Google Sky Maps issue

[Atlienzz]

Hello all.

I love the google sky maps app but I am having issues with it being accurate.

I have a samsung epic 4g.

I thought that where you pointed your phone it should line up with what stars/planets are there, but everything is off quite a bit. I can look right at the moon with my phone and google sky maps will say it is somewhere completely different. Same with stars that I know the location of (Polaris for example). Same with planets.

My GPS is working fine as I can get a lock on 8-9 satellites with no issue when I run into this problem.

Any ideas?

 

[sniffs]

perhaps calibrate your magnetometer? or gsensor?

 

[Atlienzz]

perhaps calibrate your magnetometer? or gsensor?

How would I go about doing this on a samsung epic? I've looked a few places and within the application and can't find these settings.

 

[Darth Mo]

Are you trying to use it in your backyard or near a building?

If so, the digital compass is very sensitive to electric service. I find it's only effective out on the road or a couple hundred feet from any structure with electric service.

 

[sniffs]

Might be an issue with your phone. Apparently all Galaxy S phones have these types of issues?

Link from HoFo,

Samsung Galaxy S series and their twitchy magnetometers- tech advice needed

EDIT: also, from what I remember, to calibrate the magnetometer, you have to move your phone in a figure 8 motion. Perhaps do it with Google Sky open?

 

[Atlienzz]

Are you trying to use it in your backyard or near a building?

If so, the digital compass is very sensitive to electric service. I find it's only effective out on the road or a couple hundred feet from any structure with electric service.

I used it this weekend out in the boonies probably 10 miles from the closes electrical line. My GPS app worked fine and pointed north with no issue.

 

[Atlienzz]

Might be an issue with your phone. Apparently all Galaxy S phones have these types of issues?

Link from HoFo,

Samsung Galaxy S series and their twitchy magnetometers- tech advice needed

EDIT: also, from what I remember, to calibrate the magnetometer, you have to move your phone in a figure 8 motion. Perhaps do it with Google Sky open?

I'll give it a shot tonight as I'm in downtown KC at the moment.

 

[TxFig]

Just a shot in the dark, but could this be caused by the fact that the Epic has aGPS only (unlike the Evo, which uses satellite GPS and aGPS)?

 

[johnnyappleseed]

Just a shot in the dark, but could this be caused by the fact that the Epic has aGPS only (unlike the Evo, which uses satellite GPS and aGPS)?

Not true.

 

[xtn]

Same behavior for me tonight. Calibrating the internal magnometer corrected the problem.

 

[takeshi]

My GPS is working fine as I can get a lock on 8-9 satellites with no issue when I run into this problem.

Your position just tells the app what view of the sky you have. Lining the view up with the direction you're facing relies on the magnetometer which is why people recommend recalibrating it.

Just a shot in the dark, but could this be caused by the fact that the Epic has aGPS only (unlike the Evo, which uses satellite GPS and aGPS)?

aGPS is "satellite GPS". All GPS is "satellite" by definition. It does seem to be a common mistake for people to assume that aGPS is triangulation -- which is something else entirely. Assisted GPS just means that the receiver queries an assistance server for a faster initial fix.

 

[whitenack]

I had the same issue the other night. I was holding my HTC ARIA sideways and the map was way off, and hardly moved no matter where I pointed it. I then flipped it upright and it worked perfectly. Maybe this is your issue as well?