[Redenfield]

I run .162, .210, and .216 on my Bold. GPS finds me in about 10-15 sec in my house and about 5 seconds on the road. Haven't noticed any discrepancies between any of the OS'.

[AStranger]

As far as I understand, the GPS is based upon location of the fixed cellular towers not the satellites.

If you are in a physical location where your phone can not connect with several towers then the resolution will be reduced and seeking time increased.

In New York City my home location is about 1/20 mile from the phone's GPS location.

If it is based on the position of towers then it isn't using GPS.

I think google maps is the only app that triangulates your position based on tower location and that is only if it can't use the gps unit itself either because one isn't present or no satellites are available.

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[mandony]

>>>>I think google maps is the only app that triangulates your position based on tower location and that is only if it can't use the gps unit itself either because one isn't present or no satellites are available.


This is the reason that google maps can find your approximate position if you are in a building where it can not 'see' the sky for the overhead satellites.

[Keirkhaart]

It's always fast, like 60 seconds. Standalone tomtom and garmin units I've used always take longer. I put this down to the bold being out in the open more often, therefore getting more visual on satellites, so when I do use it it gets a fast lock.
Other sat nav units I've used tend to live in a drawer or cupboard and only see the light now and then, by which time even if the battery is still ok, their gps satellite data is out of date.

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[AStranger]

>>>>I think google maps is the only app that triangulates your position based on tower location and that is only if it can't use the gps unit itself either because one isn't present or no satellites are available.


This is the reason that google maps can find your approximate position if you are in a building where it can not 'see' the sky for the overhead satellites.

Exactly. Google maps will use this triangulation when it can't access the gps.

My 1st edition iphone got that feature and it was sometimes relatively accurate and sometimes just told me what I already knew (i.e. you're in downtown Chicago.).

When it gets the gps signal the blue circle goes away and it puts you exactly on the right point on the right street.

The google triangulation is ok for a poor man's gps though.

[ydaraishy]

I think google maps is the only app that triangulates your position based on tower location and that is only if it can't use the gps unit itself either because one isn't present or no satellites are available.

No. Assisted GPS should be available to all applications, this is how it works.

[AStranger]

No. Assisted GPS should be available to all applications, this is how it works.

What do you mean by assisted gps? By using triangulation? Real GPS (i.e. the kind using satellites) doesn't need the triangulation based on the cell towers.

The phone itself doesn't use the triangulation, it's the software that does it. If other software does it then great.

GPS doesn't use the towers to triangulate your position, it uses the satellites. I know google maps does use the cell towers to approximate your position if it can't find a real satellite based gps connection.

I've tried nav4all, amazegps and bb maps and none of those actually appear to use triangulation at all - if they can't find a gps satellite connection then they won't find where you are at all.

[anon(2088)]

Less than 5 seconds...

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[danielx]

no more than a minute

[ydaraishy]

What do you mean by assisted gps? By using triangulation? Real GPS (i.e. the kind using satellites) doesn't need the triangulation based on the cell towers.

The phone itself doesn't use the triangulation, it's the software that does it. If other software does it then great.

GPS doesn't use the towers to triangulate your position, it uses the satellites. I know google maps does use the cell towers to approximate your position if it can't find a real satellite based gps connection.

I've tried nav4all, amazegps and bb maps and none of those actually appear to use triangulation at all - if they can't find a gps satellite connection then they won't find where you are at all.

What happens with assisted GPS is that there is extra location data coming in from somewhere else to help prime the GPS receiver (whether it's by triangulation or other means). This gets you a faster GPS lock. Regardless of whether assistance is on or off, the GPS receiver needs to locate satellites.

The issue with the apps that you specify might not be written to support coarse triangulated locks.

You can turn assistance on or off in the Options menu, which suggests that assistance is available at a system level (although I've read certain firmware disables assistance to get you to purchase a custom nav solution?). Futhermore, if you look at the API, you can retrieve a location from the API with various levels of granularity, whether it's a coarse triangulation or whether it's a fine GPS lock.

[AStranger]

What happens with assisted GPS is that there is extra location data coming in from somewhere else to help prime the GPS receiver (whether it's by triangulation or other means). This gets you a faster GPS lock. Regardless of whether assistance is on or off, the GPS receiver needs to locate satellites.

The issue with the apps that you specify might not be written to support coarse triangulated locks.

You can turn assistance on or off in the Options menu, which suggests that assistance is available at a system level (although I've read certain firmware disables assistance to get you to purchase a custom nav solution?). Futhermore, if you look at the API, you can retrieve a location from the API with various levels of granularity, whether it's a coarse triangulation or whether it's a fine GPS lock.

That's interesting. That's some good information. I am curious when each of the APIs switch between needing the satellite or not. It does seem that most of the nav or mapping apps depend on the most specific lock. I haven't seen any others that give an approximate value, but some other apps that I have might.
Thanks.

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[chele519]

This happens to me when I'm in my office at work. The blue circle goes away and I have just the blue dot. I thought that it didn't get a signal when you are inside? I don't even have windows in here.

Exactly. Google maps will use this triangulation when it can't access the gps.

When it gets the gps signal the blue circle goes away and it puts you exactly on the right point on the right street.

The google triangulation is ok for a poor man's gps though.

[anon(1634494)]

mine takes super long...maybe its cuz im in a 22 story resident tower..... im using the MAPS app on my BB BOLD

[AStranger]

This happens to me when I'm in my office at work. The blue circle goes away and I have just the blue dot. I thought that it didn't get a signal when you are inside? I don't even have windows in here.

Usually you don't. It depend on what the building is made of I guess. Do you work in a paper building? haha

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[anon(1634494)]

Usually you don't. It depend on what the building is made of I guess. Do you work in a paper building? haha

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LOL!!! what other apps are there on the BOLD that we can use>?

also, this uses DATA right its not another service or anything? cuz rogers asked me if i wanted to add GPS NAVIGATION to my plan for like $10.....what is that?

[rgalen]

Just stepped outside to see what the deal was. I fired up GPSed and it took less than 20 sec to sync.

It does take longer to find the satellites if you've, say, gotten on an airplane and flown from DC to Chicago.

[AStranger]

LOL!!! what other apps are there on the BOLD that we can use>?

also, this uses DATA right its not another service or anything? cuz rogers asked me if i wanted to add GPS NAVIGATION to my plan for like $10.....what is that?

Google maps, amazegps and nav4all are three free gps mapping software apps that are free. At&t and rogers probably have a version of telenav that you have to pay a subscription to use.

Garmin also sells an app that is about $80 I think, but it is a one time fee - no subscription.

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[rgalen]

LOL!!! what other apps are there on the BOLD that we can use>?

also, this uses DATA right its not another service or anything? cuz rogers asked me if i wanted to add GPS NAVIGATION to my plan for like $10.....what is that?

I suspect they might have been selling you AT&T's version of Telenav GPS travel software. That is $9.99 per month. I used the Telenav version on my 8800 and 8820; I don't think the AT&T implementation is quite a user-friendly.

Garmin might be a better bet, but be aware of whether you can transfer your Garmin service to a different phone. I've seen different answers here at CB

[chele519]

Ha ha I have a Garmin Forerunner for running and I can get a signal in my house depending where I stand but you have to be somewhat near a window. If you travel from the last location, it takes longer to lock onto a signal but I wonder if somehow while driving it tracks even if the app isn't running. When I first started it, it still showed me at home from last night, then the blue circle was showing for a few seconds and then just the blue dot.

Usually you don't. It depend on what the building is made of I guess. Do you work in a paper building? haha

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[Air Force One]

10 seconds or under for me(usually under). And that's indoors. I've never needed to go outside to get a GPS lock.

using .167

Using google maps, gpsed, telmap navigator, nav4all, etc.. plus a bunch of other search typs apps that use GPS like TellMe, poynt berry411. Also some other apps like the signal utilities app etc..

they all works great and lock in under 10 seconds

[AStranger]

10 seconds or under for me(usually under). And that's indoors. I've never needed to go outside to get a GPS lock.

using .167

Using google maps, gpsed, telmap navigator, nav4all, etc.. plus a bunch of other search typs apps that use GPS like TellMe, poynt berry411. Also some other apps like the signal utilities app etc..

they all works great and lock in under 10 seconds

Good for you. I wish I could say the same. When I was running that OS or with more recent I usually can't get a satellite lock in my condo.

I believe it has to do with the building and some other factors that will determine whether the signal is interrupted.

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[Air Force One]

Good for you. I wish I could say the same. When I was running that OS or with more recent I usually can't get a satellite lock in my condo.

I believe it has to do with the building and some other factors that will determine whether the signal is interrupted.

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I agree but in my case I've never not gotten a GPS lock inside of any building. The GPS on my device does not behave any differently indoors than it does outdoors. No matter where I've ever been, and you can imagine being a crackberry member I've tried to trip up my GPS in MANY structures and places but I've never been able to trip it up and not get a lock.

Why I have no issues I have no idea. When I got my Bold I figured I'd be one of the people that have GPS issues simply because if something bad happens it usually seems to happen to me. I guess I finally got lucky for a change.

[AStranger]

I agree but in my case I've never not gotten a GPS lock inside of any building. The GPS on my device does not behave any differently indoors than it does outdoors. No matter where I've ever been, and you can imagine being a crackberry member I've tried to trip up my GPS in MANY structures and places but I've never been able to trip it up and not get a lock.

Why I have no issues I have no idea. When I got my Bold I figured I'd be one of the people that have GPS issues simply because if something bad happens it usually seems to happen to me. I guess I finally got lucky for a change.

It's odd and I don't know enough about the signal and the cases to explain it all.

After making my last post I tried starting google maps and it got a gps lock really quickly whereas other times it has failed.

I'll consider myself really lucky if I get a gps signal in my office building where people rarely can even get cell signal. Then again, I can't remember any time when I needed gps signal there.

[Air Force One]

Well I just noticed your in Chicago. I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

That could be an issue too. Lot's more buildings and other things that could interfere with GPS I would imagine in Chicago.

That said, I've been to NYC and Dallas with my Bold and had no issues but if I were there for more than a week I suppose I could very well be having issues too.

[bt224]

If I just refresh GPS outside, it's only a few seconds. If it's through an app, it depends on the app.