GPS Fix

[stormdroid]

I don't know if this has been posted before, but if so feel free to delete. I looked for it but didn't see much.

Anyways my gps seemed to get a lock super fast, and I wasn't experiencing any of the problems others complained about. But today I was trying to get it to pull up my location on google earth and it wasn't even close. I got really frustrated and couldn't figure it out so I tried to map a route on google nav, well it was still having issues locking on so I messed with the settings and somehow I had checked the VZW services in the gps settings. As soon as I unchecked it voice naviagation began immediately.

I ran the GPS test with that option checked and unchecked and had a HUGE difference. I'm talking 12 ft accuracy unchecked, and 70 ft accuracy checked.

So if anyone is having issues with GPS, and you haven't done this check it out.

And again sorry if this has been covered.

EDIT: okk well just re-checked and they were the same this time. So I'm thinking it was coincidence? I'm not sure what is going on here..because right now it locks on super fast and accurate but earlier today it sucked.

 

[Vihzel]

Of that's really fascinating. Can others confirm this?

 

[Droidable]

Doesnt make any difference here. Ive actually been messing around with this to no end today. Im gonna exchange it for another on by the end of the week and if that one has trouble im just returning it and waiting for something else. This has me so pissed!

 

[xliderider]

Doesnt make any difference here. Ive actually been messing around with this to no end today. Im gonna exchange it for another on by the end of the week and if that one has trouble im just returning it and waiting for something else. This has me so pissed!

The gps issue has been acknowledged and is on the list of things to fix on the update list. As to when this update hits is anyone's guess though. It would definitely be better before the 30 day mark, or I predict Verizon will have a bunch of returned Fascinate's on their hands.

 

[stormdroid]

Doesnt make any difference here. Ive actually been messing around with this to no end today. Im gonna exchange it for another on by the end of the week and if that one has trouble im just returning it and waiting for something else. This has me so pissed!

Bummer, It was probably coincidence for me, ha but it seemed like it worked!

 

[Droidable]

The gps issue has been acknowledged and is on the list of things to fix on the update list. As to when this update hits is anyone's guess though. It would definitely be better before the 30 day mark, or I predict Verizon will have a bunch of returned Fascinate's on their hands.

I undestand it a known issue. I just dont wanna get stuck with a phone that doesnt work right ya know. Better safe than sorry for me.

 

[xliderider]

I undestand it a known issue. I just dont wanna get stuck with a phone that doesnt work right ya know. Better safe than sorry for me.

And I understand perfectly. I wouldn't want to get stuck holding a phone "waiting" for it to be fixed either.

I'm contemplating exchanging the Fascinate for a Droid X, but I've got to go play with one first and check it out thoroughly to see if I can live with it mostly from an ergonomic standpoint.

 

[Destination: Moon]

I had my first GPS fart today too. It was locking on just fine. Maybe two minutes - tops before today. Took the dog for a hike and no lock after 9 minutes! Thinking it might have been because of Noled i installed last night. Turned it off and it locked a second later. Ah Ha! Then I turned GPS off and NOLed back on and got a lock. Probably just a coincidence...?

Another thought occured to me. I keep comparing this to my DINC.... What if the GPS switch on the DINC really did not turn of the GPS in the background?? Could explain some of the difference in Battery Life? I'm going to leave my gps on all the time on the SF and see how it goes.

 

[irish]

I called VZW today (I hope someone else was told the same thing) and asked about the GPS issues. I asked if the update did not come with in my 30 day return date if I could return the phone and get something else if the GPS issue is no fixed with the update. I was speaking with a guy in the tech department. He told me that he has the Fascinate right now. He looked into this same question for someone yesterday. He was advised if the issue was not figured out after the update that we WOULD be allowed to jump ship to something else. His boss told him that if there is a major issue with a device such as the GPS that Verizon would let us move into something else. His advise to me was to not worry about the 30 day trial period and wait for 2.2 as this would surly fix our issues. If it did not (major issues) that we would be able to move on. Has anyone else been told this?? If so, we are in a very good position! I love this phone and can't imagine what it's going to be like with 2.2! Plus it buys us a lot more time......

 

[burningembers]

I'd really like that in writing...haha.

 

[irish]

lol.....I WOULD LOVE IT IN WRITING!! I'm hoping someone else can call and see if they are told the same thing, if not have already been told the same.

 

[Droidable]

Im gonna call tomorrow and ask the same question. I bet I will get a totally different answer. Im betting on getting something like "Ive never heard of that happening." or "We arent aware of any issue at this time."

 

[irish]

I hope not. The guy a talked to today was super cool. He had a ton of knowledge about the device due to having one. Some of those clowns at VZW didn't even know about the Fascinate a few days before the release date!! It always nice talking to someone that knows what is going on. Few and far between anymore. I did get that same "Party line" from someone in tech when I was having the issues with my Inc. "We are not aware of any issues at this time". LOL. Like a robot....

 

[Droidable]

I love talking to someone who actually knows something about Android when i call in. Most reps talk to people who dont know the speaker from the microphone on their phone and think they can give the same standard answer they give to all the other clueless people that call in. When they talk to someone who actually knows what theyre talking about(meaning more than they do) they are totally lost because their scripted response doesnt work lol. I wish these reps were forced to use these phones for a few days when they are launched so they can see first had what we talk about.

 

[xliderider]

Unless you get them to annotate your account nothing a Rep tells you will mean anything. Even then, they can say the Rep didn't have the authority to tell you that. Am I skeptical? You bet.

And if we have to wait for 2.2 to fix GPS, no thanks. They are saying 2.2 is coming by the end of the year. Um, what year would that be?

 

[irish]

^^^
Good point! I hope that the GPS fix comes sooner. I guess I'm a bit lucky, in my line of work I really depend on GPS. Mine has been great so far. (Knock on wood)

 

[xliderider]

Someone mentioned in another thread that Captivate and Epic owners found that rebooting the phone is a "fix" for the GPS issue. I have been rebooting my Fascinate before my drives to/from work and satellite acquisition and lock is pretty fast at about 10 to 30 seconds. A lot better than the minutes and mintes and miles and miles of searching for GPS I get without the reboots.

 

[burningembers]

Someone mentioned in another thread that Captivate and Epic owners found that rebooting the phone is a "fix" for the GPS issue. I have been rebooting my Fascinate before my drives to/from work and satellite acquisition and lock is pretty fast at about 10 to 30 seconds. A lot better than the minutes and mintes and miles and miles of searching for GPS I get without the reboots.

Interesting. I'll have to give that a shot over the next few days and see what's what. It's not like rebooting takes very long either...and frankly reboot + 10-30 seconds is significantly shorter than my Garmin which takes an ungodly amount of time (5-10 minutes) to lock a signal.

But really, I think the longest my Fascinate has taken is 2 minutes and that was on a dark stormy rainy night. I'm not too concerned...

 

[njm75]

My location was way off until I did the following. Try turning off VZW and Google...just ensure GPS is selected. I did this and my location worked perfect in Google earth and maps apps.

 

[Droidable]

The most accurate will be the stand alone GPS correct? That one alone is useless on my phone. Google and VZW will only get me within 1900 meters. I'm swapping it out after work today. Hopefully the next one will be better.

 

[boomerbubba]

The most accurate will be the stand alone GPS correct? That one alone is useless on my phone. Google and VZW will only get me within 1900 meters. I'm swapping it out after work today. Hopefully the next one will be better.

Not necessarily. Nobody outside Verizon knows what those three settings actually do technically. They are just undefined labels made up by Verizon marketing dingdongs. Even the user manual does not explain them.