So going over the thread about the GPS and opening their Prime to get the antenna working, I thought of something and gave it a whack....
I had a sudden thought.... what *if* I tried to turn on my google map on my phone (HTC Touch Cruise) knowing it can get a fix indoors and placed my phone where the Prime's antenna is located.... what would happen.
Well, it worked. I got 8 fixed (6-7 steady) once my phone's GPS antenna got a lock of only 4.
make sure you phone (or whatever you're using to get gps sats) is warmed up and has found some sats then place it over your Prime's GPS antenna is located (if you have to ask where, this is not for you) and try it out. this is just a cheating work around and not exactly a *fix* but in a pinch and you want to leverage the tablet's bigger screen for google map or nav, here you go...
*EDIT*: let me add, you don't have to use google maps. any gps tester would also work. we just want to activate the GPS on the phone so google maps is the easiest but there are other apps out there that can do the trick. if you're on an android phone, gps test would work. WinMo has an app too (i have it somewhere) that tests GPS for the phone as well.
EDIT: for a better explanation, see post #11: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22458668&postcount=11
your thread makes absolutely no sense. Of course you can tether, why are you talking about putting the tethered antenna over the top of the internal antenna? I can only assume that English is not your first language and that you're using the wrong phrasing.
Either that, or you're an idiot, I tend to look at the first answer.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
This has gotta be a joke right ??
I would just get a Bluetooth GPS device that would search and lock on to the sats and place it next to where the Prime's antenna is located if I needed a GPS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why the Hell would you do that ? If you got a bluetooth GPS device connect the Fecker to the Prime not hold it where the primes antenna is .
This has gotta be a classic I can't wait for the pics LMFAO
can the prime multi-tether? i bluetooth share my internet connection on my phone so I can't connect anything else to my phone via bluetooth (like radio). ie: I can't listen to music from my phone in my truck via bluetooth to the radio AND share my internet connection via bluetooth with the prime. one or the other.
thought bluetooth can only link to one device at a time?
use gps tether on your phone and prime
/thread
chivas228 said:
can the prime multi-tether? i bluetooth share my internet connection on my phone so I can't connect anything else to my phone via bluetooth (like radio). ie: I can't listen to music from my phone in my truck via bluetooth to the radio AND share my internet connection via bluetooth with the prime. one or the other.
thought bluetooth can only link to one device at a time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can connect multiple devices to one bluetooth controller and use them concurrently, they just need different addresses
rand4ll said:
You can connect multiple devices to one bluetooth controller and use them concurrently, they just need different addresses
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did not know that. thanks!
and so this is where the confusion came in.
BRILLIANT......
is there a ban for these kind of posts? i hope so, cuz now im inb4it
Why do you people have to be such dicks all the time. Ignore it and move on if you don't like the thread. Nobody wants to read all the retarded lol inb4ban haha u r retarded ****.
I believe he's just saying his prime could pull the sat signals easier when his phone had a solid GPS signal and placing his phone over his primes GPS antenna. While GPS over Bluetooth would be a better option this doesn't hurt anyone information wise.
OP might not know what he is doing but he is 10000 % right about the phenomenon
OP might not know what he is doing but he is 10000 % right about the phenomenon.
Because all the experts were flaming him and calling him a retard I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and imitate his actions.
I haven't seen one satellite with my Prime for weeks. I tried everything but taking it apart. I've left it for days on end in clear view of the southern sky (inside, outside, night and day, clear sky and overcast)
Today it was a heavy overcast day.
Test 1:
I placed the Prime flat on its back in front of the window (inside) and the phone next to it.
Result: 11 sats on my HTC sensation and as usual no sats on my Prime (pic 1)
Test 2:
Without moving the Prime I placed the phone on the area above the GPS antenna of the prime
Result: The HTC drops to 5 or 4 sats and the Prime suddenly sees up to 13 sats (pic 2a , 2b)
Test 3:
Without moving the Prime I remove the phone and place it next to the prime
Result: The HTC gets 8 sats again and the Prime drops down to 3 sats (pic 3). And gradually in time the Prime drops more and more sats until the effect is gone.
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
There is something very very very strange going on here. It must be some electromagnetic or static field that is killing the Prime’s GPS. The field even kills the HTC’s gps because if you fiddle around a bit with the location on the Prime the HTC drops down to 2 or 3 sats with hardly any reception.
The Prime isn’t equipped with a GPS but with a GPS-killer.
And apparently if field conditions are changed by an external source the Prime has a GPS that can see just as much sats as any other. No matter what sort of back plate it has.
And let this be a lesson for all you so called expert. If someone tells you he has experienced something. Don’t call names and flame. And don’t discard until you are a hundred percent certain that he is wrong. In the old days you would get burned if you said the earth is round ;-)
I will see if it is worth opening a new thread about this phenomenon
dingdonggggg said:
OP might not know what he is doing but he is 10000 % right about the phenomenon.
Because all the experts were flaming him and calling him a retard I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and imitate his actions.
I haven't seen one satellite with my Prime for weeks. I tried everything but taking it apart. I've left it for days on end in clear view of the southern sky (inside, outside, night and day, clear sky and overcast)
Today it was a heavy overcast day.
Test 1:
I placed the Prime flat on its back in front of the window (inside) and the phone next to it.
Result: 11 sats on my HTC sensation and as usual no sats on my Prime (pic 1)
Test 2:
Without moving the Prime I placed the phone on the area above the GPS antenna of the prime
Result: The HTC drops to 5 or 4 sats and the Prime suddenly sees up to 13 sats (pic 2a , 2b)
Test 3:
Without moving the Prime I remove the phone and place it next to the prime
Result: The HTC gets 8 sats again and the Prime drops down to 3 sats (pic 2). And gradually in time the Prime drops more and more sats until the effect is gone.
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
There is something very very very strange going on here. It must be some electromagnetic or static field that is killing the Prime’s GPS. The field even kills the HTC’s gps because if you fiddle around a bit with the location on the Prime the HTC drops down to 2 or 3 sats with hardly any reception.
The Prime isn’t equipped with a GPS but with a GPS-killer.
And apparently if field conditions are changed by an external source the Prime has a GPS that can see just as much sats as any other. No matter what sort of back plate it has.
And let this be a lesson for all you so called expert. If someone tells you he has experienced something. Don’t call names and flame. And don’t discard until you are a hundred percent certain that he is wrong. In the old days you would get burned if you said the earth is round ;-)
I will see if it is worth opening a new thread about this phenomenon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you!!
yeah, i wasn't exactly very clear as to what I was saying plus I didn't get to post any pics to back up what I was trying to explain.
I think the way the Prime is built (or the material used) is killing the signals. if you place the phone UNDER the Prime, you'll see a big drop in sat signals too.
I tried this because I can't open my prime and I also don't have the plastic tools to do it right (tried using a Swiss Army knife but I stopped short knowing it'll chip the glass)
Doktaphex said:
your thread makes absolutely no sense. Of course you can tether, why are you talking about putting the tethered antenna over the top of the internal antenna? I can only assume that English is not your first language and that you're using the wrong phrasing.
Either that, or you're an idiot, I tend to look at the first answer.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol huh? How would placing a device that was totally separate from the prime next to it make the signal strength change? Aren't GPS receivers passive? This is bizzare... wish I had an EMF detector... wait that's ghost adventures....
To Chivas228. You might wanna change the name of the thread so it attracts the right attention. We need antenna or shielding experts to have a look at this information. Maybe change it to: 'GPS fixed with phone' or something like that. And edit the first post refering to my post and pictures.
---------- Post added at 09:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------
markimar said:
Lol huh? How would placing a device that was totally separate from the prime next to it make the signal strength change? Aren't GPS receivers passive? This is bizzare...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds crazy and it probably is. Seeing is believing. Just try it. Will take you five minutes.
Maybe the phone's GPS distorts the field around the Prime's GPS enough to open a window. Also I read in some posts about parasitical antennas. Maybe this is due to that phenomenon.
I dunno but it works.
All credit to the OP for doing something crazy.
Nefariouss said:
Why do you people have to be such dicks all the time. Ignore it and move on if you don't like the thread. Nobody wants to read all the retarded lol inb4ban haha u r retarded ****.
I believe he's just saying his prime could pull the sat signals easier when his phone had a solid GPS signal and placing his phone over his primes GPS antenna. While GPS over Bluetooth would be a better option this doesn't hurt anyone information wise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
callig people names while trying to stick up for someone else isnt being the bigger man. you, too, could have handled that differently.
dingdonggggg said:
OP might not know what he is doing but he is 10000 % right about the phenomenon.
Because all the experts were flaming him and calling him a retard I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and imitate his actions.
I haven't seen one satellite with my Prime for weeks. I tried everything but taking it apart. I've left it for days on end in clear view of the southern sky (inside, outside, night and day, clear sky and overcast)
Today it was a heavy overcast day.
Test 1:
I placed the Prime flat on its back in front of the window (inside) and the phone next to it.
Result: 11 sats on my HTC sensation and as usual no sats on my Prime (pic 1)
Test 2:
Without moving the Prime I placed the phone on the area above the GPS antenna of the prime
Result: The HTC drops to 5 or 4 sats and the Prime suddenly sees up to 13 sats (pic 2a , 2b)
Test 3:
Without moving the Prime I remove the phone and place it next to the prime
Result: The HTC gets 8 sats again and the Prime drops down to 3 sats (pic 3). And gradually in time the Prime drops more and more sats until the effect is gone.
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
There is something very very very strange going on here. It must be some electromagnetic or static field that is killing the Prime’s GPS. The field even kills the HTC’s gps because if you fiddle around a bit with the location on the Prime the HTC drops down to 2 or 3 sats with hardly any reception.
The Prime isn’t equipped with a GPS but with a GPS-killer.
And apparently if field conditions are changed by an external source the Prime has a GPS that can see just as much sats as any other. No matter what sort of back plate it has.
And let this be a lesson for all you so called expert. If someone tells you he has experienced something. Don’t call names and flame. And don’t discard until you are a hundred percent certain that he is wrong. In the old days you would get burned if you said the earth is round ;-)
I will see if it is worth opening a new thread about this phenomenon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so i decided to try this, even though i didnt believe it would work. i tried my phone every which way on my prime, even on the back and i still only get the 1-2 satellites as normal.
also, you arent supposed to be on wifi while testing this sort of thing, but both your tablet and phone are. you are supposed to turn off wifi, turn on gps, power cycle both devices, then test.
What the hells gone on with XDA ?
What the op was actually suggesting as a fix for gps was to get a bluetooth gps device & hold it where primes antenna is, He wasn't pointing out a phenomenon
quote from op
Instead of opening the prime, I would just get a Bluetooth GPS device that would search and lock on to the sats and place it next to where the Prime's antenna is located if I needed a GPS. Yeah, I know, another attachment but what the smell
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is an absurd idea
I have seen people flamed far worse for far less
Me personally I have bluetooth gps receiver & if i was gonna use it I would connect it via bluetooth
I get the impression that nobody takes the time for reading a whole thread.
And as in current society when whe don't understand it we flame them
Just try it
Has nothing to do with BT but with another GPS being close to the Prime's GPS antenna.
Next is optional.
Not necessary but for the non-believers that think the gps-data comes from some other source.
To make sure nothing else is corruptin or giving you the locational data.
Turn of GPS, wifi, BT, cellular data, google locations on both your phone and the Prime.
Do a power cycle on both.
Start up your phone's GPS with GPS test or something.
Start up your Prime's GPS with GPS test or something.
Put the phone and the Prime next to each other in front of a window with view of some sky.
In my case no sats on the Prime and 11 sats on the phone.
Then put the phone on the screen of the Prime on top of the GPS antenna (right hand top corner, see pics earlier post).
And ............ wait for about ten minutes (max).
And magicly the Prime gets a fix on more and more sats.
I got a max of 13 satalites from behind a double glazed window on a heavy overcast (snowy) evening.
So just try it.
Or call me and the OP names and flame us.
Or even better Burn us witches at the stake ;-)
Oh sorry. I forgot. We are civilised nowadays
Just try it.
---------- Post added at 11:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:34 PM ----------
stretchwookie said:
callig people names while trying to stick up for someone else isnt being the bigger man. you, too, could have handled that differently.
so i decided to try this, even though i didnt believe it would work. i tried my phone every which way on my prime, even on the back and i still only get the 1-2 satellites as normal.
also, you arent supposed to be on wifi while testing this sort of thing, but both your tablet and phone are. you are supposed to turn off wifi, turn on gps, power cycle both devices, then test.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did as you stated.
See previous post.
Same result
12 sats
This is crazy!
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
I can partially confirm this.
After testing this myth I found out the following:
Prime signal quality doesn't improve a lot for me, but it actually does improve
Signal quality of my Desire HD drops dramatically once it lies on the Prime
Everything can be repeated as often as you want
This is really strange.The Prime is getting more and more mysterious....
Wordlywisewiz said:
This is crazy!
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try it?
Or are you just a disbeliever?
Related
With the results of the vote in the GPS (possible issue) thread running at 30% functionality, left me asking what are the other 70% of us doing wrong?
I thought this would be an opportunity to gather data for analysis. It is not a chat thread or for discussion on causes, or trouble shooting.
Just maybe something well show up, as it appears Asus doesn’t have a clue and keep blaming the case. While the case does seem to be attenuating the signal compared to my Samsung Galaxy S2 it doesn’t explain the hit and miss nature of the TF201. And we all have the same back panel on our TF201’s.
On one occasion with the TF201 sitting on a park bench found 9 Satellites and used 5. (Using GPS version V 6.8.13) Without touching a thing they all disappeared. Then nothing!
The best I can do now is 1 Satellite found.
Test procedure:
Outdoors only in a wide open space.
Use “GPS Test” from The Market.
Update AGPS then turn Wi-Fi off.
If all reports could be posted in the following format.
1. Model:
2. Build:
3. GPS Version:
4. Satellite’s in view:
5. Satellite’s In use:
6. Time to first fix:
7. Has the GPS worked in previous builds of ICS
8. Did GPS work in Honeycomb
9. First 8 digits of serial No
Just maybe a pattern will emerge.
Thanks all.
1. Model: 64Gb Champagne
2. Build: IML74K.TW_epad 9.4.2.11
3. GPS Version: V6.9.13
4. Satellite’s in view: 1
5. Satellite’s In use:0
6. Time to first fix: N/A
7. Has the GPS worked in previous builds of ICS: Yes briefly
8. Did GPS work in Honeycomb: Not tested
9. BCOKAS08
Not sure what you're trying to accomplish here.
There isn't a single Transformer Prime on this planet where GPS works great.
So It is what it is: the metal design is beautiful, but it restricts GPS signals. And as there is no real a-GPS for Wifi tablets(as they have no cell-site triangulation possibilities), this becomes a real and unsolvable problem.
And Asus DOES has a clue, according to Asus there is no GPS on the Transformer Prime. The same as there is no GPS on other Wifi tablets like the iPad's. Asus made a big mistake advertising with GPS before release though.
So if you really want to use GPS on the Prime, you're out of luck and should return it. A full refund would be fair if you bought it early.
I've never been able to lock onto more than 3 and then for only a few seconds. That was with HC and now ICS. If I use my Prime for navigation I use my BT GPS receiver and a full mapping capable app which I've already tested and works great. I suggest if anyone bought a TP for navigational purposes return it immediately.
Non-issue (for me at least).
YoMarK said:
Not sure what you're trying to accomplish here.
There isn't a single Transformer Prime on this planet where GPS works great.
So It is what it is: the metal design is beautiful, but it restricts GPS signals. And as there is no real a-GPS for Wifi tablets(as they have no cell-site triangulation possibilities), this becomes a real and unsolvable problem.
And Asus DOES has a clue, according to Asus there is no GPS on the Transformer Prime. The same as there is no GPS on other Wifi tablets like the iPad's. Asus made a big mistake advertising with GPS before release though.
So if you really want to use GPS on the Prime, you're out of luck and should return it. A full refund would be fair if you bought it early.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 why do people still not realize it's the aluminum condom to protect from GPS waves
PrimeTimeBro said:
+1 why do people still not realize it's the aluminum condom to protect from GPS waves
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohh really.
Please explain TF201 sitting on park bench found 9 satellites, using 5.
Without touching the device all satellites lost and no further seen.
Don't like the odds on those condoms.
The aluminium case explains the poor signal to noise ratios, not the sudden loss of all reception on a stationary device.
mile high said:
Ohh really.
Please explain TF201 sitting on park bench found 9 satellites, using 5.
Without touching the device all satellites lost and no further seen.
Don't like the odds on those condoms.
The aluminium case explains the poor signal to noise ratios, not the sudden loss of all reception on a stationary device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The same reason when you are on the edge of losing a FM or AM radio station it can be crystal clear with a inch of movement. Try to navigate turn by turn with the Primes GPS as soon as you start moving signal is too weak to keep it. If your device just dropped all satellites without any movement it's just a glitch and has nothing to do with the overall problem of the Primes GPS.
mile high said:
Ohh really.
Please explain TF201 sitting on park bench found 9 satellites, using 5.
Without touching the device all satellites lost and no further seen.
Don't like the odds on those condoms.
The aluminium case explains the poor signal to noise ratios, not the sudden loss of all reception on a stationary device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because it sees them but fails to hold them when moving because the signal is weak.. Why can't people accept that?
PrimeTimeBro said:
+1 why do people still not realize it's the aluminum condom to protect from GPS waves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this has been pointed out about the aluminum back. But as mentioned we all have the same aluminum back then ...
WHY are some Primes always able to see and get a GPS fix.
Why is ASUS even bothering with updating the GPS driver if GPS in not in the spec's?.
WHY has someone not show GPS results with the aluminum back off?
Off topic WIFI why the frack would I want to use G setting to get good WIFI? That's like not using my 5th gear in the car and staying in 4th.
I love the Prime but the aluminum back shield is a frack up period. Stock seems to have dried up around here (impossible to get). I wonder what's up.
My new Prime had never seen 1 single satellite for the 4 days or so I have had it.
Last night, I open Google Maps and click on Resteraunts and simply pick a Pizza Joint nearby. Then I click on NAVIGATE for it to navigate me there (I was just playing around on my couch in my living room, not in my car).
The bottom of Google Maps said "Searching For GPS" and I said "Fudge It" and just laid it on the coffee table. I closed my eyes and about 12 minutes later (I looked at the clock) my tablet says in a woman's voice "Turn Left on Birch Drive!"
I couldn't believe my ears. I quickly opened GPSStatus, GPS FIX, all that. Then I noticed that Google Maps said "Searching for GPS" again. Google Maps needs a lock to navigate you so It actually got a lock for a split second, which was exciting.
However, the other apps were showing 4-5 Satellites, and they have never shown one before. It wouldn't lock, but the fact it was all the sudden showing some satellites was quite exciting since my GPS had appeared to be Dead on Arrival.
So, if you have time and can stop playing with the tablet, set up a route on Google Maps, choose for NAVIGATION, and set it down, maybe by a window, and wait 15 minutes. Maybe you will get a lock.
In my opinion, my GPS works VERY SLOW. It took literally 10 or more minutes to see any satellites, then started loading a few more slowly till I got up to 5. Again,I couldn't get it to lock onto any anymore, but I was in my living room and I have 14 mature trees in my yard (I am talking BIG trees).
Maybe give that a shot and see what happens. Because my tablet had seen NOTHING ever, but I was only trying it for 5 minutes at a time then I would get pissed.
yhzhrm said:
Yes, this has been pointed out about the aluminum back. But as mentioned we all have the same aluminum back then ...
WHY are some Primes always able to see and get a GPS fix.
Why is ASUS even bothering with updating the GPS driver if GPS in not in the spec's?.
WHY has someone not show GPS results with the aluminum back off?
Off topic WIFI why the frack would I want to use G setting to get good WIFI? That's like not using my 5th gear in the car and staying in 4th.
I love the Prime but the aluminum back shield is a frack up period. Stock seems to have dried up around here (impossible to get). I wonder what's up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All Primes will see and get GPS fixes NONE of them will keep it awhile moving.
No one wants to destroy a $500 device but if your willing feel free.
G gets better range with Wi-Fi in general and the Prime lacks good range with it's Wi-Fi for the same reason GPS sucks the aluminum sheild if it's not good enough for you return .
PrimeTimeBro said:
All Primes will see and get GPS fixes NONE of them will keep it awhile moving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true!
My Prime must be bad unit because 97 percent of the time it never sees any satellites and it has had actually only had a fix maybe three times out of 100 tries.
I'd be happy to get a fix period each time I tried
Hence my original WHY with the same aluminum back can some Primes get fixes while others don't even now satellites exist in orbit?
My bad unit is going back. I'll wait for the 700 series or a revised TF201 with a new back. Until then My HP Touchpad running ICS will do for now. Yes, no HD video or camera but that's fine.
GPS works on all other sanctioned Android tablets (with market access).
yhzhrm said:
Not true!
My Prime must be bad unit because 97 percent of the time it never sees any satellites and it has had actually only had a fix maybe three times out of 100 tries.
I'd be happy to get a fix period each time I tried
Hence my original WHY with the same aluminum back can some Primes get fixes while others don't even now satellites exist in orbit?
My bad unit is going back. I'll wait for the 700 series or a revised TF201 with a new back. Until then My HP Touchpad running ICS will do for now. Yes, no HD video or camera but that's fine.
GPS works on all other sanctioned Android tablets (with market access).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I forgot to mention asus terrible qc on the primes I'm sure there's plenty where gps is totally borked bottom line is gps will never function as a turn by turn on primes with aluminum backplates. End of story
look at my youtube video... it was honey comb and nearly perfect...
with new updated ics its worthless...
I don't see any satellites and I have never seen any on either of my TFP's. I have owned 2 so far and they both didn't see any satellites period. My GPS light stayed yellow and never went green no matter if I used wifi or not. So why is mine not seeing any Sat's, but you guys complain when you have a weak signal. I am in the process of trying to return mine I bought from BB, but I am waiting my 14 days to see if they will get some in stock. If they do, the customer rep will send one out to me or the store nearest me, and then I would have to send mine off. That's what the customer service rep told me to do. It's not that big of a deal to me, but the unknown serial was, so that's why I got rid of my first one.
PrimeTimeBro said:
All Primes will see and get GPS fixes NONE of them will keep it awhile moving.
No one wants to destroy a $500 device but if your willing feel free.
G gets better range with Wi-Fi in general and the Prime lacks good range with it's Wi-Fi for the same reason GPS sucks the aluminum sheild if it's not good enough for you return .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wrong. I get no gps satellites period .. no fix no nothing... no matter which configuration i try
Well generally not the responses I had hoped for.
JoeyLe said:
Because it sees them but fails to hold them when moving because the signal is weak.. Why can't people accept that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does stationary device, placed on park bench, mean to you?
Not moving...9 satellites, with a fix, then suddenly nothing. No satellites in range. TF201 still sitting on park bench!
As an aside my Wifi is perfect. In fact better signal strength and bandwidth better than both my phones and similar to my laptop.
I don't want turn by turn navigation (have TomTom for that). Just a occasional fix on Google maps. Wifi is generally too inaccurate.
And I do know a little about GPS. RAIM, FDE and Baro aiding help keep me alive in my 9-5 job.
If you are happy with your prime great.
But do check the bottom of the box your Prime came in. The spec still show GPS. Mine is a late model Prime. So regardless of Asus removing it from the web site I feel I am entitled to some form of GPS functionality.
Happy to do that Wifi assisted and it should work in a wide open space. But it doesn't for 70% of owners.
So my question once again why are the other 30% of TF201's offering some sort of GPS functionality?
yhzhrm said:
Why is ASUS even bothering with updating the GPS driver if GPS in not in the spec's?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also wonder about this. Why waste the time and effort?
Here's how i fixed my GPS problem:
I pulled out my Galaxy SII. Got a fix in 2 seconds.
True Story.
i can get about a 20m accuracy lock while indoors in a matter of seconds, but it never improves in accuracy.
Satellite’s in view: 0-4
Satellite’s In use: 0
Time to first fix: 2minutes
1. Model: 32 Champ
2. Build: IML74k.US_epad-9.4.2.11-20120117
3. GPS Version:V6.1.1.17
4. Satellite’s in view: Fluctuates but up to 11
5. Satellite’s In use:Fluctuates but up to 6
6. Time to first fix:3 mins
7. Has the GPS worked in previous builds of ICS: n/a
8. Did GPS work in Honeycomb:Yes and Much better before
9. First 8 digits of serial #: BCOKAS02
In Honeycomb It was working very well but since the update its way more flaky, as it will go from 9 sats in view and suddenly lose them all.
#### Any one else notice that the GPS Icon Doesn't Blink anymore unless you click the clock menu and then go back####
I've been reading for a while trying to evaluate the different level of Prime problems. My return window for the prime closes tomorrow. I'm an android kind of guy and I also own a Samsung Galaxy S.
I'm trying to evaluate the degree of problem with my GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth.
WiFi
===
Running wifi analyzer on both the prime and the sgs the signal readings are almost similar the connection speeds vary greatly with the prime often connecting at faster speeds. I have several wifi routers in my house for coverage with the same ssid. The prime seems to have a little more problems switching from one to the other but not that much.
GPS
===
My prime gps does work but the reception is much weaker than my sgs. This is especially true from inside my house. My sgs is easily able to see and fix 5-8 sats while the prime is completely blind. Outside the house but not in the city, the results are more encouraging with the prime being able to fix almost the same number of sats than the sgs but I cannot see the exact signal strength. I haven't tested in a city with tall buildings all around.
Bluetooth
=======
I haven't found any tools to evaluate the BT signal strength. I'm able to pair a headset and it appears to work properly but no other tests were made.
Soooo, my questions are: Was there batches of primes that were more problematic than others? Is the unconnected antennas problems random or related to the first batches? Compared to other working prime; is mine as good as it gets or I should roll the dices and try to find a better prime?
My serial number begins with: C1OKAS0xxxxx
Thanks in advance for any replies.
JF.
Sounds to me like you have a good one. Your wifi works well compared to your other devices LR even better. You have a working GPS. despite being weaker then your other device it works. Asus removed GPS spec so consider yourself lucky on GPS side. Then for BT seems like you have no issues. I'd think your device was a keeper. As far as wifi antennae issues, that's very random and very small in numbers compared to overall prime users here in xda. The biggest complaint is GPS, not wifi. The other gripe is some experience slowdown of speeds when BT and wifi are both streaming data. But you have alot also that don't experience that. So I wouldn't be too pressed about it. If your device works well, keep it. Or you could gamble on a new device. It could be better. But it could also not be. All primes no matter the batch has the identical same hardware. I have an early batch one I purchased on 12/22. Its been working great for me. Had no issues with it at all. So it is a hit or miss but odds are in favor of finding a good one.
Good luck on your decision. I'd say keep your prime if it works well for you. Its not a matter of if its as good as it gets. What you described your device as is a really good working one. Why take risk n get rid of it.
I don't think there are any "good ones", specially if Asus has to make a physical hardware change. UNLESS they are already manufacturing this change into production already, but I highly doubt that. A company like Asus could never move that fast.
The WIFI will always be an issue to some, and not an issue to most people. If you happen to be near a router (less than 50-75 feet away) you will be in good shape. If you are in a place like a school or office building where there are many routers, you will be in good shape. If you are trying to hold on to the edge of your routers max range, you will be in bad shape.
for GPS,
people are trying to get a lock with out a data connection. These tablets use the same GPS chip a cellphone would meaning it needs data connection for an accurate lock. You will NOT get an accurate lock using the GPS outside with no data connection. This is how all mobile devices are.
Thanks for the replies. I will sleep on it and decide tomorrow. I also have hopes that Asus will eventually do the right thing and replace the back of the prime...
Prime/Tapatalk
jflaplante said:
Thanks for the replies. I will sleep on it and decide tomorrow. I also have hopes that Asus will eventually do the right thing and replace the back of the prime...
Prime/Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With what, plastic? That is probably what is going to happen....
I have owned (and still own) ONE Prime. It works great. Wifi is strong or perhaps even stronger than any of my other devices in the house. I own a Playbook, Slider, Evo 3D, Photon, and some other random wifi devices. I was not even aware that there *was* an issue with the Prime and wifi until I started reading posts here with all of these issues and blaming the backing..etc.
I still truly believe that it is environment over the actual device. Wifi is a signal that must pass through walls, etc. I can bet there are times that the overly paranoid Prime owner sees his bar go down one notch and immediately posts up here that he is experiencing the famous "wifi problem". I do not doubt there are some people out there with real problems (such is the nature of electronics manufacture), but I also do not doubt that people overreact when they *think* its a "known problem".
No, I really like the spun metal back, and I'll be pissed if it gets reduced to plastic because of some kind of nonsense. Actually, I won't be THAT pissed...as I already own it
@zektor,
I was thinking more like the current aluminium design which is rigid and resistant but with plastic "windows" at the right places for maximal signals reception. A little like the iPad's solution.
I'm also learning to live without 3G built-in with my sgs wi-fi tether but that another story.
MarcMaiden said:
for GPS,
people are trying to get a lock with out a data connection. These tablets use the same GPS chip a cellphone would meaning it needs data connection for an accurate lock. You will NOT get an accurate lock using the GPS outside with no data connection. This is how all mobile devices are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but this simply isn't true.
I very frequently use GPS on my Android phones for GPS navigation when traveling overseas, and most of the time I am not using mobile data due to the exorbitant cost when roaming.
This would not be possible without an accurate lock.
Regards,
Dave
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Assisted GPS, using a wifi or 3G signal to assist the GPS location only allows a slightly faster location fix. After the GPS gets a location fix, it's not used at all. GPS signals from the satellites are very weak, and metal and water will block them. If you're inside, you simply can't get a good GPS signal. Moving a few feet one way or another can make a big difference, but not always. Being outside is essential for getting a good GPS signal. It's also essential that you don't put your hand over the antenna, because the water in your hand can completely block the signal. Holding the tablet in any position other than horizontal, facing straight up, can also degrade the signal, since the metal case blocks it. Putting a metal case over a GPS antenna is a bad idea, and after Asus did it, they had to decide whether to keep the metal case or make the GPS more usable. Fortunately, IMO, they decided that the metal case was more important than the GPS, so they just dropped the GPS specs from the Prime. Asus does not guarantee that the GPS in the Prime will work at all. However, the latest update, .15, seems to help the GPS reception a lot.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
I bought the TF 2 days ago and have had no read on satellites, GPS has been totally dead. Last night, I tried the GPS on the second storey of my house and...presto, found 12 satellites quickly, all very strong signals. Went back downstairs and nothing. So strange, but must be a signal strength issue as cannot penetrate 2 storeys. Will test more and outside this weekend.
Please share your experiences with gps on this device and hopefully we can try establish best practises to maximize probability of it working (if possible).
I am running stock untouched: No root and locked bootloader with the latest update.
Sent from my Desire Z using the XDA App
GPS Status
I am rooted... unlocked running Virtuous Prime with 21 update. I had virtually no GPS now I show 11 sats and lock on 8 even when walking around with in 10 secs, this is the best GPS I have had in 3 months(with WiFi OFF). The BT and WiFI is much better it drops a little but still stays in the green in GPS Status.
I have absolutely no signal whatsoever on mine, not even a hint of one.
I went through the RMA procedure, no joy, they sent me the same pad back, did not even crack open the one i sent, I'm pretty sure they never even opened the box i sent it in!
My best buy would not take a return on mine, RMA procedure took too long. I would seriously recommend returning yours while you can, unless you dont mind tossing about $75 in the trash, because that's what you paid for the GPS feature.
There is a "fix" over on in the dev forum, you can find it here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1564037
I've tried all 5 builds on my prime, have yet to get squat for a GPS signal, i mean not even 1 satellite......ever.....not a one! the fixes did nothing for me.
There is also a class action lawsuit regarding this missing feature, you can find it here, join by phoning the lawfirm heading it, a few folks in the development forum have already joined in, looks like i will be too unless i opt for the VISA chargeback route.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/02/13/ColinvASUS.pdf
GPS? This is the ATP forum right.
if u know what i mean…
OT,
I have barely had any satelites, ran around at work at both my houses only one time visiting my father and on the top story of the building i had found sats after leaving my atp (by accident) with gps test on.
moved a little, and lost them all
Mine used to show satellites, but a lock would take 20 minutes or never arrive, and it would go away if you moved the tablet. On .15 now, it doesn't get any satellites.
Looking into the crystal ball, I anticipate the next few posts on the matter to look something like this, not necessarily in this order:
1. My GPS don't work, this sucks
2. Mine works fine, here's a pic
3. My GPS don't work, but I don't care
4. I have it on good authority that Asus will be posting a fix for GPS
5. My GPS don't work, but I don't care, and therefore you suck
5. Asus took GPS out of the spec, stop complaining
6. I used to love this forum, now everyone is whining
7. You don't need GPS because this tablet rocks
8. I didn't know this tablet had GPS
9. My GPS didn't work before, but I shoved a paper clip in the 40-pin connector and now it does.
10. Shens on the paper clip thing, you need to weld a satellite dish made of tin foil to the USB port on the dock.
11. WHY IS EVERYONE WHINING THIS SUCKS SOOOOOOO BAD
12. I RMA'd my Prime and now GPS does/does not work.
13. GPS don't work, but you should be thankful Gary Key is here Asus rules
14. I RMA'd my Prime and Asus smashed it to pieces and charged me $140 to get it back.
15. GPS don't work I'm going to sue someone.
16. My mod friend will make you all stop whining, you'll see!
17. I returned 13 Primes to Best Buy looking for a working GPS
18. Everyone with non-working GPS should email Gary
19. GPS works if you manually enter latitude and longitude.
20. GPS is a government conspiracy to beam messages into my brain.
21. I took my Prime to the Apple store; they gave me a free Ipad 3 and I made out with the hot sales chick under a display table
22. GPS is obsolete anyway. If you're lost you could use your tablet as a shovel to forage for grubs, a head covering against the sun, a sled to drag supplies behind you, or to write your last will and testament.
23. SERIOUSLY, STOP WHINING OR I'M GONNA TELL ON YOU
24. GPS will work, silly, just buy a cheap GPS. And an expensive dock to connect it to.
25. Could someone with a working GPS post a location for a store that has a Prime?
26. GPS doesn't work, I demand Asus pick up my daughter at her boyfriend's house.
27. MY GPS is getting 10 satellites, which one has the Disney channel?
28. The issues with GPS on the Prime only affect a small percentage of users, no more than many other devices. And there are no American soldiers in Baghdad. We have them surrounded in their tanks.
lol at #27
David Dee said:
I tried the GPS on the second storey of my house and...presto, found 12 satellites quickly, all very strong signals. Went back downstairs and nothing. So strange, but must be a signal strength issue as cannot penetrate 2 storeys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are getting 12 satellites inside your house, I'd say that's pretty good for any GPS receiver. The fact that you can't see them two stories below isn't that surprising, GPS signals are pretty weak by their nature, they don't travel through roofs, walls etc very well.
Good luck; I'm off to try out #21 from the list above at my local Apple Store...
GPS works fine on my end. Running Prime Icylicious w/ aGPS patch Test Build #5. GPS when not in motion locks in less than 8-10 secs, and when driving about 15-20 secs.
Here's a short video of Build 5 while driving: http://youtu.be/N7wQIL3myfY
Interesting range of replies. Outside of the gps issue, I think this device is incredible (I am not experiencing wifi signal issues), so I would rather not return it if I did not have to.
I live in a 2 storey house and the difference between 10-12 satellites and nothing is one flight of stairs from ground level to upstairs. My Desire Z locks in on both levels to 10+ satellites in under 15 seconds.
My hope is this issue will be tolerable, but I may have to unlock/root and install the patch to achieve this end.
Sent from my Desire Z using the XDA App
Dead as a doornail since I bought it early Feb. Always reads 0 sats even outside clear view of the sky, never locks. C1 serial. Doesn't really bother me as I never use it on the Prime and if I did need it I can just use bluetooth2GPS between my Nexus.. but it would be nice if something it was supposed to come with out the box worked. Other than that I got no issues with mine
Works fine on mine (C30 batch). What I did (and have been doing since my first Android GPS capable device):
Download 'GPS test' from Google Play, start it up with WiFi enabled, go into settings menu, discard aGPS data, renew aGPS data, shut down WiFi, walk outside, sit in the sun for a while and Presto! 12 sats in view, 10 connected (within a minute or 2....)
Although I'm not sure aGPS is also fetched bij WiFi (normally it's cellular broadcast station I thought), it's my standard 'work-flow'and it works for me....
Just what we need another gps thread, like there aren't 36 already.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
PolishPoet said:
Just what we need another gps thread, like there aren't 36 already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was unable to find a recent gps only thread. Since you know of 36, I am sure all readers and posters of this thread, including myself, would be grateful if you could link in your top 10?
Sent from my Desire Z using the XDA App
Outside I can pull 14 sats max. But once I step a foot inside I get nothing. But I am in a house built in 1890s do it has thick walls and horrible wiring.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
monkey10120 said:
Outside I can pull 14 sats max. But once I step a foot inside I get nothing. But I am in a house built in 1890s do it has thick walls and horrible wiring.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, what serial # do you have , c10, c20 or c30?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
I picked up the TP last Saturday, C20 serial and not good at all. Outside it is a hit and miss and never actually works correctly. Shows that your on top of buildings, houses, etc... I have all my Android devices rooted, but going to wait a few weeks to hear anything on the Transformer Infinity. Then I will decide to either keep the TP or return it. Really like the TP, but since I am always on the road I need GPS working.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Nothing here
I have a C2 serial device, ever since I got it ive had zero GPS signal and zero sats. I opened the device and applied rubber shims behind the antenna as some have suggested and this made no difference. I flashed new official .21 firmware today, and still no signal at all. I downloaded and applied the aGPS fix (test build 6) which has been proven to work with a lot of people, but alas I still have zero visible satellites after 25 minutes of searching.
Does this mean my Prime has faulty GPS functionality, or is it just one of the unlucky ones which is worse than normal?
Ok maybe the gps on my unit isn't completely dead. Took it outside and waited and waited and waited until I finally saw satellites.
Went outside and my stock TP (a C20 serial number) with the .21 update took about 5 minutes to find 3 satellites, but no lock on any of them. fortunately i have my phone if i need to find where i am.
To use the GPS 2 Bluetooth methods do you need to have the phone and tablet rooted or should the the apps work fine on their own?
When will ASUS provide us a fix for our poor WIFI instead of ignoring the issue? They have all these new devices but fail to take care of our issues. Is this how they treat their early adopters? How can you sell a Wifi only device with poor wifi? They need to replace the back cover or replace new hardware or just have a recall. This is unacceptable. If you buy a car and you only get 5 mpg when you should get 30mpg, i'm sure they would recall that car. My luck, first ASUS device and i get first reboot issues and poor GPS & Wifi.. I love the device as far as looks and game performance but, what what good is that if i cant get online to read my emails and browse?
While I agree with you I think Asus put themselves in a tough spot. Short of taking every Prime sold and doing hardware changes of whatever type, they can't fix this problem. Someone mentioned that they probably did the gps dongle and quick because a suit was filed against them for it. It was a universal problem with probably every unit. I could be wrong but I don't think they have admitted a problem with the internal gps, just the metal backing possibly blocking the signal.
This wifi/bt thing, it technically works. It may not function ideally but it functions. They may not be under the legal pressure as the gps, it being advertised, etc. It would be great for a solid solution to be found for this but I'm not going to hold my breath over it. The company knows the f* up exists.
Don't take this the wrong way... But speak for yourself. I have no issues with my Wifi. Its just as strong as my Galaxy Tab 10.1 using Wifi analyzer. I am also an early adopter SN#BC
jjdevega said:
Don't take this the wrong way... But speak for yourself. I have no issues with my Wifi. Its just as strong as my Galaxy Tab 10.1 using Wifi analyzer. I am also an early adopter SN#BC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you say... I thought the same thing also before going thru the WiFi/BT fallout thread.. pair some bluetooth headphones with your TF201, play some music or run netflix and run speedtest while its going and I dare say you'll be disappointed..
NeoMagus said:
So you say... I thought the same thing also before going thru the WiFi/BT fallout thread.. pair some bluetooth headphones with your TF201, play some music or run netflix and run speedtest while its going and I dare say you'll be disappointed..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been through this before I even created a video just to prove Wifi/BT works fine when both are used for streaming. Just check out my Youtube video.
I did this late at night. Didn't want to wake the wife so I'm pretty quiet. My internet connection is caped at 10mbps
What was a little strange about the Speed test was that when I ran the test for the first time it yielded only 1mb but after running the test several more times after that it coincided with the wifi strength of it having full bars so I was getting 7mbps and more. I made the video on the second floor in my bedroom. The router is located on the first floor opposite corner of the house.
Edit: Besides. The OP is talking about Wifi and I was responding to his claims of everyone having weak wifi which is false since I have no problems with wifi.
jjdevega said:
I've been through this before I even created a video just to prove Wifi/BT works fine when both are used for streaming. Just check out my Youtube video.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seeing how no one has posted a video showing anything but a huge dropoff in bandwidth Id be willing to watch if you link it - but yours is probably like everyone elses including mine. If it isn't then feel lucky its adequate to you.. going from 30m/b down to 2m/b is not to me
**from what I'm seeing its just like mine most of your tests your losing half your bandwidth when its on ..2-4mb occassionally with a spike ..2mb really is all you need to stream both so if it works for you great but I wouldn't say theres no issue we should not be losing that much bandwidth (its alot more for me personally)
Nothing will be done because nothing is wrong.
Welcome to the wireless spectrum and the laws of physics. Inconsistent speedtest results? Drop-offs? Turn on a microwave, kill your stream? Yeah, welcome to wifi.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2387493?start=0&tstart=0
Deal with it.
Whats also important to note, the prime is not at all the only Tablet that is in this "wifi situation". Especially the best known Tablet on the world, the ipad, suffers from about the same issues.
Wifi is a radio signal, its the same thing with FM radio stations... In one room you always get interference with Station X while in the other room its perfectly clear. One day it might work well while the next one you cant hear a thing. Its similar with wifi and there are alot of factors involved.
As for me i did several "tests" with wifi analyzer and speed test and my tablet and 2 smartphones (DHD & SGS II) all around my house and in the garden. There is simply no consistancy in one spot the prime has the best signal and the best throughput in another it has the worst, in the end all devices performed more or less the same.
But thats just my situation, there is always the possibility that your device is defective in some way and if you feel somethings wrong i suggest you try RMA or just buy a wifi repeater But i guess thats about the only things you can do.
Btw: there was an intersting article i read a while ago about a Parisienne Hotel where some nerds (some of them actually invented wifi) had a convention/meeting. Everyone was using the wifi heavily and soon the system wouldnt work at all. They started talking to the tech guys of the hotel and... The wifi was set up totally wrong, all routers and repeaters worked on the same channel with wrong settings. The guys then shut down half of the repeaters changed the channels and tweaked the settings and voila wifi was amazing. I thought that was a pretty funny
Can someone with more technical experience chime in on this. Its obviously clear that the wifi signal on the Prime is subpar, which is a shame because we paid a pretty penny for this device, and the reason for this sub performance is due to a blatant oversight by the manufacturer. Which, has been resolved, but only in the new tablet model, which in my opinion is even more of a slap to the face, especially (again) considering how much the tablet costs. Now, I am not complaining much about this because while a crappy old phone can get 70mbs a wifi connection my Prime can only get, usually, around 30mbs, though I have seen it hit 70.
But here is my main concern, and I am sure ALL OF YOU can feel the pain of this. It appears that due to the weak signal, the device overly excerpts its resources to try and attain more signal, HOWEVER because of this it seems like the battery suffers quite extensibly, which is what leads me to believe the reason my battery usage shows wifi usually 100% as the top most used butter sucker-upper and it's usually by a landslide. This, if it is the case, really upsets me. Because, while I can live with an average 30mbs wifi connection (because cmon thats more than the ISP even provides), I would not be happy knowing that due to this manufacturer oversight the battery drains an addiotal 20-30% quicker than it would if this were not the problem.
Am I wrong here? Is wifi really not a problem for the battery? It is just odd to me that wifi shows up as using sometimes 50% of the battery!... And OMFG im NOT even joking, just checked battery usage and wifi is showing 94% of the battery.. that seems like a bug there is no way that could possibly be correct! 94%! lol wtf!
Jep i've been seeing that as well. It started with .21 when ever you use wifi the battery drains noticably faster. I also wrote a PM to Gary about that with screenshots and everything, i really hope they can change it back to the way it was before .21 because my wifi didnt improve, but my battery life did get worse.
robproctor said:
Can someone with more technical experience chime in on this. Its obviously clear that the wifi signal on the Prime is subpar, which is a shame because we paid a pretty penny for this device, and the reason for this sub performance is due to a blatant oversight by the manufacturer. Which, has been resolved, but only in the new tablet model, which in my opinion is even more of a slap to the face, especially (again) considering how much the tablet costs. Now, I am not complaining much about this because while a crappy old phone can get 70mbs a wifi connection my Prime can only get, usually, around 30mbs, though I have seen it hit 70.
But here is my main concern, and I am sure ALL OF YOU can feel the pain of this. It appears that due to the weak signal, the device overly excerpts its resources to try and attain more signal, HOWEVER because of this it seems like the battery suffers quite extensibly, which is what leads me to believe the reason my battery usage shows wifi usually 100% as the top most used butter sucker-upper and it's usually by a landslide. This, if it is the case, really upsets me. Because, while I can live with an average 30mbs wifi connection (because cmon thats more than the ISP even provides), I would not be happy knowing that due to this manufacturer oversight the battery drains an addiotal 20-30% quicker than it would if this were not the problem.
Am I wrong here? Is wifi really not a problem for the battery? It is just odd to me that wifi shows up as using sometimes 50% of the battery!... And OMFG im NOT even joking, just checked battery usage and wifi is showing 94% of the battery.. that seems like a bug there is no way that could possibly be correct! 94%! lol wtf!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you do bring up a great point but wifi will always be the biggest battery drainer. along with display brightness. its a good theory THST if wifi was so poor, it would waste extra power trying to maintain or always look for a signal. Thing is, I don't consider wifi performance THST bad across devices to warrant that. what you saying is like if wifi barely even had a signal and was always connecting and disconnecting the signal. then yeah, extra power is being used to try to maintain it. but that's not the case with majority of primes. some primes have great wifi strength, others have decent strength, others have huge dropoffs in speeds after moving so far away from the router. But i haven't heard of anyone not being able to really pick up their home signal or even barely. wifi in prime good enough across the board to properly see and maintain signal. some peoples issues are when you move far away from the router and the dropoff in speeds.
like I said before, wifi will always be biggest battery drainer. I leave my wifi on 24/7 and I'm overclocked and I still get great battery life. maybe in last update Asus did increase the power signal output of wifi. but nothing so drastic to drain battery dramatically faster. we have an update coming so we will have to see how battery life is after it. whether it improves, gets better, or gets worse.
---------- Post added at 06:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:32 PM ----------
DONT make duplicate threads of exact same question. I will request for the other one to be closed if it hasn't already.
@ OP, there is no need for duplicate threads posted within a minute of each other. I have deleted your other thread named the same. If this was done in error, please contact a Mod to request correction.
Also, if this thread starts to turn into another complaining/whining thread, it will be locked. Almost everyone is aware of the limitations of this device (or lack there of), and there are more than enough threads already posted discussing wifi/gps issues.
My battery drain is only when Im docked. The wifi kills the battery in the dock pretty fast as it's constantly trying to charge the tablet. If I set wifi to turn off during sleep then theres no drastic drain and acts normal. Just like if it was undocked. When undocked even with wifi always on even on sleep it doesnt drain fast. Maybe 1-2% an hour. This issue has been mentioned before on another thread regarding battery drain during docked.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
kabrutus said:
When will ASUS provide us a fix for our poor WIFI instead of ignoring the issue? They have all these new devices but fail to take care of our issues. Is this how they treat their early adopters? How can you sell a Wifi only device with poor wifi? They need to replace the back cover or replace new hardware or just have a recall. This is unacceptable. If you buy a car and you only get 5 mpg when you should get 30mpg, i'm sure they would recall that car. My luck, first ASUS device and i get first reboot issues and poor GPS & Wifi.. I love the device as far as looks and game performance but, what what good is that if i cant get online to read my emails and browse?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I consider myself a huge prime fanboy...with that said I'm also realistic. Short to the point answer regarding wifi and will they fix it? NO. They cant fix it, if they could have they would have done it by now. In fact they don't believe you even have a wifi problem but if you care refer to this link http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/ipad-and-tablets/asus-transformer-pad-infinity-700-review-50007211/ Also note the backplate on the infinity-thats your fix it will cost you to get it, sorry but it is what it is. If anybody on here tells you they can fix the wifi with an update think, why are they even attempting to fix a problem they wont acknowledge even happens?... Wifi performance among primes is not consistent, some may do well some may not. I knew this when I bought my prime but I can live with it. I had the original transformer and the prime cant hold a candle to the wifi performance it had. But overall the the OG transformer can't hold a candle to the prime.
Secondly, as far as reboots it's pretty much the same thing. They can't fix it and it's not just the prime simply google ICS and reboots and you will see. Again the performance will not be consistent some may reboot others may not. But whatever is causing the reboots up to this point is A: not exclusive to the prime and B seems to happen on devices updated to ICS or currently running ICS. I know these are bold statements but unless many people out there across a varying rage of devices are imagining reboots while running ICS then there must be an issue. That said I hope they fix both problems I just wont hold my breath. I am however very happy with my prime "limitations" and all.
My Prime was purchased the second week of February, C1 serial. My Wi-Fi is great actually. My router is in my office on the second floor, in the back of the house. If I am in the office, I actually top out my connection...as fast as can go. However, I'm in the basement 70% of the time (basically the living room) and I can still top out my speeds, or very close to it. That means I have the first floor between us, with 2 ceilings/floors between us also. There is one spot in the house ( basement, directly below the router) where I get maybe half my speeds, but I believe it's just a dead spot and not the Prime. It also works fine at work, and when running on my phones wifi hot spot. I realize all Primes are different as far as GPS and Wi-Fi, and I'm very lucky to have gotten a problem free device.
in my opinion to the wifi problem the problem isnt really the prime most of the time the problem is interfiernce or poor signal from the router, i have a c3 model and really cant complain about the signal if anything the only problem i can see with the prime is the stock browser, i find it impossible to browse through this forum with the stock browser at first i thought it was down to wifi connection but then soon realised that it was down to the browser as i have no problems with downloaded browsers.... so as to the will they fix it, i say you need something to be broke before you can fix it and i dont see anything broke, i just see sh*t happens so deal with it radio signal problems lol
jjdevega said:
I've been through this before I even created a video just to prove Wifi/BT works fine when both are used for streaming. Just check out my Youtube video.
I did this late at night. Didn't want to wake the wife so I'm pretty quiet. My internet connection is caped at 10mbps
What was a little strange about the Speed test was that when I ran the test for the first time it yielded only 1mb but after running the test several more times after that it coincided with the wifi strength of it having full bars so I was getting 7mbps and more. I made the video on the second floor in my bedroom. The router is located on the first floor opposite corner of the house.
Edit: Besides. The OP is talking about Wifi and I was responding to his claims of everyone having weak wifi which is false since I have no problems with wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be missing it but don't see the bluetooth streaming part... I see that it is connected but are you actually playing something through a bt headset or bt speakers?
My wifi is ok enough, but for example when I play spotify over bluetooth speakers things start to crap out and stutter. Not right away, but give it a minute or 2 and it will. Which sucks... No bt streaming and it works fine. This is what people are referring to when they speak about the bt/wifi issue.
dagrim1 said:
I may be missing it but don't see the bluetooth streaming part... I see that it is connected but are you actually playing something through a bt headset or bt speakers?
My wifi is ok enough, but for example when I play spotify over bluetooth speakers things start to crap out and stutter. Not right away, but give it a minute or 2 and it will. Which sucks... No bt streaming and it works fine. This is what people are referring to when they speak about the bt/wifi issue.
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Click to collapse
Yes when I turned the bt on I also showed myself turning on my bt headset. Once it paired and the bt icon turned blue I started streaming then continued on with speedtest. I guess its a little hard to see it in the dark. Ill have to make another video during the day.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
mikeyxb said:
in my opinion to the wifi problem the problem isnt really the prime most of the time the problem is interfiernce or poor signal from the router, i have a c3 model and really cant complain about the signal if anything the only problem i can see with the prime is the stock browser, i find it impossible to browse through this forum with the stock browser at first i thought it was down to wifi connection but then soon realised that it was down to the browser as i have no problems with downloaded browsers.... so as to the will they fix it, i say you need something to be broke before you can fix it and i dont see anything broke, i just see sh*t happens so deal with it radio signal problems lol
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Click to collapse
It is not a router issue or interference. For example, today i sat a coffee shop in China. I had my phone and laptop and Prime sitting on a table. My laptop and phone both showed 6 wifi connections available where I was sitting with signal showing a consistent 3 to 4 bars. My Prime got consistently just 1 connection, and that was only 2 bars for a pizza restaurant across from where I was. The tablet could not once sniff out the coffee shops connection, and only showed every 5 minutes for a second or two 1 of the other wifi connections available in the building. I've repeated and done this test in other places, the Prime struggles with wifi signals, it can't hold or them very well, runs slow, and drops connections. If I moved to a different seat I might have a perfect line to catch the signal of the coffee shop, but it is maddening the radio doesn't seem to be multidirectional in any way.
Btw, my wifi didn't used to be bad till .21. I attempted a factory reset, which did not improve things. I never had complaints about my wifi until then, so I am crossing my fingers a future firmware will improve it, but it seems rather hopeless.
In the market looking to buy a 2nd tab in the family.
Seen a lot of offers for used TF201 (some with dock) for the same price as a new TF300...
What do you guys recommend to get, is the WiFi signal issue present in all TF201s and if yes, is it that bad? Or should i just get a new TF300 and forget about TF201?
Does the GPS dongle improve also WiFi signal (indirectly i suppose)?
What advantages does TF201 have over TF300 that should make me choose it over the latter for the same price (or even less)?
Thanks!
I have a C3 serial and it's pretty good.. I think the later versions were better.
But you will get a whole load of people post that the TF701 is better. SDCard fits, Wi-Fi signal is stronger, GPS get's location quicker..
sjrixon said:
I have a C3 serial and it's pretty good.. I think the later versions were better.
But you will get a whole load of people post that the TF701 is better. SDCard fits, Wi-Fi signal is stronger, GPS get's location quicker..
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Click to collapse
TF700 is a different story with a different price, at least in Europe
In scope of this thread is an used TF201 vs a new TF300
There's no denying the TF201 has been plagued with support issues. I returned my first one for WiFi problems. My second one the WiFi is fine. I stream movies on it regularly with no issues whatsoever, for example. GPS has been very bad on both without the dongle.
If you get it from a place that'll take a return/exchange it's a good buy, if not though, I'd recommend looking at other options. It's a great device when you get a good one only caveat that is even for a good one, if you are buying specifically for a lot of GPS stuff don't bother.
zerozoneice said:
Does the GPS dongle improve also WiFi signal (indirectly i suppose)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dongle does nothing to help with WiFi signal. Strictly to help GPS.
GPS is unusable and is not an official feature anymore. Wifi works fine, however max throughput speed is not great, it's fine for streaming video's.
I think it's a great tablet _and_ the screen is great, very good outdoor use. The TF300 does not have this.
Personally.. my wifi was ok, GPS no good but the non-responding apps & powering off while sleeping were deal breakers for me.. I'd stay away from it especially used and unable to return. Luckly someone here found Best Buy willing to take the Primes back under manufacturer defect and I was lucky enough to have that happen for me. Delivering a TF700 tomorrow.
Just a few of my screenshot issues.. if ya want more I'd be more than happy to send them to you.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1765997
Stay away. Stay far away.
nyijedi said:
Stay away. Stay far away.
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Click to collapse
you guys are scaring me
thing is i found a TF201 32GB with Dock, GPS dongle and case for less than a new TF300...guy says it's a C10 serial and has no wifi issues...
is there a serial# tracker that can verify if there is a wifi problem? were only few batches affected or it's a general build issue.
i got a TF300 today and playing with it but i can return it within 24h if there's something wrong with it...
I had a C1 Prime that I bought in Feb and exchanged for a 700 this past Friday. Wifi by itself was fine for the most part, but when I turned the B/T on using at the same time bandwidth plummeted (20 megs to about 2megs down), known issue.. my opinion I'd skip it for the 300, at least you know you wont have wifi/gps issues with it
zerozoneice said:
you guys are scaring me
thing is i found a TF201 32GB with Dock, GPS dongle and case for less than a new TF300...guy says it's a C10 serial and has no wifi issues...
is there a serial# tracker that can verify if there is a wifi problem? were only few batches affected or it's a general build issue.
i got a TF300 today and playing with it but i can return it within 24h if there's something wrong with it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wifi works fine on my Prime. Don't read into everything you see on the forums too much. People like to blow things way out of proportion and make big deals out of nothing. They will make it sound like wifi doesn't work at all on the Prime and/or will complain that the signal drops off when they are outside their house 50 ft away, or that they only get 2 bars while their laptop gets 3 when in the same location. It's all bs; wifi is completely normal on the Prime. As for those that do have legitimate issues (very few from what I have seen) they are in the minority and should be contacting ASUS for RMA.
GPS on the other hand is not a supported built-in feature so don't expect it to work out of the box without the GPS dongle.
jordache16 said:
It's all bs; wifi is completely normal on the Prime. As for those that do have legitimate issues (very few from what I have seen) they are in the minority and should be contacting ASUS for RMA.
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Click to collapse
LOL, be glad you got a Prime then that supposedly works 100%.
There are plenty of people here including myself who will disagree with you, and I'm no noob by anymeans, my router (Linksys E3000 "High Performance") is less than 5 feet away from me here buddy Its been reiterated over and over the metal backplate is a signal killer. I can't express how happy I was when Best Buy took the thing back.
jordache16 said:
Wifi works fine on my Prime. Don't read into everything you see on the forums too much. People like to blow things way out of proportion and make big deals out of nothing. They will make it sound like wifi doesn't work at all on the Prime and/or will complain that the signal drops off when they are outside their house 50 ft away, or that they only get 2 bars while their laptop gets 3 when in the same location. It's all bs; wifi is completely normal on the Prime. As for those that do have legitimate issues (very few from what I have seen) they are in the minority and should be contacting ASUS for RMA.
GPS on the other hand is not a supported built-in feature so don't expect it to work out of the box without the GPS dongle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WiFi technically "works," but works like crap compared to other devices. This is not really debateable. I've tested my Prime on the same network in the same spot next to a Galaxy Nexus, iPad 1, and Nexus 7. Once you move a few feet away from the router (not exaggerating - a few feet), the Prime drops speed at a ridiculous rate. For example, next to the router, all devices, including the Prime, will get over 30 Mbps. As I move away from the router, in the same spot, my other devices will all pull between 15 and 20 Mbps, and the Prime will be lucky to see 3-5 Mbps. And then if I keep moving away, the Prime is always the first one to lose a signal, while the other devices will still download at about 1-6 Mbps. It really depends on your use case. If you'll be using it regularly in areas with good WiFi, you'll be fine. But don't say you weren't warned if you try and use it in areas with weak WiFi.
As for the GPS, just assume the Prime doesn't have it, because it is not functional. Hell, Asus admitted this much when they took it off the box. It does work with the dongle, but you also can't charge the Prime when the dongle is plugged in, so forget about keeping your Prime charged using the GPS on a long road trip.
jordache16 said:
Wifi works fine on my Prime. Don't read into everything you see on the forums too much. People like to blow things way out of proportion and make big deals out of nothing. They will make it sound like wifi doesn't work at all on the Prime and/or will complain that the signal drops off when they are outside their house 50 ft away, or that they only get 2 bars while their laptop gets 3 when in the same location. It's all bs; wifi is completely normal on the Prime. As for those that do have legitimate issues (very few from what I have seen) they are in the minority and should be contacting ASUS for RMA.
GPS on the other hand is not a supported built-in feature so don't expect it to work out of the box without the GPS dongle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please speak for yourself ok?
The prime works fine for me when I'm close to the router, but degrades quickly as you move away. And I'm not talking about 50ft outside the house, I'm talking about the kitchen... 30 ft from the router with a door in between. Locations where other devices, such as my phone, have no issue keeping a decent connection...
Overall you can still browse pretty fine yeah and most of the time stream music. But for me there are hiccups, youtube videos (hd) pause and/or buffer regularly when not in the same room as the router, etc.
GPS is useless, but that is no issue for me as I have no need for it. IO is not great either, supposedly better with the TF700t.
So it' not useless but it is pretty weak and can (or will) cause issues in areas where your connection is not great... Just keep that in mind.
Other then these issues the prime is excellent, beatiful and sleek. The dock is awesome. But to be honest, I wish I could trade it in for something else or that there was some model like this on the market (a non-asus one in this case).
I love my Prime, but under no circumstance or influence could I possibly recommend it to anyone.
It's amazing when you have a model that works fine coupled with a good firmware version (or some custom ROMs I guess), but it's entirely too easy to get a bad mixture.
Mine is running fine after the mods in the development section (still haven't unlocked my bootloader), but WiFi is certainly dampened when compared to other devices. I've heard that certain channels and passcode encryptions are handled better than others. We're all still playing around to achieve optimal signal and it seems that messing with a bit of conductive foam inside the tablet helps to ground the antenna and improve reception. But that requires opening up (not hard) the tablet and technically voiding warranty (just have to be careful and clean).
The BlueTooth/WiFi complaints are completely true and valid depending on what (amounts of) data the BT is pumping out. I generally don't see too hard a hit with your average BT headset, but I think that using any actual stereo headset is going to cause your WiFi to become downright deplorable.
I can use my WiFi in most any room of both houses I spend most my time in *(where each house has 2 routers)*, and over most of my work-place *(which uses a pretty powerful commercial-grade router)*, and I only get a random reboot maybe once every few weeks or so (usually during heavy use, right after I've started bragging but just before the awesome game/app loads up lol). I can go anywhere between one and seven days on a single charge depending on use, that is my favorite part of the tablet/keyboard combo. Having a native setting to use the mouse pad for touch gestures is awesome. The two speakers located directly beside each other don't sound too bad, but are very uni-directional and lose against the outdoors. The screen is magnificent: I can use it any time, anywhere, and everything isn't over-saturated like many competitors' screens (arguably under-saturated though, depends on opinion, eyesight, and luck of the draw). Useful to have the extra mSD and SD slots though I never use the SD in the keyboard; I leave my mSD in at all times and have changed its mount point to within the /sdcard/ directory so that apps can actually access and make use of it. This is only possible because of the leather case I have, otherwise the mSD would long ago have ejected somewhere. /rant
Tl;dr:
It's a great, fun toy which tries to appear productive and savvy; it's entirely unreliable just like its manufacturer and will cause great embarrassment if "shown off;" and I absolutely would not recommend it to someone who does not want to dig down into fixing and patching and playing with the hardware and software.
*EDIT:
Also, as mentioned, GPS is not even worth mentioning
Which is why I do not recommend ASUS to customers regardless. They produce great PC components, they just have some serious quality control issues which are usually covered pretty well by warranty. But none-the-less, their inconsistencies in physical components makes them a general no-no for me.
zerozoneice said:
In the market looking to buy a 2nd tab in the family.
Seen a lot of offers for used TF201 (some with dock) for the same price as a new TF300...
What do you guys recommend to get, is the WiFi signal issue present in all TF201s and if yes, is it that bad? Or should i just get a new TF300 and forget about TF201?
Does the GPS dongle improve also WiFi signal (indirectly i suppose)?
What advantages does TF201 have over TF300 that should make me choose it over the latter for the same price (or even less)?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Prime was fine, maybe even better then fine. But if $300 is about what you were going to spend on a used Prime, I would go get the new 300. WiFi was good with the one I played with at the store the other day. Put it in a case and no one will ever know it's not a Prime.
Seriously - either get a TF300 or better, a TF700.. just pretend the TF201 never existed.
IF you have no use for a GPS (and think very carefully about that - Google Now, for example, relies on both not-fine(WiFi - really - you can't say the opposite of fine that rhymes with course?) and fine (GPS) location for a lot of things it does... and more and more apps are location aware...) and if you don't mind subpar WiFi and Bluetooth, then it's a nice tablet.
Unfortunately, since the TF300 is cheaper and the TF700 is the same price - but with a higher res screen AND both have working GPS, WiFi and BT - you'd be nuts to go with the TF201.
And to be honest - given how Asus has bunged up the entire TF201 fiasco, I'm not even comfortable recommending a Transformer at all. I'd wait for the Samsung Note 10.1 in two weeks, or any of the growing number of Transformer like Android tablets coming out soon.
I agree with buxtahuda all the way. The only reason I can hand my prime to another person to play with without fear of mockery is that I have repaired the improper backplate grounding to the wifi and gps antennas so the both now work well. This required taking it apart (which I didnt mind since I got it so I could do that). The second part of the equation for not being embarassed by my prime is that I put one of the new Jellybean (actually I have tried them all) roms on it. There seems to be no game playing issues or lag with these but since they are prebeta they are missing some features of the hardware.
My boss asked me to recommend a tablet for her after she saw my prime with dock in action at a meeting. I told her to get an Ipad.
whycali said:
I agree with buxtahuda all the way. The only reason I can hand my prime to another person to play with without fear of mockery is that I have repaired the improper backplate grounding to the wifi and gps antennas so the both now work well. This required taking it apart (which I didnt mind since I got it so I could do that). The second part of the equation for not being embarassed by my prime is that I put one of the new Jellybean (actually I have tried them all) roms on it. There seems to be no game playing issues or lag with these but since they are prebeta they are missing some features of the hardware.
My boss asked me to recommend a tablet for her after she saw my prime with dock in action at a meeting. I told her to get an Ipad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to elaborate on the grounding issue? Are you talking those small spongy things?
dagrim1 said:
Care to elaborate on the grounding issue? Are you talking those small spongy things?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. We figured out forever ago that they carry continuity, so they're essentially a wire going to the case for grounding.
Or so I gather.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD via my tethered HTC Vision