Searching for GPS signal

I have 2007 Camry with absolute pos navigation DVD and system.

I love my Droid nav, but here's an issue I have:

every time I start navigation, it will be "Searching for GPS signal" for about 5 minutes. It works then, but seriously binds me down, as I must sit in a hot car and wait for signal to come up.

Regular countermeasures, like pulling battery out, turning GPS or Mobile data off and back up, restarting phone, produce no effect.

Originally, I had none of this problem, but it slowly built itself up. Wife's 3G Continuum rocks on navigation.

Any tips how to fix this? I have to have it functional, and fast.

 

I just did it again. 4 minutes 20 seconds before gps kicks in. full bars, GPS and Data turned on.

 

i think i stumbled upon solution.
i went into my gps settings yesterday and turned on verizon positioning. i had nav rolling in about 5 seconds after that.

 

I guess I spoke too soon. It's back to same issue. Most likely, yesterday, it already had GPS contact established, hence 2nd run went so fast.

 

well, one can follow printed directions off the screen, but then what we are paying them for with all the 4G and nav stuff?

 

still searching. 10 minutes...

 

swapping phone out. spent 30 min-s or so with Verizon guy on the phone, he suggested exchange as it should not be that way. We did factory reset, no difference.

 

OK, here's the final word on this. the deeper one goes...

1.got my replacement Charge Monday. no difference. acts exactly like my old one. As a result, as it's Certified like new refurbished phone, I sent it back. Mine is most likely newer and apparently has no issues, why bother with someone else's return.
2. went to Verizon store yesterday and pressed the issue. Guy spent good 15 minutes digging stuff out for this, and here the thing:

- apparently, phone knows very well where it is, as it will show correct map location and printed driving directions. TURN BY TURN voice guidance is what is not kicking in. ":searching for GPS" is apparently a bogus message, as phone does have GPS connection and knows location.

- Guy told me that Samsung is aware of the issue, and is looking for its cause, before they can fix it. Most likely, in a form of update.

so far, my phone is unpredictable in this respect. it can take 6 minutes, it can take 6 seconds to start voice guidance. worse come to worse, I can go off typed directions, to take off, until voice guidance kicks in.

 

taking under consideration that my wife's Samsung Continuum has none of this problem, I am leaning towards s/w issues, not phone h/w.

 

OK, good news.

Installed GPSFix yesterday. Basically, now guidance loads right by the time map screen opens. Instantly.

 

market. there's a lot of negative feedback on it, and I have no idea why. nice, clean app. turn it on, run fix, give it about 15-30 seconds to do what it needs to do, thereafter - you golden on GPS directions. I do not run it before every navigation, it simply works.

also, just checked on it - turns out to be, I have no gps signal where my office is, which is warehouse type building. 3 feet outside - no problems. this might have been part of the issue either.

 

also, I had NO issues with GPS Fix loading ads or something.
I loaded Humble on my phone, testing how long does that one take to find gps. so far, been about 3 minutes.

 

oh, wow.. took about 13 minutes..

well, turned wifi on - that fixed it right away. loaded gpsfix - got fix in about 15 seconds. I am rebooting phone right now, will do it again.

ok, after phone rebooted, but with gpsfix now installed, and wifi turned off - this time it loade directions in about 20 seconds.
keep in mind, when it took longer, it was 1st time I used nav after phone was rooted.