Google Maps Accuracy

[Crafoo]

Hi,

I've got a Hero recently unlocked from the 3 network and I'm using a O2 sim card in it, I have put in all the right settings to get my MMS and internet working and everything is cool, however I seem to get really vague accuracy when using Google Maps, sometimes "accurate" to within 2400 metres lol I think if somebody asked me to guess where they were in the world I reckon I could get closer than that!

Anyway from searching the forum I have read a few comments saying to turn off the Wireless network setting in the Location menu and just leave the GPS one selected, which I have done but then even after waiting a few minutes in an open area it fails to find my location. I know a couple of times with both wireless network and GPS settings enabled it has been accurate enough to be able to pinpoint my location and display the arrow next to the blue dot to show which way I am facing, which is really helpful if you are in a unfamiliar area and trying to navigate to somewhere. Any ideas why it's so poor at picking up my location and are there any apps to help the GPS get a lock? would this be something that is fixed in the 2.1 update? which doesn't ever look likely to come out lol

Thanks in advance.

 

[bluenova]

Sounds very odd. It's always worked fine for me on 1.5 and 2.1. I don't see why turning off Wireless data is going to help, only you won't then be able to see the map to see if it's accurate or not . I presume you are trying to use it outdoors? Try downloadin the 'GPS Status' app to see if it's actually seeing any satellites.

 

[Xyro]

I don't see why turning off Wireless data is going to help, only you won't then be able to see the map to see if it's accurate or not .

I think the posts Crafoo has read were probably refering to the option next to GPS, where the phone uses wireless signals/phone towers to work out where it is.

 

[Crafoo]

Sounds very odd. It's always worked fine for me on 1.5 and 2.1. I don't see why turning off Wireless data is going to help, only you won't then be able to see the map to see if it's accurate or not . I presume you are trying to use it outdoors? Try downloadin the 'GPS Status' app to see if it's actually seeing any satellites.

I did download the GPS status app about a week ago but never used it lol, I got distracted by something else and totally forgot I had installed it.

I think the posts Crafoo has read were probably refering to the option next to GPS, where the phone uses wireless signals/phone towers to work out where it is.

Yeah that's what I meant, I should have explained it a little better. Anyway when I left work yesterday I tried it again and this time I did manage to get a pretty good lock, it was following me while I was walking and displaying the way I was facing which is ace however it does seem to take an awfully long time to get a good lock and it must have taken the best part of 5 minutes, which when you are waiting for something to happen seems like a lifetime. I thought there would have been a app out there to speed up the process a little, like there is with the Tom Tom sat nav where you can download a GPS quick fix patch to pick up your location within seconds rather than minutes.

 

[Slug]

I thought there would have been a app out there to speed up the process a little

That's where "Use wireless networks" comes in. You'll get a preliminary fix via cell tower triangulation rapidly, which will be further refined once the GPS receiver has locked onto sufficient satellites.

 

[Crafoo]

That's where "Use wireless networks" comes in. You'll get a preliminary fix via cell tower triangulation rapidly, which will be further refined once the GPS receiver has locked onto sufficient satellites.

Ahh I see, makes sense really, I guess I have never had Google Maps on for long enough for the GPS to take over and pinpoint my location.

 

[Crafoo]

Just to update on my old findings, since I have had 2.1 on my phone the speed with which a good location is picked up is loads better, now takes literally seconds as opposed to the 5-10 minutes before, one of the main reasons I was eager for 2.1 was to see if this fixed my problem and it did