GPS signal very bad

Bug Reports
#1

REPRODUCIBILITY:
OS VERSION: 4.4.0.68
HARDWARE: Xperia 10 III
UI LANGUAGE: Czech
REGRESSION: Don’t know

DESCRIPTION:

GPS takes a very long time to get position and even when it gets it, it’s few hundred meters off. I’ve tried all configurations of GPS positioning, device only seems to work the best but it’s still very bad.

PRECONDITIONS:

None.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

  1. Try to use GPS
  2. Either fail to get a fix at all or get a fix few hundred meters off

EXPECTED RESULT:

GPS works as one would expect.

ACTUAL RESULT:

GPS doesn’t work / works bad.

[Release notes] Struven ketju 4.5.0.19
#2

You can try MLS Manager by @black-sheep-dev from OpenRepos. Install via Storeman. More info:
https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/sailfish-community-news-25th-february-sdk-openssl/5179
under MLS Manager.

#3

There is also official offline positioning information packages in the Jolla Store.

#4

In the release notes for 4.1 there was a recommendation for the GPS/Location settings.

1 Like
#5

Or if you want to use A-GPS and not afraid of Googles SUPL server, take a look here:

#6

Didn’t try suplpatcher, but the other options don’t help at all.

#7

This is what it looks like currently
This is what it looks like currently1080×2520 649 KB

#8

Where was the test from the picture done? Inside or Outside? Have you tested the GPS under Android before flashing SFOS?

#9

Inside, I tested it on Android and it worked well.

#10

Is it working outside?

#11

Was positioning in GPS only mode when testing indoor on Android? In what building indoor were you? Was internet connection disconnected when testing? (thinking of Android has more options to find your position)

#12

GPS positioning inside simply doesn’t work if you’re not located near a window. Android uses several additional methods to find your position. Try GPS outside. If you won’t get a fix there, something is wrong.

#13

Just a +1 from me, I’ve tried both the Jolla MLS packages and the ones from MLS Manager, stood outside for about 20 minutes and never got a GPS fix. Tested this with a few different GPS apps and the GPS Info one from Jolla store. Same OS version/Xperia 10 III. Something’s definitely up!

#14

have you tried gpsinfo app ?
if you do not see satelites there and 0 are used then …
also keep in mind that sometimes the toggle button does not work properly
:smiley:

i do most of the time start gpsinfo at first wait for a fix, that does not take more then a minute then start the nav app

#15

When I choose “Settings / Location / High accuracy-positioning” and then pull down, I get " Show Mozilla agreement". I opt in, and then things worked as expected. After that I changed settings as recommended and what I like: “Custom settings”. So, I think you have to agree with Mozilla first.

#16

I have absolutely no problem with GPS on my 10 III (using both PureMaps (Native SFOS) and Here Maps (Android app), and I’m getting a fix very quickly - traveled from Geneva (Switzerland) to Paris (France), and I got a fix in ~30 seconds. Then new fixed when I move in Paris are a few seconds.

1 Like
#17

My outdoor (including in-car) experience with GPS on the 10 III is really excellent. Even after weeks of not using it and having location disabled, it gets fix within some 1-2 minutes. And if regularly used, it only takes some seconds.

Indoors, on the contrary, it isn’t able to see any satellites at all (except if placed directly by the window, but even then it is a struggle for it to get fix).

2 Likes
#18

Lately I was playing with three devices (Not at once). My GPS expirience on XA2 was horrilbe at first. Then it was all right with nephros patch. And then I flash it once again and gps was working without any patch. My Expirience with 10mk2 and 10mk3 are the same. GPS works fine, getting fix indoors, outdoors cold fix takes a few seconds. Anyway both devices sometimes loose all the satelites they see and nothing but reboot will help which comes with its own set of problems while you driving :slight_smile:
Good thing is it happens rarely

#19

The “get no fix indoors” thing has some side effects. I like have my photos geotagged with the location where it was taken. If you start the phone inside it gets no position so geotagging also doesn’t work.
Next problem related to this is that even if you are outside the phone doesn’t try to get a position/gpx fix if there’s no app that asks for this data. You need to start an app that uses location data to make the phone search for a position.

If location is active in settings the phone should try to get a fix right after start, and also should update that on a regular cycle even if no app needs it right now.

1 Like
#20

Exactly! GPS should permanently run if enabled in settings, and this was so in older SFOS versions, but Jolla stopped this some time ago for unknown reasons. Maybe to save battery power.

‘GPS on’ seems to be more ‘allow apps to switch GPS on’, than ‘GPS really permanent on’.

A workaround is to start GPSinfo and let it run as long as you want immediately GPS access.

Can we have the info for a system tweak for controlling the GPS receiver to stay permanently on as long as GPS is switched on in the settings? The best of all would be a 3 steps control: GPS always off - GPS on only if an app requests it - GPS always on.

2 Likes