSamsung. I upgraded Eclair to Froyo. No matter. The GPS takes forever to lock, often doesn't and even when it does "lags" horribly as I'm driving.

My old Blackberry locked within 15 seconds even this cheap LG Rumor Touch my wife uses on Virgin Mobile locks on quickly & keeps up as I'm driving. I've taken to using her phone instead if she's around.

I'm about to give up and get something else. Is there really nothing I can do about this?

LRH

**fldude99** · 04-07-2011, 08:35 AM

^^^If you've only had it a week-exchange it. The poor GPS is a little overblown IMO. In addition, the "newer" units are purported to have better GPS performance than the original ones from last year

**loraque** · 04-07-2011, 08:55 AM

Yeah, if you have had it only that long, walk it into the store and tell them you want one with good GPS. When they swap it, walk outside and test it. IF it fails, walk back in and repeat.

Do it inside your return time, as ATT does not view GPS as a warranty-able issue.

**stew1411** · 04-15-2011, 08:11 AM

Mine locks in fine. My only problem is when I used to use the search widget, facebook, etc the app would automatically aquire location. One day it just quit. Couldnt google places, or check in on facebook. Gps is turned on. What would cause an app to quit using gps?

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