GPS in Airplane Mode

[IBCNUNHELL]

Can anybody get a GPS lock in google maps while the phone is in airplane mode? When traveling outside of the States with no data connection I would like to use cached google maps and be able to get a GPS lock in airplane mode.

All of my previous phones were able to do this and I find it unacceptable if the E4GT can't do this.

 

[jfenton]

I don't believe I have ever gotten a GPS lock with no data as the phone can no longer communicate with whatever server it needs to talk to?

Always seemed to me it should only need a sat signal but I have never found it to be that way.

 

[IBCNUNHELL]

It's true the phone can use a data connection to aid in getting a faster GPS lock but it's NOT a requirement. When in airplane mode it should only need a sat signal just like any garmin or tomtom gps receiver.

 

[NathanWA]

Many Android devices have a hardware/firmware bug that causes them to not get a fix in airplane mode. This includes Droid X from Motorola and several from Samsung.

If you install GPS Airtime, it just might work.

This still won't make Google Maps work completely, since it relies on online maps, but apps like BackCountry Navigator that cache offline maps will work.

 

[E_Cross]

You have to download the route data still.
what you have to do is buy a GPS app with the data, there are a few that are top notch, I got to demo one on my tablet, but I can't think of the name.
I will see later, hope I remember to post back.

What I do with my wifi tab is get the map info and then wait for GPS to be active, and then start driving, the whole route is loaded, if you get slightly turned around there are a few alternates, but it's not to detailed if you get real far out of the downloaded map data.

 

[IBCNUNHELL]

I'm not interested in route data, I just want to see my position on a cached-offline google map while i'm in airplane mode.

I looked at the description for GPS Airtime and it looks like all it does is detect if there's a GPS lock and if not, it automatically turns off airplane mode until there's a lock and then turn airplane mode back on. That's not exactly what i'm looking for since i want to avoid possible data charges.

 

[NathanWA]

Yes, that is what it does.

You don't get any data charges for turning off airplane mode for 10 seconds. That's false.

I've tried GPS Airtime with Droid 1, with no plan whatsoever, and it helped it get a fix in an area with no cell coverage whatsoever.

 

[NathanWA]

I reread what you said. I guess it is possible that Google Maps would try to grab data if airplane went off briefly.

Nonetheless, I don't know that would be a problem if you have already precached the areas AND you don't have data coverage anyway.

If that solution doesn't work, then get a different model. HTC phones don't tend to have this problem. Motorola has fixed it as of Droid III and Droid X2.

 

[CypressJohn]

on my samsung epic 4g in airplane mod I do not get any satellite signals (vs 10 normally) on the gpstest application, so no surprise that a nav program can not.

 

[Thrasher]

Yep. This is my only big problem with the Epic Touch, but it's serious for me. I used to be able to use BackCountry Navigator on my EVO 4G in Airplane Mode for an entire backpacking trip. The Samsung is worthless on that account. I've complained to Sprint, but they're adamant that there are no known issues with the GPS on the Epic Touch! It seems to me that this would be a simple fix. I hope it will be addressed in a future update, but it won't if nobody's complaining to the people who can make a difference.

 

[E_Cross]

Route data = cached map, if you didn't get that
as I said I have a wifi only tablet, it can take up to 5 minutes to get a lock, but it does.

And I did the same with my Epic, multiple times now, works fine. The way I usually get it to work is turn off wireless data, have on wifi, sit in my car and wait for the map to cache and then the GPS signal will follow suit. The GPS lock took quite some time, I stuck the phone on the roof of the car once (I was sitting still) and that seemed to help marginally. I turned on airplane mode and went my merry way listening to the smooth sounds of Robonequa (my GPS' name).

I have not tried any of the offline GPS apps like I did on my tablet, I did find one I really like, but it got removed from the market for some odd reason and I was issued a refund.