Can anyone get GPS to lock in airplane mode (ie no cell signal)?

[sfhub]

The issue I have (which I'm trying to get feedback for) is that the GPS only locks if I have cellphone signal. Once I get the GPS to lock, I can turn on Airplane Mode (ie disable cell signal) and the GPS will stay locked (as long as an app has the GPS open)

However, if I start off in Airplane Mode, the GPS will never lock (or the time it takes is beyond my level of patience).

Basically the way my phone is operating is it is stuck in Hybrid Assist mode only for the *initial* lock. After that it can operate in standalone mode. I'm trying to get feedback from others to see if all the phones are behaving this way, or it is just my phone.

If you want a standalone app to see what satellites your phone is seeing just download GPS Test Plus from market.

To be specific are you able to get GPS lock after
1) turning on Airplane mode
2) *rebooting* the phone
3) trying to get GPS lock using GPS Test Plus

This would simulate what you would experience if you tried to use your GPS with no cell signal.

 

[chazglenn3]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to work in airplane mode?

Airplane mode disables ALL wireless communications...not just the cell radio. The only radio that can be turned on while in airplane mode is the wi-fi. So, no the GPS will not work in airplane mode.

 

[sfhub]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to work in airplane mode?

You might be misunderstanding how GPS works:
1) standalone GPS is a *passive receiver*. There is no reason to shut it down in "airplane" mode since it doesn't send signals and could not affect "airplane" operations
2) it *already* is *not* turned off in "airplane" mode with the E4GT. You can test this by getting GPS lock, viewing the satellites with GPS Test from the market, while turning on Airplane mode on the phone. The satellite info continues to be updated in real-time and the phone indicates GPS is turned on, even though Airplane mode is turned on, which disproves what you stated above.

To be clear the GPS on E4GT *works* in airplane mode already, *if* you get the GPS lock first, while cell signal is available, then enable Airplane mode.

What does *not* work is if you have no cell signal and try to get GPS lock as a standalone GPS receiver. This would be your situation if you tried to start GPS in an area with no signal, or if you travelled overseas and wanted to use the GPS features of your phone.

I only mention airplane mode to simulate a no cell signal situation. It is a red-herring (and false) to suggest Airplane mode shuts off GPS. There is no reason for the phone to do this, and there is an existence proof that it doesn't.

Before you go telling me all Android phones work like this. I have a lowly LG Optimus S sitting right next to the E4GT and it gets GPS lock fine in Airplane mode and it is the phone I used for Navigation when the E4GT failed to get lock due to cell signal not being available.

 

[stephanie85]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to work in airplane mode?

Better luck trying to get a lock with the phone off

 

[sfhub]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to work in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

Ok, I changed some of the AGPS settings in CDMAWS and either it was coincidence or it made a difference. I can now get satellites even in airplane mode on reboot.

 

[mschnaidt]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to work in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

Ok, I changed some of the AGPS settings in CDMAWS and either it was coincidence or it made a difference. I can now get satellites even in airplane mode on reboot.

Can you post details? I'm unrooted but would like to have the GPS work when I'm backpacking in areas without cell service.

 

[turbomeister]

Yes, please post the changes!

I just drained about $220 worth of my soul and paid Sandisk with it to get their 64gb sd card so that I could load detailed hiking maps and use this phone for everything.

Now I just found out that GPS doesn't work out of the box in airplane mode.... I will be highly upset if I can't find the settings to allow what I want to do.


Sent from a Crapdroid in a beautiful bod

 

[sfhub]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to work in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

I'm not sure how other E4GT phones' GPS are configured. I can only speak for the one I was testing, which was not configured properly for GPS to work in Airplane mode. It also had less than ideal settings for AGPS (which might explain why some people don't get fast locks indoors)

The first image is how it came. The second image is what is working well. I believe Autonomous is the critical setting that needed to be enabled. The other stuff is to help AGPS lock faster.

 

[Thrasher]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to work in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

sf, could you confirm that the above images are from CDMA WorkShop and that root is required to make those changes?

This is a big deal for me. I'm used to using my EVO 4G with BackCountry Navigator while backpacking. How can I best make Sprint/Samsung aware that this bug is important to at least one customer?

Thanks

 

[sfhub]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to lock in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

As to your 3 questions: yes, no, dunno

 

[Flyboy1100]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to lock in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

As to your 3 questions: yes, no, dunno

how do you get the IP to stick? i can program it, the phone will reboot, then read from phone again it will be blank.

 

[mschnaidt]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to lock in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

Turn off "Use wireless networks" in Location and Security and the GPS will work in airplane mode.

 

[anderik1]

Re: Can anyone get GPS to lock in airplane mode (ie no cell signa

Are you saying that the setting will only stick if you have already used CDMAWS? I tried just changing the setting to not use wireless networks with no success.

I'm trying to get CDMAWS to recognize my phone, but it's having trouble connecting. I installed kies, but this is the first time I've attempted to use CDMAWS, so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. Unfortunately, this problem is driving me crazy. Any other pointers would be appreciated.