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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
My GPS SUCKED(!) until I flashed Phoenix ROM (4.1) with JK4 modem, and using SGStools to tweak GPS in LBStest tools. Its still not perfect but GPS locks on quicker, with accuracy down to 10 meters (sometimes even closer). Everthing else on my 1008 build runs like a rocket thanks to the dev (Adam) and crew. Suggest you try it if you're familiar with rooting/flashing custom ROMS.
 
My GPS SUCKED(!) until I flashed Phoenix ROM (4.1) with JK4 modem, and using SGStools to tweak GPS in LBStest tools. Its still not perfect but GPS locks on quicker, with accuracy down to 10 meters (sometimes even closer). Everthing else on my 1008 build runs like a rocket thanks to the dev (Adam) and crew. Suggest you try it if you're familiar with rooting/flashing custom ROMS.
Try the KP1 modem. Im on Firefly 1.5 with FB2 kernal and KP1 modem and my gps is the awesome. Initial lock after reboot (inside) is about 24 seconds on 10 sats with an acc. of 10-15 meters. After that, lock inside is about 8 seconds and outside is only a few seconds.
 
Try the KP1 modem. Im on Firefly 1.5 with FB2 kernal and KP1 modem and my gps is the awesome. Initial lock after reboot (inside) is about 24 seconds on 10 sats with an acc. of 10-15 meters. After that, lock inside is about 8 seconds and outside is only a few seconds.
Good to know, GPS is important to me - I'm going to give KP1 a try.

ETA Nope, based on this I'm sitting tight. Battery is first for me, GPS second. I'm very happy with the battery on JK4, and the GPS is pretty good, too, so it's not worth the battery drain for me.
 
GPS also depends on your location. A lot of people cant get any locks with whatever modem they use. That being said, Im lucky to be in a good area with awesoime gps and my battery life is awesome. Moderate use, I used 65% in 28 hours.
 
GPS also depends on your location. A lot of people cant get any locks with whatever modem they use. That being said, Im lucky to be in a good area with awesoime gps and my battery life is awesome. Moderate use, I used 65% in 28 hours.

That's with what ROM, what kernel, what modem?

Sounds like very decent numbers. How much wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, voice during the 28 hrs (the heavy batt users, along with screen time).
 
For the first time since I've had my phone, I locked almost the very instant I used my GPS today using AT&T Maps. I was shocked. :)
 
That's with what ROM, what kernel, what modem?

Sounds like very decent numbers. How much wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, voice during the 28 hrs (the heavy batt users, along with screen time).
I used Firefly 1.5, Firebird2 kernal, and KP1 modem. I flashed FF 2.0.4 yesterday and couldnt get a lock. I tried another kernal and modem and no go. I went back to my origional setup and all is good.
 
GPS also depends on your location. A lot of people cant get any locks with whatever modem they use. That being said, Im lucky to be in a good area with awesoime gps and my battery life is awesome. Moderate use, I used 65% in 28 hours.

This is definately true. I frequently travel out of state for work, and I found the location has a huge effect on the GPS. It seems no matter what modem I use, the GPS is always flakey in Los Angeles. But, in other cities/states, I have had no problem with it.
 
If you flash a new rom and GPS does not pick up a lock, you would have to wait a while (say 5 to 10 minutes) or simply try a re-flash before going back to another ROM.
 
What do i do if *#*#1472365#*#* doesn't do anything?

I dial it, and once i get to the final *, it clears the line and does nothing.
 
Thanks for helping me fish. They are not biting.

Alas, *#3214789650# goes "USSD code running" and then "REJECTED".

I'm running the froyo build FROYO.UCJI6.
 
Just an fyi, I decided to do something about my Captivate gps. I went out and got the HTC Inspire. I am now getting locks within 3 seconds, and the phone is keeping the lock. I just went outside my office building, and got a lock within 2 meters.

This is out of the box with no tweaks.

I've had the Captivate since July, and I truly believe that there will be no "fix" for the Captivate gps. I hope I am wrong for everybody's sake. But at least there are alternatives out there...
 
...I've had the Captivate since July, and I truly believe that there will be no "fix" for the Captivate gps. I hope I am wrong for everybody's sake. But at least there are alternatives out there...

But if you are in a contract, not any viable alternatives.

But if you don't like throwing your investment out the window, not any viable alternatives.

ATT has revealed themselves for who they truly are on this. I am just waiting for iphone 5 ON VERIZON. Bye bye ATT. Why would I EVER buy another phone from you when you have treated me like this?
 
.....
I've had the Captivate since July, and I truly believe that there will be no "fix" for the Captivate gps. I hope I am wrong for everybody's sake. But at least there are alternatives out there...


I have had my phone since about September 2010 .... but i have GPS in both cars so the POS Captivate GPS wasn't an issue.

However, since updating to 2.2 ( Rogers, here in Canada, using Kies 1.5.x, unrooted), i have been getting a fix and seem to get about a 20-40 yard accuracy. Not nearly as good as my Lexus OEM or Fujitsu aftermarket but at least its passable.

Are you guys on 2.2 and its not working?

KC
 
...Are you guys on 2.2 and its not working?

Those of us in the U.S. do not (and, in my opinion, will not ever...) have 2.2. ATT still is "testing" it (their words).

In my opinion, since ATT is coming out with 11 new android phones, they want to drive folks who have a current Captivate to buy a new one, rather than get an upgrade which would make it a very acceptable phone (= zero $$ to them).

Also, they despise the tethering situation, and I also believe they cannot cripple 2.2 sufficiently to prevent it--adding another reason they will just ____ their current Captivate customers.

I have lost the minor bit of respect I still had for them.

Read their Facebook page to see the immense dissatisfaction. They even recently set the page to show only their comments and not posts from "others".
 
Those of us in the U.S. do not (and, in my opinion, will not ever...) have 2.2. ATT still is "testing" it (their words).
That's not entirely true. Those of us who have flashed custom ROMs have 2.2. Some have 2.2.1, that's what I have.

In my opinion, since ATT is coming out with 11 new android phones, they want to drive folks who have a current Captivate to buy a new one, rather than get an upgrade which would make it a very acceptable phone (= zero $$ to them).
They can't drive anyone to do that if they've got them locked into a contract with the damned thing. I've got 18 months at least before I can get a new phone - because I just don't have the money to get one off-contract.

Also, they despise the tethering situation, and I also believe they cannot cripple 2.2 sufficiently to prevent it--adding another reason they will just ____ their current Captivate customers.
I believe this is the main reason AT&T hasn't released 2.2 yet.

I have lost the minor bit of respect I still had for them.

Read their Facebook page to see the immense dissatisfaction. They even recently set the page to show only their comments and not posts from "others".
Yea, sucks for them now, in this day and age, there's plenty of ways to advertise - both by the company and by the consumer. AT& and Samsung have bought themselves a whole lotta bad advertising by issuing the Captivate with such horrible customer service.
 
Everything in the last few posts reiterate my belief that the operators of the world (ATT, TMo, etc) need to GET OUT of the subsidized phone business and do what they should be doing: provide the service. Maybe allow them to sell low end feature phones to folks who don't want a smartphone-but until the market allows for a phone such as the Captivate to be sold unlocked, unbranded, just drop your sim in it...the frustration will continue. That's why I liked to buy Nokia symbian in the past..just that they fell behind the times
 
Considering that most phones are conceptually nothing more than the equivalent of a $230 (at retail!) iPod Touch with a few extra radios and some software differences with exorbitant prices at the end (srsly - people have bought freaking Evos for over $500 - nutz!!), I'd love nothing better than to see the end of the carrier stranglehold on smartphones.

Within such a Utopia - if a maker screwed up GPS (for whatever reason), people could exercise their consumer rights without doing a chicken dance with the carrier in the middle, and this debacle would have been solved by Samsung long ago.
 
^^^Exactly. One has to only recall the days when we actually had to go to the local phone company store to even buy a landline device...but I show my age now...
 
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