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GPS not picking up signal

I have been having a problem with the google maps and google navigation since monday 10/01/12. On google maps my location is off anywhere from 40 ft to 1.5 miles. I have contacted both verizon customer support and what I could get from google and have done all the suggestions, including a factory reset and installing other gps software from the google play store to no avail. A few of the technicians that I have talked to have also experienced gps problems including location verification being off and not finding a gps signal also. Please let me know if the is a problem with the network or if it's a problem with the phone. As it is I am unable to use the gps navigation to travel and it has become a hinderence.

Comments

Ann154

Do you leave the GPS radio on all the time or turn it off when you aren't going to use for a while?

I leave mine on with my Tbolt and it usually locks on quickly. If it doesn't, then I make sure that I'm outside and open an application called GPS Test. I use this application to reset the Assisted GPS and to verify that the satellites are within range. The application will then lock my location within at most a couple of minutes and more like seconds.

valkire100

I have tried all that, with gps test app, I left it on for 5 minutes and nothing. and my gps radio is always on.

Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2012 05:00:50 -0600

From: community@verizonwireless.com

To: (deleted personal information to comply with VZW ToS)

Subject: Re: GPS not picking up signal - Re: GPS not picking up signal

Re: GPS not picking up signal created by Ann154 in ThunderBolt by HTC - View the full discussion

Do you leave the GPS radio on all the time or turn it off when you aren't going to use for a while?

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Verizon_Support

Hello valkire100, The ability to use GPS on our devices these days is priceless! Are you also using Google and Verizon Location Services along with GPS satellites? After the hard reset did you install all of the same applications that you previously had? I am eager to get to the bottom of this with you!

Thank You,

YaleK_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWsupport

CappyC

Just did some testing and found some helpful information!

The back cover of HTC Incredible and Thunderbolt phones includes small antennas for the Cell and GPS receivers inside the phone. The early covers had, in addition to the metal contacts, a small "patch" antenna (looks like a piece of black fabric like material" for the cell radio, but not for the GPS radio. Apparently the newer back covers have an added patch on the other antenna contacts, which I believe is the GPS antenna.

Back in October I bought a pair of extended capacity batteries that came with a pair of extended back covers. These back covers also do not have patch for the GPS antenna. At that time, my Google Navigation worked reliably 90% of the time. In the past month, I have had growing problems with GPS not picking up routing information. Today (after I had switched from the standard battery to one of the extended batteries, I had o GPS all day. Grrrrrrrrrrr...

I downloaded the GPS Test program from Play Store and ran it with the standard cover. 9 satellites, all at or above 50% signal strength. Checked Google Nav and it instantly locked on and got routing data. I then switched to the extended cover I had been using, and BOMB, only 2 satellites, both at or below 20% strength, and Google Nav could not get directions.

Switched to the second extended cover and repeated the test - 10 satellites, all above 50% signal strength, and Google Nav got instant lock and directions.

Moral of this story - the back cover, and more importantly the small strip antennas therein, are crucial to GPS use, even more so than to cell network coverage. If you are having GPS issues, you may want to go to the Verizon store, (where they will/may try to tell you it is update OS issues or other BS!) and politely but firmly DEMAND they replace the back cover with one of the newer versions with the patch antenna. Within 10 minutes, and some politely veiled threats of leaving them for a company that cares about their customers, (said just loudly enough that other customers in the store could hear me!!!), the rep got on the phone and talked to someone higher up in customer support, and within 5 minutes, told me my new back cover should arrive in the mail within 10 business days or less.

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