• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

All things GPS

Is this a poll?

  • Yes, it looks like a poll.

    Votes: 42 26.3%

  • No, there is no way this is a poll.

    Votes: 31 19.4%

  • Why in the world is there a poll here?

    Votes: 87 54.4%
  • Total voters
    160
Funny story, I was in best buy at the mobile phone section. They had smartphones on display with their feature cards next to them. All the other phones had GPS listed as a feature, but not the captivate. I thought that was hilarious...lol
 
emuneee said:
Funny story, I was in best buy at the mobile phone section. They had smartphones on display with their feature cards next to them. All the other phones had GPS listed as a feature, but not the captivate. I thought that was hilarious...lol
Click to expand...

More like legal CYA. IMHO. Funny stuff.
 
So I decided to test out the GPS on my Captivate today. It'd been sent for repair to Samsung due to the random shutdown issue, no idea what they did other than installing JH7, but at least it's managed to stay on for the last 2 weeks. Anyway, here are the results of the test. I thinik it's pretty good...other than a small section where it had me driving off the freeway, it also tracked pretty accurately where i got lost towards the end of the trip

Track 1 - Google Maps
 
I did a GSM reset on the 1st of October. As of today, my gps still works. I noticed the amount of time it takes to lock has increased since then, but it's still under 20 seconds or so.

I'm happy with this result.
 
Last few days I've been comparing the "time to lock" on my radar detector and on my Captivate. Seems it's a toss up...flip a coin on who will be quickest on any given day. Always thought the detector was "acceptable" so maybe this gives me a new frame of reference for the phone?

It's late and I'm thinking "on line" (as opposed to out loud <g>).

I really am trying to like what I see as I've heard both good and bad about 2.2...guess we'll know when we get there.

Thoughts?

Tom
 
As a new Captivate user (like, as of 10/16/10) and unknowledgeable in GPS issues, let me just say this...

It's a big conspiracy. The Samsung folks are trying to get you to use AT&T's paid bloatware for GPS. Or something.

I don't believe in conspiracy theories, but I like to wind 'em and watch 'em go.
 
I swapped my first handset out for a replacement, and now my GPS works quite well - not flawlessly, but it hasn't gotten me lost like my first one did. And I use the GPS a lot. You do need both network and GPS options selected, and I use the navigator that comes with Google Maps. I have the AT&T Telenav, but am considering dropping it, since it does seem to lose the GPS lock more often. I think my first phone was a lemon, because this one works very well now.
 
I've had my Captivate for a couple weeks now and was having very long, if at all, lock times on my Captivate. I tried whacking some settings but none of that helped. What did help was the OVER THE AIR update to JH7. Once I did that, I started getting locks in less than 30 sec. Using Kies to update to JH7did not have the same effect.

More detail:

My phone did not go into 3 button recovery and I was searching for a solution. Here's are the steps that took place:

1) bought phone with JF6 firmware
2) updated via Kies to JH7
3) found out I didn't have 3 button recovery, GPS didn't work
4) reverted to JF6 via Odin
5) updated to JF6 via OTA, reported failure to update
6) now I have 3 button but still on JF6
7) updated via Kies to JH7
8) restored backup from Titanium, now I have GPS locks < 30sec. This happened somewhere between step 4 and 8. I suspect the OTA updates are pushing lower level software that fixes both the GPS and the 3 button recovery.
 
mudwoman said:
I think my first phone was a lemon, because this one works very well now.
Click to expand...

Same experience, my last one was a lemon and this one works. I'm convinced that it is a mix of software and hardware issues plaguing the Galaxy. What else would explain why identical software (e.g. JH7) on two different units would allow one to work satisfactorily and the other not.

Based on the empirical reports it seems an unusually high percentage (but not all) of the phones are shipping with faulty hardware like a bad antenna (thus, no software update helps), and the rest were shipped with OK hardware that still needed a software fix to optimize.

I wonder if every unit is spec'd with the exact same GPS hardware, or if they used a mix of suppliers (like how a car maker might sell 10,000 units with a Nipponenzo compressor and 3,000 units with a Sanden compressor). Or, if they only use one particular set of GPS hardware, but the manufacture of the hardware by that supplier has bad QC.
 
I did the ota update several weeks ago. Initially, I did not notice any change in GPS/navigation function. Still was not working well at all.
Decided to give it another try this week and for whatever reasons that I cannot figure out - google navigation has been working great. Stays locked and tracks me very effectively while driving.
Did something change???
 
Following up on my last post, 1 week after exchanging my Captivate with erratic GPS for a new one, I can report very good behavior with GPS, quick locks, even in my house, and consistent good accuracy in tracking and navigation.

I still believe, as others are discussing, that this problem varies across hardware.

I am very happy using Google Nav reliably every day.

If you are having problems, I suggest exchange.

Bob
 
ewingr said:
Well, I gave the Cognition 2.2 Beta 6 a try. The GPS was worthless on it for me. Adding the Jupiter 6 helped, but it still was not very good.

I find that the 2.16, and 2.17 Cognition/Eclair work quite well. No changes to GPS settings.
Click to expand...

I don't get that. My GPS worked BEFORE updating to Froyo and could get the job done, but wasn't very sensitive. AFTER updating to Froyo, the response time and GPS sensitivity went through the roof. x10 improvement. So, if it worked worse for you, I am wondering what's up with that. I am using both use wifi network and GPS enabled. I do know the diff when GPS is used vs. network/wifi for location, but there is either a difference in your settings or your hardware is different than mine.

Dan
 
Dan

All this varying results stuff is wierd and a bit frustrating for us all.

Since my posts above, I have learned that the master clear I did whn installing 2.2b6 was done wrong and did not take, Maybe that has something to do with it.

I'm waiting for a beta of Froyo to come out that is less fraught with other problems, and will be trying again.

I can say that the unit does absolutely need a clear view of the sky, through windshield, and not with a car roof obstructing, for it to work consistently. Even with that, it does not work 100% like my 3+ year old Tilt did. I am convinced (non-expert thoughts here of course) that the antenna in it is not as efficient as it should be.

I'll post back after my next Froyo update, whenever that happens.
 
I have performed this fix on three different Captivates. The first is my Captivate and it is rooted with Cognition loaded on it. The other two are my friend's and my sister's which are both stock.

In every case the GPS has worked fine. I can get a lock and it will track my position. I have even been able to use the Google Navigation app without much issue.

1. First, download the GPS Status app.
2. In GPS Status settings, go to GPS & Sensors then to Manage A-GPS State.
3. Click Reset, then click Download.

4. Next, open LbsTestMode and change:

Under Application Settings set Operation Mode to MS Based.
Under SUPL/CP Settings I have my Server FQDN Type set to AUTO Config.
Accuracy is set to 50.

5. Download the newest Google Maps app.

Other important notes:
I have Use wireless networks and Use GPS satellites checked under the Location and Security Settings.
I have Wifi turned ON, even if I'm not connected to a Wifi it seems to help with my GPS. I can still get a lock without Wifi turned on, though.
 
chase128 said:
I have performed this fix on three different Captivates.
Click to expand...

It's not a "fix", and people have been spamming these forums with "magic" settings for months now.

Anything that involves "settings" is not a GPS fix and is either placebo or snake oil. GPS doesn't involve "settings" and peddling "settings" that supposedly "fix" the GPS only demonstrates peoples' utter lack of any knowledge whatsoever of how GPS works.

Random settings that sometimes show temporary improvement for a tiny subset of users under random/ideal circumstances in specific environments is not a "fix".

The real fix will not come in the form of "settings". It'll either be a firmware/driver update, or a hardware recall. Period.
 
Maybe someone can tell me if this is typical of the Captivate GPS issue. I'm on my second handset and both act the same.

When I run GPS test, My phone at best can view one or two sats. In fact often no sats show up at all. I don't see the usual ten or so in view with the bars fluctuating a bunch.

Nothing seems to make a difference. I have tried the resets, the LBSTest changes...

A friend with a Vibrant seems to see at least ten sats, even indoors. Side by side it was a night and day difference. Where the Vibrant might be imperfect, my Captivate seems completely dead.
 
As sremick said.

There is a GPS in these phones, but the phone can use "just" the GPS, or it can use 3 A-GPS "Assissted GPS" modes.

If your GPS settings are anything except "Standalone" then you are using ASSISTED GPS and that's a great way to hide the fact that the GPS itself may not be working.

If you put a Captivate on the ground next to a real GPS, and set both to display the signal strength from the satellites, the Captivate will consistantly show a signal that is 10-20db lower than what even an obsolete GPS shows. Worse than a 20db difference against any new commodity grade GPS.

So the problem is real, and also real easy to not understand if you are the average "cell phone user" who has no idea why A-GPS is not the same as GPS. (A-GPS won't help you at all if you are not in cellular range, on a mountain road or in the woods in some valley.)

It could be the Broadcom GPS hardware is cheap and insensitive. Samsung, AT&T, and Broadcom could all answer that but won't. It could also be that the GPS is getting confused by the cellular signal from the phone itself, i.e. RFI radio frequency interference, caused by something about the way Samsung built the phone, since cellular signals and GPS signals overlap and CAN interfere, and the GPS signals are way way weaker so the GPS is the one likely to get clobbered.

But Samsung isn't going to tell us.

I guess it will take a class action suit under the grounds that Samsung and AT&T are selling goods with a known manufacturing defect before they do the right thing. And that's a shame, but they both must be aware of it and they both must figure it will be cheaper than doing the right thing and replacing phones for the customers who want real GPS.
 
yahoowizard said:
Don't know how to access that menu anymore...
Click to expand...

1. Long press on home screen.
2. Shortcuts
3. Activities
4. LbsTestMode
5. (pick the first activity) com.sec.android.app.lbstestmode.LbsTestMode

New shortcut icon appears on desktop.

Use it to enter LbsTestMode.

(I've been informed this tip only works if you have LauncherPro installed. I do have LauncherPro installed, but I did this on TouchWiz.)
 
chase128 said:
No need to get snarky, sremick. The GPS features on all three phones are working now, and I wanted to share that with others in hopes of helping.
Click to expand...

It's because people have been posting those settings for months now. I did a quick search and counted over 60 instances of them being mentioned already. We're very much beyond that point since their uselessness has been pretty firmly established.

I see you're new to the forums. Rule 1 for any forum: search before posting. ;)

While using non-GPS positioning technology and methods may work for you in your environment, that's not a solution for the rest of us. Those settings don't "fix" GPS. GPS doesn't have anything to do with those settings. We need GPS in-and-of itself to work. A GPS that requires the presence of cellular towers and wifi access points just to obtain and maintain a lock is a broken GPS. My 15yo Garmin doesn't have a clue what a cell tower or wifi is and yet it works infinitely better than the Captivate.

Do some reading into what "SUPL", "A-GPS" and "use wireless networks" mean and you'll begin to learn and understand.
 
So I have heard the GPS is broken on the captivate..

I am wondering what programs are being used for GPS.

Are we talking AT&T maps? OR google maps?

If using google maps as a gps does it show your active location and give directions? or does it just give you turn by turn directions you have to read yourself?

My gfs backflip I think actually showed your location.. but, we only had to use that once and it was over 6 months ago..
 
so if "use wireless networks" is turned off on my settings, and I am getting v. good navigation directions - is the phone only relying on GPS, or is it still utilizing assistance???
 
Having wireless networks on may help getting an initial GPS lock. It doesn't help nav.

Google nav won't go into turn-by-turn mode until it has GPS lock. If you have very good nav results, then your GPS is working.

T-readyroc - maybe YOUR captivate can't be used for nav, but mine can be. Mine typically works perfectly for nav. Many others have reported same.

If your captivate doesn't work well with GPS, exchange it. It worked for me. Some captivates have hardware issues, but not all, IMO. YMMV.

Bob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom