where did all the GPS threads go? No GPS lock

[Archerdude]

My wifes phone cannot get a GPS siginal. i downloaded the gps test and it shows only 1 sat and my droid shows 8. I have all the location services on in the settings. Any ideas? I thought i read it was working.

Has anyone tried anything like this for the fascinate?

 

[polecat13]

To answer the first question... the second page (or third, etc).

My GPS works fine but I can't get into LBSTestMode to see what my server settings are. I can't find the "Use Wirless Networks" checkbox and I can't dial when I tried Airplane mode.

Can anyone get into LBSTestMode? If so, how?

 

[iflyhi22002]

Mine is not getting a lock either..same spot my Evo picked up instantly.

 

[theoneuafter]

Mine locks pretty fast after the first time I tried it. I d/l google maps and use the navigation from there.
The first time it locked, I got the results you are describing. It took a few to get a lock outside clear shot to the sky. After that time it works great. I have all 3 gps choices turned on in settings.
If there is somthing else you want me to check on mine post up. Tell me what to look for. I didnt really have to dig in to get mine to work.
I also used GPS test and got a smokin 10 satellites, 8 in use and accuracy to 5 ft! Needless to say I am very happy it works.

It did freeze on me once and I tapped on the settings button and it snapped right to my position, almost like it had a brain fart. Been money ever since.

 

[punzada]

I can often get a GPS lock but it has never gotten a lock more accurate then 30 meters. It honestly doesn't bother me too much because turn by turn still works very well but not seeing anything more accurate ever and occasionally not getting locks at all is concerning.

 

[Archerdude]

I bought 2 of these 1 locks in the other doesnt. I will retest both phones agian.

 

[namebrandon]

I bought 2 of these 1 locks in the other doesnt. I will retest both phones agian.

Are they both activated?

 

[Archerdude]

Both activated. I tested it again and it worked for a little bit then it was gone. Then it starting working again with 270 feet of accuracy. The other one is instant with 19 feet of accuracy. Very strange. Both were tested indoors, outdoors, moving and stationary. My droid 1 is rock solid everywhere. We originally found the first one was not working when my wife try to use Google maps to navigate and could not get a gps lock on it after 10 minutes. I will research it a little more to see if i can find anything. thanks for your input. The GPS is a big deal to us because we recently moved to a new location and dont know where everythings at yet.

 

[doctorPDA]

Here's a pic of a Droid Inc and Fascinate using GPS test. Although the Facinate could not lock onto as many satellites as the Droid Inc, and with less strength, at this point in time, both devices got me down to 10 meters accuracy on Google Maps, which was nice. I think the Fascinate would do OK with routine navigation, as you have reported, but clearly it doesn't fix onto satellites like other devices (see pic). Whether this translates into any issues "in the field" remains to be seen. If there are a few extra trees in the way, or big buildings, would I have transient issues while navigating?

Should I just try it out for myself for a month and see how the GPS functions in real life scenarios? I really really love this phone otherwise, been waiting to upgrade to it for a while, just worried about the GPS since I want to use it as my only GPS navigation device.

 

[Archerdude]

It is a very nice phone. I know that galaxy s phones have had issues with GPS. I am hoping it will work out for my wife. I am also wondering if froyo update would include a gps update. I have seen an aticle that said Samsung will update the fascinate with better gps software this month. In the article they author was hoping froyo would come with that gps update but no word from Verizon or Samsung as to date.

 

[rltripp]

I did my own "unofficial" test at work yesterday. I sat my Fascinate down on a desk next to a Droid X and a Droid 2 and opened Google maps. Not only did the Fascinate lock on faster than the other two, it actually showed as being in the correct building. Both Droids showed as being in a field across the road.

 

[prakash99]

I have been puzzled by this gps issue. While I am one of the very few people with no problems regarding gps issue (instant lock, accuracy pretty consistent and smooth navigation) most people seem to be having problems. Did either verizon or samsung do a half assed job fixing the gps problem that has plagued captivate and vibrant? Or is it a location based problem? I am in southern NH and gps signal is not always the best in NH yet the gps on my fascinate has been working perfectly - so far *touchwood*!

 

[prodig33]

Prakash99: I'm with you on that. I got my fascinate, dl google in store, navigate home. It locked on quick and works perfect to me, dunno what's going on.

 

[Archerdude]

This is so strange. Just an update on the phone I was trying to get this to work on. After messing around with it for so long i forgot i had left Google navigate on. When i put it down it was searching for GPS. About 3am it finally locked on and started telling us where to turn.(Kind of funny now but not this morning.) By this time we were sleeping. It was telling us to turn left and right like we were moving. My wife was unfamiliar with the phone and not sure how to shut this thing up at the wee hours of the morning so she just shut the volume off. So it was almost 5 hours before it could get a gps signal. This morning i just shut down navigate and walked away in frustration. This afternoon I thought I would look at it again just to run a couple of test and both times it took about 2 minutes to get a lock when I was outside moving around. I really don't know what to think or even do at this point. I have got some time before my 30 days run out. Part of me is saying to call Verizon and have them swap it out the other part of my says wait for the Samsung update.

 

[boomerbubba]

Part of me is saying to call Verizon and have them swap it out the other part of my says wait for the Samsung update.

Have your tried to use any third-party diagnostic tools such as GPS Test or GPS Status?

Whatever the GPS issue is, if there is one, it probably would not be solved by swapping units. [Edit: But if you are within your trial period, and have tested two phones with only one probelm, maybe you are the exception. So there is not harm in trying a swap.] But if there is a problem it is probably a general Samsung problem. That was the case when other Galaxy S phones had GPS problems.

What makes you think "the Samsung update" is coming? Samsung has announced that a GPS update is coming in September for the T-Mobile Vibrant and the AT&T Captivate, which were released almost two months ago. To my knowledge neither Samsung nor Verizon has said to expect a GPS update for the Fascinate. I think the presumption is that Samsung's GPS fix was already incorporated in the Fascinate release.

 

[namebrandon]

Have your tried to use any third-party diagnostic tools such as GPS Test or GPS Status?

Whatever the GPS issue is, if there is one, it probably would not be solved by swapping units. [Edit: But if you are within your trial period, and have tested two phones with only one probelm, maybe you are the exception. So there is not harm in trying a swap.] But if there is a problem it is probably a general Samsung problem. That was the case when other Galaxy S phones had GPS problems.

What makes you think "the Samsung update" is coming? Samsung has announced that a GPS update is coming in September for the T-Mobile Vibrant and the AT&T Captivate, which were released almost two months ago. To my knowledge neither Samsung nor Verizon has said to expect a GPS update for the Fascinate. I think the presumption is that Samsung's GPS fix was already incorporated in the Fascinate release.

I thought I gave some good data on the other forum that some units have a GPS that's working well. Now it's not going to compare to a Garmin aviation GPS unit or anything, but it certainly works well enough to drive with.

There are people who are having serious problems even getting more than 8 sats to lock, or who can't even get under 30 ft accuracy. Those (IMO) would be the "bad" or malfunctioning units. Phones like mine that will consistently track 10+ sats and get 3-3.5 foot accuracy a good chunk of the time seem to be fine (again, my opinion).

Now I know I haven't been following the GPS posts anywhere near as closely as you have, but are other carriers having good units / bad units, or are they all malfunctioning across the board?

Let me know if I can do any more tests for you, as well. I can re-walk that one from last night with the 1m data setting if you'd like.

 

[Lodingi]

I think the presumption is that Samsung's GPS fix was already incorporated in the Fascinate release.

I wouldn't assume that. There are enough Fascinate owners having real gps problems. To me that suggests otherwise. My device takes a good 2 minutes or more to get satellite lock.

 

[Archerdude]

Have your tried to use any third-party diagnostic tools such as GPS Test or GPS Status

I use GPS test and and Goggle navigate itself to test GPS.

News articles i have read:

Verizon Fascinate known issues list leaks out, it's not pretty

: If you recall, the Samsung Fascinate launched on Verizon yesterday with some negative stuff swirling around it. First, and this was before launch, it was apparent that it would launch on Big Red with the same GPS issues plaguing the AT&T Captivate and the T-Mobile Vibrant.

Google and Bing Maps Latency:
It has been reported that it takes longer then other devices to get GPS location information when using Google and Bing maps
Short term work around: There is no short term work around for this issue
Planned Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review for inclusion in a future MR.

This may not be the news you’re looking for, but at least it is something. Samsung web product analyst, Carla Saaverda, tweeted that her company is currently testing a software fix for the Galaxy S GPS bug and that it should be released sometime in September. Not really much else to say about it. What do you think of this timeline? Good, bad, or indifferent?

NAMEBRANDON: I'm not sure if there is anything we can do at this point I think it is what it is. I do appreciate your help though. After reading all the articles i have hope that the people that are having problems will get there issues fixed by an update. I have already contacted Verizon and they gave me the BLAH BLAH BLAH $35 restock fee.

 

[boomerbubba]

I wouldn't assume that. There are enough Fascinate owners having real gps problems. To me that suggests otherwise. My device takes a good 2 minutes or more to get satellite lock.

Not being a Fascinate owner (I have owned Vibrants and now an Epic) I don't have a dog in that fight. I honestly wish you well in perfecting your phone. But my point is that Samsung has made an official statement about updating the older Vibrants and Captivates in September. Dunno about AT&T, but T-Mobile made a similar official announcement about the September update for the Vibrant.

But to my knowledge, neither Samsung nor Verizon has uttered a peep about an expected GPS update for the Fascinate. Have you called Verizon customer service? My bet is that if you do they will say there is no known GPS issue.

There may well be new GPS issues introduced on the Fascinate, but it does not seem that any errors have been isolated, defined, replicated and officially logged by the carrier and manufacturer. So if users are having real problems, they have not yet gotten past the initial denial phase that characterizes the investigation of any technical issue.

 

[j32driver]

Picked up my Fascinate this afternoon.

While sitting in my living room, I turned on the phone, downloaded Google maps, fired it up and had a lock with 30 meters accuracy within 5 seconds.