GPS Performance

[Delvorak]

So I've got the GPS working on my Touch. I have to start up Holux GPS Viewer before it'll work with any other programs, but it does indeed work. So I can ignore the requirement to use something like GPS Viewer to "prime the pump" as it were.

So now the griping begins It can take up to 15 minutes to get a lock, and once it does, it doesn't get a very good one (under a completely clear sky). Usually it gets a lock on 3 or 4 satellites, although GPS Viewer will at times show up to 10 satellites (but doesn't lock onto more than 4 of them). Tracking the Touch GPS with google maps results in a VERY jerky, and delayed, map.

What's interesting also is that I've read several posts that say it works great, very smooth, and obtains a lock within a minute. Are these phones from another carrier? (Sprint here) Or is there perhaps different versions of the phone's hardware?

Now, to compare I have a cheap bluetooth GPS receiver. During the same and location that I was testing the Touch GPS, I tested it, and it gets a lock in under 30 seconds, and gets an average of 6-8 satellites. It works flawlessly with google maps (very smooth tracking), although it may be a few yards delayed.

I would really like to just use the GPS on the touch, and I guess it works in a nutshell... but it works badly.

Does anyone know (or have any guesses) as to whether this is caused by bad drivers, bad settings, bad antenna, or perhaps just a bad GPS chip/hardware in the phone?

I'm desperately hoping that it's bad settings or bad drivers, cause at least then it can be fixed.

FYI, I have a Sprint Touch.