gps fix issue

[dhollner]

for some reason today I started to have an issue trying to get a gps fix.  I was in my car with the X in the dock and a clear sky view.  Any hints on how to resolve this.  I tried shut down and restart, battery pull *228 updates.  finally I let it go and it took nearly 30 mins to get a fix.  In the past I have had a fix in under a minute.  thanks for the help.

[djtonic]

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dhollner wrote:

for some reason today I started to have an issue trying to get a gps fix.  I was in my car with the X in the dock and a clear sky view.  Any hints on how to resolve this.  I tried shut down and restart, battery pull *228 updates.  finally I let it go and it took nearly 30 mins to get a fix.  In the past I have had a fix in under a minute.  thanks for the help.

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have you changed any settings?  I found with "Assisted GPS" enabled my phone took a long time to fix location.  Assisted GPS uses towers to triangulate.

Try turning that off if it is on.

also, try wiping the cache.

Dj.

[dhollner]

thanks DjTonic.  I didn't have a chance to try your trick before the phone started getting a lock again within 30 secs.  But I will try to keep it in mind for next time.

[Cody21]

I for one don't fully understand the need for the 2 gps settings. Can someone technical explain the settings?

[djtonic]

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Cody21 wrote:
I for one don't fully understand the need for the 2 gps settings. Can someone technical explain the settings?

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in a non-technical way....

Your phone has a GPS receiver just like a TomTom or a Magellan but it also can use your surrounding cellphone towers to provide location.  All cell phones, if not equiped with a GPS receiver can "triangulate"(picture a triangle and you are in the middle)  a general location based on the cell towers that your phone is receiving signals from(instead of GPS satellites)  I've read they are accurate withing a few hundred meters.  Much like when you watch law and order and they get a "fix" on where someone is when they call from their cell.

Your location with the GPS satellites is accurate within a couple feet.

Assisted GPS will use both satellite signals and near by cell towers to give your location.  It can be useful inside structures or in congested cities where there are a ton of buildings blocking your satellite reception.  Or, most usefully, on those crapy rainy cloudy stormy days that you just can't pull a satellite signal.

That's my non technical explination as well as I understand it.

regular GPS is default, so you shouldnt have to even worry about it.

Tim.

[Cody21]

Thanks for that explanation Tim ...  that helps.

[dhollner]

How do you clear the cache in the navigation / maps program? I am not rooted and the clear cache button on the manage application its grayed out.

[djtonic · Accepted solution]

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dhollner wrote:
How do you clear the cache in the navigation / maps program? I am not rooted and the clear cache button on the manage application its grayed out.

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Hi...try this.  But, don't do it if you arent experiencing any issues now though.

Settings

Applications

Manage Applications>Find your Maps app and press it.

find buttons for "force stop" and "clear cache" "clear user data" or anything similar to that.

Press all those, starting w/ force stop.

Then launch maps and see if your issues have been resolved.

IF NOT!!!

Turn off you phone

Hold "HOME" button and Power on.

continue to hold "home" til a triangle pops up.

Press the search button. you are now in the system recovery menu.

Scroll down to "wipe cache partition" by pressing the volume down key.

Then press the menu or the camera button and say yes to everything.

When everything is done....press menu button again and the ph will reboot.

BE CAREFUL!!!!  MAKE SURE YOU DON'T ACCIDENTALLY SELECT "FACTORY RESET" OR SIMILAR.

good luck.