Develop Bugs

I have a theory about why GPS on TP2 cannot fix satellites quickly

Or, in my case, cannot get a fix at all in most places.
The only place I can get a fix is an ideal spot near my office, in an elevated garden (on top of a shopping arcade). With nothing taller than me in a 10m area, and nearest buildings only two or three stories high, I can view 16 satellites and immediately get a fix on 8 of them. In all other places, no matter how long I wait, will see 16 satellites with 0 fix.
With more testing I found out to get a good signal strength in normal situations, I have to do either of these:
1. Enable flight-mode (i.e. turn off all other wireless communications).
2. Slide out keyboard.
Doing both will give me a fix within 5 seconds in all out-door or near-window locations. Just enabling flight-mode results in less than 20 seconds. Sliding out keyboard has a lesser effect, but usually will get a fix within 2 minutes.
I used HTC GPS Tool and NaviComputer in the tests.
With HTC GPS Tool:
- Flight-mode OFF and keyboard in, in the ideal spot I get about 50% signal strength for the best satellite.
- Flight-mode ON, signal strength goes up to 80%. Sliding out keyboard has no observable effect with flight-mode ON.
- Flight-mode OFF and keyboard out, I get about 60% for the best satellite.
So it seems the true reason is the GPS antenna in TP2 is poorly located, getting interference from phone antenna and the machine itself.
If you own a TP2, could you test it and tell me the results? (should observe stronger signals even if you don't have a problem)
If most people get same results as me, I'll send a report to HTC. I absolutely love QWERTY keyboard on my TP2, and my next model will definitely have one. I want HTC to learn about this problem (or acknowledge it) so future QWERTY models won't have the same defect.
Thank you in advance for your time to perform the tests.

good test, strange result

Well I never have gps issue with my tp2 so I don't understand your problem

It also depends a lot on which radio you use. Some radio's give you a faster fix and some don't.

drewcam888 said:
Well I never have gps issue with my tp2 so I don't understand your problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said in the first post, I observed improved signal strength with either flight mode on or keyboard out.
Even if you have no GPS issues, you may still get better signal strength if you perform the test. You can view signal strength with HTC GPS Tool. That's all I ask of the community - to see if TP2 has a design defect that weakens GPS signal reception.
Lennyz1988 said:
It also depends a lot on which radio you use. Some radio's give you a faster fix and some don't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using this Radio from HTC - version is 3.46.25.30. The HTC Diamond 2 I mentioned in the first post has an even older radio version, yet receives signals better than my TP2 does, until I enable flight mode or have keyboard out.

im using the latest radio and i get a fix in a few seconds. it took ages on other radios. its very deja vu with the touch pro. the gps sucks up until a certain version of the radio.

I logged the NMEA data with HTC GPS Tool, and without flight mode and keyboard out, most NMEA sentences contain blank fields. GPGSV reports 16 satellites, but GPGSA will report status 1 (no fix available). Also GPRMC failed to return time.
If I slide keyboard open, I could see more data fields - GPRMC returning time for instance. I'm pretty sure sliding out keyboard or enabling flight mode have no effect on how the radio driver interprets GPS signal received.
The Jack of Clubs said:
im using the latest radio and i get a fix in a few seconds. it took ages on other radios. its very deja vu with the touch pro. the gps sucks up until a certain version of the radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you tell me your version, is it official? Where did you get it (I assume here in XDA? I've seen plenty of custom radio ROMs)?

Evilnut said:
I logged the NMEA data with HTC GPS Tool, and without flight mode and keyboard out, most NMEA sentences contain blank fields. GPGSV reports 16 satellites, but GPGSA will report status 1 (no fix available). Also GPRMC failed to return time.
If I slide keyboard open, I could see more data fields - GPRMC returning time for instance. I'm pretty sure sliding out keyboard or enabling flight mode have no effect on how the radio driver interprets GPS signal received.
Could you tell me your version, is it official? Where did you get it (I assume here in XDA? I've seen plenty of custom radio ROMs)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get the official radio's here. (There are no custom radio's) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=549939
Just try some radio's for yourself. There is no best radio, because it depends on which place you are etc. So what works best for me is not necessarily the best for you
ps you need to have hardspl installed.

you will not be able to connect to all those sats no matter what equipment you have. in total "There are 30 GPS satellites" so I AM GUESSING here. that there are around 15 on each side of the earth. and if you divide it for the top of the earth and the bottom that leaves 7.5 sats so if its showing 16 there must be one extra uneven one in range. so that makes 8 connectible to. im pretty sure that you cant connect to a sat thats on the other side of the earth. or on the bottom.
but thats just my research and my thoughts. i could be wrong. but i dont think i am.
so in theory you should only be able to connect at 8 sats in any one time. OR it could just be that out of the number of sats your connected to. if any other were added it would give you a wrong position

to lock on satellite with the htc gps tool takes about 1 minute with data communications on . in airplane mode it takes about 5 seconds. this is consistent for me.
htc tp2
tmobile
wm 6.1

I've tested several Gps apps both on Winmo and Xdandroid.
Something is sure: apps make the performances
On Android, Google Navigation is 5 time slower than Navigon (same place same conditions of course)
On Winmo Waze is 10 time slower than Tomtom and lost the grid even with good conditions.

In the UK GPS works fine from my car, inside not so good. It's better in open not urban areas.

littlebigtux said:
I've tested several Gps apps both on Winmo and Xdandroid.
Something is sure: apps make the performances
On Android, Google Navigation is 5 time slower than Navigon (same place same conditions of course)
On Winmo Waze is 10 time slower than Tomtom and lost the grid even with good conditions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will at times have both my TP2, 6.5, iGo8 right next to my Asus R600 (standalone GPS) and the Asus will fix a satellite within a few seconds, while the TP2 usually takes a good 2 or 3 minutes.
I always attributed this to the type of receiver and antenna, but that's just speculation on my part.

FoneWatcher said:
I will at times have both my TP2, 6.5, iGo8 right next to my Asus R600 (standalone GPS) and the Asus will fix a satellite within a few seconds, while the TP2 usually takes a good 2 or 3 minutes.
I always attributed this to the type of receiver and antenna, but that's just speculation on my part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With QuickGPS data, my TP2 gets a lock within seconds, even indoors.
You MUST keep this data up-to-date, lest lock times suffer.
Also, thread necro... closed.

[Q] GPS problems. Can't get a fix!

Hi all,
I have the Desire HD for 2 weeks now but I've only yesterday noted the gps doesn't seem to work... It's a complete stock model, no custom roms or radio's. I'ts just never able to get a fix! Are there other people with problems like this? Could my device be broken?
I have installed a app from the market that tests the gps and it finds no satelites most of the time except one time I checked it found 4 with a very bad signal... Even then in Google Maps or the HTC Locations it didn't get a fix.
Any ideas?

Bump! I have exactly the same problem. Any Advice?

same problem

i HAD this problem, but then i left the GPS on for an entire journey. 45 minutes later it had a fix and ive never had any problems getting a fix within a minute since.
i dont think the phone knows what side of the globe its on the first time, so maybe it just needs a loooong time the first time.

Most GPS devices need to download a file known as an almanac. This determines where satellites will be at specified times.
This file can take a while to download as GPS is purely passive. I'm not sure if the DHD is A-GPS (Assisted). This will download the almanac via mobile or wifi data.
This is why sometimes the first GPS lock can take a while.

Try these two programs:
http://www.appbrain.com/app/gps-status-toolbox/com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2
http://www.appbrain.com/app/gps-test/com.chartcross.gpstest
First one is great for diagnostic so it should tell you what is wrong.

I also have the same problem, been driving for about 30mins and nothing..
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

andyharney said:
Most GPS devices need to download a file known as an almanac. This determines where satellites will be at specified times.
This file can take a while to download as GPS is purely passive. I'm not sure if the DHD is A-GPS (Assisted). This will download the almanac via mobile or wifi data.
This is why sometimes the first GPS lock can take a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok......DHD has A-gps as well
seeing your posts, quite amazed how you did not know this (no pun intended)

dzn said:
Hi all,
I have the Desire HD for 2 weeks now but I've only yesterday noted the gps doesn't seem to work... It's a complete stock model, no custom roms or radio's. I'ts just never able to get a fix! Are there other people with problems like this? Could my device be broken?
I have installed a app from the market that tests the gps and it finds no satelites most of the time except one time I checked it found 4 with a very bad signal... Even then in Google Maps or the HTC Locations it didn't get a fix.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1st gps-fix is a pain, after it will all get better....search for my posts, you'll see that this has been asked several times (don't want to be a b**ch but, please use the search button as well) and in general, 1st fix takes some time, 2nd is fast (like <2 min).
At this moment, while I thought my gps fix was very bad (and as I own one, if not the, of the 1st DHD batches, it was not abnormal to think that it also had gps probs) it now fixes within 1 minute....

Problematic piece of device for me for GPS.

Got mine a cpl of days ago , downloaded the apps above but still nothing i will give it one more try.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

kermez said:
Try these two programs:
http://www.appbrain.com/app/gps-status-toolbox/com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2
http://www.appbrain.com/app/gps-test/com.chartcross.gpstest
First one is great for diagnostic so it should tell you what is wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried both GPS apps. And immediately after that, I was able to get GPS satellite lock on within 20s.

Guys regarding the GPS, all of us we face an issue. It can not lock the satellites quickly. Especially for the people like me who are HTC HD2 owners as well. I was waiting only few seconds. (cooked rom). We MUST forget that now. It's an issue for all of the android devices. Even with the device of the Nexus. So we must live with that. Sometimes it will lock the satellites in 1 min or 30 secs, some other time in 2-3 mins. I searched also in the internet and i found so many complains regarding the GPS and hopefully not only from DHD users

f9cator said:
I tried both GPS apps. And immediately after that, I was able to get GPS satellite lock on within 20s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I had also that problem but then red at forums that only way to lock as fast as you can satellite is to use first one for locking over internet and after that it's much easier to find satellite. Whenever you have problem with locking or need gps asap first program should provide you with fast satellite find.
Btw gps on dhd is so good that I have sold my old garmin - simply it's obsolete and now I have only to purchase official car holder.

Most of the times is more difficult to get a fix in a speeding car.
In the opposite case is generally faster to get a sat fix.

So I've been using my DHD for 3 weeks now (stock model as well, no root) and here are two issues with GPS that I noticed and have no idea what to do with it.
1. The same problem as described in first post. Every once in a while my GPS just cannot get a fix. I installed GPS Test app. Normally it finds around 6-7 satellites, they are all in use, the yellow indicator in GPS status bar goes green and my location appears on mini-map.
However there are situations when GPS Test says that there is 1 to 5 satelites in view, later on they also apper to be in use, but GPS status doesn't change to green and my actual location doesn't show. It's not a problem of visibility or my location - the GPS can get a fix today and not work tomorrow at the very same place.
I have no idea if this can be fixed, so any help appreciated.
2. This is not really an issue, just something that I find quite disturbing. I'm using this traffic app (Yandex Maps for those of you in Russia). It shows current traffic condition on the map + your current location if you have GPS. So each time I lock my DHD (press the button on the top) the GPS is immedietly switched off. So when I unlock the screen to see the map again it takes from few seconds to a minute or even more to update my current position. Sometimes it doesn't happen at all (see problem #1). I understand it's probably done to save battery but I would prefer continuously working GPS than saving battery. Is there any way to set GPS to always working mode?
Thanks in advance to everyone who can help. Cheers

Hi,
I read all you guys said and after trying both the apps and refreshing my agps data manually I now get 6-7 satellites which is good I think?
So for all of you with the same problem, just stay outside for a moment and make sure you have a data-connection. Then use the GPS Status app and refresh your agps data manually. It should work... It did for me!
Ps. I think my Desire, not the HD, used to see 11 satellites? Is that possible? Does this mean 6-7 is kind of weak?

dzn said:
Hi,
I read all you guys said and after trying both the apps and refreshing my agps data manually I now get 6-7 satellites which is good I think?
So for all of you with the same problem, just stay outside for a moment and make sure you have a data-connection. Then use the GPS Status app and refresh your agps data manually. It should work... It did for me!
Ps. I think my Desire, not the HD, used to see 11 satellites? Is that possible? Does this mean 6-7 is kind of weak?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to make it clear - to manually refresh AGPS using GPS Status - you need to go to Menu->Tools->Manage A-GPS state->Download?
I'm not outside now, but will try it once I have problems getting a fix.
And yes, 11 sats is possible. 6-7 is more than enough though.

Stand still to get a fix? Harder when you are speedy, I think.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

Your movement speed has no impact on how quickly you get a lock. Remember, these satellites are in orbit traveling alot faster than your 30 - 70mph.

[Q] GPS freeze Ginger Villain 2.1

Hi all,
I have a problem with my GPS signal.
Normally (pre rooted era) I could switch on the GPS and get a fix. No freeze whatsoever.
With Gingervillain 2.1 I switch on the GPS and check the signal. I see several bars before the signal freezes. Tried flashing different radios but this made no difference. Also tried several radio / ril combinations same result.
At this moment I found a sort of workaround by switching on Google navigation and then switch on GPS. Check the signal with GPS Status and u usually get a fix within a minute (even indoor). After that I switch on Navigon to start driving.
It is not really a problem this way but what can I do to solve this problem. When I look in the threads (CM7 / Gingervillain) the GPS problem should be solved. Are there more people with this problem? What could be the best solution.

I have CM7 and no issues. I don't know what the problem is. Could be the rom, could the radio, could be other problems. It is too vast really. The only way you could fix it is to try different roms and see which one works. But like you said its not much of a problem.
Sent from CM7

Thanks for the reply,
Yesterday I switched to the latest radio (32.56.00.32U_5.17.05.08) and RIL (2.2.1003G).
As long as I start Google Navigation first and then switch on GPS no problem. This morning I drove to work with Google and Navigon switched on, no problem (30 min drive). Even switched off Google and Navigon kept the signal, no problem.
Whenever I switch on GPS first it looses track somehow. Can't figure it out..
Is there some keep alive GPS flow in Google Navigation?

No. When you turn GPS on its just on and idles. It needs to be used but I don't get how it doesn't work right. Grab an app from the market, GPS essentials I think and see what you can do with that.
Sent from CM7

With GPS essentials it works, better than GPS Status (think it has monitor function only). Think it has something to do with keeping GPS alive
Tried it from work - home, worked fine. Went shopping same procedure...
Might also be engergy savings mode in Ginger Villain. Batterydrain is less with it I noticed.....
With this working... perfect ROM!!!

GPS after Lollipop

Is anybody else having GPS issues after updating to lollipop? I am using the app GPS Status and it does not connect to satellites according to it? It shows 21 satellites but connects to none. Is there anything I can do?

I'm having similar issues. Maps seems to still grab a signal however. Over the past two days it seems to have gotten better, but the sensitivity seems to have taken a nose dive.

I have used gps this morning and it worked. I didn't check how many satellites its connected to but it seemed to work ok.

Same problem here, GPS had been acting up recently, but I tried it on the way to work this morning and couldn't get anything. Tried turning GPS on and off and rebooting the phone, still nothing. I have no idea what else to try. It's set to high accuracy mode, not many other settings to change.

I discovered a workaround, although it's an annoying one, but if I switch my phone to CDMA only so that it's forced to use 3G, GPS works just fine. Switching back to LTE though it will not lock onto any satellites.

Tried it out this morning and had no issues when on LTE

What I felt is that there is some slight gps lag, like if I make a turn, gps will show I made the turn a couple of seconds later.
But no issues with gps lock while on LTE.

DarkManX4lf said:
What I felt is that there is some slight gps lag, like if I make a turn, gps will show I made the turn a couple of seconds later.
But no issues with gps lock while on LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I saw this under KitKat and now under Lollipop. Not sure if it's a Note 4 GPS issue or a mapping app issue, though - I was going to try some tests using a Garmin unit and GPS Test Plus on the Note 4, both displaying actual Lat/Long coordinates to compare the two (though not sure how well that will work given general GPS inaccuracies). At any rate, there is clearly some lag in the map position display. I don't have any acquisition or lock issues.

sparksd said:
Yeah, I saw this under KitKat and now under Lollipop. Not sure if it's a Note 4 GPS issue or a mapping app issue, though - I was going to try some tests using a Garmin unit and GPS Test Plus on the Note 4, both displaying actual Lat/Long coordinates to compare the two (though not sure how well that will work given general GPS inaccuracies). At any rate, there is clearly some lag in the map position display. I don't have any acquisition or lock issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ended up doing a different test. The consistent lag I have been seeing is with Google Maps. Today I did a 46-mile drive on freeways, highways, & surface streets and used Sygic mapping app. Sygic was dead-on the entire trip, showing the vehicle in intersections, etc. at the time the car was there - Google Maps would have been significantly behind. So my GPS seems to be working just fine but there is an issue with Google Maps. And GPS stayed locked-on the entire trip.

UCLA1 said:
Is anybody else having GPS issues after updating to lollipop? I am using the app GPS Status and it does not connect to satellites according to it? It shows 21 satellites but connects to none. Is there anything I can do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I'm having problems too. I always use Google Maps Navigation and since the update it will randomly say "GPS signal lost" while driving. I am on the latest BOB7 stock rooted, fully updated profile and PRL.

GPS slow initial fix with 4g on

Hello,
I have this strange problem with the Samsung A50 given to me by my company (this to say that my possibilities to mess around "under the bonnet" are quite limited).
The first GPS fix from a "cold" start (that is, at reboot or after some hours from last use of an app using location) is EXTREMELY slow. It may take also 10 minutes or more, in full air and with good weather. If I control with the app GPS Status and Toolbox (or similar apps giving details on GPS sensors status) the phone "sees" a LOT of satellites, up to 20 or more, but none of them is fixed, they all are "yellow", and the location is not set.
When it finally makes it, one way or another, then the fix is stable and even if lost, it gets re-fixed soon in some seconds... For an hour or two.
Naturally this makes most app using GPS highly frustrating to use - Before running with Strava or navigating with Waze I have to wait 10-15 minutes for the GPS to fix! Google Maps is somehow an exception because it uses the Google "fused" location which, though not as accurate as GPS, allows nevertheless tp have an approx lpcation pretty quickly while the GPS makes its slooow fix.
But now the strangest thing: if I reboot the phone without SIM cards inside, the GPS works like a charm and fixes satellites on a matter pf 30 seconds max! Moreover, if I turn off the 4g on both SIM and then reboot the phone again, also it all works well. I tried multiple times and this cannot be a casual result. I also tried making a a full reset of the phone: the behavior is exactly the same. Seems like something in the 4G system causes some software conflict with GPS making it crappy.
Firmware is the latest (SH2 sept 2019).
Am I the only one? This looks to me definitely a software issue, not an hardware one, do you agree? Do any of you have commwnts, suggestions, ideas?
Thanks

Looks like I'm the only one with this issue?
Inviato dal mio SM-A505FN utilizzando Tapatalk

And what about on wifi? Did you tried this?
The only thing that i can think of is on 4g probably it struggles to get agps data from the internet (probably cant connect to servers) but not trying to receive the data from the satellites themselves because it think it can get it from the internet. This is just wild guess.

I just tried getting GPS via cell data while taking a dump (inside the house), the GPS lock was instant in Sygic, also 15 satellites locked on.

I am having this same issue with an A50 I just purchased. I use GaiaGPS quite a lot and it works horribly on this phone. My tracks are a total mess. To the point that it is not usable. I will be returning the phone (if I can) if this issue is not resolved, as it is a key feature for me.