Related
Hi,
I'm having an ongoing problem with my Vibrant not locking onto satellites. I've tried every trick, mod and software update I could find to no avail. After visiting Samsung's web site I saw that every time somebody asked a question about the GPS not working, Samsung's response was that it's a hardware problem and to send the phone in for repair. So I did and this is what happened......
1. I call and give them the exact problem I'm having. That the phone will not see let alone lock onto a real satellite. She emails me a 2day shipping label. I taped a note to my phone also detailing the problem for the tech to see.
2. I get an email a week later saying that they're shipping my phone back to me and this is what they did (Copied from the actual email).....
Original Problem:
Technical Inquiry
GPS
Acquiring Location
Problem found:
DROP CALLS
SW,PRL,OTSL RESET
Solution:
Passed All Functional Testing
After Google'ing what SW,PRL,OTSL RESET meant and finding out that it's just software resets, I called Samsung support back. I asked them if and why the hardware wasn't repaired and reminded them that their web site, in many places says that it's a hardware problem and to send it in for repair and that my phone NEVER DROPPED CALLS. She states that it tested ok and to wait and see. She then tells me that if I receive the phone and still have the same problem, they will find another solution so I wouldn't have to send my phone in again.
3. I received the phone last night. I put my sim and battery back in and turn on the phone. I did nothing but add my gmail account back in so I can download GPSTEST from the Marketplace. After doing so I walked outside and sure enough, after 10 minutes, no satellites. Nothing. This morning I called Samsung and to make a long story short, after talking to level three support, they tell me all they can do is have me send the phone back again.
Here's my problem with Samsung.... I followed their direction and sent my phone in for repair. I twice gave them the EXACT problem I was having. Their own website states that there is a HARDWARE problem. So instead of fixing the exact problem, they find a totally different problem to "fix" instead. They never touched the actual hardware or fixed my problem. They won't take responsibility for their error and find a solution that works. They tell me they don't replace phones, only repair them so they can't send me another phone. They won't even send me a overnight shipping label so I will only be without my phone for 5 days instead of 10. The only solution to my frustration he can offer was to give me an address to send a letter of complaint.
I'm done with Samsung. Is there anybody who can offer a solution to my GPS problem. From what I can tell, it is a hardware problem. Are there any fixes out there or do I just have to get another phone (It'll never be another Samsung)?
Also.. What other recourse with Samsung do I have? It doesn't sit well with me that I just have to accept their excuses and policies that do more for them than the customer.
Thanks
I had the same issue and I just had them send me a replacement. Just go through the live chat on your account, choose the warranty/exchange option, and then tell the rep that you tried all the fixes and updates and nothing works. It took about 15 minutes before the person said they would replace mine. Also, I would talk like you know more about the phone than they do.
Hope Samsung didn't break your gps connector tab
Gps is a hardware issue on vibrant and the best you can get is 25 feet accuracy and 30 sec lock times mostly.
In your case, you do need a replacement that can at least do this much
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
Why didnt you simply call tmobile and have it swapped?
Did you try the self hardware fix in this forum? Worked wonders for me and many others.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
frankwhitten said:
I had the same issue and I just had them send me a replacement. Just go through the live chat on your account, choose the warranty/exchange option, and then tell the rep that you tried all the fixes and updates and nothing works. It took about 15 minutes before the person said they would replace mine. Also, I would talk like you know more about the phone than they do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was this with Samsung or T-mobile?
I had much the same experience with Samsung as cconnell11. I last talked with Samsung a month before 2.2 was available. They assured me that 2.2 would fix it, and there was no point sending it in since they didn't have a repair procedure for it and it would come back the same way it was. I asked what would happen if 2.2 didn't fix it. They said all I could do would be to send a complaint letter.
Naturally 2.2 didn't fix the GPS. I'm thinking about what to do next.
I tried the hardware fix today and I still do not see a big improvement. I have gotten mine down as low as 6 meters but no less. My old MT3G would get really accurate compared to the Vibrant. I have more issues with Wifi than I think I do GPS. I adjusted both antennas this morning but my wifi still isn't stellar. I wish Samsung and T-Mobile would just send you a replacement phone up front and repair your phone and re-use it as a replacement after they repair it. The whole 2 day shipping thing sucks when you need your phone for work.
cyberpyr8 said:
I tried the hardware fix today and I still do not see a big improvement. I have gotten mine down as low as 6 meters but no less. My old MT3G would get really accurate compared to the Vibrant. I have more issues with Wifi than I think I do GPS. I adjusted both antennas this morning but my wifi still isn't stellar. I wish Samsung and T-Mobile would just send you a replacement phone up front and repair your phone and re-use it as a replacement after they repair it. The whole 2 day shipping thing sucks when you need your phone for work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow I only get 10m accuracy most of the times. I know other phones can get upto 6 ~ 9 feet
You can check here http://www.n2yo.com/whats-up/?c=20 to see what satellites are in your view.
If you get a different set you will have zero chance of locking on. If you show no sat numbers initially you are getting no or incorrect GPS assist to give you at least almanac info. If that is case try GPSrestore.
Do you get any grey bars on GPS test app? They need to be greater then 30 db/No to get initial data lock. It appears that Broadcomm GPS firmware does not report any sat lock until at least 3 satellites are locked enabling a 2D fix.
The only significant HW issue reported is the antenna contact. If for some reason the GPS TCXO calibration value has been lost it could take a very long time to get a lock, maybe never. Once it does it will establish a new TCXO calibration value which is then saved for future use. GPSrestore may retrieve factory firmware stored TCXO calibration.
GPSstatus does a network request for assist data that should get you at least correct sats to look for. Use WiFi if you have it with GPSstatus. Just use GPSstatus for assist download, then close and open GPS test.
I have not tried any of the hardware fixes (yet), but have tried the software reset from Samsung with not much change. When I notice that my GPS is having a hard time locking, I turn off Wifi and it locks almost instantly. I can then turn Wifi back on and it seems to keep a lock.
As an example, I can have a lock/see of 0/2 in "GPS Status" app for minutes. I turn off wifi, wait about a minute and get have 5/12. After turning wifi back on (after lock), I still have 5/12.
By comparison, my Galaxy Tab quickly goest to 7/10 with or without Wifi on.
Accuracy (according to Google Maps) is 10m on the Vibrant and 4m on the Tab.
I am thinking that my new golf GPS app is not going to be too useful with only a 10m accuracy.
thank me later
buy a bluetooth gps receiver such as globalsat bt-359 or any sirfIII or better. Next download bluetooth gps provider from the app market. let their powers combine and you vibrant may become a fully functional gps with the purchase of onboard gps vavigation. hehe
My solution
Since originally posting this I've tried the bending the pins up hardware fix to no avail. If I'm outside with a clear sky GPS status shows several satellites and after about 5 minutes will lock onto maybe three or four of them with about 10m accuracy. Maintaining that lock though is tricky. If I get into the car, it looses it. If I turn the phone upside down and have the bottom face the sky I get a lock on 7-10 satellites with about 7m accuracy. Either way it isn't good enough and I found a new problem. Google Maps just doesn't work with the default settings. It locks the phone up no matter what updates you've done. I fixed that though by changing the Operation Mode to MS Based and the Server FQDN Type to AUTO Config. Now it doesn't lock up and works fine with the exception of the GPS problem. I looked at the Samsung car cradle and noticed that it holds the phone sideways so the internal GPS antenna is facing the sky. This should work great but I don't want it attached to my windshield.
My main problem is that I want to use the phone for Geocaching like I did with my LG Optimus. That was a great phone and the GPS was accurate to 5m consistently. So I went ahead a bought a bluetooth GPS receiver. After a lot of research I decided that the Gosget SB-369 was the best option and it was only $30.00 online. This thing is great. I get a good steady lock on 7-10 satellites with 3m accuracy. This is perfect for Geocaching and was better than my Magellan when it worked right (don't buy anything Magellan). It has a hole in it and is small and light enough to be worn around your neck with a lanyard while Geocaching. You could also just put it in your pocket. It's antenna isn't a standard patch type. It's internal, but round and omni-directional and maintains the same lock no matter what way it's facing. I would recommend this to anyone who needs good accuracy for things like golfing and Geocaching.
I'm going to use this as a solution. I get great accuracy that I need at the expense of having another little gadget to carry.
Hello Developers,
I bought a Galaxy 5.0 for my brother and we love it. One problem we have though, the compass doesn't properly, I hear because of the 2.3 upgrade. I've rooted it with enropy's daily driver and I've played with some roms, (CM9 ) But I'm looking for a rom that has a working compass that is at least relatively stable. I would even consider downgrading to 2.2. A bug fix from Samsung probably wont come, so a fix from here is much more likely.
We tried to use the player as a gps and the map kept spinning because of the compass.
The software we use for the gps is Copilot.
Any ideas?
the compass on google maps/navigation works fine for me on gingerbread. have you tried that?
The map looks fine, but the pointer may spin in many different directions or stay in one direction. The other app I used, spins the entire map based on the compass, so it became unusable for pedestrian directions.
try turning on sensor aiding on the location and security menu in settings. (mine was unchecked, i checked it and got a super fast lock on my location) if its already on, try it without. you may be near some magnetic fields that are screwing with your gps.
Hey, thanks for the tip. I already tried it with both the box checked and un-checked, and still no help. Here's a video I found on youtube with someone with the same problem. youtube.com/watch?v=PnPU4UV_ywI[/url]
that happens to me sometimes but i just put it on a flat surface and wait until the gps icon on the status bar stops flashing and its usually fine.
if your arrow doesn't stop moving or the gps icon doesn't lock after maybe 3mins then the issue might be the whole magnetic field thing.
The compass on other devices I used in the same place worked perfectly well, and putting it on a flat surface doesn't really do much to help it, because it become erratic again when you pick it back up. It's more apparent in any compass app. On my phone, it always points north, even if I spin or move. On the SGP5 it just points to a direction and stays there , then jumps to other directions that are wrong.
I've noticed the same thing. I don't think it's a matter of finding "the right thing to try". I suspect that it's either the device or Samsung's implementation. I hope for a Kies update someday.
Yeah, but I heard it worked before the gingerbread update. I wish I know, but mine came with gingerbread already installed.
so did mine. although i didn't spend much time on stock before i switched to another rom. Right now I'm running my own custom rom that I may release to the public when I think its perfect, you may try that once its released since I told you myself I have no issues. If you want an immediate solution you can try these off the top of my head:
- go to task manager > maps > wipe data
- reflash gapps (20110828 gb version)
- clear cache/dalvik in cwm
I'm probably dumb and maybe that has nothing to do with fixing it but hey, if you haven't tried it already....
Try waving the device around in a figure 8 (Only using your wrist to do the motion) . I know... weird but it helps with the spinning compass issue.
Sent from my YP-G70 using Tapatalk 2
Compass or Gyro?
I think that somewhere in the programming that the compass got mixed up with the gyro because even when left untouched mine still spins rapidly. When it does stop it almost always points the wrong way. Try an app that is supposed to find metal, when device is placed on metal the metal readings fade to zero, but if you stand in the middle of a field and shake the device the sensor will go to maximum.
I have this problem that has been described and haven't had any luck finding a solution. I bought mine in February with gingerbread. Why would Samsung sell these galaxy players without fixing the gps?
I would like to know if anybody else have this problem with the GPS or if there is any fix for it. When I'm trying to use any app that uses GPS like GMaps, for example, the GPS icon flickers, appearing and disappearing from the notification bar and never locks any GPS. It's like the phone is trying to start the GPS but it is not able to do it and keeps trying and restarting it.
I've made a video comparing the function of the GPS between the GS3 of my girlfriend and mine where you can see the difference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcd2Ifnu39M
I've tried several stock roms and all of them have the same problem, so I'm starting to think its a "hardware" problem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2130812
Otherwise its hardware .
je
I took it to Samsung Service yesterday. They gave it back to me today and charged me 480 RMB (about 75 USD) and now the problem it's solved.
I don't know exactly what they changed, but for sure it was a piece of hardware because they put the Samsung Sticker on top of one of the screws
Erzgheiz said:
I took it to Samsung Service yesterday. They gave it back to me today and charged me 480 RMB (about 75 USD) and now the problem it's solved.
I don't know exactly what they changed, but for sure it was a piece of hardware because they put the Samsung Sticker on top of one of the screws
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi
i have same problem what can i do????
I have the same issue but don't want to send my phone to repair. Can I just replace the speaker?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/White-Loud-...e_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item4613eb40ef
I read that the gps antenna is built in there.
Hello, I was using GPS a lot during summer on official ROM, but after summer, when I stopped using it, I've managed to switch to custom ROM. I wasn't using GPS, so I didn't know that it isn't working. Now, I tried many ROMs, including the official one flashed via KDZ. Nothing is working, so what should I do? I have fast fix, but when I start moving, even if it is 2-3meters the GPS goes nuts and lose the signal:crying:. Any advice please?
I had this. Unfortunately, was not software related in my case (although I also flashed a lot of ROMs). The sat fix was fast, but very unstable in movement, rendering navigation software useless.
Turned out the culprit was bad contact between GPS antenna and the mainboard.
The workaround: removing the battery cover, apply pressure over the GPS antenna (like trying reseat it). I made it several times, but if you try this (at least, you will see if your issue is the same as mine), please be VERY careful, or you will end up with a broken screen glass, or mainboard.
The stability improved 90%, but the precision is not the same as new (but I can use Google Navigation and tomtom again).
I downloaded the service manual, the correct is disassembly the unit and check the contacts, but I don't have that tiny philips screwdriver. Time to leave the unit in a Service Center, and get the contacts cleaned/checked.
PS: The GPS unit in this litle beast is very sensitive, but LG's quality control in assembly probably is to blame.
Thank you, I will try it when I will have a chance .
EDIT: Didn't worked, I will try it again tommorow... or send it to the service
Molitann said:
Thank you, I will try it when I will have a chance .
EDIT: I think that I overpressed it, because it can't find any satelites and when I start any app that is using GPS, the gps icon doesn't appear... I'm so stupid . So, only chance now is to buy a new antena or go to the service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My god! Sorry about that...
But are you sure the gps hardware is activated (in Settings?).
In software (ex: GPS Test), status is showing "No GPS"?
I've just edited my post, it's ROM issue (stock ROM shows the icon and about 5 satellites, but the CM doesn't show the icon and I can't get any satellite), the gps still sucks
Hey gang, just got a V10 for my wife not too long ago, maybe a few weeks. She told me the other day she's having problems with the GPS so I started messing around with it.
I installed the GPS app that can reset everything and it's like the phone can see the satellites, but doesn't obtain a lock. It takes forever if at all.
Anyone else have this issue? If so, any suggestions on what to do to fix it?
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
I have the same problem here on my phone. Actually, all LG phones that I have ever used such as, G2/G3/G pro, are having this problem as well. Would love to hear how to fix it as I couldn't use this phone to be my navigator...which is suck.
I've had two different G3's and the GPS on both worked flawlessly.
Realized this weekend that my V10 does not share that same acclaim.
When in GMaps navigation, it's always saying "GPS signal lost" over and over.
Then it will periodically freak out and start rerouting me all over the place changing my destination to other random places of it's own choosing several times every second.
Planning to drop it off at T-Mobile and tell them no thanks haha
---------- Post added at 06:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 PM ----------
Forgot to mention, I actually talked to a phone tester that works for LG here in San Diego. She's from South Korea, she deals directly with corporate in Seoul and translates for them. She said they know that a certain percentage of the phones are defective with overheating and GPS issues.
I had the same problem and found that 'usb charge' is the root cause. When no usb cable connected gps is fine and locked, then connect usb cable gps signal becomes low gradually and lost lock finally. Disconnect cable again, gps signal goes back and locked.
mankindtw said:
I had the same problem and found that 'usb charge' is the root cause. When no usb cable connected gps is fine and locked, then connect usb cable gps signal becomes low gradually and lost lock finally. Disconnect cable again, gps signal goes back and locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. That might explain the intermittence of the issue since it has recently reoccured in my current V10.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app
mankindtw said:
I had the same problem and found that 'usb charge' is the root cause. When no usb cable connected gps is fine and locked, then connect usb cable gps signal becomes low gradually and lost lock finally. Disconnect cable again, gps signal goes back and locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have the same problem. was there ever a fix for this? is the phone defective? it's driving me nuts.
If LG really wants to succeed in the handset business, they need to fix this issue. My v10 does this intermittently add well. A restart usually solves it. But my wife's stylo also looses GPS. My cheap old Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime however is rock solid with GPS. And I have had then all on at the same time. Grand prime with GPS signal and both LG's can't find GPS.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA Free mobile app
I have the g4, tried a lot of stuff but what it seems to be working is to turn off wifi scanning and bluetooth scanning in loction, tap the 3 dot menu, seems a bit better locks faster
I have seen this issue for the better part of this past three months. I am thinking of sending my phone in for a warranty repair to see if it makes a difference.
So is this a software update issue?
So one year on.. does anyone aware is this a software update issue? as I dont remember the phone having this issue when it was new.
Did warranty repair sort the issue out in the end.. it is half annoying When phone needs to be charged
Thanks
satyp said:
So one year on.. does anyone aware is this a software update issue? as I dont remember the phone having this issue when it was new.
Did warranty repair sort the issue out in the end.. it is half annoying When phone needs to be charged
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now, with the latest updates, my V10 is fine now with GPS.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA Free mobile app
Make sure the prongs on the back of the phone are touching the back battery cover. I ended up having to lift the prongs some more so that theres a better connection. This enabled the phone to connect with the gps antenna on the back battery cover better and fixed my GPS problems instantly.
Hey all, I wanted to re investigate this issue. I have had the V10 since launch. However I am on my 3rd V10. The first bootlooped got it replaced and the 2nd had a defective charger so I am on my 3rd. However I can't recall if it started when I got the 3rd or shortly there after but my V10 does not connect to GPS satellites. I have factory reset me phone, cleared cache, uninstalled Google Maps, reset GPS status via "GPS Status". I also have the GPS Essentials app installed and it states that no satellites found. It states my location provider is "network" with an accuracy of 59ft.
I am at a lost at why my phone refuses to connect to any GPS satellites. I took my case off no dice, changed back plates no dice.
Any advice?