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GPS problems with Eris

Sytar

Newbie
Nov 23, 2009
47
1
I just wanted to see if anyone else has noticed that the Eris GPS really is lacking.

When I got the phone I was really hoping that I would be able to use it for more then just Google Maps, namely Geocaching. I really like the idea of having all the info available to me at the touch of my fingers, but when I bring up the GPS, it is WAY off from where I actually need to be.

Somehow the Google Maps can get me within about 4-6 ft of where my target is, but the Compass, GPS Apps, and even the Geocaching apps I have tried all get me about 20-40ft away.

I this is the same with all GPS in cell phone, or just certain ones? I would like to feel that I can rely on my GPS overall, and not feel that it will get me within a football field of what I am looking for.

Another thing that I noticed is using a program called GPS Status, I can see how many sats my phone can pick up on, and how many it locks onto. Normally I can only get about 2/4, although the other day I did get 10/12. Even with 10 locked, I still couldn't get the compass to point me in the right direction of my target.
 
Last night, I was using Google Latitude to prove to my girlfriend that I was AT HOME, and not at my friend's house.

On Google Maps, suddenly it said, I was DRIVING, at an average speed, up the road a half mile away. WHAT?! The satellite must have picked up another GPS near me and started sending me that information? Did we share a satellite? When I was in the North towns, it told me I was in Canada. The 'range' circle was not encircling me.

I see this all of the time. I don't know how to fix it. Latitude was telling my gf I was 20 miles away from where I was. I am still in the dog house.

Fail.
 
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I just wanted to see if anyone else has noticed that the Eris GPS really is lacking.

When I got the phone I was really hoping that I would be able to use it for more then just Google Maps, namely Geocaching. I really like the idea of having all the info available to me at the touch of my fingers, but when I bring up the GPS, it is WAY off from where I actually need to be.

Somehow the Google Maps can get me within about 4-6 ft of where my target is, but the Compass, GPS Apps, and even the Geocaching apps I have tried all get me about 20-40ft away.

I this is the same with all GPS in cell phone, or just certain ones? I would like to feel that I can rely on my GPS overall, and not feel that it will get me within a football field of what I am looking for.

Another thing that I noticed is using a program called GPS Status, I can see how many sats my phone can pick up on, and how many it locks onto. Normally I can only get about 2/4, although the other day I did get 10/12. Even with 10 locked, I still couldn't get the compass to point me in the right direction of my target.

There are a couple of other threads already on this. Either ones for in the US and ones for outside the US, but it does seem that Google is having problems with the GPS on the Eris lately. I have not had a chance to get to Verizon lately, but will make sure to update everyone when I do. For now, make sure that under Menu > Settings > Location all three boxes are checked, but I think the top one is the most important (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

For the poster above who's girlfriend is mad, feel free to search the forums for the other 2 or 3 threads on the problems with the GPS on the phone to show her your phone might just be acting up too. And good luck on that working. :)
 
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Latitude is one of the worst programs for showing location. It doesn't update nearly often enough, or it will remember a spot and say that you have not moved.

We tried that program when we went to Disneyland. I must have checked a few dozen times to find my wife using Latitude, and instead it showed that we were both in the parking structure... ALL DAY.

For location sharing, use Glympse. It seems to work very well, and will track movement as well as limiting time that you share it. It also allows you to view the info from a web page if the person you are sending to doesn't have the program or a cell phone.

Is there any other phones that work properly and are accurate with GPS locations?

Personally, if I locked in 2-3 Sats, I should have a good idea of where I am (50-100ft), but if I am locked into 10 Sats, I should know where a ants butt is if I wanted to find it.
 
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Out of the box, phone was great... maps, tracking, etc. One month in GPS goes flakey then phone locks up. Even taking the battery out for a soft boot nothing. Verizon tech seems only to be able to do the Bill Gates fix, hard reboot / reset. Ok, pissed that I need to waste 2-3 hours of my life reloading all the cool apps I found, but deal with it. 2 weeks later, the same thing. Now pissed that I learned nothing from previous experience, lose another 2-3 hours of my life, but now I load an app that backs up my phone to a cloud somewhere every night. 2 weeks later GPS goes flakey again. If I hit 'my location' on maps I skip all around the country every 10 seconds. Closest thing I have now is network positioning, yeah. I just never power down the phone now. I fear if I do the dumb thing will lock up again.

I too have GPS Status, and yes I have same experience... 4-12 satellites any given time but no lock now. I guess I wouldn't be so frustrated if it never worked, but I'm mad I've lost a very valuable aspect of the device. Wound up so frustrated last week I stopped in a Radio Shack and bought a TomTom just so I could find my way around (traveling). Kind of defeats the whole purpose, eh? I am hesitant to bring my phone back in for 'tech' to look at as I already know what their 'fix' is going to be. Maybe when I am feeling a little squirrelly and want to find out how effective that backup app really is, I will go waste more of my time and have them reset the phone again. For now, I just console myself with how much battery I am saving by having the stupid antenna off.

I am really hoping this is a software problem and not a hardware failure. To one of the posters below, I have the latest build on my phone already. To the other one with the girl 'friend'... if you need latitude to win that argument you might as well cut your losses now and go back to the well. That situation will never get better and you will never win that with facts or logic. ;)

-j
 
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Sitting at my computer in my house.. I get 3/4, 4 found with 3 locked. I was checking it after work in my car last night and got 0/3. Am I missing something? My Garmin has the ability to get me within about 6 feet almost every time, but can't get a lock on anything inside of the house.

I did do a battery pull the other night, and all the sudden everything worked great... for a while.

Has anyone seen any other Android phones with good GPS in them?

Note: by the time I have finished typing this message, I am now at 0/1? Go figure.
 
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I played around with some of the settings in the GPS Status program, and I am actually getting better numbers now.

Try this and see what you think:

Automatic Orientation: On (just allows you to turn the phone and see it landscape)
Screen Refresh Rate: Fast (10Hz) (rather then Fastest)
Sensor Filtering: None

With these settings I was able to get 8/9 almost instantly from starting up the phone. Accuracy still is a bit off but at least it gives me numbers now.
 
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My GPS and location problems on the Eris are kind of similar, but kind of not.

First off, I am on my second Eris. I had to exchange it, cause the old one kept dropping calls, but that's another story. On my old one, it could find a rough position through the network, even w/o GPS. This one cant.

Also, on this one, I turn GPS on through settings, and it doesn't start up until I run an app that uses it! So, once Google Maps or GPS Status is running, it then starts, and seems to work properly. BUT ... the phone (outside of Maps) still has no idea where I am!. The location on the clock just says 'current city'. The weather app has no idea either.

My old Eris used to handle all this easily. What's going on?

Thx ...
 
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