[d7walker]

My wife and I prefer to keep off main highways and find that my Q5 GPS looses track of us when the car is moving. My old 9790 was MUCH better at this. I've tried several map apps and GPS software to try to solve the problem without much luck. I'm considering changing phones but that gets expensive. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Posted via CB10

[jaydee5799]

i use blackberry maps and it follows my car fine. Have you given the native app a chance?

[scrannel]

Couple of things that you may have already tried. If you are actually using GPS (not cell tower triangulation), check your GPS with "GPS Status" that's on BB World. Long been a standard for sorting GPS. If you're using your cell signal to navigate (probably), obviously be sure you have a solid signal. It has to download maps as it navigates, so you need a good data connection.

As jaydee says, I also have no issue using BB Maps. Z10.

[BB Adict]

Roger that!!! BlackBerry Maps does it for me.

Posted via CB10

[d7walker]

I've used BlackBerry Maps, GPS Status but nothing I have tried has been able to help maintain a GPS fix. Everything I have done tells me the GPS works but I wonder if it is a hardware issue.

Posted via CB10

[scrannel]

I've used BlackBerry Maps, GPS Status but nothing I have tried has been able to help maintain a GPS fix. Everything I have done tells me the GPS works but I wonder if it is a hardware issue.

Posted via CB10

But you ARE getting consistent data? (If your phone is inside your car w/o clear view of the sky you are using network navigation, not GPS). What is happening, exactly? Will the maps not advance as you drive? What's going on in detail?

[d7walker]

If I hold the phone against the side window it will eventually find us moving on a road; remove it from the window so I can see the screen and after a minute or so it loses where we are and shows the nearest cell tower. I may be expecting too much from a mid range phone.

Posted via CB10

[scrannel]

If I hold the phone against the side window it will eventually find us moving on a road; remove it from the window so I can see the screen and after a minute or so it loses where we are and shows the nearest cell tower. I may be expecting too much from a mid range phone.

Posted via CB10

Are you using BBerry Maps or are you using an off-line app? If you are using BBerry Maps (or Google for that matter) it needs data reception to keep providing you with maps as you go along. When you are navigating by data (cell network) sometimes this can get thrown off if you only have one cell tower in range. For instance a few years back my Google Maps (on an Android device) would constantly have my location off by at least 60 miles and often placed me in Qatar (instead of California). When I got into a more populated area this was instantly cured.

The fact that you have to put your device against a window (to pick up real GPS) suggest that -- for whatever reason -- you are not getting a solid data signal from your carrier. On BBerry Maps, under settings, there is an option for Clearing your History and resetting maps. Have you tried doing that?

[d7walker]

No, I had not tried resetting before but I just did. I will test this on our next outing and send an update afterwards. I try to use native applications as much as possible so I would really like this to work out . Thanks for your help in troubleshooting my problem.

Posted via CB10

[scrannel]

Yes, the way I helped sort my Google Maps was by clearing it -- in some now forgotten manner. Then it wouldn't default to Qatar and was forced to figure out where it really was. Let us know.

[stevec66]

Why would you not use a Tom Tom or Garmin which is made for that purpose?? I can't imagine using a small screen to track your journey across country.

Posted via CB10

[d7walker]

I hope it makes a difference. My son has a buddy who works at BlackBerry in Waterloo and he suggested trying Google Maps. I selected one of the many in the app stores but haven't had a chance to test it. Which one are you using? I used Google Maps downloaded directly from Google on my 9790 with great success.

[d7walker]

I have a Garmin but the screen malfunctioned. I ride shotgun and navigate so a small screen really isn't an issue

[scrannel]

For my Z10 I use the native app w/o issue. In my car I use the built in GPS. However, I have used the native BBerry Maps while a passenger and it works perfectly. Try clearing the cache.

Maybe you're just getting lousy data reception.

[Soapm]

If I hold the phone against the side window it will eventually find us moving on a road; remove it from the window so I can see the screen and after a minute or so it loses where we are and shows the nearest cell tower. I may be expecting too much from a mid range phone.

Posted via CB10

What you describe is the positioning stabilization feature, not a bug. It keeps you from getting ahead of yourself.

Seriously, that sucks but it sounds like the GPS receiver isn't as sensitive as the one in your wife's phone and it probably makes a difference because you're a off the beaten trail kind of guy. Do you know someone with another BB? That way you can see if it's just your phone or is this a BB issue in general.

[scrannel]

What you describe is the positioning stabilization feature, not a bug. It keeps you from getting ahead of yourself.

Seriously, that sucks but it sounds like the GPS receiver isn't as sensitive as the one in your wife's phone and it probably makes a difference because you're a off the beaten trail kind of guy. Do you know someone with another BB? That way you can see if it's just your phone or is this a BB issue in general.

Yes, it sounds like you're running out of "tower navigation". What happens if you hold the phone far enough into the windshield so you get actual GPS? (Satellites to complement your carrier nav.) When my previous phone would "run out of tower", going outside to augment it with satellites sorted.

[tex3523]

Just to double check.
1. Settings> location services> ensure location services is turned on.

2. Settings>security and privacy>application permissions> select maps and make sure location services are on.

3. Try blackberry virtual expert and run the network and connectivity test to make sure your GPS is working.

4. You might want to try this first. Hold down power button and volume down button to perform a reset of the device.



Posted from my awesome Q10

[d7walker]

I ran the virtual expert and the sensors are all working, however GPS took almost a minute to find 4 satellites (if that is significant). I may have a problem with "running out of tower". I am on Rogers in Ontario and in rural areas the towers are further apart; a coverage radius of 5 km or more is not unusual. Perhaps if I set my phone to use data when roaming I might get better performance.

Posted via CB10

[Soapm]

I ran the virtual expert and the sensors are all working, however GPS took almost a minute to find 4 satellites (if that is significant). I may have a problem with "running out of tower". I am on Rogers in Ontario and in rural areas the towers are further apart; a coverage radius of 5 km or more is not unusual. Perhaps if I set my phone to use data when roaming I might get better performance.

Posted via CB10

Does your wife have the same carrier?

Just an FYI, I got 5 satellite's in 3 second sitting in my basement.

[scrannel]

It doesn't matter what the satellite report says unless you are using satellites (in the open with a clear shot of the sky). You are having data navigation issues -- they are not the same. Yes, for sure, try turning on your data roaming. Remember, to get maps downloaded to your phone as you proceed, you need data. You cannot get maps via straight GPS unless you are using an off-line app that has stored maps on, for example, your SD card,

A Garmin, for example, will use real GPS (not carrier data) because it already has maps stored in its system. Try your data roaming.

[d7walker]

Thanks Scrannel, I had open sky during the test. I do understand that I need data flow to keep my maps updated and that doesn't seem to be a problem most of the time. I've installed a couple of apps that store map data on my sd card but have yet to try them. I'll let you know how it works out.

[benbraun322]

Well I'm in Use all so BlackBerry maps definitely does not do it for me because Israel is just blank.

I use Google Maps here and it's pretty great.

When I go back to the states in a month or so well see what I end up using, I'm honestly enjoying Google Maps.

 BlackBerry Z30 Chenpion 