GPS woes (even after 2.2 update)

[toledospod]

OK, so I know that this topic is probably buried somewhere deep in the bowels of this forum, but I cannot find any good solution to this issue (nothing that really helps me in the last few months that I can see), so I am creating a new thread. I?ve had my Fascinate since last year when it had OS 2.1 on it. Back then getting GPS was just as temperamental as it is now for me. Sometimes I?ll get a GPS fix within 2 mins, sometimes 5 mins, sometimes as long as 10 mins. I?ve done loads of research on this issue and supposedly, it was fixed with the release of OS 2.2, but even after updating to 2.2, I still find I have the same issues. I have tried using an app called ?GPS Doctor? which sometimes works and sometimes doesn?t. I also read posts on this forum and other forums that state that having Wi-fi on when you turn GPS Standalone on helps, though I cannot for the life of me figure out why.

I usually have ?GPS Standalone services? and ?Google location services? checked when I am trying to get a fix (mainly because I use Google maps and I guess Google needs ?Google location? on) and I always do this via the ?Location and security? menu. I never ever use the ?Verizon? option as I have no need for it. I also use GPS Status to monitor when the phone finds a satellite and when it gets a fix. Sometimes I find that when I use that and reset the A-GPS, it works, but again it?s still a 50/50 chance that this will help.

In the last few days, I finally rooted my phone and I?ve started using a program called ?GPS Aids? and used the ?Forced mode? option to download LTO in the hopes that this might help. It did for the first time, but this morning I was out driving it found 5 satellites but got no fix and this took about 10 mins (after that I got to work and gave up). The one thing that I wondered...does the weather have an effect on it, as it was overcast this morning on my way into work as we?d just had a short thunderstorm.

Can anyone offer me any advice for this? I?m getting so tired of having this issue day after day.

 

[Holly Louise]

I get bounced out of google maps before I can finish entering destination. Always! Navigation app works great but eats the battery as it stays on, so is not useful to see a zoomed-out view of a long route. (Droid Charge). What is this "rooted" thing I keep seeing in posts? Am very new to Android. Former Blackberry user.

 

[toledospod]

Well, two things here Kurleelocks, and please don't take this the wrong way.

1) Your post isn't really relevant to my post, so it doesn't really help me

2) I would suggest that you do a search for 'root' on this site as it would be easier than me trying to explain it as I'm fairly new to it myself.

Admin, I just realized that this thread may not be in the right area of the 'Verizon Fascinate' forum. Should this thread be moved to the root folder for this area, i.e. Verizon Fascinate. I think I created it in this sub-forum by mistake (it's more of a general issue instead of Rooting, Hacks, etc). If it is in the wrong place can an admin please move it?

 

[adjangs]

Weather can affect the GPS in my experience.

This is going to sound crazy but several people have reported that GPS locks much faster after turning it on in the settings menu rather than a shortcut.

If you're ready to try a rom, many of them have GPS tweaks built in that actually work. I've had better luck with Evil Fascination 3.5 than stock Froyo for example.

 

[toledospod]

Thanks Adjangs.

I was turning on GPS through the settings, I don't have a shortcut for it.

I'm thinking about trying out the Community Rom v1.3 as I've seen another thread on here (also called GPS woes) where the reply to the OP is to try this ROM as it has a GPS fix it it too). I haven't decided yet to take the leap into to another ROM as I've only just rooted my phone.

 

[Landshark]

Thanks Adjangs.

I was turning on GPS through the settings, I don't have a shortcut for it.

I'm thinking about trying out the Community Rom v1.3 as I've seen another thread on here (also called GPS woes) where the reply to the OP is to try this ROM as it has a GPS fix it it too). I haven't decided yet to take the leap into to another ROM as I've only just rooted my phone.

Whether or not you are going to try Comm ROM, but especially if you are going to try Comm ROM, you need to have all three location services checked to get your best GPS results.

 

[luke31]

I'm gonna try the Gingerbread leak, a lot of people there are saying that GPS is working exponentially better. I'll report back on my findings!

EDIT: The GPS definitely works for me with the Gingerbread leak (so far...)

 

[atomD21]

Your best bet for a solid GPS signal is doing what Landshark just said. You need to have all three location services on for a solid lock to happen. Using Verizon's service doesn't mean you're paying for VZ Navigator or anything, it simply uses your triangulated location based on towers to assist the GPS. If you search for GPS fix here, there was a thread a while back with a simple zip file you could flash with CWM that would change a file to help.

 

[jack22182]

Thanks Adjangs.

I was turning on GPS through the settings, I don't have a shortcut for it.

I'm thinking about trying out the Community Rom v1.3 as I've seen another thread on here (also called GPS woes) where the reply to the OP is to try this ROM as it has a GPS fix it it too). I haven't decided yet to take the leap into to another ROM as I've only just rooted my phone.

I was having some pretty horrendous GPS issues in a Fascinate that I just returned to VZW. It was the third Fascinate I've had, and the second refurbished phone.

In this one, the GPS was generally not as reliable as with the previous two Fascinates, and there was a special problem - whenever the phone was connected to an external DC power source, reception on most or all of the GPS satellites being used for a fix would disappear, which made for some really interesting times when trying to use the Fascinate as a navigation device while plugged into the car for power.

I discovered what was happening while troubleshooting one day using GPS Status from the Market. While monitoring the number of locked satellites, I plugged the phone in. Within a minute, a nine satellite fix downgraded to a two satellite non-fix. I unplugged, and within seconds was back up to nine spaceships. This effect was repeatable over and over again. None of the other Fascinates I've had exhibited this problem (they all worked fine when plugged in with lots of locked spaceships and good quality position fixes).

Overall, it is my impression that the GPS in Froyo just has never been as good as it was when DL09 first came out. Granted, since getting the GPS to the point where it was actually usable I have been running a lot more GPS apps than I ever did before, but I have a lot of problems with the GPS getting into weird states where it just won't work unless I reboot the phone. For example, I've been messing around with a ham radio app called APRSDroid that uses the GPS, and I'll notice sometimes that APRSDroid is no longer seeing any GPS data from the internal GPS after it started out working OK. I'll open GPS Status and it shows no satellites in the fix, and remains stuck like that indefinitely. If I reboot, POW, everthing comes back jiffy quick. Sometimes it will work all day long, other times, the internal GPS seems to lock up, requiring a reboot to restore.

This phone would be so great if stuff like this just worked the way it was supposed to.

Jack

 

[toledospod]

Whether or not you are going to try Comm ROM, but especially if you are going to try Comm ROM, you need to have all three location services checked to get your best GPS results.

Interesting, I always thought you only needed Verizon location services for VZ Navigator....I'll have to try this tomorrow. Thanks Landshark!

 

[xairrick]

running UKB 2.1w/ED04.

I live in Northeast Pennsylvania and the GPS always locks on within seconds. I was in Wisconsin this past week and the GPS was taking 2...5....10 mins to lock on. even when it was locked on it would lose the signal and it would take a minute or 2 lock back on.

I used to own a stand alone GPS receiver. it had 2 restart modes; warm and cold. warm would assume you were close to the place you last used the device. and cold would assume nothing. cold took 30-60 seconds to lock on and warm would take about 2-3 seconds. If you changed locations (eg +750 miles) and did a warm restart it would take a long time lock on (i don't remember how long, I always just forced a cold restart). It could be that the samsung GPS is always trying a warm restart with bad location info.

 

[BigSwoe]

Interesting, I always thought you only needed Verizon location services for VZ Navigator....I'll have to try this tomorrow. Thanks Landshark!

There was also a recent thread on how the compass can affect GPS. I was having issues the other day and did a few figure 8s with my phone to reset the compass. GPS locked with a few seconds after that. Might be of help to you.

 

[Lttlwing16]

Just got back from a vacation, and used the GPS a bunch to get around central florida. My wife and I both have fascinates, I run UKB 2.1, and she has rooted stock ED01. We both had trouble with GPS soon after getting in the rental car and driving towards our destination. It took around 5 minutes before GPS was located by Navigation and would start giving directions.

For what it's worth, I found that if I started the navigation app and it was taking a long time to get a lock, I would go to settings and toggle google location services off/on, without closing the navigation. This was helpful as many times, it would lock right on.. might keep it in the trouble shooting arsenal if you get stuck. After that, I had great luck with the GPS...(I always have all three GPS options and WIFI turned on while trying to use navigation).

 

[atomD21]

It sounds to me like the GPS gets "comfortable" with the area it's in most of the time and needs to be restarted to essentially wake up and start working again. I could be way out in left field...