GPS Not Accurate ... Any fix?

[pbdroid]

I remember a time when my GPS was pretty accurate. It could locate my phone within 20 meters or so. Now it's miles away. Even at home my location shows that I'm in the next town over. Is there a way to calibrate so the satellites know where I'm actually at?

 

[rusray]

Try GPS Status on market. I was having a problem with my GPS accuracy, and downloaded that, and Compass. I'm not 100% sure why, but I'm good to go now!

 

[eliassami5]

I remember a time when my GPS was pretty accurate. It could locate my phone within 20 meters or so. Now it's miles away. Even at home my location shows that I'm in the next town over. Is there a way to calibrate so the satellites know where I'm actually at?

go outside and stand far away from anything that could have a magnetic field around it.

Download GPS status from the market
open it up
lay the phone flat on your palm (horizontal to the ground) and wave your had in a circle (like you are waxing your car..but with the other side of your had), do that about 10 times
now stand the phone up and do more circles but now virtically
go to maps and see if your location is more accurate now

 

[pbdroid]

It helps to turn GPS on too. I think I'd turned it off to 'conserve battery'. When it's off (in settings), where does it pull your location from?

 

[eliassami5]

It helps to turn GPS on too. I think I'd turned it off to 'conserve battery'. When it's off (in settings), where does it pull your location from?

when GPS is turned off i believe the phone goes into AGPS mode, it pulls your location from nearby cell towers

 

[mjs31]

GPS on helps a bunch LOL. I am always within a few meters.

 

[Snowbomb7]

Go to Location & Security Settings in the menu and uncheck the first option "Use Wireless Networks" as that uses cell towers to estimate your location. Make sure "Use GPS Satellites" is checked also while youre there :wink:

 

[MADMAN66]

Wax on wax off! Crane style GPS... classic.....

 

[MADMAN66]

Hiiiee yaaaa! Ya uh sorry bout that.......
Yep turn GPS on and it will lock u in!

 

[takeshi]

Is there a way to calibrate so the satellites know where I'm actually at?

If you have more than a few meters of inaccuracy you're probably not actually using GPS.

GPS Status will help you troubleshoot as it display the number of satellites it sees and the number it can lock on to. If it's not picking up satellites then you might want to try calibrating the compass. Some people claim that it helps. Basically you just spin the Droid ~3 times on each axis.

It's also possible that you might need to hit *228 from the dial screen and choose option 1 (IIRC -- you might want to check the other GPS issues threads to verify). I had a problem with my Droid where it couldn't lock and that resolved the issue.


Of course, if you disabled the use of the GPS receiver then that would also cause the problem you're experiencing.

Don't overlook the search feature. Most questions have been asked and discussed before (if not many times before).