• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Root GPS/Navigation Problems

A

alhenderson

Well-Known Member
I have been having issues using Google Navigation lately. I'll be happily driving around with everything working OK, and then the navigation app will just stop responding - the position on the map doesn't update, no more directions given. Eventually, its says "Searching for GPS.." and it stays in that state until I quit navigation. If I then restart, it gets a GPS lock straight away and we carry on for maybe another ten minutes or so before it happens again.

I recently rooted the phone and am running CM7, before I did that the navigation was rock solid.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what it could be, or what I could try to fix this?

Al.
 
I would change the gps.conf file located under /data/local ( I think ) to this :

NTP_SERVER=uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=0.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=1.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=2.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=3.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=0.europe.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=1.europe.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=2.europe.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=3.europe.pool.ntp.org

XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin


DEBUG_LEVEL =0


INTERMEDIATE_POS=0


ACCURACY_THRES=0


REPORT_POSITION_USE_SUPL_REFLOC=1


ENABLE_WIPER=1




SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
SUPL_PORT=7276
SUPL_NO_SECURE_PORT=3425
SUPL_SECURE_PORT=7275
SUPL_TLS_HOST=FQDN
SUPL_TLS_CERT=/etc/SuplRootCert


C2K_HOST=c2k.pde.com
C2K_PORT=1234

CURRENT_CARRIER=common
DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE=TRUE
DEFAULT_SSL_ENABLE=FALSE


DEFAULT_USER_PLANE=TRUE


You can create this separately , and rename the current one to gps.bak...
 
I had EXACTLY the same issues when I went on to CM7... the above fix works like a charm.

For info, having just checked my phone the location is "/system/etc". If you use root explorer to go and edit the "gps.conf" file, when you save, it will rename the old one as "gpsconf.bak"/"gps.bak" (or something like that). I actually keep a copy of the edited gps.conf file on my sd card and go in and replace it when I flash a new ROM (if I have any GPS issues) :)
 
For anyone not in the UK, it is worth noting that this part:

Mehta23 said:
NTP_SERVER=uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=0.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=1.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=2.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=3.uk.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=0.europe.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=1.europe.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=2.europe.pool.ntp.org
NTP_SERVER=3.europe.pool.ntp.org
Click to expand...

is location specific and would need changing, based on where in the world you are. Just trying to locate the thread that I originally got this info from and will put a link :)
 
I've updated that file (with the help of Root Browser Lite), had to rename the existing gps.conf out of the way first - wasn't allowed to overwrite using my note editor. Will try it out on the way home.

Thanks for the speedy and very helpful responses!

Al.
 
That's a little strange... I would have expected it to work. That said, I've not been able to get a satellite fix when I'm in a car (ever... even before I rooted).

Could be worth trying to remove the blank lines... I left only 1 blank line between each block of text. You did have "/system/etc" mounted as read/write, didn't you? I assume so, as you were able to save the file :)
 
I was having this exact problem,, found a fix on a cyanogenmod forum.

to fix it,, you need to....
start navigation and let it get a fix.
than toggle the gps switch off for 5 seconds then back on again,,,
all the while keeping navigation on.
let navigation get a fix again and it should stay fixed now.
This really worked for me

Apparently it's a bug with gps switching off at the same time the display should time out,, even though the screen doesn't go to sleep on navigation. weird,,,

Let me know if this works for you.
 
D-U-R-X said:
That's a little strange... I would have expected it to work. That said, I've not been able to get a satellite fix when I'm in a car (ever... even before I rooted).

Could be worth trying to remove the blank lines... I left only 1 blank line between each block of text. You did have "/system/etc" mounted as read/write, didn't you? I assume so, as you were able to save the file :)
Click to expand...

I didn't mount it as anything (well, not explicitly anyway), just used the root browser app to create a new file, pasted the text in from an email and saved it. I'll try removing the blank lines and see what happens.

I've never had a problem getting a fix in the car - maybe mine's not very sturdy :-)

Al
 
alhenderson said:
I didn't mount it as anything (well, not explicitly anyway), just used the root browser app to create a new file, pasted the text in from an email and saved it. I'll try removing the blank lines and see what happens.

I've never had a problem getting a fix in the car - maybe mine's not very sturdy :-)

Al
Click to expand...

In order to write to that part of your DHD, you need to mount it as R/W, else all that you type will not save. I found this out, after typing all of the text out myself! I use root explorer (which is paid), as this allows you to mount the partition as R/W
 
michaelopolis said:
I was having this exact problem,, found a fix on a cyanogenmod forum.

to fix it,, you need to....
start navigation and let it get a fix.
than toggle the gps switch off for 5 seconds then back on again,,,
all the while keeping navigation on.
let navigation get a fix again and it should stay fixed now.
This really worked for me

Apparently it's a bug with gps switching off at the same time the display should time out,, even though the screen doesn't go to sleep on navigation. weird,,,

Let me know if this works for you.
Click to expand...

Is this a one-off thing, or do you have to do it every time you want to use navigation?

Al.
 
michaelopolis said:
I was having this exact problem,, found a fix on a cyanogenmod forum.

to fix it,, you need to....
start navigation and let it get a fix.
than toggle the gps switch off for 5 seconds then back on again,,,
all the while keeping navigation on.
let navigation get a fix again and it should stay fixed now.
This really worked for me

Apparently it's a bug with gps switching off at the same time the display should time out,, even though the screen doesn't go to sleep on navigation. weird,,,

Let me know if this works for you.
Click to expand...

alhenderson said:
Is this a one-off thing, or do you have to do it every time you want to use navigation?

Al.
Click to expand...

To be honest... when I look at what my gps.conf file was before I changed it, compared to what I changed it to, I don't think that would work for me... the gps.conf file (once edited) gives the phone better info on which gps server info to be using... before I edited it, it had very little in there (think there were only 5 or 6 lines of text in total).
 
alhenderson said:
Is this a one-off thing, or do you have to do it every time you want to use navigation?

Al.
Click to expand...

Not sure , must try tomorrow and see, but it only takes 5 seconds to do anyway

Edit,, just checked,, you have to do it each time, but as i say it only takes 5 seconds,,, and i patched the faster gps zip i found somewhere,,, my dhd finally gets a good fix indoors even.
 
D-U-R-X said:
To be honest... when I look at what my gps.conf file was before I changed it, compared to what I changed it to, I don't think that would work for me... the gps.conf file (once edited) gives the phone better info on which gps server info to be using... before I edited it, it had very little in there (think there were only 5 or 6 lines of text in total).
Click to expand...

honestly mate try the gps toggle switch trick, it works,,

Its somehow tied into display sleep settings,, eg the longer the screen stays awake , the longer gps keeps a fix,,, regardless if navigation is always on. by toggling the switch after navigation starts it seems to fix this glitch.
 
michaelopolis said:
honestly mate try the gps toggle switch trick, it works,,

Its somehow tied into display sleep settings,, eg the longer the screen stays away , the longer gps keeps a fix,,, regardless if navigation is always on.
Click to expand...

Will have to give it a go next time I'm out n about ;)
 
GPS status and toolbox app is indispensable imho.

when using for the first time,, let it run for about ten minutes,, it will learn as it goes along,,,
it's also a good idea to redownload gps data every once and awhile,,, think the app manual recommends every five days to do this...but for me every once in a blue moon or when my GPS gets slower..
at the moment my GPS really good,,, I was scared that I had the dreaded hardware problem that some have reported but all seems good now...
 
michaelopolis said:
I was having this exact problem,, found a fix on a cyanogenmod forum.

to fix it,, you need to....
start navigation and let it get a fix.
than toggle the gps switch off for 5 seconds then back on again,,,
all the while keeping navigation on.
let navigation get a fix again and it should stay fixed now.
This really worked for me

Apparently it's a bug with gps switching off at the same time the display should time out,, even though the screen doesn't go to sleep on navigation. weird,,,

Let me know if this works for you.
Click to expand...

I flashed an ICS ROM last night and had the same navigation problem. When the signal was lost, I toggled the GPS on and off and it then worked for the rest of the journey. Nice one. Don't fancy doing it every time I want to use it, but its a very good workaround if nothing else. Haven't tried editting the gps.conf file again yet..

Al.
 
I editted the gps.conf on the new ROM, still no joy. I toggled the GPS on and off, and it was OK. I think quit navigation and started again and it lost GPS again - so toggling GPS needs to be done every time you use navigation.

I have downloaded the GPS Status app, maybe it'll help. Also might try to have a look at gps.conf on my wife's phone and compare..

Cheers,
Al.
 
I've had the same problem with pretty much ALL custom ROM's I've used though... it is a little strange how your trick seems to sort it! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom