Related
I wonder if I have found a reason why GPS was not offered in the past year..
Since playing with the new radio and OS ROMs, the internal GPS on my phone has been consistently flawless. Indoor (wood frame house) and outdoor 5~30s lock ons to 3-8 satellites out of a visible 10.
A few weeks ago I got my dad the same Telus phone and this evening moved it also to the latest radio and DCD's 2.2.1. BUT, it can only perceive a maximum of 7 satellites and retain a much weaker and extremely intermittent lock to 1-3 satellites. When first activated with visualGPS, the signal strength and satellite recognition seems to be stronger for the first 5-10 seconds but then quickly drops off to rather poor levels. If the app is shut-down, I wait ~15 seconds and restart it then it returns with the same weakening performance model. This is all the while with my phone (identical ROMs) is close by but providing exceptional reception.
In the other thread concerning GPS performance there are some people complaining about the apparent "worthlessness" of the internal GPS. Possibly they aren't doing anything wrong but lost out on a crapshoot for a GPS viable Titan.
Checking in the EPST (reliable and significant? I'm still learning..), the hardware version of my phone is 0003 and the PRI Version (?) 1.15_010. In the next few days I'll head back to my Dad's to see if his phone states anything different.
GPS is working great on my Telus P4000 with the 2.2.3 ROM. Little jumpy in steel-and-concrete buildings and among the downtown buildings, but it's got a lock everywhere I've tried it.
Soundy106 said:
GPS is working great on my Telus P4000 with the 2.2.3 ROM. Little jumpy in steel-and-concrete buildings and among the downtown buildings, but it's got a lock everywhere I've tried it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, most seem to work well. But I think this is the first opportunity to test one of the phones with apparent weak GPS issues side-by-side with another that's working fine and has an identical (sprite backup image) software configuration.
After the ROM update, as mine, my dad's phone was updated on the Telus network via *228032. It was also left outside for 30 minutes to see if it could better survey and lock on to the satellites. I can't think of any software or settings discrepancies between the two that could cause such a difference in performance.
Tomorrow or Wednesday I'll again try out quickGPS and check if his EPST states any different hardware revision.
It's appears to be definite that my dad's Titan is subpar compared to mine with the internal GPS. It's EPST hardware revisons are identical to mine, so there is no visible difference between the phone.
I just again tried quickGPS with no difference in reception.
Keystone said:
It's appears to be definite that my dad's Titan is subpar compared to mine with the internal GPS. It's EPST hardware revisons are identical to mine, so there is no visible difference between the phone.
I just again tried quickGPS with no difference in reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
please remember that this is still a "BETA" rom. it is not publicly released, or supported by ANYONE. with that in mind, it could get better with time, and when they finally release the public rom, test it again.
I was wondering the same thing if something was changed internally along the line.
I have hardware rev. 03, and my GPS blows.
fallingup said:
please remember that this is still a "BETA" rom. it is not publicly released, or supported by ANYONE. with that in mind, it could get better with time, and when they finally release the public rom, test it again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and it is unlikely to be the cause of these discrepancies. With identical software setups between the Titans, I have left the hardware to be the lone differentiation. Could later software revisions resolve this hardware dilemma? Possibly, but with that mostly out of our hands and into the OEMs (I'm an old & jaded Toshiba e740 user....), I wouldn't put much hope in getting much more than what we are.
I started this thread because in the GPS FAQ thread some were expressing frustration at being unable to achieve the same GPS performance that was widely expected. With this side by-side comparison it may be comforting (though sad.... )to see that people may not be at fault for setting up the software on their phones. Myself and others were treating the GPS failures as though user error was at fault. After playing with my dad's Titan it is now clear to me that not all Titans are equal, and as such that may explain why the GPS abilities of the phone did not make it active to market. None of us bought these phones with a GPS guarantee.
jsmz, both mine and my dad's phones are hardware revision 0003. Without practical testing I don't think there is an obvious way to distinguish which phone will perform so radically different with its internal GPS. I have no inclination to tear them open..
i have hardware version 0003 and mine works fine...it gets me within ~10ft
My guess is if there are any deficiencies from one unit to the other it would most likely be in the Antenna not the actual hardware. Just about all of these units are chipset based and the features each unit has depends on how much of that chipset is used.
The fact that it is possible at all to turn on the GPS would seem to suggest it's not a hardware issue at all as far as chipset capability...
More likely just a individual manufacturing defect of that particular unit...
Could even be a bad soldering job...common with SMT boards.
Asphyx said:
My guess is if there are any deficiencies from one unit to the other it would most likely be in the Antenna not the actual hardware. Just about all of these units are chipset based and the features each unit has depends on how much of that chipset is used.
The fact that it is possible at all to turn on the GPS would seem to suggest it's not a hardware issue at all as far as chipset capability...
More likely just a individual manufacturing defect of that particular unit...
Could even be a bad soldering job...common with SMT boards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking the same thing - the difference from one mass-produced unit to the next shouldn't be that substantial, and a bad/loose/iffy antenna or antenna connection is the most likely culprit.
Give it a good whack on the table and see if that smartens it up
Soundy106 said:
Give it a good whack on the table and see if that smartens it up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just did that, didn't really help My gps really sucks takes at least 10 minutes to get a lock for the first time even outside with cleas sky. And even when I do get a lock using gmaps, it can be off by a whole New York City block, sometimes more. Too bad i can't just go to the sprint repair center and demand a replacement phone Maybe after the official release i will, who knows? But thank to this thread I don't feel so stupid anymore. I always thought i was doing something wrong, and after reading pretty much everything on gps here and installing quickGPS, i am quite sure it's not because of me.. But if anyone knows anything else i should try please feel free to tell me. Thanks
Asphyx said:
My guess is if there are any deficiencies from one unit to the other it would most likely be in the Antenna not the actual hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well as per forum posts the apparent hardware (chip revision, manufacturing flaw, etc...) discrepancy between units does not seem to be very isolated and it is best for all of us to be aware of this before banging our heads against the wall to get an afflicted unit operating.
My GPS works so well I was able to get a sustained lock at 35000 FT on a recent plane ride. That was cool, to see speed at 627KM/hour.
I have a friend that is also having GPS issues, so it appears to be fairly widespread.
having gone through 9 (yes, nine) telus P4000 units, i'm certain they are plagued with inconsistencies... getting on telus' case won't do much either except get you refurb after refurb if you're past the initial 14 days.
Lutzik - You mention off by a NYC Block...
Are you trying to use this in NYC?
I will point out that the height of buildings do block your unit from seeing enough satellites to get a fast and quick lock and whats more is you will also get reflections off the buildings that can hurt your accuracy if the conditions are right.
Remember GPS operates and locates you by noting the delay time it takes a signal to get from one of the satellite to you. It calculates the time it took the signal to get to you to determine how far away from that sat you are. By doing that for three sats minimum it triangulates your position...
Not a big problem with AGPS enabled navigators since the cell towers help ensure you have enough signal sources to throw out the errant data.
Sorry that did go a bit off topic...
I think the real issue is the beta radio driver. when a stable release is finally made I bet most everyone's sat lock and transmission issues will go away.
Asphyx said:
I think the real issue is the beta radio driver. when a stable release is finally made I bet most everyone's sat lock and transmission issues will go away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible to think that but beyond guessing we lack information to assume so while we have recorded cases of the erratic performance between devices with the identical software.
If a future software release resolves the problem then that further reaffirms a hardware discrepency between units. Yet we haven't seen a diffinitive answer that the units do have different gpsOne or other chipset revisions that require a software resolution while others units do not. As a few people are having GPS issues it may come down to the afformentioned quality control, manufacturing/design changes, etc..
It's cheaper to release a unit to retail without a potentially flawed feature than to advertise what may be broke and swallow a recall. I do think that we may be seeing why these phones were not sold as GPS enabled PPCs.
Hey guys,
I do got some issues with the WIFI reception on my gtab. The signal is always very low and weak. I tried every rom, even did an NVFlash to go stock but that didnt help either. I did put carbon stickers on the whole device though, can that have any impact? Are there more people with this problem and if so have you got stickers on the device? Please let me know, thanks in adance!!
Peace!
After submitting this post my connection dropped which it also does more often.
Anyone has a clue?
3sade,
I actually had this same problem about 2 weeks ago. I would be directly over my WiFi AP and had a weak signal (2bars) no matter what ROM I used. I called up GTab support (310) 228-4000 and opened a RMA with them. Despite what's I've read in other posts, support was very nice and willing to help for me. They will tell you that you'll have to remove the carbon stick from the device and restore it to the stock ROM. That part sucks but when I got my gtab back (14 business day wait), it is in better working condition then when I sent it to them (the screen is more responsive, seems less sluggish with the stock ROM).
I don't know if this is what you were hoping to hear, but I thought I would pass it along.
I'm sorry to reply to an old thread but I've just recieved a hannspad sn10t1 which I believe has similar if not the same hardware as the GTab. I'm having the same issue with wifi connection, if I actually touch it to the router then I might get 3 bars! I definately cant leave the room and still be connected.
Have I got a faulty unit or is there a software or settings fix? By the sound of this its a hardware fault but I'd rather try and find a fix first.
htc-rocks said:
I'm sorry to reply to an old thread but I've just recieved a hannspad sn10t1 which I believe has similar if not the same hardware as the GTab. I'm having the same issue with wifi connection, if I actually touch it to the router then I might get 3 bars! I definately cant leave the room and still be connected.
Have I got a faulty unit or is there a software or settings fix? By the sound of this its a hardware fault but I'd rather try and find a fix first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most definitely a hardware issue. It sound like your antenna is not even connected at all. I would contact the manufacture for a RMA. If not crack it open and find the antenna
Hello there,
I'm facing some troubles using my GPS (i9100P). I think it's a hardware issue since I already tested different kernels / ROM and tried multiple GPS tools without big changes. I just successfully improved the quickness of the fix.
For now, fix is just awesome : 10 satellites fixed in 3-4s. The issue is related to the weakness of the signal. It can be lost when driving near a truck, a bridge or small buildings. Using "GPS test" software outdoor in a clear view, SNR is about 25-30 for the best satellites. I think it's weak !
Do you think it's a hardware issue (probably my GPS module ending its life) ? Which part should I change ? I think it's the module including speaker but I'm not sure :
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/148/330/446/446330148_718.jpg
Hope someone can help me to fix that issue ! Thanks
Lwysiwyg said:
Hello there,
I'm facing some troubles using my GPS (i9100P). I think it's a hardware issue since I already tested different kernels / ROM and tried multiple GPS tools without big changes. I just successfully improved the quickness of the fix.
For now, fix is just awesome : 10 satellites fixed in 3-4s. The issue is related to the weakness of the signal. It can be lost when driving near a truck, a bridge or small buildings. Using "GPS test" software outdoor in a clear view, SNR is about 25-30 for the best satellites. I think it's weak !
Do you think it's a hardware issue (probably my GPS module ending its life) ? Which part should I change ? I think it's the module including speaker but I'm not sure :
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/148/330/446/446330148_718.jpg
Hope someone can help me to fix that issue ! Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chk on stock rom or else it is a n hardware issue
bhavstech said:
chk on stock rom or else it is a n hardware issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clean install made using Odin : repartition / full wipe, XXKI3/XXLPX install, but same issue with GPS. I really think it's a hardware issue.
Lwysiwyg said:
Clean install made using Odin : repartition / full wipe, XXKI3/XXLPX install, but same issue with GPS. I really think it's a hardware issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
show in service centre
bhavstech said:
show in service centre
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have service center near home / work :-s.
If my S2 needs to be repaired, I will probably do it myself. That's why I need to know what part to change. Since phone's value is near 100€, I don't want to repair it if that costs more than 20-30€.
Anyone knows which part of the phone integrate GPS module ?
You need the service manuals; they've been posted here from time to time - do an XDA search (or a Google search with XDA appended to your search terms), or a Google search should find them easily enough on other sites.
You could also take it to any local mobile repair shop, it doesn't have to be a Samsung service centre who does the repair.
Got it ! Thanks
I learned that speaker part integrates antenna, and GPS receiver is fixed on motherboard ! It seems to be hard to change GPS receiver without equipment (and experience !).
Will check if speaker part seems good (removing / cleaning it), then checking / cleaning GPS receiver part. Hope this will solve my issue.
I found a local mobile repair shop near my home. I asked it how much it will cost... waiting for the answer
Yeah it can be tricky to replace parts like that if you don't have experience. Good luck, let us know how you get on in this thread.
MistahBungle said:
Yeah it can be tricky to replace parts like that if you don't have experience. Good luck, let us know how you get on in this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This week-end, I cleaned my i9100p hardware but nothing changed ! I noticed that without HP/antenna part, I can't fix GSM nor GPS signal. This part seems to be the heart of the signal reception. I plan to change it as soon as possible. This morning, I ordered HP/antenna part :
http://www.htcn.fr/pieces-detachees...ut-parleur-dock-galaxy-s2-i9100-sonnerie.html
I don't know if this will solve my issue, but I really hope for it !
Someone in a french forum explained me a way to improve GPS signal. This seems to be really easy to do. I will try it tonight and test it tomorrow
http://galaxys-team.fr/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=41110&p=634046#p634044
More news tomorrow !
Keep posting your progress, this thread is going to be a really useful reference for people in future once you've fixed it
I have tested the hardware fix linked in my previous post. Unfortunately, that doesn't solve my issue. Maybe because it's a i9100P (NFC version), with a special battery cover. Moreover, I made this fix quickly. Will try again later.
I'm now waiting for my new HP/antenna part, that will probably be received this week-end !
Edit : HP/antenna part has been sent by HTCN. I will received part thurday or friday. More news soon
HP/antenna part changed. Unfortunately, issue not solved
For now, I don't know what to do... It seems that the guilty is the GPS receiver (fixed on motherboard), but it's a bit hard to change. I will check again /root/etc/gps, sirfgps.conf and gps.conf, but I'm not optimist ! Phone only costs about 100€ here : ask a center to repair it is not a good idea, in my opinion.
If anyone has an idea, please post here ! It seems that I have to buy a S3 4G soon :-s
Yeah unfortunately replacing individual components on the board is really really difficult to do unless you absolutely know what you're doing - a fiddly job, very easy to damage the board itself or other components beyond repair if you mess up. And you'd have to source a 2nd hand board to get the components to replace anyway, so you might as well just swap the whole board. Samsung service centres don't replace individual components on the board because it's easier for them to just swap the whole board and they charge a lot for labour.
If you want to keep the phone, replace the whole motherboard; source a 2nd hand one online, and either swap yourself or pay a local mobile repair shop (not Samsung service centre) to swap. But you could also buy a fairly good phone for not much more than that (or even the same amount if you bought a 2nd hand phone).
So given what you've already tried (and you have tried everything), I'd probably be looking at a new phone if I was in your situation.
I spent the last couple of weeks trying to fix my i9100 GPS problem, which is that it takes a few minutes to lock and loses the signal very frequently.
I tried many things :
* changing ROM (Neatrom 6.3 Aroma)
* trying different modems (LPW, MS2, MS4 and LS9 at the moment)
* installing fasterfix
* installing GPS Status & toolbox which I replaced with GPS Status Test & Fix
* trying the static navigation thingy suggested on this forum.
It's pretty much the same as it used to be. I was considering that I have a faulty hardware but if I keep GPS Status T&F running with no GPS navigator app it never loses the signal. The signal isn't very powerful tho, ranging from 6 to 8 used sats. I also get the signal back very quickly if I open GPS Status T&F while using, say, Waze. But then it loses it again when I switch back to Waze. It seems that GPS Status is doing something even tho I'm just opening it without using any other features.
So I'm not sure where the problem lies. Hardware ? Software ? Bit of both ?
Any ideas ?
edit : also, does anyone know how to do this on an i9100 ?
I think you have korean s2 converted phone
I've got the same problem since the end of June. Don't know how to fix it.
This might help on speed. It did to mine. From +5 minutes to 20 seconds
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1239713
I doubt if will fix the dropouts
Sorry I didn't reply before. Finally fixed this freaking issue.
It definitely was an hardware problem : bad contact between the motherboard and the antenna. I previously found a fix about this for the i9000 but had no idea where to find the contacts on the i9100.
Shiwer : sorry I can't post outside links yet so you'll have to look for the page by yourself. Google 'Améliorer la réception GPS galaxy s team'. You should find a thread in which in the 2nd post there will be 2 photos : one of the antenna, one of the contact that connects to the motherboard of the mobile. All you need to do is open your phone by removing the screws, then put some iron on this contact and on the contact of the motherboard with a solder. It'll make a proper connection between them which results in a solid GPS signal. Enjoy!
I have a SM G900H (that's what the sticker inside says) that was an e-bay purchase from a Hong Kong seller. I have had a couple of small problems using it, but recently it has started getting worse so I want to try to flash another ROM. The problem now is, after trying to find out more about the phone I'm not sure exactly what hardware I have. Is there a PC utility that can "investigate" my phone, and tell me what exactly I have ?
Flash with Official Firmware
gafflad said:
I have a SM G900H (that's what the sticker inside says) that was an e-bay purchase from a Hong Kong seller. I have had a couple of small problems using it, but recently it has started getting worse so I want to try to flash another ROM. The problem now is, after trying to find out more about the phone I'm not sure exactly what hardware I have. Is there a PC utility that can "investigate" my phone, and tell me what exactly I have ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please mention the types of problems you are facing. G900H is the International Exynos model. I have the same phone.
The ROM development for G900H is slow for some odd reason. To fix issues you are facing, which may be software related, I'd suggest you download and flash the official firmware.
Thank you for replying. I have had problems sometime with charging, the screenbegins to fade and if I'm too slow to respond by disconnecting the phonewill not turn on for a couple of hours. Some apps do not appear to work but iI think that the problem there is related to GPS issues. My GPS is rubbish. When I get to another device later I can state what shows as the model on Bluetooth. I can only remember the beginning which is ALPS. I would like to consider flashing a new ROM but I'm trying to discover what exactly I have inside so that I install the correct ROM for the phone. I have requested information from the eBAY seller but had no response.
Thank you again. More details later.
Apologies for not responding sooner, recent personal issues had taken priority and I've since become accustomed to some of the peculiarities of this phone. The issue I've had with charging (see above) could probably be explained away with a suspect charge cable/connector, as since then I have replaced the cable and secured it for my own personal use. Where the maps are concerned (including sat-nav) the GPS leaves a lot to be desired, in some instances it would appear to be up to a half-mile wrong. This also affects another APP that I cannot use for work purposes (OMNICOM'S Track Locater) that defines my location to help me establish if I'm within a "safe" area. Another APP I still cannot use is a reader of the new QR codes, that relies on the camera function and not the GPS though. I also keep getting notified that "the Galaxy Note 3 widget has stopped working". I have no idea what that means to me, or what it does for this phone. I'm glad that I've now found someone else with this phone, I was beginning to think that it was unique. I include this screen shot taken from the "about" section of the phone, maybe this build has been improved.