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Is this a poll?

  • Yes, it looks like a poll.

    Votes: 42 26.3%
  • No, there is no way this is a poll.

    Votes: 31 19.4%
  • Why in the world is there a poll here?

    Votes: 87 54.4%

  • Total voters
    160
is that a self added rom? im interested in flashing to one but a little uneasy with the idea of screwing up my phone.lol i have only had it 6 weeks. guess if i can build a computer and flash firmware for drives i could install a rom on my phone..

guess im just wanting the so called factory update so to say. i do want the ability of flash on my phone badly...
Read this thread and follow the tutorial links. In my signature is the link to the videos created by Connexion2005, they're a fantastic resource. And then go to the Serendipity website and download the best ROM (in my humble opinion) and flash away. It really is that easy.

bay_wolf has created a neat program that everyone really likes, simplifies the process even further. I haven't used this, I learned the hard way ;) but I'd use this in a minute if I was starting out fresh as you are.
 
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Not to brag about anything. I got an Inspire yesterday and the gps rocks. I havent tried it outside yet, but inside I get a lock immediatly with an acc. of anywhere from 13 feet to 21 feet. I tried with "use wireless" on and it placed me 3 houses away. Without "use wireless", I get placed at my exact location.

I just ditched my Captivate for the Atrix and the GPS is phenomenal (possibly better than my N1's- I get 11/12 sats in my living room in GPS Status, I have NEVER had that before). Last night I drove into downtown Baltimore, where even my N1 would flounder a bit in the "Urban Canyon," and it tracked perfectly all four hours I was driving. No hiccups, no random discrepancies, nothing but perfect accuracy and tracking. I know I was a staunch proponent for the whole "it's a software issue" side, but now I am not so sure. I really think EVERYONE needs to pressure the FTC and BBB for a recall on these devices, even AT&T's warranty department will admit that the GPS is defective and the only excuse for an exchange...
 
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Just wanted to let people know that GPS was a big thing for me. I use it to get to places all the time, and I like to use apps that incorporate GPS into it.

I tried everything on my first captivate. I was a rom flashing whore because so many roms promised fixes. I tried jupiter files. I tried changing LBS test mode configurations to every combination possible. All of this made my GPS slightly usable at best.

Then by almost divine intervention, I finally got GPS working on my captivate. My external speakers stopped working, so I was forced to trade my old captivate for a new one at no cost.

First thing I did was check the GPS. I heard rumors that Samsung placed a faulty GPS chip in the first generation captivates. They didn't want to announce a massive recall in fear of losing tons of money. This rumor seem to be true.

Without changing anything I now have a fully functioning GPS system on my captivate. Follows me exactly where I am without jumping around or constant recalibration. Works on Standalone without the aid of wireless networks... exactly like it should work.

My advice to anyone complaining that their GPS isn't working right on their phone, swap it. If it really bothers you...then ground yourself in and argue that your phone's GPS isn't working right and you want a new one.

Don't let ATT fool you into thinking its working by changing settings like use wireless networks. It will almost always find you immediately, especially if you're on wifi. Your GPS should be working without it, and should be on standalone instead of ms based to prevent the weird jumping around.

For those of you whose 1 year warranty is over (although I doubt that's anyone since the phone is fairly new)... tough cookies. I don't see how an update can fix a faulty GPS chip. Especially since my GPS is working great stock on the same update that I had on my phone before I swapped it.
 
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What is the build number of the new Captivate you received? Have a look under the battery, it's a 4 digit number.
Just wanted to let people know that GPS was a big thing for me. I use it to get to places all the time, and I like to use apps that incorporate GPS into it.

I tried everything on my first captivate. I was a rom flashing whore because so many roms promised fixes. I tried jupiter files. I tried changing LBS test mode configurations to every combination possible. All of this made my GPS slightly usable at best.

Then by almost divine intervention, I finally got GPS working on my captivate. My external speakers stopped working, so I was forced to trade my old captivate for a new one at no cost.

First thing I did was check the GPS. I heard rumors that Samsung placed a faulty GPS chip in the first generation captivates. They didn't want to announce a massive recall in fear of losing tons of money. This rumor seem to be true.

Without changing anything I now have a fully functioning GPS system on my captivate. Follows me exactly where I am without jumping around or constant recalibration. Works on Standalone without the aid of wireless networks... exactly like it should work.

My advice to anyone complaining that their GPS isn't working right on their phone, swap it. If it really bothers you...then ground yourself in and argue that your phone's GPS isn't working right and you want a new one.

Don't let ATT fool you into thinking its working by changing settings like use wireless networks. It will almost always find you immediately, especially if you're on wifi. Your GPS should be working without it, and should be on standalone instead of ms based to prevent the weird jumping around.

For those of you whose 1 year warranty is over (although I doubt that's anyone since the phone is fairly new)... tough cookies. I don't see how an update can fix a faulty GPS chip. Especially since my GPS is working great stock on the same update that I had on my phone before I swapped it.
 
Upvote 0
What is the build number of the new Captivate you received? Have a look under the battery, it's a 4 digit number.

Not 100% sure what you want me to look at, so I'll just list what i see in order. I'm looking at the white sticker that the battery goes on top of.

Model: SGH-I897
SKU: S5187
10.08
FCC ID: A3LSGHI897
L01 CE0168
Made in Korea

Also curious as to what the build number means.
 
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So, I just got a replacement Cappy a couple of days ago. Upgraded to 2.2 yesterday and installed my apps. Now, when I run Google Navigation, a screen pops up stating that I must install text to speech for voice guided navigation (this occurred each time I started GN for the first time). However, this time, as the pop up is popping up, GN is speaking telling me my first directions. Huhhh? I press the "skip" button, and continue on using GN with the much nicer sounding voice direction than before when I actually installed text to speech support. What's up with this, and how do I get rid of the pop-up so I can just use the voice already present?:thinking:
 
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So I am on my second Captivate. First one I was having all the issues every seems to speak of. Took forever to get a lock with the GPS. The restore app didn't seem to change anything when it came out. I would use the GPS status app and it would almost instantly show 6-8 sats in view but wouldn't lock on any for a long time. However, when I do get a lock, it is very accurate. I use this to track my backcountry hiking and map it when I get home. My distance and map is very accurate compared with everyone else's GPS units. I was annoyed waiting so long to get a lock so I brought it to the store and exchanged it. Walked out of the store and made sure to turn off use wireless networks and all that. I wanted to test just the GPS itself. Locked in about 10 seconds when I got outside. Tried it a few times on the drive home and again quick accurate locks. Later that night I went outside and the new phone started to show the same old problems - took a while to get lock. I was annoyed but decided to wait for Froyo to come out and see if it would fix it. I put the stock Froyo on the phone and boom - instant lock again. Excited that maybe it finally was fixed......until a few hours later. I'm back at the same place of it taking a long time -2-3 minutes - to get a lock. I really don't want to go through the process of getting a new phone and putting all my settings on a new phone if it won't fix the problem. Like I said, both are accurate when they actually work, just takes forever for them to start to work. Do you recommend my trying to get another replacement? Or do I just have to live with it and wait until my contract is up? Thanks!
 
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There are a couple of user created GPS fixes on XDA. I'll link to them but please keep in mind they are intended for more advanced users. Please ask questions before trying something you are uncertain of.

[FIX] PlumbBob 0.93 GPS Fix [UPDATE 2/26/2011] - xda-developers

Supernova/Phoenix GPS flashable zip - xda-developers

Also keep in mind there are people reporting trying a custom ROM can get different GPS results than the stock ROM from Samsung/ATT.

So I am on my second Captivate. First one I was having all the issues every seems to speak of. Took forever to get a lock with the GPS. The restore app didn't seem to change anything when it came out. I would use the GPS status app and it would almost instantly show 6-8 sats in view but wouldn't lock on any for a long time. However, when I do get a lock, it is very accurate. I use this to track my backcountry hiking and map it when I get home. My distance and map is very accurate compared with everyone else's GPS units. I was annoyed waiting so long to get a lock so I brought it to the store and exchanged it. Walked out of the store and made sure to turn off use wireless networks and all that. I wanted to test just the GPS itself. Locked in about 10 seconds when I got outside. Tried it a few times on the drive home and again quick accurate locks. Later that night I went outside and the new phone started to show the same old problems - took a while to get lock. I was annoyed but decided to wait for Froyo to come out and see if it would fix it. I put the stock Froyo on the phone and boom - instant lock again. Excited that maybe it finally was fixed......until a few hours later. I'm back at the same place of it taking a long time -2-3 minutes - to get a lock. I really don't want to go through the process of getting a new phone and putting all my settings on a new phone if it won't fix the problem. Like I said, both are accurate when they actually work, just takes forever for them to start to work. Do you recommend my trying to get another replacement? Or do I just have to live with it and wait until my contract is up? Thanks!
 
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So before I go to try out a replacement for my Captivate, can anyone tell me- are there ANY captivates that have working GPS and don't power off randomly? I don't look forward to redoing all my data, etc. Or wasting my time trying a phone at the store.

Also, how do I wipe my old phone once I'm satisfied the replacement will work properly?
 
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It is generally believed that newer builds of the Captivate might have some enhancements in regards to the GPS performance. It could be hardware, could be software but I recall a couple of people indicating after exchanging their older Captivate for a newer one, GPS seemed better.

A custom ROM might not always provide any noticable improvement in how GPS functions, because it's still limited to the Captivate's GPS hardware.

sooooo... does the build code have anything to do with the GPS problems?

mine is a 1007. i really want gps to work and am considering a custom rom if it will help.
 
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"does the build code have anything to do with the GPS problems?"
According to Samsung and AT&T, there never were any problems. Or if there were, they were solved three(?) times by firmware updates.

But a logical presumption might be that Samsung is aware of an issue, and that at some point a build code will include the fix for it. Even if that build code is the "Galaxy S-II"
 
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