Google sky maps and compass

[olemil#AC]

I recently posted this question in an older thread but didn't really get any answers. Is it just my phone or doesn't the sky map and compass apps work very well? The first day or so after installing google sky maps, it worked great as the compass app did as well. Well then they both would start stalling and not updating with phone movement, I un-stalled both and re-installed with no luck. The compass app will work but I have to re-calibrate it everytime I use it or it will just either sit there or be real slow. So is this the normal performance to expect out of the magnetic sensors on the EVO? Thanks for any help or tips to make this work, it was one of the many reasons I wanted an EVO to begin with.

 

[AndroiduserT]

i dont have the compass app but i do have sky map. Sky map works just all seamless as it did the first day i tried it. Not sure if its a common issue or not. sorry yours isnt working as well

 

[NicksGarage]

I haven't had any problem with Skymap. Was showing it off on a camping trip a couple weeks ago.

 

[Darth Mo]

Are you trying to use it indoors or near buildings?

If so, the magnetic sensor is very sensitive to the magnetic field generated by the electrical service for a building.

I find it works OK out on the road or in a field, but in something like a backyard or indoors it gets thrown off easily.

Sucks when you're trying to spot stars for a telescope in your backyard. :/

 

[Doug B]

Both have worked fine for me. But it has always been outside when I use it.

 

[olemil#AC]

Are you trying to use it indoors or near buildings?

If so, the magnetic sensor is very sensitive to the magnetic field generated by the electrical service for a building.

I find it works OK out on the road or in a field, but in something like a backyard or indoors it gets thrown off easily.

Sucks when you're trying to spot stars for a telescope in your backyard. :/

Yes actually I was trying it inside, but they both worked just fine when I first installed them. I did go outside today and tried the google sky maps and it was panning with the phone movement pretty well. But when I tried to find anything in the sky from the gallery, it just led me in circles...lol. So I guess either way I won't lose any sleep over it, just sucks because I am into astronomy. Thanks for the help... I'll keep digging into this when I have time.

 

[Trust]

Try running the Sensor calibration tool. I have a feeling the compass, GPS and the actual G sensor orientation may be part of the entire thing.

Settings > Display > G calibration.

 

[olemil#AC]

Try running the Sensor calibration tool. I have a feeling the compass, GPS and the actual G sensor orientation may be part of the entire thing.

Settings > Display > G calibration.

Yep already done that....but thanks for the tip.

 

[olemil#AC]

Try running the Sensor calibration tool. I have a feeling the compass, GPS and the actual G sensor orientation may be part of the entire thing.

Settings > Display > G calibration.

OK, I've been thinking about this calibration today and thought I better ask. Are you supposed to lay the phone on it's back on a level surface and then hit calibrate or do you lay it on the two sides, one at a time that correspond with the level vials? I did it laying on it's back so please let me know if this is correct. Instructions say lay the phone on a flat surface and hit calibrate... that tells me alot..lol. TIA for your help.

 

[redphone]

I know this thread is a bit stale, but I thought I'd chime in with my recent findings on this topic.

Ironically, the problem with the compass is actually caused by running the G-sensor calibration. For any phone that has never had the calibration performed, the compass will more than likely work flawlessly. If you run the calibration even just once, you'll essentially hose your phone's compass performance and any app that uses it (including Google Sky Map). The compass will actually still work with any of these apps, but only after you first shake/move the phone around significantly (the "figure 8" trick). Once you close the app though, next time you run it or any other compass-enabled app, you'll have to redo that shaking/figure-8 routine. Yes, this is a pain and certainly not desirable... I'm pretty sure it's a software/firmware bug, since a hard reset does fix the problem.

I've confirmed this behavior on 2 of 2 EVOs, so I'd bet it affects all EVOs. I'm currently running Android 2.2 with the latest 3.29.651.5 build, although I think this problem affects earlier builds, too.

I haven't tried to convince anyone at Sprint, HTC, or Google of the issue, since I'm not sure how to get ahold of anyone even remotely close to the "right" person. Customer Service and Sprint's phone tech support certainly are not the right people. If anyone has any ideas or knowledgeable tech contacts (HTC is probably ultimately the right place), I'd love to bring this to their attention.

 

[DesertSilver#AC]

I know this thread is a bit stale, but I thought I'd chime in with my recent findings on this topic.

Ironically, the problem with the compass is actually caused by running the G-sensor calibration. For any phone that has never had the calibration performed, the compass will more than likely work flawlessly. If you run the calibration even just once, you'll essentially hose your phone's compass performance and any app that uses it (including Google Sky Map). The compass will actually still work with any of these apps, but only after you first shake/move the phone around significantly (the "figure 8" trick). Once you close the app though, next time you run it or any other compass-enabled app, you'll have to redo that shaking/figure-8 routine. Yes, this is a pain and certainly not desirable... I'm pretty sure it's a software/firmware bug, since a hard reset does fix the problem.

I've confirmed this behavior on 2 of 2 EVOs, so I'd bet it affects all EVOs. I'm currently running Android 2.2 with the latest 3.29.651.5 build, although I think this problem affects earlier builds, too.

I haven't tried to convince anyone at Sprint, HTC, or Google of the issue, since I'm not sure how to get ahold of anyone even remotely close to the "right" person. Customer Service and Sprint's phone tech support certainly are not the right people. If anyone has any ideas or knowledgeable tech contacts (HTC is probably ultimately the right place), I'd love to bring this to their attention.

Awwhhh man!!! I just did a g-sensor calibration for the first time just before reading this thread and my compass seems to be screwed up just like you stated. Mine was working fine before the calibration too; I just wanted to run the calibration to see what it actually did. And twisting the phone around does temporarily correct the issue until the app is restarted. Grrr... I'm going on HTC's support site to report this.

 

[milominderbinde]

To make any compass to work right you have to be outside, well away from away from electical lines.

For the EVO you also have to start by doing the figure 8 motions once you open any app that uses the compass to get it to work right.

Then Google Sky works well outside for helping you to find constellations.

 

[k2ldc10]

I'm glad I came across this thread. I stopped using Google sky map because it was always pointing in the wrong direction. I haven't heard about the figure 8 procedure before or the proximity to electrical lines. I'll have to give it another try. Thanks.

 

[olemil#AC]

That makes perfect sense bacause when I first got the EVO, the compass and skymap worked perfectly inside or out. Now after doing the G-sensor calibration, I noticed things went down hill. Probably nothing we can do to fix this other than a factory re-set I'm guessing, not that desperate to use skymaps so I will wait for a work around. Thanks for the heads up on this, now we know what is going on.

 

[walterwood44]

I haven't tried to convince anyone at Sprint, HTC, or Google of the issue, since I'm not sure how to get ahold of anyone even remotely close to the "right" person. Customer Service and Sprint's phone tech support certainly are not the right people. If anyone has any ideas or knowledgeable tech contacts (HTC is probably ultimately the right place), I'd love to bring this to their attention.

I had the same problem not knowing who to contact about problems with 3G/4G reception so I wrote to dan@sprint.com and that got me to someone who could actually solve the problem.

Regarding Skymap, I am sure you have done this but make sure that GPS is turned on.

 

[cstoli]

I was having the same issue with Sky maps. I noticed an improvement when I held the Evo landscape oriented with the bottom of the phone in my left hand.
I had previously calibrated as well...

 

[redphone]

FWIW, I reported the problem to HTC's customer support (866-449-8358). They claimed to be aware of the problem and that "hopefully" it will be fixed in an upcoming release. With something like this, though, it's hard to tell if they really understand the specific problem being reported... I guess all I can do is hope!

If any of you have time, please call HTC and report the problem as well. I think the more complaints they get the more likely the problem will actually get fixed!