yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Vibrant General] Timpaa:
Hey guys, I screwed my GPS up completely after trying this hack, I was very careful when removing the back, gently bent up the contact, and my gps did not work at all.

When activated the gps Icon blinks twice and then nothing. I get no locks or satellites at all in gps test, when i try My Location in Maps, its just says your position cannot be verified at this time", same with copilot, nothing. I tried bending it back, still same, and then up again, and it broke off.

How much do you think it would cost if I sent it in for repair? What would they have to replace?

Also, regarding the soldering, one could add the solder to the "top" contact, right? Instead of to the one i just bent off? That would mean no risk of damaging the other electronics from heat.

This GPS BS is totally sucking all the fun out of this very expensive phone...
[Vibrant General] benoitb85:
1. The issue is that depending on the cable, it might not properly allow the RF signal to propagate. So you should do that only if you know what you're doing (RF engineer).

I can't answer 2 or 3.
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
1. I don't think there is room for a wire here, It is rather tight. There has been a bit of discussion about using male and female MH4 connectors here, which is the type of connector you are referring to in your third question.

2. The sponge one is a ground connection to maintain the ground plane and has nothing to do with any of the antennas.

3. Yes, it is there so you can add an external antenna. It is not for the GPS however. Take a close look at the traces and you will see the center conductor is directly tied to the smaller MH4 connector for the cellular antenna cable running to the bottom of the phone.
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
You most likely cracked the contact on the first bend and did not even realize it. I am pulling this from memory, but I think mannymal did the same thing at first.

You would have to have it repaired by someone that you could instruct on how to repair it. A repair shop will want to replace the contact, and the part is not available.

I can not come up with any reason why moving the solder to the other side would not work.
[Vibrant General] Timpaa:
Hmm, it did go a few times before falling off though, I'm pretty sure I didn't crack it. I was also able to try the contact with a credit card sliver in-between as suggested, and that was held finely in place (no change to the GPS signal though...)

I was thinking how much it would cost to send it to Samsung, not to a local place? Anyone tried that?

Isn't there some sort of conductive glue out there? that would be the ultimate! Come on, we can send a man to the moon, but no conductive thick glue?! haha

there is! And you can make it yourself!

google "conductive glue". I wasn't allowed to post links yet!
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
The issue here is not conductance but the transmission of radio frequency signal. You can not treat this connection in the same way you would DC or low frequency AC. Please realize we are dealing with an antenna connection at 1.5Ghz (1575.42 Mhz) and 1.2Ghz (1227.60 MHz). This is why my suggestions on how to solder always go into the shape of the connection as much as or more than the method, height, etc.
[Vibrant General] mystycs:
I tried it i was really scare do to bend it up! I barely bent it up haha i was scared!
[Vibrant General] tcontento:
Awesomeness.

Well, after I updated to 2.2.1 my gps went bye bye. I tried every market gps signal fix available. I was getting a little pissed as to why it wouldnt lock on anymore. I would get 12 birds, no locks...... I was kind of nervous to try this fix, but I figured what the hell. I have nothing, so nothing else to lose right? The hardest part of this whole procedure was getting the damn inner cover off. Put it all back together, and damn if in 6 seconds, 6 birds, 10ft accuracy INDOORS!!!!!!!

I am total amazed! You rock in finding this fix!!

Info: running Honeybee (rom) 2.2.1

modem KB1

Vibrant pre Oct 10 release.

thanks again.

:D
[Vibrant General] onyx1898:
Hey thanks for this information, it was pretty easy to do and worked great!!
[Vibrant General] fatttire:
Easy solution:

1. Take a sheet of aluminum foil, neatly fold it over a whole bunch of times so it is like a 1mm x 3cm sturdy stick

2. Insert said aluminum foil stick under the clip shown in OP that you are supposed to bend up.

3. Put cover on phone such that the aluminum foil stick is acting like a lever to pull the pin up.

this way you don't have to solder and you also don't have to keep pulling the clip up... it puts continual pressure on the clip against the back cover :D

Note being, this worked for the pins on my AT&T Captivate, not sure how the geometry of a Vibrant works.
[Vibrant General] fatttire:
3. I've been told by others that know a lot more than me that that hookup is for quality control purposes before it leaves the factory lot.
[Vibrant General] KWKSLVR:
Google what happens when copper and aluminum hang out. Bad idea man. :-P
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
AND . . . when that foil gets loose and shorts out your phone your first clue might be the smoke

ALSO. . . This was already mentioned in this thread, and was shot down for both of the reasons mentioned here, so you must not have read before posting - just say`n
[Vibrant General] Br1cK'd:
Because it cannot be said enough.

THIS IS A BAD IDEA, DO NOT DO THIS.

You may not regret it right away, but one day you will.
[Vibrant General] kdf2883:
Mods please dem this very dangerous and never try this.
[Vibrant General] :
Works With Issue

I already had the software fix installed. Tried the hardware fix this morning (wow the back cover is on there so tight screws were totally unnecessary). Anyway did method one which was to bend it up a little. Was kinda unsure if i did it enough etc. but seems to have improved.

anyway better performance. I tried from bedroom window (so not exactly outdoors but good enough) and got a lock in like 30-ish seconds. I would say it is successful.

BUT !!! There is one issue. Now i get a notification in my status bar that looks like a grey text file icon with an exclamation point. I will edit with a screenshot.

Why is this notification showing up? I am assuming it is related in part to something that happened during the process. How can i fix it?

EDIT: nevermind. sim card was backwards. i can be forgetful sometimes. Anyway it gets a lock in like 30 seconds now. now excellent but good enough. i dont really use gps much anyway.
[Vibrant General] fallingup79:
Taking the back cover off

I've removed the screws, but how can I get the cover off easy with minimal tools?
[Vibrant General] KWKSLVR:
If there was an easy way, I would have shared it in the OP. ;) Sorry man, you've just gotta get in there with fingernails and work at it. Be prepared to spend 20 or 30 minutes the first go around. It gets easier to take off the more you do it.
[Vibrant General] Telanis:
As others have said, this is a terrible idea. Use an insulator like folded paper, not a conductor.
[Vibrant General] m509272:
I had to pop mine open twice. It seems if you focus in on one long side it goes easier.

Also, not sure it's mentioned anywhere but when you put the back on start with the volume side and make sure that is toggling correctly before you close it all up. That's why I had to do it twice.

Oh yeah, I could kick myself for not doing this sooner. It was never great and got to the point where I didn't get anything anymore. Now it's almost instant.
[Vibrant General] abrown0809:
GPS is great, this combined with SGPS did the trick! Nagivatation works much better as well.
[Vibrant General] wyvernwaddell:
This thread saved my ass after I broke off my wifi tab..and got me better reception in the deal...THANK YOU for providing instructions and reassurance : )
[Vibrant General] RoyLoo:
Wow, worked just as advertised! Locked onto 12 sats in well under a minute.

Yeah, getting the inside cover off was a pain, but it did come off safely.
[Vibrant General] garyt87:
This is amazing! I accidentally broke my GPS contact and bought a $8.99 Soldering Iron at Radio Shack + .022 roll of wire (No product placement intended). I was a little nervous but followed some tutorials and this excellent guide and now I get 8.65 - 10 Meter accuracy. Thank you so much for the help, I just moved to a new city and this fix saved me $$$ and time.
[Vibrant General] bbm21:
So I broke my conecter thing how can I fix it?
[Vibrant General] nomadrider123:
you are one of many, you need to soder it. It should be covered on the first page be real careful.
[Vibrant General] Timpaa:
Ok guys, Im gonna have to solder too, but as I asked a few pages back, is there any reason not to solder the contact that ISNT on the motherboard, but in the back we just lifted off? Wouldnt that minimize any accidents to the delicate circuitry and still be in contact?
[Vibrant General] Telanis:
I see no reason why that wouldn't be better, but I haven't studied antennas.
[Vibrant General] VICosPhi:
There is a reason Telecommunist or Kwiksilver posted...its not good to solder the antenna
[Vibrant General] yen46dor:
Your directions are clear and concise. Thanks for helping me fix this GPS problem. I don't want to

have

to use my Nuvi, either.
[Vibrant General] regP:
The piece on the midplate is very thin. I'd be worried that the heat from the iron could melt the contract and/or the plastic surrounding it.
[Vibrant General] shaolinf4:
great fix, now my vibrant has everything I need!
[Vibrant General] CobraGT2000:
I now have a vibrant that rivals the gps in my n1. Thank u so much!
[Vibrant General] mike972tex:
Hey guys, my vibrant has a build date of Nov 2010, I read the hardware fix won't work on it or am i wrong? I have tried all the software fixes but none of them fixed the problem.
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
Give it a shot, it should be OK. Please let us know how it works out. Since you are the third person to have the October date if it works for you like it did the other two we might have to adjust the OP and FAQs
[Vibrant General] nomadrider123:
Ok I will bite what do you mean by all the software fixes? Have you tried?

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=974702

What roms have you tried? Which one are you running?

How comfortable do you feel about taking your phone apart and sodering?
[Vibrant General] bryantcraig:
Happy Camper

I am Running Darky's 9.5 Rom on a Telus Samsung Galaxy S. With this hardware fix I get Fixes within 3 seconds outside. I got nothing at all prior to that. Very easy to do, but be careful removing the backing, it’s a little tricky. I only did the temporary fix, no soldering. If that stops working I will break out the iron. Hats off to the poster of this.....Craig Bryant. Edmonton, Alberta. Canada:D:D:D
[Vibrant General] KWKSLVR:
I've been thinking the same thing. I think we may have jumped the gun in that assumption.
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
Hey, we had a sample size of about 7 before. Now we have 3 going the other way. If we worked for the government I would say the quality of our work was right on.
[Vibrant General] hulaokan:
but in our country ka5 is better
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
Really? So how many Chinese do you think are using the T-Mobile, US version if the Galaxy S (AKA T959) with a custom ROM? Also, what is KA5 better at in China - the GPS, since that is what the thread is about I thought I would ask.

Not that I am disrespecting you or your country in any way. The US consumers only get our powerful and cheap consumer electronics because of the unfair and oppressive practices of Chinese labor in manufacturing. I just don't understand the statement or it's relevance to this thread. Did I miss something?
[Vibrant General] mike972tex:
Hey guys, i tried the hardware fix on my vibrant with builddate 11/10, the signal strength has definitely improved but it still takes forever to lock on, i wiped the phone and reinstalled bionix v 1.3.1. I am thinking of trying out different modems to see if that fixes my problem
[Vibrant General] jkang29:
no 3G

after i finished the hardware fix, i'm not getting any 3G signal??

anyone get no apn configured?

i go to networks and search but it finds nothing.
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
Double check that you did not knock loose the micro bnc connector on the cable to the bottom of the phone. That is your cellular antenna.
[Vibrant General] jkang29:
thanks! i must have accidentally pop it out.

I snapped it back in and now it works.
[Vibrant General] Oxicottin:
Does the Samsung restore file located at the bottom of post #2 work with the Captivate? Also is it a CWM file? I have the Captivate and my posts are exposed and don't have to take anything apart but I have a white thing like a sticker that stops it from touching the back cover would I just remove that?

Thanks,

Chad
[Vibrant General] jkang29:
Thanks!

Now with this hardware fix and s.gps.zip, I can lock on avg 5 satellites indoors with 7-8m error. I will report if this also fixes drifting problem.
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
I am not sure about the Captivate.

No you can not CWM the file, it is not a zip. It is a APK - just install it.
[Vibrant General] doronkdoron:
acciedently broke the connection

:(

The bending went good, but apperently I closed the back cover the wrong way, and it caused the connection to break...

I don't even know if soldering the connetion back will work...

Ofcourse, I can't see any satelites now...

What can I do?
[Vibrant General] nomadrider123:
not much of a choice you need to solder it or have someone else do it
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
If you are really wary of soldering you can read a few pages into the thread. There is some good conversation involving myself, Manymal, and others about the subject that includes very good advice, descriptions, and methods. Most importantly find something to practice on and get comfortable with your soldering abilities before going after the fix in the phone. You won't just get a better repair, but you will gain a skill.
[Vibrant General] Goatblaster:
GPS Fixed! Thank you thank you thank you!

Just thought I'd share my GPS experience here. When Samsung released the galaxy S, I bought it about when it was released in my area, August. Got a great deal at the local Best Buy. Everything was great for a few months and then the GPS started to get worse and worse, to a point that it barely worked at all for the past several months. I tried every software patch, fix, app, modification of gps.conf, setting in the GPS menu access through the dialer, etc.... nothing worked.

I have a service plan for the device through Best Buy, but to be honest, the GPS wasn't a huge deal for me, I don't use it that often (well, couldn't at all for last several months anyway) so never bothered bringing it in for replacement.

Anyway, last weekend I was taking a small trip to somewhere I had never been before outside the city and it would have come in very handy, but was completely non-functional as usual. So I decided to fix this issue once and for all, either through replacement at Best Buy, or on my own.

I decided to try this hardware fix, adjusting the internal antenna (not the solder one! didn't want to "ensure" warranty was void). I basically decided meh, I'll give this hardware fix a go and if it doesn't work, tomorrow I'd bring the phone to best buy for a replacement.

The antenna fix worked. Wow, did it ever work. For the last few months, I barely ever saw a satellite. After adjust the gps.conf file a few weeks ago, I could see one or two sats, but never any lock and poor view of the 1 or 2 anyway. Now, even INSIDE my house I get a lock almost instantly (under 10 seconds) on 8+ satellites, 16 feet accuracy. I've been testing it all day - the GPS looks solid as a rock. All my location based services are working like a charm!

Just wanted to say thanks for this hardware fix and the instructions, they were great. Phone is working awesomely now.

:D

woot!

- Goatblaster
[Vibrant General] doronkdoron:
Want to change the broken connector to a new one

I have friends with good soldering skills. If I want to take of the broken connection and change it into a new and better connection, which connection should I use?

Alternately, can I solder the broken connetion (broke in the middle) back?
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
You would want to use a male and female set of MF4 connectors. Search this thread for MF4 and you should find a couple pages worth of discussion.
[Vibrant General] doronkdoron:
Thank you. It looks pretty hard to solder them, how can I aim the two side to be such accurate so the male will be just infront of the female?
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
My suggestion would be to have them mated and the boards together, then tack the pieces in place from the side enough that they stay put. After that carefully separate them and finish the solder job on each side. The trick is to not solder the male and female halves together by using too much solder, and that it is all very tiny.
[Vibrant General] AEguyNYC5:
Quick update on my situation: after reading a post in here about someone getting their motherboard replaced I decided to send in the phone for a second time. It has been 2 weeks since they received my phone and I was worried it got lost so I called. The guy on the other end told me it is still under repair. I asked him to provide me the details to ensure it is actually being repaired. He told me the notes say that the front assembly and pb (panel board) are being replaced.

Long story short, the phone will not be repaired on the 1st try, send it in a second time and ask for the motherboard to be replaced.

Thanks and I hope this helps someone. :)
[Vibrant General] heldc:
I had a lot of luck getting the back off with a plastic collar stay. Also, it might be helpful to note that you're trying to push the plastic "in" away from the chrome rim. On some phones, you're trying to push the plastic "out" to get it to release from what it's caught on inside. In this case, the rim that it caught is on the outside edge, so pushing the plastic in toward the body of the phone and down was what I had the most luck with.
[Vibrant General] paranoia_gu:
this is a Good News
[Vibrant General] childspsongs:
Cut a very small piece of copper wire and fit it in the connector to slightly elevate the connector! This piece of copper wire adds to the connection actually making it stronger than it normally is even with the fix posted here. It also prevents it from laying flat again. You will not believe the difference it makes unless you try it. All your doing is adding more copper and its amazing. I used a piece od number 12 copper wire and cut it with a wire snip.
[Vibrant General] T313C0mun1s7:
Twice now I have had to warn IN THIS THREAD not to do this type of thing because WHEN (not if) it finally works loose it can short something out inside the phone. Yet here is another idiot that fails to see why having a conductive object floating around inside their phone is such a terrible idea, which they would have seen multiple times already IF THEY HAD JUST READ THE THREAD.

If I seem to be coming off a bit strong it is because I am getting tired of

Having to repeat myself for people who don't read / use search.

People giving bad advise that will result in the destruction of others property.
[Vibrant General] childspsongs:
With all due respect, the term idiot is for people who don't know what they are doing, however it shouldn't be used regardless. PLEASE REFRAIN FOR WANTING TO HELP IN ONE HAND AND SWINGING A BAT IN THE OTHER. You know as well as I do that adding copper to copper does nothing but strengthens the signal. You also know that a small enough piece will wedge itself not only between the existing connection, but even more so once the back is clipped back on again. If it is done correctly, there is no floating debris in your phone.....but then again, everything in this site needs to be done correctly, doesn't it?

THIS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WISH TO TRY TO SOLDER YOUR PHONE.....WHICH IS (FAR) MORE DANGEROUS THAN THIS.

Use at your own discretion, however I stand by my original quote. Good luck all of you, it really does work
[Vibrant General] Br1cK'd:
I side with t313 here, having loose conductive material in your phone is asking for trouble. Through normal use of the phone, it is most likely that a piece of that wire will break off, and eventually touch something it shouldn't. I work with copper wires almost on a daily basis, and have seen copper, 300 pair comm backbone, worn through by nothing more than a buildings normal vibrations. Now think about how much your phone is moved and bumped around, it shouldnt be difficult to draw a logical conclusion about loose wire inside your phone. For those that are still wondering, BAD JUJU. It is hard as hell to really brick these phones, but thats one sure fire way to do it. People, do not follow this gentlemans example. While he may be confident in his own fix, it is not secure, and will likely leave you holding a very expensive paper weight.

Sir, if this does brick your phone, are you going to man up and admit to your mistake? I highly doubt it, we would probably never hear from you again. Please, do not recommend the masses do something that is likely to leave them up ****s creek in the future.

Ginger Clones of the World Unite!!! via the XDA App
[Vibrant General] childspsongs:
i hear what you are both saying. im no more trying to break or brick any ones phone than you are. however, here are my findings. ever since i added that little piece of copper, i have had truly unbelievable results from my phone. the proof is in the pudding. simply bending it up is a great fix but not a permanent one. soldering the piece is not a method many want to try. so if bending the wire is most peoples answer then they will likely (more than likely) have to keep opening their phone again and again for the same fix. the piece of copper i installed is pretty much making the connection bigger and thus expanding the reception to an almost perfect state. if samsung would have added a bigger copper connection, and also one that makes contact, we would not be having this debate. i agree on the fact that having a piece of copper in the phone that is not anchored down is not a good idea, however i must emphasise that ADDING MORE COPPER WILL DEFENITELY WORK. i am urging you to at least try this for yourselves (experienced people first) and see the difference it makes. im trying to get people to see a permanent fix for their phone is actually here. can we at least work together to put these two fixes together?

on a side note, if anyone trys this and it messes up their phones, i would still be here just as much to try to help.

if people try to solder their phones because of a suggestion made on this thread and they accidentally burn a hole in their motherboard, will you be there to help them? we would like to think so.

PLEASE STOP INSULTING ME, just because im new HERE doesn't mean i don't know what i'm talking about! when people see that this works, it may be the end of these gps threads all together.
[Vibrant General] wyvernwaddell:
A piece of copper isn't going to give you any better reception than the solder fix....and the solder won't fall off and cause a short.Not being insulting, just the truth.

It's not like soldering is hard our anything...just practice a little first.