Does GPS ever just 'go bad'?

mantispid · #1 (**permalink**) 10-27-2009, 01:41 PM

So, yesterday I was using my Verizon Touch Pro to navigate around in Boston. I fly back to Chicago, and I fire up Google Maps, and the phone soft resets itself after achieving a satellite lock. I thought this might just be a strange quirk, so I wait for the reset the complete, and try again... a few seconds after it gets a satellite lock, it soft resets again.

This time I pull the battery, wait several seconds, then replace the battery and power up... then try Google Maps again... after a lock, another soft reset.

I then try the HTC GPS tool, and set to the right chip, cold start, etc. like I've done so many times in the past, and watch it scan for satellites. It finds a bunch, but as soon as it gets a lock, the data stream stops... a few seconds later, a soft reset.

I do a hard reset on the device, same issue. I flash an entirely different ROM (Was using MightryROM 6, now SSK), same issue...

So... do you folks think this is a hardware issue, or is there some sort of radio/etc. rom corruption going on?

**pimpsuprazx** · #2 (**permalink**) 10-27-2009, 02:03 PM

sounds like hardware unfortunately, obviously I can be mistaken, so anyone else can feel free to add their two cents in.

Asphyx · #3 (**permalink**) 10-27-2009, 02:26 PM

Probably nopt the GPS itself but the com port circuitry of the phone...
try pairing the phone with a laptop via BT and see it that also crashes.

**Unknown Zone** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-27-2009, 02:38 PM

To see if it is really a software or hardware, you can go back to a "Stock" rom to verify the problem is still there, and if that also gives you the problem then you know it is bad, when you go "custom rom" that is not the true orig rom as per say to troubleshoot issues dealing with a possible hardware.

tsbrewers · #5 (**permalink**) 10-27-2009, 10:18 PM

I am having the exact same issue. Working great for the last year, then yesterday, serious gps issues. Tried everything too, new roms, old roms, hard resets, soft resets, nothing seems to work.

Let me know if you get any thing figured out, and I will do the same.

Brew

huckl3b3rry · #6 (**permalink**) 10-28-2009, 12:12 AM

Might be a strange coincidence, but mine started doing it tonight too. As soon as I let Google Maps get a lock on the GPS is soft resets. I'll let you know if I figure anything out. FYI, I'm on JD's 6.5 rom and Telus 1.04.05 radio.

tsbrewers · #7 (**permalink**) 10-28-2009, 12:17 AM

I have been using mighty4.16 on mine. I just flashed to the newer stock sprint rom and so far everything is working again. I might give it a couple days to see if I like the rom, then maybe try flashing back to mighty and give it a whirl.

Brew

huckl3b3rry · #8 (**permalink**) 10-28-2009, 01:34 AM

I tried a hard reset and it didn't fix the issue, but then I flashed the radio from Telus to the Sprint shipped radio and it fixed the issue, but I have a new one.

The GPS now works after a soft reset very quickly and then doesn't lock again. I'm sure I can do some searching and find a fix for that, but I might just try a different ROM.

nhvoltagenh · #9 (**permalink**) 10-28-2009, 02:33 AM

hey guys,

same issue, BELL canada. the moment any program got a lock.. soft-reset

and i too flashed to a different radio... and it fixed it.

before i changed radios, i did everything else hard reset... install one piece of gps software.

hard reset..tried another..

and so on.

but ya the radio flash fixed mine right away.

fyi i switched to the verizon cdma.. as i heard it was good. seems my gps not only works but locks even faster.

**darren.wlsn1** · #10 (**permalink**) 10-28-2009, 02:43 AM

my tp had gps issues, sprint checked it out and said it was a hardware problem and replaced it on the spot with a nib unit. this was 3mnths ago.