Samsung Vibrant GPS Woes - Vibrant Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Can anyone tell me what ROM version/Kernel Version works best for GPS. I had an emergency yesterday and needed GPS to get to a doctors office. The phone took more than 10 minutes to lock and once It did obtain a lock, the GPS kept rerouting sending me in circles. I selected/unselected the Use with wireless networks option but nothing seemed to work. It was almost a disaster and I am ready to ditch the vibrant.
I am using the FranklinTwiz update 3 ROM. Any assistance is appreciated.

likingandroid said:
Can anyone tell me what ROM version/Kernel Version works best for GPS. I had an emergency yesterday and needed GPS to get to a doctors office. The phone took more than 10 minutes to lock and once It did obtain a lock, the GPS kept rerouting sending me in circles. I selected/unselected the Use with wireless networks option but nothing seemed to work. It was almost a disaster and I am ready to ditch the vibrant.
I am using the FranklinTwiz update 3 ROM. Any assistance is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, but I can tell you what forum you should post questions in (hint, it is titled Vibrant Q&A...I know that can be tricky, especially with that big sticky thread at the top of this forum that says not to answer questions here )

Flash JI2 (get that rom off of your phone) to your phone and disable use wireless networks & put the GPS on Cold Start. Read up on how to do that in the thread above.

I have very good results after flashing forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=782242[/url]
GPS files ripped from one of leaked ROMs. It is small zip file that I installed using ClockworkMod Recovery app.
I have tested GPS in many occasions after all and it worked very well.
Before that I was very upset with Samsung and was going to return my phone did not. I used to use GPS on MyTouch 3g a lot and it was very reliable.
I would recommend to use install it. It is simple and easy.
Good luck

Related

GPS issues?

I know the Vibrant doesn't come out for a few more days but one thing that has made me very hesitant about purchasing this device are the GPS issues found on the international Galaxy S. Supposedly the phone wont lock on more than 8 satellites or any satellites with less than 20 snr. People are reporting the nav cursor will quite often jump around if it loses signal. I use Google Navigation a lot and this would be a huge problem.
Anyone else concerned? Hopefully the US firmware will have fixed this.
I'm also curious about this. Can somone who has gotten their hands on the vibrant early comment?
I've got mine... it seems to work better then the G1, locks really fast.
check the other threads - the issue does seem to have been firmware version related
the one user, sdjean - his phone did a 180 in terms of gps reception, and there's another interesting comment from another user that experienced gps reception / sat lock issues at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=725748
i had the same concerns but after seeing the issues resolving from firmware updates and other postings as the above, i'm going ahead
And months later, the GPS still has problems.
SamsungVibrant said:
And months later, the GPS still has problems.
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Click to collapse
LOL true story.. sadly..
SamsungVibrant said:
And months later, the GPS still has problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine was horrid when running stock 2.1 JI6.
Running Bionix-v for the last few days and the GPS has been right on the money. First time since owning the phone that it locks on and nails my position in under 30 seconds.
Yaz75 said:
Mine was horrid when running stock 2.1 JI6.
Running Bionix-v for the last few days and the GPS has been right on the money. First time since owning the phone that it locks on and nails my position in under 30 seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I was running JI6 stock until I upgraded to KA6 via Mini Kies a few days ago. The GPS was HORRIBLE. No lock at all no matter how long I left it.
BUT I decided to do a factory reset before turning the phone in and it turns out that fixed everything. I get locks indoors now.
jimmynguyen91 said:
Actually, I was running JI6 stock until I upgraded to KA6 via Mini Kies a few days ago. The GPS was HORRIBLE. No lock at all no matter how long I left it.
BUT I decided to do a factory reset before turning the phone in and it turns out that fixed everything. I get locks indoors now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to learn how to make the gps stop drifting.
SamsungVibrant said:
I would like to learn how to make the gps stop drifting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much drift/variation are you talking about?
Moved of: Samsung Vibrant > Vibrant General
To: Samsung Vibrant > Vibrant Q&A
Please put your questions to: Vibrant Q&A
Can anyone help me out? I'm very familiar with running custom roms on captivates. But did a vibrant for a friend yesterday and installed Bionix-v as it seems like that is a popular rom that is supposed to help GPS. But his GPS will not lock at all. I was going to post something in that thread but didn't want to get flamed to hell. Are there any roms that are better for GPS? Or maybe I should try flashing Bionix again? I also read somewhere that there is some sort of hardware fix for the vibrant?
Thanks
Download Samsung GPS Restore apps from the Market and after install reboot your phone then run apps when its done then reboot your phone, then try open your GPS Navigation and test it, mine works after upgrade my Samsung Vibrant official froyo from t-mobile.
slmhofy said:
Can anyone help me out? I'm very familiar with running custom roms on captivates. But did a vibrant for a friend yesterday and installed Bionix-v as it seems like that is a popular rom that is supposed to help GPS. But his GPS will not lock at all. I was going to post something in that thread but didn't want to get flamed to hell. Are there any roms that are better for GPS? Or maybe I should try flashing Bionix again? I also read somewhere that there is some sort of hardware fix for the vibrant?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I flashed Bionix V and the GPS works fine, but if it doesn't, I would try a factory reset first. The Samsung Restore App made mine worst when I was still on stock JI6. It might work for you though, it gives different results. There is a thread in General forums for Vibrant that shows you how to hardware fix the Vibrant. It's called Correct GPS Fix or something like that.
slmhofy said:
Can anyone help me out? I'm very familiar with running custom roms on captivates. But did a vibrant for a friend yesterday and installed Bionix-v as it seems like that is a popular rom that is supposed to help GPS. But his GPS will not lock at all. I was going to post something in that thread but didn't want to get flamed to hell. Are there any roms that are better for GPS? Or maybe I should try flashing Bionix again? I also read somewhere that there is some sort of hardware fix for the vibrant?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this has helped some
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=912777

GPS isn't working with any ROM

First, to all that have created and contributed to this site, Thank you.
Now I know I'm new here and I'm probably going to get murdered for posting this but I'm completely out of ideas. I've tried searching everywhere and I can't find any answers. I tried flashing the Axura 2.1 and 2.2 roms and my GPS stopped working completley. I've tried using several different modems with the roms. I tried flashing the macnut roms and had the same result.
I've tried searching but there are so many gps problem thread that I can't find the answer(unless I'm skipping over it). So now I'm hoping that somebody will be able to help me out.
Sorry for my ignorance but I really am desperate cause I really wanna get this $500 phone working like one
this needs to be in Q&A, but; ODIN to JFD/JI6, then run the GPSRestore app from the market. If your phone's GPS still doesnt work, then it's the GPS hardware.
I've run GPS on all TW roms, and each one locks quick and accurate.
JL5 and JL5 GPS are spot on.
jree said:
First, to all that have created and contributed to this site, Thank you.
Now I know I'm new here and I'm probably going to get murdered for posting this but I'm completely out of ideas. I've tried searching everywhere and I can't find any answers. I tried flashing the Axura 2.1 and 2.2 roms and my GPS stopped working completley. I've tried using several different modems with the roms. I tried flashing the macnut roms and had the same result.
I've tried searching but there are so many gps problem thread that I can't find the answer(unless I'm skipping over it). So now I'm hoping that somebody will be able to help me out.
Sorry for my ignorance but I really am desperate cause I really wanna get this $500 phone working like one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you're going to get murdered for posting a question. It just needs to be in the right forum. Next time please post questions in the Q&A forum to keep the Dev forum clutter free.
As far as your problem goes, when you say not working is your gps seeing satellites and just not locking or not seeing any at all.
Is your roof made of solid tinfoil???
Just kidding, but seriously, Odin back to JFD or some other 2.1 firmware and download GPS restore or something like that from the market and go stand OUTSIDE and test it.
If this fails, then you have faulty hardware. Send it to Samsung.
bobbbb said:
Is your roof made of solid tinfoil???
Just kidding, but seriously, Odin back to JFD or some other 2.1 firmware and download GPS restore or something like that from the market and go stand OUTSIDE and test it.
If this fails, then you have faulty hardware. Send it to Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly. or your house or where ever you are is getting bad GPS signal. my gps worked flawlessly for a while now. it's just with newer modems, they lock faster.
I had similar issues to what you describe. My GPS would not work with any ROM combination. Sometimes I could see satellites but I would never get a lock. Tried anything with no luck. Finally- I did three things, and I can't tell you for certain which fixed it- but at the end it was fine.
First thing was I followed the hardware fix guide at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=878970 and then I installed a JL4 ROM (I hear JL5 works great too), left settings as stock and made sure Server FQDN Type was set to Auto config instead of www.spirent-lcs.com. Then I went outside and waited like 10 minutes in LbsTestMode "Get Position Test". Now my GPS works!
I haven't had a real problem with the GPS ever since JI2, and the GPS performance in the Froyo-based ROMs is even better. If it's not working for you at all, then you need to exchange your phone for a new one. You should be able to arrange that with T-Mobile at not extra cost to you.
If you bought your phone through T-Mobile you need to contact them. Jump through their hoops and get a replacement ordered.
Sorry for not putting this in the right forums. If a mod has to move it....
This is exactly whats happening. Whether I'm outside or not, the little gps icon blinks but it says my location is temporarily unavailable. I don't think its hardware cause this is a brand new phone that was working yesterday before I installed the ROM. Thanks for the suggestions. Some more are welcomed
no rom or modem fixed my gps completely till i was on eugene's ginger clone r2 and flashed the JL5 Modem WITHOUT doing the Samsung GPS restore from the market. In fifteen seconds i was locked with less than 10m.
Moved of: Samsung Vibrant > Vibrant Android Development
To: Samsung Vibrant > Vibrant Q&A
Please put your questions to: Vibrant Q&A
This is a brand new phone. Its my 3rd one in lest than a week. This GPS was working to some extent right before I installed the Axura rom. I just did a the GPS restore and now it still won't lock onto my position but it will do the navigation(poorly just like before) to a spoken destination with voice guidance. If I ask it for a map of something it will bring those destinations up also. I'm at a complete loss but I do like this ROM better than Eclair.
samsung restore isn't in the market anymore.
Can someone upload the .apk please ?
Thanks
G

[Q] Seriously this GPS is now pissing me off..

Okay, I have done the following things:
1. I have soldered the connection inside the phone. (Yes very nicely I might add as I solder a lot at work.)
2. I have the Sub-Zero build 75 kernel.
3. I am using Slim ICS Rom from the android development forum.
Why in the hell does the GPS lock on instantly sometimes, and other times I have to restart the phone 20 times before it will even thinking about locking on again?
What is wrong with this phone's GPS? What else can I do to get this GPS to work all the time. The programs that "clear the GPS data" or the phone code that does it, does not work. There is no message and no sign that it cleared anything. The "secret code" program just crashes of course, when I try to use the GPS clear data.
Is there anything else I can do, besides throwing this phone against the wall. I actually NEED the GPS sometimes because I travel a lot, and I can't even rely on this phone.
Here is how I understand this:
Since we never got an official release for gingerbread we won't be getting one for ICS either. The problem is that all releases for our phone for GB+ are hacked together from the source released for the other phones in the Galaxy S family. Also, since the actual guts are slightly different between models, we don't have the actual Samsung drivers for these releases on our phone.
Another problem is that the GPS chip they used on this phone sucked and was sub par at best when released. Most vibrant owners had issues.
The only way to guarantee the best GPS performance on this phone is to stick with the stock Froyo firmware. Everything else is hit or miss since we got the step child phone off the Galaxy S family.
I was lucky enough to buy my vibrant several months after release, so my GPS was revised by then and better than the release models, but it still flakes out on custom ROMs sometimes.
For now, I am on Slim 3.5, and sub zero 80 kernel.
-------------
GlobeSpy detailed this in his post here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1550327
-------------
I flashed the yags and experia GPS fixes, made sure to install angryGPS and faster fix.
Angry GPS settings changed to MSBASED, cold start, and Xtra=off.
In supl settings, I selected Google server.
In Fasterfix: selected custom and set to us.pool.ntp.org
After rebooting the phone, open GPS test and let it lock birds.
After that, I can exit out of GPS test and run navigation. GPS will lock later in day too.
The same settings worked on the stock slim kernel to, so sub zero isn't a requirement, but I have made it work on both kernels. In my expewrience the stock Slim kernel worked better for GPS.
Hopefully this helps, but each phone is so different, the results are not guaranteed.
It really is too bad that Samsung dropped the ball on the GPS in this phone. It's the only weak bit of the device.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium

[Q] Speed Up Satellite Fix for GPS

I was messing around in the Android Apps and Games forum and found this post. So then I wanted to share it with you guys.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1239713
My question is... could this be used in any way to improve our development?
As if this "fix" could be built into our ROMs or radios or SOMETHING to connect to a GPS quicker?
Just a thought...
I think the agps pstch does the same thing. Also GPS status from the market can do the same thing.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2
I think all these GPS fixes dont do anything personally....a long time ago someone suggested to get a satellite fix, then reinstall the ROM and it will lock almost instantly every time. And it has been working for over a year. I have done it to 3 different thunderbolts besides my own and worked. I never use these "fixes." Im no pro at this software stuff but trial and error is my expertise and when it works perfectly every time on multiple of the same device, id say thats the best way to do it.
ang1dust said:
I think all these GPS fixes dont do anything personally....a long time ago someone suggested to get a satellite fix, then reinstall the ROM and it will lock almost instantly every time. And it has been working for over a year. I have done it to 3 different thunderbolts besides my own and worked. I never use these "fixes." Im no pro at this software stuff but trial and error is my expertise and when it works perfectly every time on multiple of the same device, id say thats the best way to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mostly agree. I just went through this process, having gone from a Sense-based ROM (BAMF SOAB 1.4) to an AOSP-based ROM (Thundershed 1.6). Despite the new ROM having the AGPS fix baked in, I still wasn't getting a GPS, so I made a nandroid, flashed back to an old nandroid I had of SOAB, opened up Google Maps, to get a satellite, then opened up GPS Status (from the Play Store, free) to find the strongest lock I could (9 out of 9 satellites), then immediately went to reboot into recovery and restored my Thundershed nandroid. I then opened up Google Maps then GPS Status again, found I was locked onto 10 of 10 satellites, and I was good to go.
ang1dust said:
I think all these GPS fixes dont do anything personally....a long time ago someone suggested to get a satellite fix, then reinstall the ROM and it will lock almost instantly every time. And it has been working for over a year. I have done it to 3 different thunderbolts besides my own and worked. I never use these "fixes." Im no pro at this software stuff but trial and error is my expertise and when it works perfectly every time on multiple of the same device, id say thats the best way to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with him. GPS don't do much anymore. The 4g signal does more than the GPS. You could not run a GPS app without data connection. basically all they use gps for is to find exact location. And soon i think that they will probably discontinue gps in a phone!

[Q] CM 10 with JellyBeanMod GPS Issues

Hi everybody. I have been reading many of the posts here over the past 6 months and trying to learn as much as I can about different ROMs and issues related to my particular phone which is the Samsung Epic 4G Touch.
Thanks Exit_Only for your helpful work in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1975379. In that thread Sydius 08 asked "How are the Stable 1 tweaks running for you guys? Running CM10 11/18 nightly" I would like to focus on one aspect of that.
First I am currently running cm-10-20121117-UNOFFICIAL-d710 with gapps-jb-20121011-signed. I had installed JellyBeanMod_Stable-One_EO in hopes that it would resolve my long-standing GPS issue. I have read so many threads and I do appreciate all of the comments and attempted fixes by this community. I also use GPS Status and GPS Essentials where I see zero satellites but saw eight or nine instantly with #3 below. Here are the three times when my GPS has worked:
1) When I first got it just over a year ago. It was running Gingerbread 2.3.x (don't remember the last number but think it was 1). It worked perfectly but stopped after about 2 months and worked on and off after that.
2) After the GPS completely stopped working I started learning all I could about using a custom ROM. I tried CyanogenMod 9 but it did not resolve the issue. There's more to the story and more ROMs and tips provided here that I tried but all failed. However, whenever I Odin back to StockCWM-EL26.tar it works perfectly. I followed the tip about getting a fix prior to putting an ICS or JB ROM on.
3) I installed this on 11/15 http://sbrissen.chris41g.org/sbrissen-ALPHA6.zip and my GPS worked perfectly. However, lots of other apps failed miserably and it kept freezing up.
So here I am with nowhere else to turn. This latest CM 10 works perfectly EXCEPT the GPS. I would appreciate any thoughts on this.
i'm sure someone will mention this, but have you attempted to acquire a GPS lock on a stock ROM, for example, and revert to one of your desired ROMs?
smoresrock said:
i'm sure someone will mention this, but have you attempted to acquire a GPS lock on a stock ROM, for example, and revert to one of your desired ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply and yes: "whenever I Odin back to StockCWM-EL26.tar it works perfectly."
[ROM]Phantom's Blazer Rom[Yo][8/2/12][v0.1.5][FF18] try this Rom seems to have GPS work in it
Shlickwilly said:
[ROM]Phantom's Blazer Rom[Yo][8/2/12][v0.1.5][FF18] try this Rom seems to have GPS work in it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I had actually tried that one and ran into a problem with flashing it but I think that's because I didn't go back to StockCWM-EL26.tar first. I might give it a try again. I do love CM 10 and it would be perfect if the GPS worked.
For those who may not know this guy, QBKing77, is one of the best at teaching how to do this. Here is one for the SGIII and the Blazer ROM which he considers one of his favorites. I had to remove the link because I'm such a newbie. Here is the YouTube description: Blazer Rom on the Samsung Galaxy S III [REVIEW]
allenp007 said:
Thanks for the reply and yes: "whenever I Odin back to StockCWM-EL26.tar it works perfectly."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep. this is the same method i used to fix my friend's GPS issue on a jelly bean ROM. after seeing to it that i was getting a GPS lock on the stock ROM, i went back into recovery, and flashed the ROM she wanted (paranoid android i think it was)... since then, she's been a happy camper locking into 7-9 satellites indoors
Great news! I was able to resolve this issue by following Qbking's YouTube tutorial: "How to Temporary Boot Stock EL29 on the Samsung Epic 4G Touch." I was able to lock on to 9 satellites and get a fix on my exact location. It was literally showing me in front of the building where I was standing.
I hope this helps someone else who might be going through the same problem with their GPS on an E4GT. If someone could post this information and possibly the link to the thread I referenced earlier I would appreciate it.
Thank you everyone for your comments.

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