GPS constant, no location
- Thread starter anon(2632)
- Start date
I have the exact same problem as the OP. Navigation and maps used to work fantastic. Now it takes a minute or longer if at all. GPS status fixes it for a day at most. I'll try GPS fix. If that doesn't work my TB is going back too...
So, i went in to the verizon store today to see if they knew anything about the issue with my gps bugging out. While the manager fumbled with my TB, i was playing around with the display phones. The display TB in store was showing the exact same location (galapagos island/pacific ocean) as mine. So i looked at the other phones. Their gps did not work either. I mentioned it to the manager who then handed my phone back saying he had fixed it with a *228.... I looked at the phone with maps open and my town showing with a marker dead center of town (about 5 miles from where we were). I tapped the "my location" circle at the top and it scrolled directly back to the pacific ocean!!! He had searched for our town in the search bar and assumed that had fixed it. Then he went in back and came out shaking his head. One of the reps said that hers phone had been inaccurate also for about the same amount of time.
She told me that it had something to do with the "merging" of the alltel and verizon towers in our area and that it had affected the GPS's of all the phones. She did not know what to do since *228 does not work on the TB. I guess if it isn't fixed by the weekend, i will call in to get the prl pushed to the phone.
She told me that it had something to do with the "merging" of the alltel and verizon towers in our area and that it had affected the GPS's of all the phones. She did not know what to do since *228 does not work on the TB. I guess if it isn't fixed by the weekend, i will call in to get the prl pushed to the phone.
GPS isn't working for me either. Well, it works, but there is constantly a big blue circle around my location. Usually it's in the right vicinity, but it won't lock on. I've tried both of those GPS apps on the market and neither have worked. I hope that this is fixed soon. >:/
Same thing it here. It gets within 3000 meters but wont lock on. Just started having issues today. Had it for 15 days.
Edit: Tried both market fixes. No go.
Edit: Tried both market fixes. No go.
I have had my tbolt since launch day. GPS has hd probs since day 1. it effects all of my apps. very dissapointing. I live in NW Washington and it consistantly shows San Jose, CA. have re-set everything, did the GPS apps and still the same
I'm beginning to wonder if the ones with gps issues has anything to do with tower issues. I don't understand how the network is causing location issues. I thought the gps used satellites and not the network.
Totally confused
I'm having this problem too
I'm in East Texas and my TB put my location as the Galapagos Island!! I've also noticed it doesn't know where I'm at when using GPS and Verizon navigator (the free part).
So I can't use Google Maps or Check-in with Facebook and I don't have and weather display in the clock widget - it just says current location with no stats.
Local Verizon office said merging of towers was causing the issue but they claimed it should have been fixed by the end of last week.
Tech support said it's a know TB issue and didn't know anything about tower merging!!! They claimed an update was coming soon that would fix the problem!!
So I guess I'll be checking in with the local office again this week.
I love this phone but I want everything to work. It worked fine the first week I had it!!
I'm in East Texas and my TB put my location as the Galapagos Island!! I've also noticed it doesn't know where I'm at when using GPS and Verizon navigator (the free part).
So I can't use Google Maps or Check-in with Facebook and I don't have and weather display in the clock widget - it just says current location with no stats.
Local Verizon office said merging of towers was causing the issue but they claimed it should have been fixed by the end of last week.
Tech support said it's a know TB issue and didn't know anything about tower merging!!! They claimed an update was coming soon that would fix the problem!!
So I guess I'll be checking in with the local office again this week.
I love this phone but I want everything to work. It worked fine the first week I had it!!
vzwuser76
Well-known member
- Jan 28, 2011
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I think there are a few things at work here. A lot of your issues sound similar to mine.
I had issues with the GPS the first week I had it but works fine now. My issue stemmed from wifi router issues which provides the data connection for my Network Extender. Reinstalling the router software and cycling power to the Network Extender solved my issue. I should also note that the only time I was having an issue was at home (which would put it under Network Extender coverage) like some people in other threads are having. When I left my home and got away from the Network Extender the GPS worked perfectly.
I think a lot of people are having issues with the legacy Alltel towers. If their GPS equipment was different than that on the existing Verizon towers they may have a compatability issue with the Thunderbolt's GPS chip (assuming it's different than the chips in the Incredible, DX, Fascinate, D2, etc.) and could very well be the culprit.
The only other reason why some are working and some are not is a bad batch of GPS chips.
I had issues with the GPS the first week I had it but works fine now. My issue stemmed from wifi router issues which provides the data connection for my Network Extender. Reinstalling the router software and cycling power to the Network Extender solved my issue. I should also note that the only time I was having an issue was at home (which would put it under Network Extender coverage) like some people in other threads are having. When I left my home and got away from the Network Extender the GPS worked perfectly.
I think a lot of people are having issues with the legacy Alltel towers. If their GPS equipment was different than that on the existing Verizon towers they may have a compatability issue with the Thunderbolt's GPS chip (assuming it's different than the chips in the Incredible, DX, Fascinate, D2, etc.) and could very well be the culprit.
The only other reason why some are working and some are not is a bad batch of GPS chips.
You must be in same area as i am as i get the same responses as you.
As far as the above poster, the people i know with the DX and blackberries are having the same issues. Have seen several friends post on facebook as having issues with "checking in" on their VZW phones and i know they don't have TB's. It must be a VZW issues. As i posted before, they told me they had "merged" the old alltel towers in the last week or so. That is when the issue started.
Again, i still don't understand why the gps chip isn't locking towers because of the cell radio.
My husband's Blackberry Storm is having problems too but we have other friends in the area with Verizon that aren't having any problems.
Doesn't make any sense at all!! And I agree, GPS makes no sense at all.
Doesn't make any sense at all!! And I agree, GPS makes no sense at all.
vzwuser76
Well-known member
- Jan 28, 2011
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See, and that may be why my area hasn't had any issues (other than mine with the Network Extender). My whole state was one of the areas where Verizon had to sell off the Alltel towers because they already had good enough coverage with their own towers. And the reason some people you know don't have the issue while you do, maybe you're on an Alltel tower & they're usually on a Verizon tower. Just a guess though.
My Droid Incredible has not able to acquire a GPS location in the Marshall TX area for the past 3 weeks. For the year previously, not a single issue. Always worked. Even better than my Garmin 60CSx.
Weather bug pinpoints my location as San Cristobal Galapago, Ecuador. I'm sure its a great place to visit however I would like news, weather, etc updates for East Texas.
At first I thought it might be a problem with my phone. Battery pull, uninstalled various programs, scoured the web for related stories with no luck.
Google maps triangulates my position with an accuracy of 1000meters. Kinda hard to geocache with that lack of precision.
I can say with near certainty that a change in cell towers is the culprit.
For the past 3 years, I have not been able to lock onto a steady 3G signal out in my area. Now, and for the past 3 weeks, max 3G bars resulting fast web, pandora, no buffering youtube. Which is very nice, but not at the expense of my GPS.
However, on several trips out of town (to Houston and to Lufkin) the GPS functioned flawlessly.
I am happy to see that this is not an issue with my phone and that the OP's visit to a local VZW store yielded the same results on all of the phones on display.
Weather bug pinpoints my location as San Cristobal Galapago, Ecuador. I'm sure its a great place to visit however I would like news, weather, etc updates for East Texas.
At first I thought it might be a problem with my phone. Battery pull, uninstalled various programs, scoured the web for related stories with no luck.
Google maps triangulates my position with an accuracy of 1000meters. Kinda hard to geocache with that lack of precision.
I can say with near certainty that a change in cell towers is the culprit.
For the past 3 years, I have not been able to lock onto a steady 3G signal out in my area. Now, and for the past 3 weeks, max 3G bars resulting fast web, pandora, no buffering youtube. Which is very nice, but not at the expense of my GPS.
However, on several trips out of town (to Houston and to Lufkin) the GPS functioned flawlessly.
I am happy to see that this is not an issue with my phone and that the OP's visit to a local VZW store yielded the same results on all of the phones on display.
Howdy, Neighbor... I'm in Carthage here. I made another trip to the store yesterday at lunch (they are getting tired of seeing me.
) Still the same issues with no GPS. They still say we should be getting a new prl that will help "any day now".. of course this is after she told me the tower update that caused this was done last friday and i responded that i began having the issue 5 days prior to that... so idk if they have a clue.Howdy, Neighbor... I'm in Carthage here. I made another trip to the store yesterday at lunch (they are getting tired of seeing me.
Looks like all of us neighbors are having problems. I'm over in Henderson. But it's so weird that a lot of my friends on Verizon but with different phones are having no issues.
I think I read somewhere the TB has a special network???
Mine worked absolutely perfect the first week and a half I had it.
So I visited the Verizon office this morning. The TB in the store and the manager's TB all like to visit the Galapagos Islands - just like mine!
Anyway she told me they had gotten an email from Verizon saying it's not the phones problem but a Google problem. She said Google was having problems with the accessing the tower information after the merge. She also said they didn't know why the problem was happening or how to fix it yet.
So according to her this is why Google maps, Facebook check-in and the Weather widget are all off.
She also said her Verizon navigator wouldn't lock onto GPS either. Don't know why towers affect GPS but whatever.
She also told me the tower merge was a rolling process and is working it's way to Shreveport, LA which is where our "hook up" will be. And ... that it isn't finished all the way yet and that until it was there could be "issues" with the network.
So maybe Verizon is starting to feel the heat a bit and now I guess we all need to complain to Google.
Anyway she told me they had gotten an email from Verizon saying it's not the phones problem but a Google problem. She said Google was having problems with the accessing the tower information after the merge. She also said they didn't know why the problem was happening or how to fix it yet.
So according to her this is why Google maps, Facebook check-in and the Weather widget are all off.
She also said her Verizon navigator wouldn't lock onto GPS either. Don't know why towers affect GPS but whatever.
She also told me the tower merge was a rolling process and is working it's way to Shreveport, LA which is where our "hook up" will be. And ... that it isn't finished all the way yet and that until it was there could be "issues" with the network.
So maybe Verizon is starting to feel the heat a bit and now I guess we all need to complain to Google.
At least they told you something....
But i feel like it is VZW issue, not google. Googles services worked fine before this upgrade(downgrade in my opinion) of the towers. And Google services work fine for most other people on VZW, so that leads me to believe that it is a VZW issue. I was thinking about calling in again to find out what is up. But i think a nap is on the agenda instead. I may call later just to see what they say at CS.
But i feel like it is VZW issue, not google. Googles services worked fine before this upgrade(downgrade in my opinion) of the towers. And Google services work fine for most other people on VZW, so that leads me to believe that it is a VZW issue. I was thinking about calling in again to find out what is up. But i think a nap is on the agenda instead. I may call later just to see what they say at CS.
thomasshawn
New member
- Mar 30, 2011
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I am in Tyler and have been having the same issues.
Noticed loss of signal strength in areas that were great before both on Droid1 /incredible.
Last few days big issue with location showing Ecuador and maps not working.
if I go into airplane mode GPS locates in a split second. so it is a tower issue.
Hope they fix this soon.
Noticed loss of signal strength in areas that were great before both on Droid1 /incredible.
Last few days big issue with location showing Ecuador and maps not working.
if I go into airplane mode GPS locates in a split second. so it is a tower issue.
Hope they fix this soon.
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