Crazy BB GPS Service Problem

[ddeacon]

I have this crazy problem on a Bold 9780 with the BlackBerry GPS services. We moved houses a couple of months ago to a house about 5-6 km away from our old house. When ever I bring up a RIM GPS app (Maps, Traffic or search for the device in Protect), it shows as being in our old house even though I have it with me in our new house. Wondering if the location aiding with cell towers caches signal strength and assumes a location or something like that. Anybody have any ideas how to fix?

FWIW, I also have Google maps on the phone and it shows the correct location fine.

Thanks,
D

[JeffH]

What error radius is Google reporting? If it's 3-10m, then Google is using your GPS as it should. If Google can, I don't know why the RIM apps would have a problem.

You can test your GPS by going to Options / Status and typing test. Select the GPS test from the menu of self-tests.

[ddeacon]

Well I did a bit of testing today and I found though Google maps shows the dot in the right spot, it says it is within 20 meters and waiting for GPS. But the BlackBerry Maps location is way off by about 5 km. I did send it with my wife today and tracked it via protect and it was more accurate but still not great.

D

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[JeffH]

Did you perform the self-test? What was the result?

[ddeacon]

Just figured out how to do it and no it doesn't pass the test. It just sits there stating "GPS fixing starts..." but never displayys any GPS data. Then the GPS times out.
D

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[JeffH]

Are you outdoors with a clear view of the sky all the way to the horizon in at least a few directions? If you are, and the GPS self-test fails, then you probably have a warranty claim. Have you checked with Rogers to be sure they support the GPS? Verizon used to lock it out for all but their particular apps. They stopped doing that a couple of years ago, but there's nothing to keep another carrier from doing the same thing.

[ddeacon]

Yes I was outdoors and I have two other berries on Rogers including another 9780 which worked fine. Thanks for the help, I guess I'll call Rogers tomorrow and make the warranty call.

Thanks again,
D

[breakmedown]

I have personally been having the same problem.

I have both a 9300 and a 9700 that are having this issue. What confuses me the most is that when I got my 9700 and stopped using my 9300 everything was working absolutely great. My 9700 worked for a couple weeks and then for about the last few months it only works rarely and not usually that well. Only one night in the past two months has the GPS worked like it should, both following me accurately and connecting to 6+ satellites.

I'd also like to mention that it's just my two berries. My brother in law, sister, and gf are all on AT&T as well, and they have a 9800, iPhone 4, and an iPhone 3gs (respectively) and are all using their devices in the exact same locations that I am.

I'd really like to find a fix or why this has happened. I'd get a warranty replacement, but I don't really think it has anything to do with the unit itself.

I also might mention that I mainly use GPSLogger II and Google Maps. No BB Maps (because of AT&T) and Protect doesn't work because the options menu can't get a lock. I haven't done any "tests" on it, I'll try that though, but I'm not hopeful.

[pythons]

Prior to turning-in my 9930 I discovered another oddity with the Blackberry and Google maps....
....I would only get the "share this location" option about 1/4 of the time.
....Yet my wifes iphone produced that option each and every time.

As far as how accurate the 9930 was it depended on where it was....
...When I was down town Seattle it was always accurate and street view proved it.
...However get 4 miles out of Seattle and the Blackberry was very buggy.
...And street view showed by over a street or more to be WAY OFF.