How to tell if GPS is defective?

bfranker · #1 (**permalink**) 07-26-2009, 01:59 AM

Hey guys, me and phone GPSs evidently don't get along. Had an HTC Touch Pro and had nothing but problems with the GPS on it... but so did a lot of other people. But now I get a Treo Pro and I'm having GPS issues with this one too. ARGH!

I've got an Alltel Treo Pro on Verizon service. I have downloaded and run QuickGPS. I have installed Google Maps and GPSTest. I have tried different COM ports and baud rates. I after many hours of trying and saying to 'retry' in Google Maps I have never seen even ONE sat lock on. Always just "Seeking GPS satellites (0)...". With GPSTest I wasn't getting anything but left it on for over an hour and I got one yellow bar about 1/8" high.

I really haven't heard of too many issues with the GPS in the Treo Pro but could I have just gotten way unlucky and have a phone where it is broke? Got the phone on eBay so swapping for a different one really isn't an option. I do have insurance through Verizon but they don't even carry this phone so them helping me is unlikely (should just cancel the insurance... had it mainly for the HTC Touch Pro).

Does anybody have any additional troubleshooting suggestions that I might try? Do you know if it is possible that Verizon might have some type of "setting" wrong not allowing this phones GPS to function? Any ideas would be appreciated! I do have a Bluetooth TomTom receiver I could use but one reason I got rid of the Touch Pro was for the crap GPS and I didn't want to have to have an extra gizmo to carry around

Thanks!

Also, I do have the Location Settings turned "ON" (was originally OFF on the Alltel). However, I thought I'd try to toggle it On/Off a few times and what I noticed is very strange.... It is now shown as "ON" but each time I turn it "OFF" then hit OK and go back into it, it is magically back "ON"??? Now I can't get it to turn OFF! I wonder if the darn thing is doing something weird like displaying the selection of "ON" but it really isn't? Pretty weird that I turn it OFF, hit OK, but when I got back into the setting, it is switched back to ON so I suppose about anything is possible with these things. LOL

**JAVIERBOND007** · #2 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009, 08:31 PM

Was the GPS working before or always had that usue?

bfranker · #3 (**permalink**) 08-14-2009, 02:00 PM

I got the phone used and the GPS has done this since I tried to see if I could get a lock. I don't think the previous user even tried the GPS.

Recently though the phone started to lock up completely if I tried to use the GPS. So, I've given up for now and it looks like the internal GPS is likely dead

to0 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-14-2009, 07:05 PM

Check this:
Start > Settings > Phone > Services > Location Setting (Get Settings) > ON

bfranker · #5 (**permalink**) 08-15-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by to0

Check this:
Start > Settings > Phone > Services > Location Setting (Get Settings) > ON

Yep, last paragraph I mentioned where that I had that turned ON and even have tried to "cycle" it but actually won't even turn OFF. Weird.

el duderino · #6 (**permalink**) 09-19-2009, 08:32 PM

Alltel locks the GPS, because they want you to buy their GPS service. Some people bought programs (like Garmin, Tomtom, etc.) and those seem to unlock it. I found a regedit that works to unlock it.

Find the registry entry:
HKCU\ControlPanel\PhoneExtendFunction\CDMA\GPSLock Workaround

Change the value from 0 to 1.

Also make sure location is on.

Some people have argued with me over Alltel locking the GPS but I talked to one of their smartphone technicians and he told me they "intentionally lock" for promoting their services.