Apparent GPS Failure

[dirtleg]

So after all my problems...I had a ticket written on my phone..they couldn't find any problems (Verizon) and suggested I call Motorola which I did. An hour of troubleshooting and still no solution, they suggested I return the phone..which I did. New phone..walked outside..no GPS. However I did travel to Plant City, FL today and when I got out of the car I checked and my position was locked. After a day downtown I checked again for a few minutes and wouldn't relock.

I got the "former Alltel customer" reasoning at the store btw. This is definitely a fixable issue I think. I recommend everyone with a problem call verizon and have a ticket made so that they are aware of the problem when someone else calls in. Enough calls and they will issue some sort of fix.

 

[mike1655]

Hey all,

I found this in a similar forum on the verizon page. I used to work for a software company and saw issues like this get ignored while finger pointing went on. read below and tell me if this makes anyone else nervous.


I have the same problem...it constantly searches for GPS. I'm on my third phone now, and it still doesn't work. Verizon and Motorola both say that it's a problem with Google...a third party app that they can't fix. I haven't had any luck in finding out a fix for it, or in finding a way to contact Google. It's frustrating, because the navigation feature was one of my main reasons for wanting this phone. And, yes, I have checked to make sure the GPS is on on every phone...the little sattelite shows up at the top, but it never finds it.

All I want to know is can I extend my 30 day return policy if they don't have this resolved in time.

 

[MarkB]

I'm probably just going to return the dang thing within the next few days. Might try again if this is resolved, but the different stories from different reps aspect? Well I just don't have time for that. Also my droid seems to have lousy cell reception in general. There are multiple threads about that on the Motorola forums, people with lousy voice call quality or no bars, etc. I got this phone along with a simple Motorola Rapture for my mother. We can stand in the same place, and she can make a call and I can't. I don't want to go through all this phone exchanging, only to be met with the same let down.

 

[ly92078]

I may have solved my GPS problem. Even though I read about the conflict with the power widget (the thing with the bluetooth, satellite, brightness, etc boxes) and GPS function, it didn't "click" with me till tonight (a little slow on the uptake!) and when I trashed that widget suddenly my GPS locked on, inside my house. I hope that solves it. More testing tomorrow.

 

[dirtleg]

I chose not to download that widget on my new phone..and still no luck. I agree the finger pointing and the run around I've gotten so far is scary. I was assured that this phone has a year warranty and if it isn't resolved Verizon will allow me to trade it in. The phone is awesome other than the GPS ....yet that is a huge problem for me. I'll wait for the update as I think it'll come..but when, I don't know.

 

[jaymeangreen]

Hey all,

I found this in a similar forum on the verizon page. I used to work for a software company and saw issues like this get ignored while finger pointing went on. read below and tell me if this makes anyone else nervous.


I have the same problem...it constantly searches for GPS. I'm on my third phone now, and it still doesn't work. Verizon and Motorola both say that it's a problem with Google...a third party app that they can't fix. I haven't had any luck in finding out a fix for it, or in finding a way to contact Google. It's frustrating, because the navigation feature was one of my main reasons for wanting this phone. And, yes, I have checked to make sure the GPS is on on every phone...the little sattelite shows up at the top, but it never finds it.

All I want to know is can I extend my 30 day return policy if they don't have this resolved in time.

yeah i dont like the sound of that. what we need is some bad press for verizon and i bet we would start getting some straight answers. perhaps an AT&T ad that mocks the GPS navigation not working :gotmyvote:

 

[Ben]

I live in Tampa, traded in 2 phones, first because the camera had weird rainbow halos around everything, second because no GPS. My girlfriend and I are both former Alltel customers on a Verizon plan who are having trouble with our GPS, I downloaded and uninstalled the widget on the fsecond phone and it didn't help. I have 2 friends who have droids one friend can hook up in seconds in a hospital everytime. My other friends worked outside in downtown Tampa and hooked up within seconds as well. I have tried turning of wireless location setting and still no change. My phone has hooked up on the GPS only once, yesterday while I was driving from Tampa to Lakeland it locked up on county line road. Right now girlfriends would not lock so I turned it off then back on and it locked in seconds, mine locked too. Weird?

 

[jaymeangreen]

in the morning im heading to TN for a week . it will be interesting to see if it works while im out of state.

 

[ly92078]

Just got off the phone with a Verizon tech. He stated that there were GPS issues with all the Droids! He stated that it was a software issue that Motorola is working on to do an upgrade. He states that it probably evolved from a communication problem between Motorola and Google. He stated that sometimes a short lived "fix" can be achieved by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery; or deleting and reinstalling an application (probably what happened to me--in previous post).

Bottom line...wait for software update or return phone.

ps I got a new phone before talking to tech and the new phone is worse than the first.

 

[Erich_F]

After a week with unit #2, my GPS died today while executing a Nav from just North of Gainesville, FL. I am in the process of troubleshooting now. I have been able to get a fix every now and then, but the location is way off and the fix short lived.

I have factory reset my unit about 5 times now, pulled the battery, and even cleared all the cache and misc folders from my SD card. I have also removed all non-native apps and factory reset from there. After each reset, I get a fix, but again is way out in the Gulf. Before an accurate fix is achieved, the fix dies and the GPS hard fails again. There has got to be an order or operation I have to find to get this thing back on track. Next will be to format the SD card then do a factory reset.

Erich

 

[ly92078]

Eric,

I think your efforts will probably not work. I think it is not user correctable. It appears to be some combination of software/hardware. I called Motorola this afternoon. They were not able to give me any answers.

I will keep trying to get an answer from them, but will return my phone within the 30 days if it is not resolved.

 

[Erich_F]

Yeah, I think so, too. I have now done a number of things, including formating the SD card. I can get a fix pretty routinely with GPS Status App, but the fix is still out in the Gulf at 11,000 meters MSL. It is slowly working it's way towards an accruate fix, but I think it would need to be left on in the car for the entire night before it got close.

I'm going to play around in the root files and see if there's something that looks like it might be GPS related...I'm returning the phone, anyways, what could it hurt?

Erich

 

[Erich_F]

UPDATE - Success!

OK, Ladies n Gents...

I reformated and pulled out the SD card. Then, I did a factory Reset. When it re-booted and got to the Activation Screen, I powered off normally. Then I removed the battery for about 30 minutes.

Re-installed the battery, WITHOUT the SD card in, and powered up. Re-activated phone as usual. Removed all non-native Apps except GPS Status. I also turned OFF the Wireless Network Location option.

Turned on GPS status and put Droid in window and left it.

30 Minutes later I have a fix...a VALID fix! It's still in the window running GPS status, and will remain there for a couple hours just in case. However, so far it's working again. I have 6 sats in Fix out of 10 Visable.

The trick to doing a REAL reset is to pull the battery and let sit for a long while. I will update again later after I re-install and mount the SD card. If it fails immediately after re-installing the SD card, I will try a different card (I have an 8Gb card from my LG ENV2).

Erich

 

[Erich_F]

Update 2

Still good to go. Having nothing to do in a Hotel room has its benefits for troubleshooting naughty Droids. I now have reinstalled the SD card and reactivated Wireless Networking Location. GPS works just like new in the MAPS, Navi, and GPS Status Apps, with 10 second or less valid fix acquisition. I will be driving back to Tampa from Gainesville tomorrow, and expect to use the Nav Feature again on the trip back.

Erich

 

[jaymeangreen]

in the morning im heading to TN for a week . it will be interesting to see if it works while im out of state.

well i checked it before i left my house,no gps

checked it when i got to bushnell FL, locked on.

macon GA, locked on

now in a motel in dalton GA, locked on.

its never worked for more than 1 afternoon or 1 evening at a time so i will see if it works again in the morning.