Verizon is not a good test case because they lock out most GPS.
The purpose of this thread is to ascertain that this is the only way to get your coordinates if you have a fully functioning GPS. I don't believe that this feature is enabled under Options-->Advanced Options-->GPS on the 8830 - like it is on other bb models.
sR
Anyone else?
Last edited by ScienceRules; 03-10-09 at 07:43 PM.
Reason: clarification
Yes, on all GSM based BBs with GPS, you will get coordinates on the Options/Advanced/GPS screen.
Thanx for responding.
I know that all phones in my fine country (we are young and still developing) need to have a fully functional GPS in order to be FCC compliant with e911. No exceptions - tower triangulation by itself - doesn't meet the spec - no more waivers.
My concern is that we, as consumers, have no way to determine if the GPS is working as is mandatory (that it works, not that we know that it works). And in my case, an 8830 from Sprint, I had to work very hard to test out the hardware, and stumbled across the TEST methodology as the only way for me to get coordinates (to determine that the instrumentation works).
I fault the manufacturer for their lack of transparency on this issue.
Having conducted a few tests, I can say that my position is off by a few hundred meters: always -
a) that's a good a thing if I'm being targeted by bad guys
b) that's a bad thing if I need to be located by first responders
I've enabled all of the available gpsOne modes - including, but not limited to Sensitivity Assistance (under escreens). I think that my device needs to be recalibrated as the factory data is no longer "on target".
sR
Last edited by ScienceRules; 03-12-09 at 11:05 PM.
Reason: typo