GPS Gone Wild - Samsung Epic 4G Touch

My wife and I are presently on vacation in Malaysia. We're not roaming, using our phones with wifi only. I took the attached screenshot in Kuala Lumpur yet my phone claims it's in Anchorage, AK. It ain't 10 degrees here either (it's in the 90's and muggy). The phone will occasionally report my location as Little Rock, AR or Lahaina, HI but never Kuala Lumpur. It does this whether I'm at a coffee shop, restaurant or in my hotel room. When we were in Taiwan it showed the location properly.
My wife's E4GT correctly says it's in Kuala Lumpur and it delivers local weather. When I ask Urbanspoon for a restaurant recommendation it offers me places to eat in Los Angeles. My pictures are geotagged as Alaska. Netflix refuses to let me watch, correctly assuming that I'm in a location they can't serve. And Google Places always places me in Kuala Lumpur, it even tells me (correctly) what hotel I'm in.
The GPS on this phone was always lousy but I never expected this. So, can anyone give me a clue about what's happening with my E4GT's GPS?

there is a fix just a few post down

i thought the weather and many of those other apps used location services and NOT GPS....i.e. wifi or cell signal for location, either way if your wifes phone is getting the correct info and you are not then thats odd.
are both phones on the same rom/kernel?

Both phones are not rooted, everything shows the same on about phone screen.

GPS most always on smart phones. Try downloading GPS status toolbox (app). You can recalibrate GPS.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

I tried GPS Status, after reset the download goes into a rotating update circle that would go on all day if I'd let it. Any other ideas?

GPS gone wild just sounds dirty
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Related

GPS giving wrong information

I have a launch EVO. As of a week ago after 4G was turned on, when I'm home, the HTC weather widget is telling me i'm in a city 2 hours away from my location.
If I start up maps it'll place me somewhere else before adjusting to my current location. I haven't been out of town since I had this phone so I don't know what's going on. Is it something wrong with my GPS or with Sprint's tower?
Note: When I'm at work everything is fine
i-l-l said:
I have a launch EVO. As of a week ago after 4G was turned on, when I'm home, the HTC weather widget is telling me i'm in a city 2 hours away from my location.
If I start up maps it'll place me somewhere else before adjusting to my current location. I haven't been out of town since I had this phone so I don't know what's going on. Is it something wrong with my GPS or with Sprint's tower?
Note: When I'm at work everything is fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The initial location info is based on cell towers and can sometimes be off. 2 hours away is really bad though. are you on airave?
I noticed that when I was in JFK airport yesterday, the location for weather listed "United States" instead of Queens or something like that. I tried refreshing 3 times but it kept listing USA as my location. I thought that was funny.
John
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Nope, i'm using a tower which is located a few miles away from my place. I have 5 bars and 3g works fine. The gps just went wonky after 4g started. It was happening before i rooted so its not a software issue.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I think I saw something like this a few days ago. Unfortunately the resolution was that when both GPS and 4G are on, it can make it go a little crazy due to the battery drain/antenna or some thing along those lines
This only happens when you have both 4g and GPS on? Its ok when you have 3g and GPS on?
elegantai said:
I think I saw something like this a few days ago. Unfortunately the resolution was that when both GPS and 4G are on, it can make it go a little crazy due to the battery drain/antenna or some thing along those lines
This only happens when you have both 4g and GPS on? Its ok when you have 3g and GPS on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always leave 4G on. I can get a 4G signal sometimes at my desk. The phone is always plugged so I never thought of turning it off. I'll try it.
Edit: So far nothing. Fancy Widgets will give me a surrounding county weather info but still nothing for my city. Another weird thing is it's 9:30pm and it's still telling me it's sunny outside. Maybe the HTC widgets aren't as good as I thought.

GPS stopped working... any idea before i'll send it for RMA?

Hi all
Few days ago i realized that GPS on my Defy is not working anymore...
It cannot get fix in any location, and GPS status tells me that is actually sees few satellites - 3-7 but readings are not stable (they dissapear from time to time) and it can not get fix...
I am on Froyo - official.
Any ideas?
I just tried it out again - it got fix, but after 130 seconds..... ...normally on a cold start it used to get a fix in below 30 seconds....
Same issue here, stopped working Thu 21st or Fri 22nd. Couldn't get any fix. Restored to factory with no success. On Sun it was working, after a few days it got better, but sometimes the startup time is long, the signal fluctuates and the accuracy (with GPStest) jumps between 4.5m and 45 or even 98m)
Also the GPS indicator sometimes doesn't show up on the status bar while gps is working.
Official Froyo here as well.
Must be some conspiracy
Maybe to get us buy Defy+
Same problem, GPS was working until last week... On Motorola forum there are some other people, which GPS stopped working this month, what's going on? By "stopped working" I mean, that I can not get GPS fix ie. with data connection off or I need to wait 30 minutes until I get GPS fix. For those 30 minutes I see 10 satellites, but no fix. Before month I had GPS fix w/wout data in 30 seconds.
Also been reading about this on the Motor forums. I have not been having the issue (California). Bought mine in November US when they first became available. Official 2.2, T-Mo. Green lens, FWIW.
Same problem here. Bought it in January but around June it stopped being able to hold a lock on any satellites. It can see 10 satellites very easily, and it will lock for a few seconds, but then it drops all of the sats and starts over.
It stopped working on official Froyo, but no joy on CM7 either.
There are a number of article on the net about GPS jamming. In the US Homeland Security routinely cuts GPS and if you are a pilot you will receive an advisory. But there is this:
http://www.economist.com/node/18304246
May not be related. Also, on another pilot forum, they are blaming certain types of GPS antenna for being jammed by cell towers.
I have the same issue. It worked ok for me yesterday while driving a long distance, but lost GPS after about an hour.
I can sometimes get a good enough fix to check in on foursquare, but not often.
I'm on official tmobile us froyo and have done factory reset, but it didn't help any.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
tlongren said:
I have the same issue. It worked ok for me yesterday while driving a long distance, but lost GPS after about an hour.
I can sometimes get a good enough fix to check in on foursquare, but not often.
I'm on official tmobile us froyo and have done factory reset, but it didn't help any.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where are you located?
scrannel said:
Where are you located?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Iowa, USA. My standalone GPS device works perfectly here.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
My gps seem to be faulty too. In uk.
Sent from mobile.
I always read this stuff just before I buy a phone:/ So it's a wide spread issue?
Might be getting that HTC 7 pro now
tlongren said:
Iowa, USA. My standalone GPS device works perfectly here.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A link on a pilot forum tested (not sure if it was a phone or other device) a GPS drop-out the pilot was having consistently on the way to his airfield. He finally noticed that when he drove between two cell towers his GPS dropped signal. He retested this several times and with the same result.
John Deere is fighting a 40,000 cell tower development which would disrupt GPS on farm tractors which rely on GPS for movement. This is a Sprint deal with LightSquared.
Look around this site for more GPS woes: http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/GPS_Side_Issue_LightSquared_Broadband_204980-1.html
My gps actually worked today! Figured I'd try it going from hotel to water ski show, took about 2 minutes to get a gps signal. But once it did, it worked well and got us to our destination.
Nothing has changed with phone setup, so it's a bit inconsistent it would seem.
Will be trying it again in a few hours. Wish me luck.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
Mine (UK stock Froyo 2.2) was the same, with A-GPS and data and WiFi all switched off it was struggling to get a fix, intermittently.
All GPS Status/Monitor apps showed that it finds many satellites but no locking.
Yesterday I got this app GPSFix from the Android Market and it locked in 1 min. After that all apps and monitors lock without any problem. I need to try more to be sure it was due to the app...
That's interesting Aeron_11. I'm gonna give GPSFix a try. Here's the market link if anyone is interested in trying it:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.androidlab.gpsfix
The reviews seem to be very good.
GPSFix doesn't do any good for me. It's the same old story. Sees lots of satellites but can't hold a lock on any of them for more than a couple of seconds.
Running CM7
Well, I did some more tests, and I think GPSFix wasn't quite as reliable as I originally thought !
Basically it is still very intermittent. Sometimes it takes 5min or more and sometimes 1min. I think it depends on many parameters:
- I would say weather is a factor, cloudy, windy etc.
- Standing next to a wall or a building - even if not tall it blocks the direct view
- Also I find if you are moving, it will be a lot harder. Stand completely still and not just stop walking but don't move the phone about too much !
- The latest I found is the direction you are holding the phone (and possibly angle) !? Experiment and you see it picks more satellites in certain angles !
All in all, I get a fix but it just takes a long time sometime. A good GPS antenna/hardware in a phone probably is much more reliable than this (my records is 9min, which to be honest puts it pass the practical use). Although this is with all the data and WiFi and other connections switched off.
The funny thing is once it locks it won't let go !? It keeps it locked and won't drop it - accuracy is so so.
By the way, the number of satellites found is not important, it's the strength of their signal (I think it might be called SNR - some monitors show the strength and you can see that until it finds 3 or 4 satellites with 25+ SNR it won't lock.)
I'm no expert, these are just my impression/experience, that's all....

GPS Problem

Hi guys,
Trying to figure out if this is just me that has this issue. New nexus as of yesterday on o2. I do have the volume issue for what its worth, but I am getting off topic.
I have been having a problem with the GPS. I have tried it indoors and out. I have restarted the app, cleared cache, re-ticked all the location boxes, and nothing seems to help my get a lock. The closest it comes is about 4700 metres. This is with WiFi turned on as well as an active Sim card in it. My old iPhone without a sim instantly drops the pin on my house. So I guess I am trying to see if others have the issue, and if there is a fix or I have to send it back.
For the record I am pretty new to Android....as in this is my first one, so go gently! Other than this issue I love the phone!
Cheers,
J
JeepoUK said:
Hi guys,
Trying to figure out if this is just me that has this issue. New nexus as of yesterday on o2. I do have the volume issue for what its worth, but I am getting off topic.
I have been having a problem with the GPS. I have tried it indoors and out. I have restarted the app, cleared cache, re-ticked all the location boxes, and nothing seems to help my get a lock. The closest it comes is about 4700 metres. This is with WiFi turned on as well as an active Sim card in it. My old iPhone without a sim instantly drops the pin on my house. So I guess I am trying to see if others have the issue, and if there is a fix or I have to send it back.
For the record I am pretty new to Android....as in this is my first one, so go gently! Other than this issue I love the phone!
Cheers,
J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That definitely does not seem normal. See if you can replicate the problem in a less built-up area. But at the moment, if I were having the same problem (which I'm not, I get great GPS reception) I would take it back for a replacement.
Hope you get it all sorted.
oscillik said:
That definitely does not seem normal. See if you can replicate the problem in a less built-up area. But at the moment, if I were having the same problem (which I'm not, I get great GPS reception) I would take it back for a replacement.
Hope you get it all sorted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I live in the country side, so that hopefully is not the issue. I turned wifi off and it made zero difference, so it looks like something with the GPS.......
I just tried the GPS app in the market called GPS Test
It says that GPS is on, but it can't find me. Bad sign.
I tried the GPS test app from the market too the other day and it didn't locate any satellites. I think it's a problem with that app itself. No need to panic yet.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I've been suffering from the same problem. I'm used to the GPS icon on the SGS2 showing me a (blinking) dot in the GPS icon. But now nothing.
GPS test app also shows it's on. I'm going to try the GPS out a bit more, but have the feeling somethings up with the GPS.
Using the Wi-fi it's working 'fine'. But I don't feel like sharing info while using this feature.
The captivate had a very similar problem when it came out. Not sure if it ever got fixed. But ultimately that's why I turned my captivate back in.
If you are in the country with no wifi around then I wouldnt expect wifi location to do you any good. Still though, it should locate much better than what it is. I'm in Afghanistan, in the middle of no where and mine locks while only using GPS to within like 30 meters.
original SGS line of phones were famous for their "awesome GPS"
no, it never got fixed because it was a hardware issue...
I'm having the same problem. I'm constantly unable to find my location using GPS. Wi-Fi and mobile networks work but this surely needs to be fixed.
GPS seemed to work after my little trip outside. Sadly as soon as I got back in, nothing. I'll be able to do some 'proper field testing' tomorrow.
Ves said:
GPS seemed to work after my little trip outside. Sadly as soon as I got back in, nothing. I'll be able to do some 'proper field testing' tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS normally does not work well indoors.
I know but because I managed to get a location with the GPS on the SGS2, even if it took a while.
I was hoping for similar results (or better) with the GN.
GPS on my GN isn't working at all. Unless Wi-Fi and mobile network location is ticked, the phone can't find my location with GPS. Argh.
Have you tried any GPS apps to see if it's just bad reception from the satellites? That's one way to find out what's going on with the GPS on the phone.
My GPS locks almost instantly, and this is without a SIM card, and in Manhattan with tall buildings blocking most of the satellites. Much faster than with my N1.
no problems here.fastest phone ever with gps and i got 10 phones around 3 years with the function.
sitting in my room on the couch in the second floor.WiFi of only 2G network
and got within 5 to 7 sec a gps fix about 10 meters.
I reapeat,... in my house!not on the street or on the window!
sitting in front of my tv
never got a phone who can give me a signal in my house
my GPS also seems to work fine but during tracking it always goes off lock and relocks
and it bounces on corners like a gummybear
http://g.co/maps/apn3k

GPS is suddenly EXCELLENT!

My GPS has all of sudden started working FLAWLESSLY. I have changed nothing on my phone in the last couple of weeks. While sitting sitting in my living room today, I decided to turned on my GPS as I do often in the same spot. The only difference, instead of picking up zero satellites, I picked up at least 5 and Google maps is working great.
Has anyone else noticed sudden improved GPS?? I hope this lasts...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
I can't offer much historical performance, as I just got my Epic yesterday, but I was able to quickly get a gps lock at my house last night, and while driving today. I leave GPS on all the time.
I'm pretty sure this is due to me wearing my tin foil hat.
You're welcome.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but how do you check?
SRT300 said:
Maybe this is a dumb question, but how do you check?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do this a few ways.
1) Make sure GPS is on, and go into Google Maps. See if it finds your location when you are indoors.
2) Make sure GPS is on, and download GPS test from the market. It will tell you how many satellites you are connecting to, and how strong the lock is. It also tells the accuracy of your location, in meters.
http://www.spaceweather.com/
GPS Status & Toolbox is another great free app from the market. Tells you how fast the GPS locks in seconds, number of satellites, longitude, latitude, compass bearing, etc. It will let you clear and download A-GPS data as well which one should do regularly.
tokuzumi said:
You can do this a few ways.
1) Make sure GPS is on, and go into Google Maps. See if it finds your location when you are indoors.
2) Make sure GPS is on, and download GPS test from the market. It will tell you how many satellites you are connecting to, and how strong the lock is. It also tells the accuracy of your location, in meters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are the methods I use.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
perhaps a neighbor cut down a tree which has been blocking the gps signal to your phone. haha.
Awesome!!!!
Mine says I'm at home too... Even though I'm currently at work about 10 miles away.
The GPS on this phone stinks!!!! But everything else is flawless.
I noticed a huge improvement a week or two before el29 went officially OTA. I was already running the leaked el29 modem/kernel mind you. Maybe Sammy/sprint changed something to play nice with the new release *shrugs*. Before this it would take awhile for GPS Status to lock on sats, now it usually locks in under a minute!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
crzchn said:
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^this
The massive solar storm probably had a lot to do with it.
Not sure how the epic touch works, but I believe most phones do not use true GPS. The GPS module is usually assisted by the cell radio. Sprint probably improved cell coverage in your area.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Yes the phones do use the towers as a "rough location" while searching for satellites.
and if we have no tower signal.. we get no GPS
GPS should work.. cell signal or not. boooo A-GPS.
autoprime said:
and if we have no tower signal.. we get no GPS
GPS should work.. cell signal or not. boooo A-GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to uncheck the option to use the cell network to assist with GPS lock. I think it's under Settings, Location, or Security. It will then only use the GPS antenna to determine your location. It will probably take about a minute to get a lock, however.
I haven't tested this out, so it's all theory, but on paper, the theory should be sound.
My old Samsung phone had major gps issues but once I got a good lock and started using gps regularly it worked fine till I started trying out different roms. This phone gps seems to be working fine so far
I've never had a problem with GPS, but I live in an area with good cell coverage

Please help my resolve my Searching For GPS issue

Hello, I am running an Epic 4G rooted with FC09 Pre rooted rom. (CWM / Odin)
I just rooted a couple of weeks ago as I was thinking it might fix up my GPS issue, but other than the phone being a bit faster and me being able to get rid of some junk... the GPS issue is the same.
Using Google Navigation, unless I'm within a couple of minutes of my destination will go into a "Searching for GPS" mode... then eventually lock up.
The TeleNav software works flawlessly, but I don't get the Satelite views like Navigation which are real handy around here with all the hidden signage and such. I don't recall the Telenav software ever loosing Satellite other than the typical brief hesitation of the tracking icon, and then it catches up.
So far using Titanium I cleared the cache and uninstalled Google Maps. Verified both the Maps and Nav icons were gone from menus where they exited, space recovered etc.. Restarted phone. Installed Google Maps. I did this before it was rooted as well, using the Store as normal.
I installed the GPS Test software. I noticed in only slightly less than optimal conditions like indoors, but next to a south facing window, it will show good signal on 11, 12 or more satellites and show NONE in use. Not sure if this is useful or not because as I stated... Telenav works all the time and seems to even track better than Google Navigation.
I have seen info on a GPS Fix but wasn't sure if it will work on FC09 pre-rooted rom.
Frankly there is a TON of discussion about this phone and the GPS, but I haven't seen any concerning FC09 and also noting that Telenav has no issues.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I love this phone. I'm not sure I understand the advantages of rooting yet, but other than this GPS annoyance, I love this phone.
Thanks in advance.
Miles
Did you try clearing and resetting AGPS in GPS Test?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Umm... no I didn't. Well not until now. Didn't know I had that option but found it and did it now. Is this something that will need to be done any time I get the "Searching for GPS" or is this something that fixes the problem altogether?
Thanks
Ok, well good news/bad news. I had the opportunity to test as I just went to the bank, less than a mile away. As noted above I did the clear and update.. Navigation acquired and routed faster than I ever remember it doing it. I actually started IN my house, put the phone in my pocket, took it out of my pocket and put it on the dash in the car. As soon as I started moving in the car it was tracking perfectly.... for about 1/4 mile. While I was waiting at a light, yes stopped... I saw the "Searching for GPS" come on.
For giggles I did a clear and update of AGPS again. At this point I was already at my destination so I entered my home address. Again it found it immediately and routed immediately and I didn't even get out of the bank parking lot before I got the Searching for GPS. I decided to just observe and noted that it was sortof tracking me, but I think that was strictly AGPS and Wifi vs Satellite. When I got home, GPS Test showed 9 Satellites NONE in use. So standing in my driveway I did the clear and update of the AGPS again. It immediately went from none in use to 3 in use.
Again, I have had this issue long enough to know that Telenav would have worked fine. In fact I had a 45 minute ride just the other day at night, that started in downtown Bellingham, WA (City streets) where I had to turn around a go back for something I forgot and received two phone calls. Telenav Never missed a beat. So I'm thinking it's the Google Maps software more than the phone, but at the same time... Google Maps works just fine on my wife's Epic 4G. Her's is not rooted. It occasionally looses sat reception, but she either just exits and reenters the program or turns the GPS off and ON and she's back in business.
I'm not a chef, but the only thing I can think to check is what baseband you're on...
Sent from my NookColor using xda app-developers app
orlzzt said:
I'm not a chef, but the only thing I can think to check is what baseband you're on...
Sent from my NookColor using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Baseband = S : D700 . 0 . 5S . FC09
Delete Maps and then redownload and install.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
kennyglass123 said:
Delete Maps and then redownload and install.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my original post. I uninstalled and reinstalled several times before rooting and at least twice since rooting. I used the term reinstalled, sorry for the confusion.
This also included clearing all the maps as well.
I have read about some sort of gpsfix app.. but not clear if it is for my version. Is that an option?
I'm open to all options at this point.
If Telenav works flawlessly then there is nothing wrong with your GPS.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
kennyglass123 said:
If Telenav works flawlessly then there is nothing wrong with your GPS.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'm making an assumption about how to delete all maps and unistall / reinstall the Google Maps program.
What I do is go into the program and clear all map tiles, then exit, go to Play, and uninstall. I also did the uninstall at another time via titanium by clearing cache and then uninstall.
Ok, so something is definitely up with MAPS. This time I cleared the maps, removed it again, insured the apk was gone. Restarted phone, ran gps test and cleared the AGPS and reset etc.. THEN I installed the latest version of Google Maps.
Same thing... I get a little down the street and I stopped to drop off a package at the postoffice and it's "Searching For GPS". GPS Test shows only a couple sats in use... but I bring up Telenav. I ride around the area with a destination programmed nearby, but I keep making turns to try and trip it up.... it stays with me and just keeps re-routing as needed.
If Maps tracked as well as Telanav I'd be a happy camper. While the telenav app is good for the actual directions, there is no satalite view without paying for it (google it's free) and entering destinations is a pain in the butt and not as accurate/quick as google.
Is there some conflict between Google Maps and the Epic 4G ? This is just silly.
mileskb said:
Ok, so something is definitely up with MAPS. This time I cleared the maps, removed it again, insured the apk was gone. Restarted phone, ran gps test and cleared the AGPS and reset etc.. THEN I installed the latest version of Google Maps.
Same thing... I get a little down the street and I stopped to drop off a package at the postoffice and it's "Searching For GPS". GPS Test shows only a couple sats in use... but I bring up Telenav. I ride around the area with a destination programmed nearby, but I keep making turns to try and trip it up.... it stays with me and just keeps re-routing as needed.
If Maps tracked as well as Telanav I'd be a happy camper. While the telenav app is good for the actual directions, there is no satalite view without paying for it (google it's free) and entering destinations is a pain in the butt and not as accurate/quick as google.
Is there some conflict between Google Maps and the Epic 4G ? This is just silly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Were you able to get this resolved?

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