yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Galaxy S I9000 General] ghosty_uk:
thats really bizzare as i do not yet have a mounting solution (still wiating for the one i ordered off ebay to arrive), i have mine inside a silicone case, i also have the full invisi shield on it, mine is ususlly in the sornar of my dash, just in front of the rev counter and fuel gadge (not to worrided about revs as i barely let it go above 4000 and i always have at least a quarter of a tank of petrol).

i drive a 306 cabriolet (roof up most of the time as the hydrolics for the roof rams are shot so i have to leave it up). it is a fairly inclosed space, and yet even with google navi it locks in 15 odd secs and tracks smoothly. it does have the odd spaz out if i go to fast round a corner/roundabout, but for the most part it is very accurate.

as this is the second one i have had, i have not touched any of the settings in the test menu, so skyhook is off, and gps plus is on, it is set to hot start, and standalone mode, the supl settings are as factory. i get no problems with this second SGS i have had, it is however running xxjf3 firmware.

however when using my tracks it shows how far out tracking really is, but again this does not worrie me as my previous phone was a HTC Touch HD, running a custom windows 6.5 rom, with garmin xt. i have no idea if there is a progam that can show tracks like my tracks on windows mobile, so as a sat nav it was spot on. which is i guess what i would like to achieve with the SGS, im not worried if my tracks is out abit as i would never even have thought to look if i had not have loooked on here.

just done a performance test, in my room at my desk, it had me locked with 6 satalites in 12 secs. so this second one is much improved over the first SGS i had.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Poser:
couple of thoughts from my vibrant experience:

- Heat does seem to have some effect on gps accuracy

- Given the wide range of user experience, it is difficult to pin either firmware or hardware as the culprit.

- Expecting an immediate response from Samsung is foolish. Given the immense distribution of the galaxy S family... they are going to make sure that whatever fix they have (if in fact there is one to offer) will be "bulletproof".

-If it is faulty hardware... they do not have to issue a recall, but if they weren't too... it would be an enormous PR catastrophe as well as open them up to hefty class action litigation.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] andrewluecke:
It's the middle of winter here, and In JG5 I couldn't lock onto a single sat.. In JM5, on the windowsill inside got one. I suspect that heat may not affect the GPS as much as thought. Unless you need extremely low temperatures to improve it..

I will compare JM5 to the upgraded version of asian firmware (which my phone originally had).
[Galaxy S I9000 General] andrewluecke:
Yep.. I can confirm that whilst JG1 baseband (which comes with europe JG5 and JG1) locks no satelites, JM5 locked 6 instantly... Indoors (and I have roller shutters too), so outside it should be better.. I waited 5 mins, and 8 were locked. If I went outdoors, I'd possibly get 9 as I did on DXJF4 (but was REALLY sketchy, and the positioning was horrible) . I currently have 5meters accuracy which I think is the lowest that the device shows.

And NO, detection of location using Wifi is NOT enabled (so no AGPS, looking at maps and the location is correction)!

So people out there who absolutely couldn't get a satellite fix should give JM5 a go. JG1-JG5 definitely had serious problems (at least for Singtel i9000's, and in my case).

5meters accuracy. Haven't had a chance yet to test it whilst jogging, but I will (and I'll upload the Garmin forerunner 305 data from the same run to compare). I would expect a slightly worse result though, because the garmin forerunners are designed to optimise antenna placement for jogs.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] larryccf:
if your findings are accurate, and i have no reason to doubt, then there was a reason sammy put that socket for an optional GPS antenna on the phone, next to the sim card

as far as the signal improving when the rear case cover is removed, i've posted asking others to confirm what i suspected and found with mine - carbon is the element used to color the plastic black, and carbon degrades or shields the phone from the signal - the more carbon, the more it shields. as it's not a heavy amount, it's only a slight degradation, but that was the reason i purchased my previous phone in white, and order non-black gel case - no need to degrade the signal further
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Case_:
Just because I was curious, I've tried replacing all GPS related files (/bin/gpsd, libgps.so etc.) in JM5 with JF3 files hoping that it would perhaps get rid of that "dampening" effect on GPS tracking. Well, it didn't really. Actually it was even worse. Then again the track recording was very smooth, no sudden skips. Though entirely wrong as well ;)
[Galaxy S I9000 General] ghosty_uk:
i to am running a stock SGS i9000 with xxjf3, again set as factory settings, not rooted either.

i know what you mean about the thermo-refelective screens (renault senic comes to mind), inside that even a dedicated garmin navi 750w could net get a decent fix (tried in my friends car).

however i drive a cabrio as siad in the post before yours and im getting a very clear gps signal, it locks in under 15 secs, ok so it does jump at times but then so did the garmin. i did a small test today where i manually put the roof down and placed the SGS where i normally put it, and i experienced no difference is signal strength or sat fixes.

however i do think you should email your post directly to samsung, to terll them your findings, as i think the only way to get through to them is to complain on mass, or strat reporting it to teh papers/magazines ect, give them a PR nightmare to deal with, see how fast it get sorted out then.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] ghosty_uk:
larry,

while i dont doubt you in the slightest (where your own SGS is being tested), i have not found this to be true, i have both the zagg invsi-shield and a BLACK silicone case, and weater it is with or witout it i get the same sats and locks. since i took my original SGS back to be swapped this second one is proving much better at both finding and locks sats, the only thing i would complain about is the occasional jumping off the road im on, but it always snaps back after a few (50-100) yards.

but in the interests of fairness, i will test your theory by removing my silicone case and rear cover to see if there is any differece.

just done a test with my phone in exactly the same spot on my desk:

condition 1, with both the backplate on and the case on

result, found 5 sats and locked 4

condition 2, with the case removed

result, found 7 sats and locked 6,

condition 3, backplate removed case removed

result, found 7 sats and locked 3/4 (kept fluctuating)

condition 4, backplate removed with case on

result, found 8 and locked 6/7/8 (kept fluctuating)

so i do appoligise to you larry it seams you were somewhat correct, i have just done another test out my window, with nothing on just holding the battery in. and i wish i could get a bloody screen cap, as it has just flashed 12 found and 9 locked.

so please does anyone know of a screen capping app i can use with the lbs test menu, or anyone know how i can tack a picture of the screen as i would love to prove this claim.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] OGC313:
Is there a working fix for the GPS problems yet?

^^^^ Title
[Galaxy S I9000 General] appelflap:
You can use ShootMe from the marketplace. You've to root your device though to use it. (I believe that for all screenshot apps you have to be rooted)

If you whish you can use the app I wrote to record the max lock and max seen sats. It keeps the max sats and locks so you don't have to take a picture at the very right moment.

Is it only with 12 seen sats that you have a lock on 9, or can it also happen with 11 or 10 seen sats?
[Galaxy S I9000 General] sjdean:
Im pretty much of the same opinion. Reached that conclusion myself in a couple of weeks, but never quite sure why.

Yes, the GPS antenna is weak. If you point your phone at the satellites, you get good signal, turn your back on them and get the signal to travel effectively through the screen, you lost points there too.

Without a doubt though, if Samsung could fix the stability issues, and get it to lock onto < 20SnR and more than 8 satellites, then I think a lot of issues could be resolved.

Limiting to 8 satellites > 20 SnR is all very well and good, but doesn't help when you walk under trees.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] TravUK:
No, until the update is released, take every supposed cure with a pinch of salt.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] sjdean:
Buy a HTC Desire?

There are lots of things you can try, but they seem to be intermittent at best. Which sort of suggests that the issue is intermittent too. Which could be hardware or software.

No one really knows, but we hope this rumoured update is going to do the business

Maybe Samsung have used the wrong glue for the GPS antenna.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Case_:
As for the satellite lock - I can understand why they perhaps don't want the phone to lock onto satellites with less than 20SNR. What I don't understand is why I often see 9-10 satellites with 30+SNR and the phone only locks to like 4 or 5 of them...why not use them all?

And another thing I've been observing - is it just me or does the GPS accuracy really get quite a lot worse when you turn off the screen? Seems to me that every time I wake up the phone, the accuracy is very broad and GPS icon is blinking, as if it wasn't really maintaining a fix at all.

ShootMe doesn't work on Galaxy, though.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] appelflap:
I don't have any problem with it. I use it all the time.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Beowulf_pt:
Is the Desire known for being quite accurate? Much better than this? http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...40.202551,-8.411558&spn=0.00413,0.008336&z=17 (SGS)

I was going to return my SGS tomorrow as I do not believe anymore that the problems aren't very dependent on hardware design.... but decided to wait as I should be receiving an active 1.5 GHz antenna in a couple of days and am curious to see how the SGS behaves with it connected to the MMCX socket.

Still, even if the gain helps it won't be a good solution for such an expensive device.

With the Desire HD coming out in October, I think I'll just go for the money back and save it for it.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] larryccf:
i'll be very curious to see the results with that 1.5 meter antenna - i've got 5 more days before my return period is up and i didn't think it would get here in time

maybe if it works, we can all cannabalize older garmin units for their flip up antennas and modify the back of our phones to mount them
[Galaxy S I9000 General] nicoloco:
Same here :

* satellite with +30 SNR not locked

* gps accurary off when the screen is switched off. I have the feeling that it depends on the software. But on some software there is no settings to let the screen switched on :(

Shootme works on my SGS
[Galaxy S I9000 General] ghosty_uk:
not rooted my phone yet as i dont trust i either a, wont brick it (leaving me with an SGS doorstop), or b, do something in the superuser setting and break it (leaving me with an SGS doorstop), lol.

to answer your second part, i have seen 9 locked with 9 found, but that was very briefly, it then skipped back to 7/8 then settled at 5. i have also noted that even sat at my desk, i have a window right behind me, im getting +25 SNR on at least 6 sats, one went to +40 SNR earlier.

which confusses me even more as my first SGS was so crappy at finding sats how can this one be on the opposite end of the spectrum and be really good at it, i mean if i didnt know about my tracks, this would be a pretty good phone in pretty much every aspect. mite even sell my ipod nano, as the music player on here is so damn good.

maybe i just got lucky with this second one, i have had it for 1 week and 6 days and not one sign of the gps being as bad as the first, so hopefully this one will last and never go wrong (fingers and toes crossed).

edit: for those wondering why if it can see 9/10 sats but only uses 4/5 it should only need 3 to triangulte your position, the additional sats would only provide greater accuracy, i have mine down to 5 feet earlier. that was with 10/11 seen and 8 locked.

as for the <20 SNR not locking it could be an internal thing that the signal of those is not a good wnought quilty and would confuse the gps, not that that would make much of a difference for most people atm. i seem to be a fortunate minority who actually has functional gps (except the condition mentioned above)
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Beards:
You do realize you have just committed yourself to the public stocks to be pelted with rotten veg everytime we can't get Samsung to sort this out......
[Galaxy S I9000 General] sjdean:
I wouldn't be surprised, but I seem to get better results with no clouds.

Are you going to get a replacement phone or stick with it? I just can't decide. Im sure its faulty, but I don't think it's anything a replacement phone is going to do.

Just in case my last post was missed too, has anyone noticed that their phone won't lock onto more than eight satellites? Even if it sees 10 or 11, it will only lock onto eight.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] ewingr:
Software issue?

If the concensus is it is a software issue...do you mean in the firmware, or the particular software you use with the phone?

If that's it, would be interesting to see how it works based on different GPS software systems: TomTom, Co-Pilot, etc.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Beards:
No Simon, I'm keeping the phone.... not because I am totally happy with it because I have several outstanding issues (DLNA, GPS, Email, No Smart Alarm, TV Remote Desk Stand).

I'm keeping it because I'm almost certain a replacement will be the same... and I'm not returning it for a refund because despite it's problems I'm still happy with the overall package.

It's now up to Samsung to deliver otherwise I will feel a strong sense of consternation or disappointment begin to creep in.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Evans_Prophet:
I think the UK phones are the ones with the GPS problems. I don't know whether this has to do with the firmware or any manufacturing faults / different gps chips etc.

My GPS as well si disastrous - generally I get a perfect lock immediately, but all in all it loses it VERY easily. I believe that most people who say that its fine have not tested it under more demanding circumstances -eg cloudy sky with buildings all around...
[Galaxy S I9000 General] xiuhan83:
just a comment,

isn't there a place in android where u can update you gps location. just like the one in htc windows mobile where the location expire every 7 days. so is that the reason why people are getting drop outs in the gps within a week.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] dlci:
Anyone with GPS issues willing to confirm aeo087's experience?

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=7061468&postcount=45

Perhaps indeed the initial OS installation is crappy in some way - many Samsung phones were delivered lately with viruses/worms so I wouldn't say it's impossible to have an improper SW pre-install on some batch
[Galaxy S I9000 General] larryccf:
in case no one notices, at appro 3:45 in the video at the below thread's video, the poster indicated he had the same gps issues and the flash to the new rom fixed it

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=718189
[Galaxy S I9000 General] husq510:
I have got JF5 running 2.1 update 1.

I got problem with sygic and I can confirm that "GPS test" show greyed satellite (not in use) looks like it has a weak receiving. By cover with your hand the top of the phone when satellite are in use (green) you can see weak signal which tend to be lower.

How is possible let samsung note this problem? its a wonderfull phone but this GPS issue is really upset.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] husq510:
1)XXJF5

2)Never got orange always yellow

3)Yes, it happens to see 30 and 31 which remain grey

4) yes, just put your left hand on top the phone

5) yes

6)yes

7)dunno, but even clouds seems to interfere.

8)not jelous

Anyway, with big sky coverage it run with 6/7 satellite lock. In cities with building it may run with 3/4 satellite.

It strange that never go orange.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Evans_Prophet:
GPS problems possibly a hardware issue

I have just flashed (twice with repartition) to JG3. The second time I did not install any apps at all in order to avoid any interference from other apps (e.g. the way fring does with the camera).

The results?

The GPS is still USELESS. The sign is very inconsistent and quire inaccurate. I will turn this phone back as soon as it is possible. It was bought from the uk (expansys) and it seems that many phones bought from UK retailers have the same problems.

I will post soon a video on youtube showing the difference in performance between i9000 and an old touch hd.

For those wishing to use GPS: stay away until the problem is solved.

For everyone else having the same problems: raise your voice, so that Samsung takes at last some action.

[I making this a separate thread on purpose - I now believe that this is hardware problem - not a software one]
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Pika007:
It may just be that current frmwares don't contain a full solution to the problem.

My impression is that the hardware is ok, the software is downright crappy.

In GPSTEST, the galaxy S finds more than enough sattelites, but refuses to lock on more than 8, and refuses to lock on anything lower than 20snr.

If it's getting a signal, though, it should be able to get a lock as well.

I already sent a mail to samsung, waiting to see their reply. I'm going to be royally pissed of they tell me to send it back, going through shipping and customs again is going to be a pain in the ass. An EXPENSIVE pain in the ass.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Itsme87:
Mailed Samsung as well. Do hope they'll come up with a solution.

Some people said that the new custom FW helped. Would be great to get feedback from people if the flashing do help or not.

Will update my phone to JG1 and post an update about the result.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] widjaja74_us:
GPS problem again

I was using the Maps application yesterday in Indonesia and the map tells me that I was in Korea.....

I got the phone from Singapore.....

In the location setting, you can set the map application to use only the data access to tell current location....

I tried this, so basically i checked the option to use data access for the Maps application and unchecked the option to use the GPS chip....

But the problem is it only shows myposition when i first launched the Maps application, after that it doest update my location anymore....

I think the Iphone 3gs also uses only data access for its google maps, but it keeps on updating your location so you can see the dot moving on the map as you move....

Then i tried the other way around, i disabled the data access for the map and only enabled the GPS chip.... But it still showing wrong location, keeps jumping around and lost signal even though i put the phone underneath the windshield....

Turning both the GPS chip and data access also does not help....

My other observation is that after installing around 20 combination of apps and games, the phone seems to lag quite badly in everything.....

Before buying this phone i was going to buy the HTC desire, but i thought since the samsung has built in storage of 16GB, the ability to install more applications on the built in storage will make it faster than the htc DESIRE whiich relies on SD card storage....

Anybody with HTC Desire want to comment on their experience?

The battery i think is quite good......

So i am just gonna give about a week for Samsung to come up with the solution to the GPS problem, because if its actually hardware problem that cannot be solved, i think we should all get our money back like what happened with iphone 4...... speaking of which i think the galaxy s also has very unstable phone signal because i often see the signal bar goes up like crazy even in the place that i know it should not.......

So if this GPS problem cannot be solved, i think its better to sell it and buy the HTC Desire or wait for something else because i heard the battery on HTC desire is quite bad and one thing for sure, the video and camera is not as good quality as the samsung....
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Evans_Prophet:
I have done some extra tests. I think that the GPS performance is affected by the phone temperature. When it is cold (e.g. because it was off // no wifi // cold day etc) I get a pefect lock and quire quickly. This is possibly why people did not notice the problem or though that it was solved after they flashed.

This also explain why the gps sometime works fine and sometimes not.

I don't know why temp affects gps - maybe there is some bad soldering going down there - maybe it is just the chip. Truth is that I let my phone cool down, then run google maps (while still cold) and got perfect lock - then, after it got hotter lock was lost and I was again a few blocks away.

Please do some testing - maybe it is a hardware problem afterall - at least for some of us.. :-(
[Galaxy S I9000 General] gllu:
GPS Discussion, Problems, Lock speed, Accuracy, Fixes - The Poll

As GPS is more important to me than phone calls, I am making this poll to check if the non-usable satellite issue is wide spread.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] rkantos:
Maybe add voting options for 'working inside' etc?
[Galaxy S I9000 General] gllu:
I don't think polls may be edited but what's "working inside"? GPS' purpose is not for working inside...
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Beards:
Don't be surprised when the reply back from Samsung says to "Factory Reset"!

That seems to be their 'staff answer' to any problem hoping:-

a) It resolves it...

b) You go away and leave them to do more interesting things like watching the World Cup.

I'm now looking into sending off a message to a higher authority but with work commitments running high my time is quite limited in this.

If anyone finds an address pass it down as the Tech Supp is simply a joke.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Bajo76:
I voted for the third option. GPS in my case is really bad. Just today i made a small video Galaxy S vs. HTC Hero:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCvtTKVLaWQ
[Galaxy S I9000 General] Case_:
And even if there was, it would drain your battery pretty quickly when ie. recording a track during a hike.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] appelflap:
I will update my app with some log capabilities because I'm very interested in your findings. I will add a possiblity to log the details of the fixes where there's a lock on more than 8 sats. Also, I will add a variable with which the lowest snr value is tracked of the sats that are constituting a fix.

I PM you when the app is updated.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] appelflap:
Are you sure it's a mmcx socket ? I had a old external gps antenna laying around that I used with a HP iPAQ rx5720. I tried that one on the galaxy and the connector found on the galaxy was just to big for it. It could be a mcx socket.
[Galaxy S I9000 General] appelflap:
Don't use salt with the fixes! It will destroy the device. :D