Help Is this normal (GPS issue)?

[notalent_assclowns]

I use my phone when snowmobiling for mapping new routes (using My Tracks) that we take. I've done this for the past two years using the Droid Incredible, Droid X, and Droid X2 and never had any issues. They weren't all perfectly accurate and following the trail exactly, but it was close enough.

I just went this past weekend and used the Galaxy Nexus and it has small gaps all over the place where the signal was lost and even a huge gap of 5-10 minutes where it was missing signal.

Here is the map:
Snowmobiling - 1/30 #2 - Google Maps

From a high level, it looks fine. Looking closer though, it has 11 segments in only 20 miles. I have another map where there are over 90 segments in a 60 mile stretch.

Is this normal or do I have a bad Nexus?

 

[stenzor]

Looks like you almost made it to Canada!

 

[notalent_assclowns]

Yeah, its not too far! We cut south just a few miles north of the last track.

 

[Crashumbc]

mine's worked fine UNTIL yesterday then it freaked out for like 45 minutes... then was fine again...


(yes this sounds cheesy but it true non the less)

We are supposedly experiencing the worst solar storms since 2005 and YES they do mess with electronics and GPS

 

[s.m.knipe]

mine's worked fine UNTIL yesterday then it freaked out for like 45 minutes... then was fine again...


(yes this sounds cheesy but it true non the less)

We are supposedly experiencing the worst solar storms since 2005 and YES they do mess with electronics and GPS

A lot of people are discussing this, but these solar storms are not having similar effects on my Atrix or Nexus 1. GPS (while okay for social media check-ins, it is NOT sufficient for any kind of tracking) is definitely a weak point on this phone.

 

[s.m.knipe]

I use my phone when snowmobiling for mapping new routes (using My Tracks) that we take. I've done this for the past two years using the Droid Incredible, Droid X, and Droid X2 and never had any issues. They weren't all perfectly accurate and following the trail exactly, but it was close enough.

I just went this past weekend and used the Galaxy Nexus and it has small gaps all over the place where the signal was lost and even a huge gap of 5-10 minutes where it was missing signal.

Here is the map:
Snowmobiling - 1/30 #2 - Google Maps

From a high level, it looks fine. Looking closer though, it has 11 segments in only 20 miles. I have another map where there are over 90 segments in a 60 mile stretch.

Is this normal or do I have a bad Nexus?

No, it is normal. Samsung uses a weaker chip and under-powers the GPS, emphasizing social media functions, not tracking or Geo-location functions.

 

[Deleted User]

it is NOT sufficient for any kind of tracking

Ah. Okay. Must have been a fluke that I just drove 2500 miles all over the east coast using the GPS to guide me and never once had an issue, nor a time where I got the large blue circle indicating loss of positioning.

Also traveled to Colorado and used it to guide me all over the rural travels I did when sightseeing, again with no issues.

I guess they produced one good GPS chip and put it in my phone.

Not saying some people don't have issues, just that blunt statements like that are not necessarily accurate.

 

[s.m.knipe]

Ah. Okay. Must have been a fluke that I just drove 2500 miles all over the east coast using the GPS to guide me and never once had an issue, nor a time where I got the large blue circle indicating loss of positioning.

Also traveled to Colorado and used it to guide me all over the rural travels I did when sightseeing, again with no issues.

I guess they produced one good GPS chip and put it in my phone.

Not saying some people don't have issues, just that blunt statements like that are not necessarily accurate.

I get your point, but remember that the Navigation algorithms snap your position to the nearest likely place (unless none are in range) which for their purposes is the road. Do the same trip in My Tracks and you will see the real readings from the GPS chip, it is all over the place compared to other devices. The GPS chip is fine for 95% of use-cases, but don't expect HTC or Motorola chips' level accuracy, the accuracy and polling frequency have way lower thresholds...

 

[notalent_assclowns]

Yeah, my GPS works just fine for navigation and locks quick. But it is worthless for using it to map your track. Just checking if it was normal or not and apparently Samsung just can't make a GPS chip that works well.

Does anyone know if there is a kernel out there that "overclocks" the GPS chip or gives it more power?

 

[s.m.knipe]

Just checking if it was normal or not and apparently Samsung just can't make a GPS chip that works well.

It works well enough for Samsung's intended purposes. Here is the chip Sammy used:
SiRFstarIV GSD4t | CSR
It was most likely chosen because of its compact size, low power footprint, and reliability (previously, in the original Galaxy S line, Samsung had used multi-purpose chips that just could not deliver, hence their reputation even still), making it sufficient for the typical smartphone social media/navigation uses. Notice on their page the "Key Features" list focuses more on getting your location than tracking it (which is what is important to social media purposes), and all of the power-saving features indicate to me that it is programmed to poll less frequently to keep power consumption down. There is nothing wrong with this chip, but users like myself had been spoiled by more power-hungry configurations on other models that work great for tracking (especially for runs), but are tied into the CPU and use more battery.

Does anyone know if there is a kernel out there that "overclocks" the GPS chip or gives it more power?

Not that I know of, but it would defeat the design of the chip so it isn't likely. I suppose one could re-write either the SiRFHost and/or the GSD4t Host Interface code to "boost" it a little, but that plays with more than I really know enough about to speculate on...

EDIT

I would also think there would be some sort of system or app-specific position polling frequency that might be adjusted to approximate real-time tracking- at the expense of battery life of course...

But I remember nothing like this really turned up back in the Galaxy S GPS fiasco days- when the GPS would not even see satellites to lock onto, then could barely lock, then wouldn't hold a lock. Samsung loves battery life more than location services, and seems to choose chips with the smallest energy requirements

 

[notalent_assclowns]

Yeah, I can see the benefit of low power for navigation or things that don't need to be super accurate, but I've never seen a phone by any other manufacturer that can't record a GPS track. If LG, Motorola, HTC, and Apple have GPS that work, I can't believe Sammy is too lazy to implement one that works as well. And it sucks because I love everything else about the phone. It's going to be a pain in the a** to have to carry a standalone GPS now when I need to record my tracks, but I guess there are no ways around it.

 

[Crashumbc]

I must have a special phone, because other then the above described freak out I haven't had any issues.

I use My Tracks (google&#8482 about 3 times a week when I take walks, looking back at the "tracks" (I save them) I don't see anything unusual...

 

[vasilator]

Ah. Okay. Must have been a fluke that I just drove 2500 miles all over the east coast using the GPS to guide me and never once had an issue, nor a time where I got the large blue circle indicating loss of positioning.

Also traveled to Colorado and used it to guide me all over the rural travels I did when sightseeing, again with no issues.

I guess they produced one good GPS chip and put it in my phone.

Not saying some people don't have issues, just that blunt statements like that are not necessarily accurate.

Come on man, we get you love the phone. It isn't perfect though. Read what he wrote and then redo your condescending remark. Tracks don't have anything to do with nav. as the phone is above avg. for that function.

 

[Crashumbc]

Come on man, we get you love the phone. It isn't perfect though. Read what he wrote and then redo your condescending remark. Tracks don't have anything to do with nav. as the phone is above avg. for that function.

But yet, you ignore the fact that I use tracks several times a week, and never had a issue? Maybe you should redo yours....

 

[notalent_assclowns]

I wonder if it has to do with losing signal. This area didn't have too much reception and I was in and out of service the whole time. Again, this is nothing new for my trips and I've never had a problem in the past with other phones, but maybe the Nexus can't do GPS without good cell reception. I'll try My Tracks with the device in airplane mode and see if My Tracks works.