Develop Bugs

[Q] GPS wandering, any one found a software fix?

I've read just about every post in this forum that even mentions GPS trying to find a solution, but no luck, so I'm asking outright in case I missed something or someone has the answer and hasn't contributed it yet.
My One X has horrible GPS.
I'm not talking about how long it takes to find satellites, it does that quickly enough. What I'm talking about is using an app like My Tracks, Endomondo, Run Keeper, etc to record a track. If I sit the phone perfectly still and let one run, the position and track wander all over the map like a drunken sailor looking for a good time. If I actually move in a straight line, the position shows me blocks away from where I really am. If I try to use a navigation app, the directions are meaningless because the phone thinks I'm as much as 1/2 mile away from my actual position. (I should post a video of that, it's hilarious how bad the directions are.)
Please don't respond if the only problem you've had with GPS is that it took too long to find satellites and downloading someone's aGPS fix app or tweak solved your problem. I've tried all that, multiple times.
I suspect it's just bad hardware, maybe bad antenna connection or something similar, and I'm going to need to replace the phone, but before i go through the hassle of trying to get HTC to replace this dev unlocked phone, I want to make sure there's not a software fix possible. I'm past Expansys' 14 day return window, so HTC is my only option, or possibly my American Express warranty service.
Any thoughts?
The pic is a screen capture of the phone sitting in my parked car in an uncovered parking lot for about 10 minutes. Note how much it wanders around.

Well, no replies, so I guess that means a big NO to any one actually finding a software fix to this particular problem.
For what it's worth, I installed CM9 in the phone and the GPS is still unable to hold an accurate location, so I'm sure it's a hardware issue at this point.
That's a real pisser, since they told me the turn around time on fixing my phone will be 3-4 weeks at the HTC Warranty Repair center in Houston, TX.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I hate to say it, but it must be your unit.
I use GPS navigation very frequently (SoCal, USA) - and coming from a flawless GPS on SGSII, I have to say that HOX GPS is even better. It's more precise - it can even correctly show which side of the road I'm on. Also, driving past intersections is spot-on, which shows how on-the-spot it is.
Did you install any cases, or keep it somewhere where antenna signal may get blocked?

DarkDvr said:
I hate to say it, but it must be your unit.
I use GPS navigation very frequently (SoCal, USA) - and coming from a flawless GPS on SGSII, I have to say that HOX GPS is even better. It's more precise - it can even correctly show which side of the road I'm on. Also, driving past intersections is spot-on, which shows how on-the-spot it is.
Did you install any cases, or keep it somewhere where antenna signal may get blocked?
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Click to collapse
I didn't want to believe it, but I concur it's got to be a hardware issue. No case in it, nothing blocking the antenna. I have same issues even laying it on a patio table out in the open.
I'm also in SoCal...San Fernando valley and the west side of Los Angeles. The one time I tried to use the GPS for navigation it was like getting affections from the three stooges.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Mine does exactly the same. Calibrating the compass an turning wifi off while using gps solves it for me. Gsp is spot on whe wifi turned off... turn it on while navigating and it wonders off road....

I had the same problem, I downloaded GPS Test Plus from the Market, went into settings, selected Clear AGPS and then selected Update AGPS - seems to have been tons better since I did that.
Found this via an Internet search so Kudos to those who discovered it although I apologise I can't remember where I found it!

breugiek said:
Mine does exactly the same. Calibrating the compass an turning wifi off while using gps solves it for me. Gsp is spot on whe wifi turned off... turn it on while navigating and it wonders off road....
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Yop this I remember even from the iPhone. Accuracy +50m when Wifi or Mobile network assisting with the position. Without max 5 . and not much wandering
Just turn it off in the location. As the breugiek above me suggested.

Thanks for the responses.
As stated in the original post, this is not an aGPS issue. I've tried many aGPS type fixes..Faster fix app, crypted fix and a few others.
I didn't mention it, but I've already tried turning of wifi; it makes no difference.
I suspect bad hardware, specifically something wrong with the antenna.
Annoys me no end to be HOX-less for a month. I've only owned the damn thing for 4 weeks.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Kinda meant the settings > location > Googles location service = un-check. But I guess you already tried that one :/ (but mentioning it just in case)

PAGOT said:
Kinda meant the settings > location > Googles location service = un-check. But I guess you already tried that one :/ (but mentioning it just in case)
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Click to collapse
Yeah, tried that too, but thanks for the follow up.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I'd posted a wandering track from a parked vehicle in the OP, but for those interested, here's a two-minute video of the HTC One X GPS in action while trying to use it for Navigation with the Google Navigation app.
http://youtu.be/_nxptMIPuIE

Mine is the same but only when I stop the car at lights etc. Sat nav shows me going rallying across field and drowning in the sea when near the coast, sorts itself out when on the move again tho.
Sent from Bindroid

I may have found a fix (it works for me so far anyway) - see my post here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=27266275&postcount=145

Thanks for the suggestion, I've already seen your post in the other GPS is messed up thread. I tried it and it doesn't fix my phone. Clearly bad hardware.
Cheers!
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

GPS now working fairly well on this phone. It's not perfect, and requires WiFi off, but other than some initial wandering at startup I'm getting accurate tracks on it.
The fix was to install ARHD 7.0. No idea what changed from earlier versions but it works well enough to put up with until I can get a shorter repair time quote from the warranty center.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Compass workaround for Telus ICS ROM on Tmo T989

If you have the Telus Rom running on your Tmo GSll, I found a compass with an adjustable azimuth that can be manually calibrated to correct for the polarity issue we seem to be having with this setup.
It is in the market (play store) called smart compass. there are several apps by the same developer in a group called smart tools. There are free and paid versions available so cost isn't an issue. I installed a paid one to support the dev. In the settings is an azimuth adjuster (just like a real compass), and I was able to fix the compass for that app. good enough until a permanent solution comes along.

I think x said to just calibrate your gyro and it fixed it for him..haven't tried it
Sent from my SGH-T989D using xda premium

Teo032 said:
I think x said to just calibrate your gyro and it fixed it for him..haven't tried it
Sent from my SGH-T989D using xda premium
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Click to collapse
+1 Calibrating fixed it for me as well.

Did not work for me. Calibrated using GPS Status and still getting North as East.

sbug206 said:
Did not work for me. Calibrated using GPS Status and still getting North as East.
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Click to collapse
Same thing happened for me as well. The Calibrating didn't seem to work. Maybe I did it wrong? But I tried multiple times with the same result.

The sensor in the phone is backwards. I couldn't calibrate it either. Thats why I suggested this app. It has manual calibration that goes beyond the software limitations of the device. It doesn't fix the phone, but it gives you a working compass until we can figure out the problem with the phone.

pjim said:
The sensor in the phone is backwards. I couldn't calibrate it either. Thats why I suggested this app. It has manual calibration that goes beyond the software limitations of the device. It doesn't fix the phone, but it gives you a working compass until we can figure out the problem with the phone.
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Click to collapse
It's funny, I just tried this compass and didn't have to configure or calibrate anything. It worked perfectly right away. I am keeping this compass. Only one that has worked correctly so far. Thanks.

[Q] Compass off by 90 degrees

I've noticed on my new S3 that the compass is sometimes off by 90 degrees. Then, if I close the map app and open it later, the compass is accurate.
This this a known issue?
Thanks!

Not sure about this issue but I know there is a way to calibrate the phone somewhere in the settings. Not sure if it will help or is even related but might as well give it a try.

dmobbjr said:
Not sure about this issue but I know there is a way to calibrate the phone somewhere in the settings. Not sure if it will help or is even related but might as well give it a try.
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Click to collapse
I didn't find a compass calibration, although I recall seeing a gyroscope calibration setting hidden somewhere (I'll have to find it again). Would that help at all?
I tried a compass calibration using the GPS Status app, but it didn't seem to help. It's strange. Tried it again on my way into work and it got some of the directions right, but wrong on others. It also seems to improve over time. I almost wondered if it didn't have a magnetic compass and was just using gps signals to guess at your direction. As far as I can tell, there is a real compass in there, although I suppose I can't be sure Samsung is actually using it.

Same problem here...
I'm having the same problem here on all my devices, so i'm thinking it is more likely a bug in android than a hardware issue.
Calibrating the compass with GPS Status (on the play store, can*t post a link yet) helps but never for long... quit google maps or navigation, and on next use I have to calibrate again.
I just verified this one someone else's S5, same there.

Another interesting detail:
I used to have the same issue on my Samsung S3, but with CM on it all is well now... so it really seems to be a software thing.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Free mobile app

interesting: there's a two year old bug entry about this on google: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=37771
...it has been closed as "obsolete".
nice going there.

Here's a *possible* solution to bad compass...

If your Nitro is like mine, then its' compass couldn't find North to save its' life. Or worse yet it might be in the vicinity, but is very sporadic...Makes it just about impossible to use apps like Google Star Maps or get a proper bearing on direction in Nav when you're at a stop.
If you're also like me, you've tried doing the compass calibrations with the whacky waving your phone in a figure 8 to calibrate. But this hasn't fixed my issue.
But then I tried the rotate-all-axis calibration method and now my compass is much better! Here's what to try:
1. Install GPS Status from the Play Store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2
2. Open the app, then bring up the Menu and choose: Tools > Compass calibration
3. Rotate the phone along the 3 axises a couple of times, like in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNJJPeoG8lQ
4. Press okay and your compass *should* be better
NOTE: I just noticed that when I went to test on another phone to compare (I also have a Nexus One), that my Nitro went out-of-whack again and only after a short while from previous calibration! Another calibration and it's working again, but that sucks that it lost its' bearings so quickly like that.
Give it a try and good luck!

Didn't really work for me. I really think this is a hardware issue. Do you think we should demand some kind of rebate for this or something? I know (its somewhere on the threads) that LG officially acknowledged the problem and have yet to come out for a fix. They are knowingly selling a defected phone.

anybody test the phone with any of the new official software?

After calibration compass works correctly.

Wlld1 said:
After calibration compass works correctly.
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Click to collapse
For how long? Work after a reboot?
After flashing a new ROM?

Yes, it works after reboot. But calibration will be lost after flashing new ROM. I dont know where its data is stored.

Wlld1 said:
Yes, it works after reboot. But calibration will be lost after flashing new ROM. I dont know where its data is stored.
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still sucks. all jumpy and not accurate.
I calibrated mine acouple of times yesterday. The compass worked, but it was very sluggish or spun too fast, and unless I put it on a table, wouldn't stop spinning.
I tried today, and it worked but was very slow to catch up to my movements.
Tried some sky map apps, and it just sucks. Same with the augmented reality apps.
wish there was a fix - or we at least new the problem.
thinking I may go back to stock and send it in to telus and see if there is a fix. Anybody have a working compass after a hardware swap? or repair?

The calibration did fix (even after reboot) the compass but I've noticed it takes sometime to settle after starting an application that use the compass.
At first it looks like the infernal spinning madness is about to start over again but after a few spins it stops at the correct position and stay there.
Weird...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Magnetic Sensor (Compass) is erratic

I think my Magnetic Sensor is off. Try downloading a program called "Marine Compass" onto your Note 2. On my device, it doesn't stay on one heading. It bounces back and forth by 1 unit. I installed the same program on my SGSIII. On the SGSIII it is stable.
I entered the debug/test mode on both the Note 2 and the SGSIII. I ran the sensor test on both units. The Note 2 seems to be more sensitive than the other. Whats also weird is the "Lux" meter. It's in the hundreds on the SGSIII, while it's barely 10 on the Note 2.
Anyone else notice this on their Note 2 unit?
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

I too have the note II and GSIII, and the compass is jumpy on the note II while on the GSIII it's stable.

yep, posted this in Q&A, compass is useless.

odd, my compass seems to be fine. doesn't the gps nav need compass to work correctly? i use gps all the time and it's a real blessing lol

boodies said:
odd, my compass seems to be fine. doesn't the gps nav need compass to work correctly? i use gps all the time and it's a real blessing lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when in motion the gps device does not use compass to tell the direction of travel. if the device is accurate then the direction or motion will be very accurate as well as the speed.
when motionless the gps device cannot tell what direction the device is facing and so some gps devices will use a compass sensor for this purpose.
that being said - I too have both SGS iii and the Note ii and noticed the same thing - that the Note ii north pointing needle is jumpy and it is not accurate.
there is a low wall in my back yard that is aligned almost exactly north south and using the Google sky map with SGS III the north star is perfectly aligned with the Google sky map. With the Note II, the north star and sky map not so much.

A picture worth thousand words:
http://youtu.be/1AuYX2zXa1A

that video...LOL. but seriously a problem. i hope this is fixable with a software update. this issue makes me wish i didn't give up my Galaxy S III. this is almost as annoying as 'drifting' on an XBOX 360 controller due to an analog stick.

nick2k said:
that video...LOL. but seriously a problem. i hope this is fixable with a software update. this issue makes me wish i didn't give up my Galaxy S III. this is almost as annoying as 'drifting' on an XBOX 360 controller due to an analog stick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually GS3 has the same issue, but it's not as bad though. And in my test's it would be little erratic only every other time, on N2 it's constant.

My compass is twitchy as well. Phone was built last month.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement

I noticed this when I open up google maps and I'm not moving, the arrow for me is always pointing about 30-45 degrees off

achusaysblessyou said:
I noticed this when I open up google maps and I'm not moving, the arrow for me is always pointing about 30-45 degrees off
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Click to collapse
really?
I doubt that google maps uses the compass to tell direction while you are standing still. On my devices the arrow point is completely off whilst the device is at rest.
As I pointed out in post #5, a gps receiver cannot tell direction whilst it is not in motion and the fact that the direction while the device is not moving is inaccurate indicates that google maps does not use the compass, at all, to tell direction.

I hate how useless the compass is. I haven't tried any of the satellite or skymap apps, but ingress jumps around erratically. A friend with an AT&T phone has the same issue. Really sucks that such a great phone has such a glaring failure.

At least it's not like LG Nitro HD:
http://youtu.be/xxxS_HZsRLU
So it's not that bad

Hmmm (if you freeze stuff with TiB, make sure lcdtest is not frozen), open phone and dial:
*#0*#
It should show bunch of different buttons, go to sensor, and start rotating phone in x, y and z axis until circle on the bottom start showing 3 with blue line (it was 0 with red line first time I entered there).
After that it seems compass become much more stable and accurate, at least for a while.

my compass is off by about 15degrees. this is my third note2. my first two were exchanged because the roll axis was off by about 6degrees, making racing games really annoying.
I have another 2 days in my 30 day return window. I think I'm going to exchange again.

elouisyoung said:
my compass is off by about 15degrees. this is my third note2. my first two were exchanged because the roll axis was off by about 6degrees, making racing games really annoying.
I have another 2 days in my 30 day return window. I think I'm going to exchange again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you try the fix shown in post previous to yours?
if you do try it - you get out of that screen by pushing the back button

Mine seems to be working fine. I turn off gps and set the compass to use magnetic only and it seems to be ok.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

I had the same problem for weeks.
I think I've finally found a fix for this. You have to be rooted.
1. Go to /data/misc/akmd_set.txt
2. Change permissions to -rw-rw-rw (or chmod 666)
Apparently the compass saves calibration values here. Because "system" doesn't have write access, every time you calibrate, it wont get saved.
Giving these permissions allows the compass to calibrate properly.
Results so far:
1. Compass finally works perfectly after calibrating.
2. Effects stay after a reboot.
(please hit thanks if this helped you!)

Lodd said:
I had the same problem for weeks.
I think I've finally found a fix for this. You have to be rooted.
1. Go to /data/misc/akmd_set.txt
2. Change permissions to -rw-rw-rw (or chmod 666)
Apparently the compass saves calibration values here. Because "system" doesn't have write access, every time you calibrate, it wont get saved.
Giving these permissions allows the compass to calibrate properly.
Results so far:
1. Compass finally works perfectly after calibrating.
2. Effects stay after a reboot.
(please hit thanks if this helped you!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please, could you clarify? I can not find this file with root explorer. The folders are present, but not the .txt file.
Thanks!

[email protected] said:
Hmmm (if you freeze stuff with TiB, make sure lcdtest is not frozen), open phone and dial:
*#0*#
It should show bunch of different buttons, go to sensor, and start rotating phone in x, y and z axis until circle on the bottom start showing 3 with blue line (it was 0 with red line first time I entered there).
After that it seems compass become much more stable and accurate, at least for a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how to thank you enough for this, and it's working even on a note 3 I thought it had a faulty magnetic sensor. Did what you suggested and now it really is stable and accurate. :good::good::good: