Help GPS has failed

[tony2069]

I did the following:

1) Turn off wireless networks to find "my location".
2) Turn on GPS ability to find "my location".
3) Then click on Google Maps

Plus I rebooted and seems a lot better. I will know more when I venture out. Before I couldn't get a lock inside now it seems pretty accurate.

 

[PiggyGirl]

I've used it for 3 days now and other than the bad directions (though I discovered how to select fastest/shortest/avoid highways/etc today) it had accurately tracked me. Until today, on my way back from my new doc's office it kept telling me it didn't have a GPS signal & then when it finally registered me it'd place me on some random street in the area (e.g. telling me to turn onto a street I was already on). I actually think my task manager caused this. Have no proof, but I uninstalled it. Didn't really need it anyway. I'm going to keep using it daily just to make sure it works when I need it because it got me to my new doc's office just fine.

 

[dth4310]

aGPS is definitely the problem...and I would consider writing off any aGPS signal acquisition (either via wifi/skyhook/celltowers) until an update is released by Samsung/Sprint. This setting will not only confuse things like google maps, but weather widgets set to track your location etc. As previously mentioned, there is a known issue with Android 1.5 and CDMA networks - that HTC has somehow managed to hack into the HERO...Moment users aren't as lucky.

I've been following this issue on the sprint community website. It looks like to reliably determine your location, you'll need to disable "Use Wireless Networks" - and only use the real GPS radio. Not saying that it WON'T work if you leave this setting checked - but if so, it should only be working through WiFi and not cell tower triangulation...unfortunately you can't really isolate which one it's trying to use.

@methoderik - you stated well IMO - "It is really just an inconvenience that an app like quick setting makes minimal."

Sources:
---Sprint commentary "from the device team" - Samsung Moment:GPS and Moment troubleshooting -
---a much bigger thread documenting - Samsung Moment:Samsung Moment not reporting correct...

Sitting tight and waiting for upgrade. Not a dealbreaker for me.

 

[eldiablojefe]

FYI

I think I have found out what is causing aGPS to not work. If you enable WiFi on the device, and enable Use wireless network option, the aGPS will function. You do not have to be connected to a WiFi network, or even have settings for a WiFi network, just the fact of enabling WiFi will allow aGPS to function properly.

FWIW:

Just tried this with Google Maps, locked right on me sitting in my living room

Tried loading up Sprint Nav to get directions to an address, couldn't lock on me at all

 

[chixdigit]

I was wondering the same thing. This bug to me could be a deal breaker. I have the Hero and was interested in the 800mhz processor in the Moment, but with the GPS so whacky it concerns me along with the battery showing falsly. What do you guys think??

The "battery meter" issue is easily resolved with 2 cycles of a full discharge (until the phone turns off and won't turn on again), and then a full charge overnight with the phone still turned off.
I did this with my phone about 10 days ago, and I am now getting great battery life and battery meter readings from my Moment.
This should not be an issue in buying it.
I agree that the GPS issue sucks, but other things to consider (besides the 800 proc) are the AWESOME Samsung AMOLED screen and the slide-out keyboard.

 

[flyjbaker]

I am 99% sure that unfortunately the aGPS problem is not fixed and the phone is using WiFi access points to determine location.

Being a pilot and knowing how navigation systems work....I still cannot wrap my head around this.(I have read the same thing on other forums BTW). Most Wifi locations are random. So if a computer does not know the actual location of a wifi signal, it is useless in determining position. I must be missing something or my brain is locking up!!! Maybe wifi signals give bearing and distance info???? Maybe there is a wifi database out there with location data that the aGPS uses??? Maybe even encrypted signals allow internet access for certain data so an aGPS network can function???? What the hell does the "a" stand for anyway?????

Edit: somewhat answered some of my questions. View this link if you had the same questions. BTW, WIkipedia and this link do not mention anywhere that wifi assists in aGPS positioning.

http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/gps_vs_agps_a_quick_tutorial.html

And also, referencing that article they do say that some manufactuerers and/or carriers lock down the aGPS feature for everything except e911 for unknown reasons. This may be the case with this phone????

 

[marcusb]

aGPS is not the same as wifi location.. agps uses cell towers and wifi uses lat/lon based on ssid/mac and a database with those known values

 

[flyjbaker]

aGPS is not the same as wifi location.. agps uses cell towers and wifi uses lat/lon based on ssid/mac and a database with those known values

I understand the triangualtion of celltowers. But the wifi thing still has me. I have wifi in my house. Nobody knows its true position.....obviously I realize there is equipment that could figure it out but I seriously doubt the cellphone has that equipment on board. So are there "standard" wifi locations all over our landscape that have locational values to provide to our cellphone to be computed by a "third party server"? And if so, are you saying that I am always in range of these strategically located wifi hotspots? ANd who is providing and maintaining these hotspots for the general network to use? Sorry for all of my questions and I hope I am not coming off as condescending. Just trying to understand.

 

[SeanStick]

Im not sure but I think this company is the one that does that sort of thing.

SKYHOOK Wireless: How It Works > Wi-Fi Positioning

 

[flyjbaker]

Im not sure but I think this company is the one that does that sort of thing.

SKYHOOK Wireless: How It Works > Wi-Fi Positioning

Bingo!!! Thanks dude, that nailed it!!!!

 

[xdavieexx]

I was not having any success with having Wifi on + Use wireless location... UNTIL I updated my PRL and now it works like a charm and locks in my location instantly. We'll see how long that lasts though.

 

[got2weims]

My GPS (on google maps) kept showing me off the coast of Zanzibar!!! (I'm in TX).
I just got off the phone with Sprint techichal support about this 1) to see if they have any ideas on how to fix this and 2) to give them feedback that the GPS is sucking. The very kind lady told me to do the following, and so far it has worked for me!
I'm sure it is (probably) just temporary, but I wanted to share this with other people having issues with their GPS.
FIRST, turn off your GPS and Wireless "location settings" before you turn the phone off.
THEN, turn the phone off, take the battery out, and leave it out for 30 seconds.
Turn the phone back on with full boot, then turn the GPS back on via settings.
After I did that (turning the GPS BEFORE I turned the phone off and took the battery out), I went into Sprint Nav and it brought my correct location right up! From there, I went to Google Maps, and it too had my location spot on!
I'll post back if I am back in Zanzibar tomorrow but as now, my GPS seems to be accurate!

Hrmm..well I just did this and I am in Nicosia Cyprus. Loong way away from Daytona Beach FL.

 

[tony2069]

Oh well, I just couldn't take the GPS and battery quirks. Phone is fast, nice screen and all but so much is depedent upon location working. I use GPS many times a day and don't want to get another device to that right. So I took the moment back to sprint and test drove the HTC Hero at the store. The display unit, deep in the store locked on the location of the store in less than a second, I downloaded a free compass app and it picked up the lat/long and address in about a sec as well. *That's what I'm talkin 'bout*. Yes, Hero is slower, but honestly it's livable. Also the moment keyboard for me never really *took*, another reason I wanted it- I found that I got a lot done with the soft keyboard. I am sure samsung will fix it (I dont believe it's an andriod issue) but I can't wait the 6 months for them to release something. Plus HTC has already announced that they are actively working on a Android 2.0 for the Hero, and they are updating the sense software. Samsung pretty much is silent on the whole 2.0 thing.

Again, I assume it will all get updated at some time, but need some real answers and solutions now.


Good luck everyone else.

 

[jeffdlb]

Can someone please confirm one thing? (I don't yet have a Moment.) Can you use Google Maps on the Moment in the traditional way without the GPS (i.e., by typing in an address) and get driving directions? I can do that on my Centro, and can live without the GPS functionality until they fix it as long as the non-GPS aspect works in a pinch.

 

[souljah335]

Can someone please confirm one thing? (I don't yet have a Moment.) Can you use Google Maps on the Moment in the traditional way without the GPS (i.e., by typing in an address) and get driving directions? I can do that on my Centro, and can live without the GPS functionality until they fix it as long as the non-GPS aspect works in a pinch.

Yes you can.

 

[Ms_Kady]

I'm in the east coast for thanksgiving and drove from Charlotte NC up to Virginia. Halfway through the drive the GPS crapped out on me and couldn't find a signal but my husband's Pre worked just fine

 

[souljah335]

Friday i am driving from Brooklyn to Fishkill NY. That is an 80 mile drive, and hopefully will be my first true test run for the gps.

 

[wodin]

I've only used it once to see if it worked, and got a lock with Sprint Nav within mere seconds.

But what I've been wondering, has anyone had any experience with GolfCard on the Moment? Is the range finder at all accurate? Or should I wait for an OS upgrade that supports A-GPS?

 

[davisar1150]

In contrast with various fix-it solutions presented previously they all work sometimes. In my last fix-it(two minutes ago) I went to Security&Location and unchecked [Use Wireless Networks] and [Enable GPS Satellites]. Then turned SAMSUNG-Moment off and removed battery. Turned Samsung back
on after a couple of minutes. Then I rechecked [Enable GPS Satellites] but didnot recheck [Use Wireless Networks]. Both Sprint NAV and Google Maps
worked fine {admittedly I am sitting still}. A sometimes solution is better than nothing but is not a good solution. And why does some user have a Moment 2.0 already? Be nice if MR. Sprint would indicated when an actual solution might be forthcoming and for that matter when 2.0 might appear.

Please....

 

[NamasteSuz]

Have only had my Moment since last Friday night and have been reading this Forum for days prior to purchasing. First time I tried my GPS via Sprint Navigation, it had me spot on even though I was indoors. Then, after hearing about the Google Maps issue, tried it this aft. Initially it had me spot on in my backyard in Florida from the satellite aerial pic view. But then when I hit the Traffic Report option, a new map appeared and it had me being located somewhere in Cambodia!!! So then I switch over to Sprint Nav but it couldn't get a GPS reading on me at all!

Tried turning the phone off and repowering. When I got back into Google Maps, the Cambodia location came up initially but I then hit My Location again and it located correctly once again in my backyard. Dunno what tomorrow may bring, however.

Coming from a Centro like a prior poster, I can live with this glitch and get my directions manually from GooMaps for a bit if the 2.0 update is expected to fix the problem. But I now have only 27 days left to decide whether I'm keeping the Moment and 2.0 may not be released before then. Therein lies my dilemma...

Any thoughts or advice from you more experienced Moment users and/or Mods? Thanks.

 

[chixdigit]

Have only had my Moment since last Friday night and have been reading this Forum for days prior to purchasing. First time I tried my GPS via Sprint Navigation, it had me spot on even though I was indoors. Then, after hearing about the Google Maps issue, tried it this aft. Initially it had me spot on in my backyard in Florida from the satellite aerial pic view. But then when I hit the Traffic Report option, a new map appeared and it had me being located somewhere in Cambodia!!! So then I switch over to Sprint Nav but it couldn't get a GPS reading on me at all!

Tried turning the phone off and repowering. When I got back into Google Maps, the Cambodia location came up initially but I then hit My Location again and it located correctly once again in my backyard. Dunno what tomorrow may bring, however.

Coming from a Centro like a prior poster, I can live with this glitch and get my directions manually from GooMaps for a bit if the 2.0 update is expected to fix the problem. But I now have only 27 days left to decide whether I'm keeping the Moment and 2.0 may not be released before then. Therein lies my dilemma...

Any thoughts or advice from you more experienced Moment users and/or Mods? Thanks.

Hi- Read my post under the Tips n Tricks at the top of this forum. Good luck.

 

[numus]

We need clarification and maybe everyone will stop bashing the moment a little more. There are multiple methods a device can utilize to determine your location. Some of these methods that are implemented are:

Cell Approximation