hi, I noticed that when I activate any running apps(runkeeper, mapmyrun etc) with gps and data(3g) , even though im stationery...the app icons(tat represent me) would move around on its own... clocking distance.......is there anything wrong with my omate? what can I do...pls advice.....
rayblade said:
hi, I noticed that when I activate any running apps(runkeeper, mapmyrun etc) with gps and data(3g) , even though im stationery...the app icons(tat represent me) would move around on its own... clocking distance.......is there anything wrong with my omate? what can I do...pls advice.....
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The TS GPS can be quite good. It is better than my Garmin ForeRunner 305 (still one of the best GPS receivers) 4 out of 5 GPS points or so. Occasionally though, there is a point far off other times the accuracy just decreases some minutes.
With EPO (use MT GPS app) and A-GPS it locks very fast too.
There is a HW problem though, the GPS antenna can snap. But then you will not get a lock at all.
It is normal that GPS units shows speed when still, especially with bad coverage, you have to compare with a known reference GPS to say if the TS is bad/good
There is minimal difference for apps (most only have some smoothing differences)
I believe IpBike is the best running app.
gerhardo said:
The TS GPS can be quite good. It is better than my Garmin ForeRunner 305 (still one of the best GPS receivers) 4 out of 5 GPS points or so. Occasionally though, there is a point far off other times the accuracy just decreases some minutes.
With EPO (use MT GPS app) and A-GPS it locks very fast too.
There is a HW problem though, the GPS antenna can snap. But then you will not get a lock at all.
It is normal that GPS units shows speed when still, especially with bad coverage, you have to compare with a known reference GPS to say if the TS is bad/good
There is minimal difference for apps (most only have some smoothing differences)
I believe IpBike is the best running app.
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hi, the funny thing is that the distance keep accumulating.......when I havent even started running.
rayblade said:
hi, the funny thing is that the distance keep accumulating.......when I havent even started running.
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It is normal, if you have started timing.
Due to accurracy, the GPS position is not exactly the same everytime, it is like throwing darts.
The GPS can be good.
Related
I have a Holux GPSlim 236 bluetooth GPS receiver that I want to use with my GS2 when I go mountain biking instead of the internal GPS as that would drain the battery too quickly.
I've successfully paired the receiver with the GS2 but none of the apps (Tracker, GPS Test, Maps, etc) actually "see" the external gps receiver and just display no lock and don't show any satellites. Switching on the internal gps receiver makes everything work as expected.
Is there anything special I need to do with the external receiver and pairing it to the GS2? Is there a setting buried in Android somewhere that directs all GPS apps to use an external receiver? On the old WM6 platform you could choose different com ports for the receiver but I see no options in android for that.
Never mind. It appears you need an app (yet again!) to do this. I installed blue4droid and it works now. Why isn't this functionality part of the core Android OS?
sunseaker said:
Never mind. It appears you need an app (yet again!) to do this. I installed blue4droid and it works now. Why isn't this functionality part of the core Android OS?
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Very few people ask for this feature (first time I've seen a request). Your need is very specific, are you sure you will save much battery with a BT-link constantly running?
Older platforms like Symbian S60 and WMP6 supports this quite obviously since this was the only way to get GPS on many older smartphones, but on Android almost all phones have GPS from the beginning.
This seems like good example to me where a dedicated app is better than making the standard Android OS more complicated.
Please remember that more or less every app in the market fulfills purpose for a certain number of people, that doesn't mean that all these apps should be included in the OS...
I hear what you're saying but I'd be surprised if BT used as much battery as the GPS. I took the GS2 out for a test yesterday on a short 1.5 hour mountain bike ride with the internal GPS on and it drained 50% of my battery. A lot of my rides are usually a lot longer in the 4-5 hour range so the battery will never last.
I assume BT will use a lot less power but I have yet to test it which I'll be doing in the next few days.
As for it not being a common feature request, I guess that you are right when taking into account all the Android devices around but it's actually quite commonly asked for in the cycling and running world where you want to track your path and other parameters during your training. the phone batteries just cannot cope with powering the internal GPS for more than a few hours.
I don't mind using some apps to enhance the OS but I just feel with Android it seems expected that you need to bolt apps on to achieve what normally is basic functionality. Also a lot of the apps require permissions to parts of the phone that have nothing to do with the functions the app is providing. I'll concede that perhaps in this case an app would is suitable than having the functionality in the core OS.
sunseaker said:
I hear what you're saying but I'd be surprised if BT used as much battery as the GPS. I took the GS2 out for a test yesterday on a short 1.5 hour mountain bike ride with the internal GPS on and it drained 50% of my battery. A lot of my rides are usually a lot longer in the 4-5 hour range so the battery will never last.
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50% in 1.5h sounds a lot.
I don't think this is because of the GPS, what app do you use to log the position? Does it keep the display on all the time?
I haven't checked battery when I've been logging that careful because it hasn't been a problem, but I can see that I have a 3.5 hours log in my track-list and I remember that I checked the map a lot as well during that hike. I'm pretty sure I wasn't close to draining the battery.
Modern GPS-chip doesn't use that much battery, people are overexaggerating the drain from GPS-chip, probaly because of problems with older chip designs. But a lot of software that uses GPS, e g car navigation system are often huge battery hogs though.
I've read that this is the chip inside SGS2:
http://www.csr.com/products/25/sirfstariv-gsd4t
It seems to use 8mW with 1hz update. So the battery in SGS2 can run only the GPS chip for (4V*1650mAh)/8 = 825hours...
So I believe the battery problem you have is caused by something else, so adding an external GPS might not solve anything at all.
Hmm, that throws a different light on it. I'm using Run.GPS for my tracks. I'll have to monitor this more closely and try a different app for comparison. What did you use for tracking your hike?
The app isn't keeping the screen on and I physically turn it off with the power button anyway. The app is also set not to illuminate the screen back light although I don't think it makes any difference with the AMOLED screen.
I'll try a comparison with the external GPS and see how much difference there is to try establish if the app is at fault. I expect tracking using the external GPS to use significantly less battery so if battery drain is still high then it points most likely to being the app at fault - we'll see.
Is there any app that can list the various apps / processes that are running and show how much cpu is being used? I want to see how much cpu power the tracking software is consuming.
sunseaker said:
Hmm, that throws a different light on it. I'm using Run.GPS for my tracks. I'll have to monitor this more closely and try a different app for comparison. What did you use for tracking your hike?
The app isn't keeping the screen on and I physically turn it off with the power button anyway. The app is also set not to illuminate the screen back light although I don't think it makes any difference with the AMOLED screen.
I'll try a comparison with the external GPS and see how much difference there is to try establish if the app is at fault. I expect tracking using the external GPS to use significantly less battery so if battery drain is still high then it points most likely to being the app at fault - we'll see.
Is there any app that can list the various apps / processes that are running and show how much cpu is being used? I want to see how much cpu power the tracking software is consuming.
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I'm using my "tracks", it is an pretty good (but simple) app, but it does not do any GPS filtering, så especially data like max speed tend to be incorrect.
There are definately app's to check processes, but I don't know which is the best, I believe System Tuner Pro is good:
https://market.android.com/details?id=ccc71.pmw.pro&feature=search_result
I tried Tracker but preferred a more cycling specific app.
Thanks I'll look at that System Tuner app.
Considering buying an ATRIX but I need good GPS, whats locking speed and accuracy like and is it fast even with Data connection off?
I consider it great....but I always have connection on....
Enviado desde mi MB860 usando Tapatalk
Not sure about with data off, but in regular use its great, and is one of the main reasons I switched from the iPhone. It also seems to calculate real time traffic into your ETA.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
keep mobile data off 85% of the time. almost never use the gps. connects within seconds indoors without downloading data. ive had a g1, droid, and acer iconia tab. this blows them away gps wise.
I was shocked at how fast it connected and started navigating. Last week I tried my g/f's inspire. Took like over 5 mins to lock. My Atrix takes seconds.
The Atrix has a fantastic gps. Even better than my son's low-end Garmin. I used it for a 600-mile trip to Spokane and it never missed a beat. I loaded my route before leaving, and it cached all the maps. Hence, it worked well even in areas without data service. I was so impressed that I bought the car dock when I arrived in Spokane just to have better access to the gps features in the car.
Best GPS on any phone. I have ever used.
mobileweasel said:
Best GPS on any phone. I have ever used.
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same here. but i used to own a galaxy s so really anything is an improvement. locking is super fast & accurate - perfect for all of those golf apps.
The Balvenie said:
same here. but i used to own a galaxy s so really anything is an improvement. locking is super fast & accurate - perfect for all of those golf apps.
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Rofl seriously my captivate gps would have me driving a mile away through houses, driving in one direction while pointing in another direction, and tell me I was accurate to 30m all at the same time. Atrix gps is awesome.
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Agreed, i'm very happy with the gps. It didnt occur to me to test without data before but i just tried it.
I went into airplane mode, went into Gps Test app and turned gps on. It immediately located the first satellite and others, and ~6-7 seconds later it had full lock. This is from my 3rd floor office of a 4 floor building.
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GPS is awesome on these phones. I don't know about with the data off though, you have to get maps from somewhere. With Google maps, you can set it to cache your route and that helps if you're in poor service areas. I use mine almost everyday, and all day long, it never misses a step.
I came from the Captivate and I can tell you it's excellent. I get an approximate location within 2-3 seconds, and an accurate location within about 7-8 seconds. And by accurate within 5 feet or about 1.5M. I was surprised how fast and accurate the GPS was on my phone. This was while indoors, I'm sure if you went outside you could lock on a few seconds faster.
I think you have your answer OP.
Keep in mind Google Maps will use the cell towers to get location. Google will even work if you disable the GSP. I use Navigon. I like having the maps on my phone just in case. I also use BackCountry Navigator. Both these programs will only use the GPS. The Atrix GPS is great. I has always lock in 10 12 seconds or less. If you use GPS Status to download the A-GPS XTRA Data, it will lock in 1 to 3 seconds. The Atrix GPS seems to be very accurate also.
I found it to be awesome on froyo and real iffy on gingerbread.
does leaving the gps on actually kill battery life more? I was under the impression that even if you leave gps on, its only used when an application uses and when it is finished, it turns off by itself. please correct me if i'm wrong.
kwazytazz said:
does leaving the gps on actually kill battery life more? I was under the impression that even if you leave gps on, its only used when an application uses and when it is finished, it turns off by itself. please correct me if i'm wrong.
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I leave GPS, Bluetooth and wifi on all the time and only loose about 1% battery per hour in standby.
I too would like to know this, it makes sense to me in theory.
Im going to say it doesn't kill battery unless you use it. Based on test ive done myself using "wireless networks" for location actually drains battery faster than just using gps. GPS only activates when its needed and turns off after a few secs; mobile networks is ALWAYS updating your location thus killing the battery faster. Ive done this test for years on many android devices and it was same results. Like i said, i may be crazy but thats my theory on it....
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/1046/20110911195533.jpg
The GPS receiver remains in "standby" if you turn it on but aren't actively using an app that requires it. Assuming you are using an application that requires the GPS receiver to be on, most likely the screen is going to be on as well. Even in this "on" configuration, the display is going to be the battery drainer, not the GPS receiver. Standby just means that the last position fix is retained for faster sat lock the next time around. GPS standby is identical to GPS off in power requirement.
I never did understand why people disable GPS, Bluetooth, etc. You might get an extra 12 minutes out of a single charge by doing so. I'd rather have instant access to location-based search, Bluetooth headset use, and everything else that makes a smartphone, well, "smart."
kennypowders said:
Im going to say it doesn't kill battery unless you use it. Based on test ive done myself using "wireless networks" for location actually drains battery faster than just using gps. GPS only activates when its needed and turns off after a few secs; mobile networks is ALWAYS updating your location thus killing the battery faster. Ive done this test for years on many android devices and it was same results. Like i said, i may be crazy but thats my theory on it....
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/1046/20110911195533.jpg
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i think you may be right, as if you just leave wireless/mobile networks on and not gps, when you use your google maps you dont get the gps icon on the top so you dont know when its actually on or off. whereas if you have only the GPS checked you will see it on when its being used and off when its not.
I don't use GPS but with all the talk going on about GPS I thought I would try that GPS test program on my Transformer Prime. Is the attached picture a good response? I'm not sure what SNR means but it appears to have picked up quite a few sats.
For a Prime its pretty good as many people including myself get nothing.
SNR means signal to noise ratio. Which is an indicator for signal quality. In comparison to other devices the SNR is not so good.
texstar said:
I don't use GPS but with all the talk going on about GPS I thought I would try that GPS test program on my Transformer Prime. Is the attached picture a good response? I'm not sure what SNR means but it appears to have picked up quite a few sats.
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That's average, mine is also like this, but it won't ever locate you any closer than that and if you move you lose signal.
Compared to my Galaxy Note...
I got zero's across the board on my prime...for sh*ts and giggles, I decided to compare to my galaxy note.
Note with GPS only accuracy down to about 225-250 feet, SNR on 12-14 satellites ranged from 18-27 or so...
When I add sensors to the mix, accuracy goes to 45 feet... (about same SNR)...
All and all I am continually amazed at the galaxy note... (gps on prime is nice to have for me... my car has nav and clearly the galaxy can do it!)
It seems for a "premium" tablet, they'd have put forth premium components and subsystems like GPS...
on the plus(and unrelated) my wifi has been solid...which is key for me...
Interpreting YOUR numbers
Here is what your pic is telling you:
GPS Status: Green - You have a lock...Your "location (car)" will track you as you move.
Yellow - GPS is active, but you do not have GPS lock and is still searching for satellites
Red - GPS is inactive
Accuracy - 36 ft isn't bad...GPS alone (without AGPS) is going to be about 30 ft. AGPS will improve that number. I have seen numbers as low as 6-10 ft. This also depends on where the "active" sats are...If they are low (at the horizon), the accuracy won't be as good....If your sat's are at about 45 degrees in the sky will give the best reading. As the accuracy gets worse, as you're moving, the map indicator may show you traveling in a median, field, thru houses, etc - so although it shows you, your actual location is off.
Chart - Satellites with SNR below 20 most likely will not lock. Depending on the system (I don't know this one well enough yet) it takes 3-4 above 20 to get a lock (some systems require 5-6 sats)....When most numbers are in the very low 20's, although you have lock....you probably will lose lock at times during your trip....how long is loses lock will vary and depends on when it can pick up some higher numbers...Sometimes, it's only seconds, sometimes it's minutes...when it happens, you won't be tracked. The numbers at the very bottom are the satellite numbers....There are about 32-36 active satellites floating around in space...being able to see 13 means you are seeing pretty much the maximum number available at your location.
Hope this helps your understanding.
Bob
To possibly improve an already decent reading, I'd try the mods found in these 2 threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1520642
and
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1533776
Honestly, the GPS is a ****. One week ago I did a small running. The GPS showed me about 5% less then the reality. For such a price of the watch it is OK. But yesterday I did the same trail, same weather conditions, but the watch showed me by 28% more! That's not acceptable even for the price of GTS...
Honestly, even the pedometer shows better results...
It's not about weather conditions. It's about currently available GNSS satellites over your head. GNSS is not static.
No, GTR and GTS have a badly designed antenna that results in a very weak signal. They found a workaround that helps if you keep A-GPS up-to-date and use Amazfit app and you walk/run close to roads (it smooths the path just like car navigation systems).
I read that calibration of compass helps GTS with GPS, but I do not know how to do that...
Ok, I found how to calibrate the compass, will see at weekend if it helps...
OK, so after the compass calibration the GPS is pretty OK, the difference is around 5%, it counts down the turnings so shows a little bit less. I compared it with Huawei Pro 3 and the result is the same.
I have tested the GPS of the GTS and I have to say that I'm impressed. I've read many bad comments but what I see is actually pretty accurate. I have compared the results with a Garmin Venu and the results (avg pace, distance) are practically de same (probably within error margins). I can definitely say that the GPS accuracy is on par with the Garmin. The only difference worth noting is the instantaneous pace, in the garmin it's more stable but the avg pace are almost the same. I only wished to be able to customize the metrics during a workout, meaning to be able to move the avg pace on the first screen.
PhilippeMulot said:
I have tested the GPS of the GTS and I have to say that I'm impressed. I've read many bad comments but what I see is actually pretty accurate. I have compared the results with a Garmin Venu and the results (avg pace, distance) are practically de same (probably within error margins). I can definitely say that the GPS accuracy is on par with the Garmin. The only difference worth noting is the instantaneous pace, in the garmin it's more stable but the avg pace are almost the same. I only wished to be able to customize the metrics during a workout, meaning to be able to move the avg pace on the first screen.
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I agree, with latest update and a-gps update, we went skiing and I had no problem GTS tracked my speed, skiing paths and everything very nicely without problems. GPS lock on the beginning needed about 5-max10 seconds to lock.
I'm very satisfied with it