[aliwiper]

Hi,

I have been reading the forums and not found anyone with exactly my problem so if anyone can give advice that would be great.

My GPS is working, but it takes a very long time to get a lock. I have AGPS and integrated gps turned on, and the data packet connection i am using is working to browse the web. If I stand outside, in a park with no clouds, I can expect to wait between 5-20 minutes to get a lock. Then, when I have a lock, I can switch the gps on and off and a lock will come very quickly (20 seconds) - HOWEVER, if I switch it off for 5 or 6 hours, then come back to the same spot, I can expect to wait another 5-20 minutes.

I have been using navigation on maps to drive around Italy for a week, and it works great when I have a lock - but the first time I start up maps every day, i have to wait 5-20 minutes to get a lock.

I know that the first couple of times you use GPS it takes longer, and when you move to another country or dont use it for a few days it will take longer for the first lock - but I am having this problem every day, when I am starting at the same place I stopped the day before - and from what I have read of other users' experiences it should take not more than a couple of minutes.

And the most frustrating thing is that when i switch on "satellite status", I am told every 20 seconds that "gps works poorly inside and in enclosed areas" when i am standing in the middle of a park on a cloudless day.

sorry for the long post, but i thought it would be better to explain the whole situation. any suggestions anyone?

[cjlim]

Time to first fix should not be anymore than a minute or so if you have assisted GPS on. I am just wondering if your AGPS settings are correct. Check to make sure that the Positioning Server is set as supl.nokia.com. Actually have a look at the link below and ensure that you are using AGPS correctly.

 http://europe.nokia.com/A4480068

Message Edited by cjlim on 08-Mar-2009 09:10 PM

[aliwiper]

Thanks, I was wondering if i was doing something wrong with the settings as well, but I have checked through the article, checked my server as http://supl.nokia.com, access point is configured as my default network connection (not wifi) and i have made sure that the access point is working by browsing the web ... so not sure what the problem is ...

[aliwiper]

sorry to bump but has no-one else had this problem or can give some advice? I still cant get a lock in under 10 minutes ...

[aliwiper · Accepted solution]

OK, I think I have solved it ...

The server address for A-GPS was set, by default, to "http://supl.nokia.com" - it needs to be just "supl.nokia.com". All seems to be working properly now, I get a fix very quickly.

I found this out by reading a post from one gy in Sweden that had the same problem ... his phone was set to this by default as well. Its amazing nobody else has experienced this? No idea why it was set to the wrong address by default ... But, anyway, I hope this can help someone ...

[jpfs]

can someone tell me from where I have to change The server address for A-GPS on my Nokia 5800 ? I have gone all over the setting and tools and can not find where to change the service address from ?

[synth_fg]

In my n96 it is in

Tools, Settings, General, Positioning, positioning Server,

I presume it will be in a similar location in the 5800

[suncrash]

On the Nokia 5800, go to Settings | Phone | Application Settings | Positioning | Positioning Server to change this setting, On my phone with v11.0.009 (RM-356) the Server address is already set to "supl.nokia.com".

I also had problems with either extremely slow or non-operational GPS positioning, with the phone complaining about no signal from the GPS satellites, even when outdoors in an open area. I did a phone reset using *#7370# and that seemed to fix it.

I also set the Maps application to never go online and that seemed to speed up the positioning considerably, which is somewhat contrary to the whole point of A-GPS. However, I live in an area with no 3G and pretty lousy mobile signal so that may have had something to do with it. Having said that, I was in the Netherlands last weekend with a strong mobile signal and the A-GPS didn't seem to work at all, which prompted me to reset the phone. Go figure.

[mikeevans15]

I have installed Viewranger onto my 5800 for use when I am out Mountain Biking. I aint 100% sure if I will get charged by 02 (my provider) for having the GPS running whilst out riding????anyone know???  Also, when I start the Viewranger software, will/should the GPS start up automatically, or do I have to go into a setting and start it??? this is all new to me, any help much appreciated....

[basmic]

Wow! Thanks so much, aliwiper!

My Nokia 5800 (red) took in excess of 15 minutes to lock on, for the first time each day.  As soon as I removed http:// from the server address, I locked on in about 5 seconds.

I disabled A-GPS and network based positioning methods, to see if the phone remembered the last seen satelites - and it did!

I honestly thought that 'fix' wouldn't work - but I was so amazed that it worked so quickly.

Perhaps Nokia should slap their software developers into making sure everything is setup correctly, so the phone can be used out of the box without these fixes!

[suncrash]

basmic, bear in mind that once you have a satellite lock, the phone remembers the satellites it last used and will subsequently acquire the GPS signal a lot quicker until it's powered off, regardless of the A-GPS server settings or whether A-GPS is used or not. So for a true test of whether the A-GPS fix works or not, you need to power off your phone, power it on again and then check how long it takes for GPS signal acquisition.

GPS needs 30-40 seconds of continuous data from satellites before it can determine a position. A-GPS supplies orbital data for the GPS satellites to the phone, which enables it to lock to the appropriate satellites faster and improve positioning accuracy by providing additional data about the cell your phone happens to be in, which is determined using mobile phone mast triangulation. Once your phone has the satellite data, it will provide much quicker GPS positioning. As far as the Nokia 5800 goes, it appears to retain this data until it's switched off.

Hope that helps.

[sarahmildy]

Brilliant- this definitely works- especially as testing it in my office now, which is notorious for bad reception- thanks for posting this:

The server address for A-GPS was set, by default, to "http://supl.nokia.com" - it needs to be just "supl.nokia.com". All seems to be working properly now, I get a fix very quickly.

Yay!

S

[aliwiper]

Good that some people are finding this fix ... amazing that more dont have the same problem or that nokia didnt notice in the first place???!!!

[janeabaker]

I'm having a similar problem - the GPS on my 5800 is working but takes *ages* to lock on, but the positioning server is already set correctly. The only way I can get the GPS to work at all is by finding the place where I know I am on the map and then going to Options - My Position, which then usually picks up the GPS signal (usually with plenty of bars). If I go straight to My Position it just pans the map to the last place I was at. A-GPS is switched on. This is a bit of a pain when you don't know exactly where you are, like this weekend when driving from Lowestoft to Land's End on the pretty roads - I had to zoom out a lot and then just follow the road I knew I was on until the GPS found me. Bright sunny day and no tall buildings... Anyone had a similar problem?

[ashish81sharma]

Hi,

I bought my new Nokia 5800 (Blue) 4 days back in Singapore. While using GPS, it's taking a long time to lock the satellites (around 30min. to 1 hr.) even if I am standing in an open ground with clear sky. The phone receives 75% to 100% signal from around 7 to 8 satellites but still showing Waiting for GPS.

I tried everything listed on the forums like change the access point to supl.nokia.com, activating A-GPS, etc. etc. but still having the problem.

Once it gets the signal it is ok and I can then switch it on or off. But if I again switch it on after 5-6 hours, again the same thing. I am using the latest v20.0.012 firmware.

Please help!!!

Thanks in advance.

[dingaling222]

Hi!

Tom from Norway here, and i have the exact same problem. GPS lock is taking AGES (5-18 minutes) even though there seem to be plenty of satelites around with 70% or more in signalstrength. I'm not using the assisted gps, nor do i want to. I mean with all my other GPS equipment i get a lock in about 1 minute. Why should this be any different? Anyways.. if i use Google Maps i get a lock in seconds.

I even tried writing Nokia Support about this but that was big waste of time. They sorta refused to aknowledge there is a problem with this and was like :"The first time it's normal for it to use a long time to get a lock, and that the next time it should go faster, and i should try not to stand next to tall buildings and alotta blablabla". And all this even though i clearly explained that i was not next to tall buildings and that i had atleast 9 satelites with 70% pluss signal strength and still didn't get a lock fast and so on and so on.

So in my case this case isn't 'solved' at all. A-GPS shouldn't be necessary. And i really don't want to use Google Maps because it downloads the maps and such through the internet costing me money every time i use it.

Feels like i've been had. Built in GPS.. sure but it's Super Slow compared to other GPS equipment.. and they forgot to mention that. And it also looses the signal pretty darn easily...

Bah.

[aliwiper]

Hey Tom,

Whats the problem with using A-GPS? If you are prepared to use google maps which downloads the maps instead, you are using way, way, way more data than if you just turned on the A-GPS ... plus, i think the reason you get a fix so quick with google maps is not because you have a gps fix, but because google maps uses some kind of network data to guesstimate your position, which is not so accurate.

I dont know how other GPS units work without a-gps but all i can say that since i solved the problem that i started this thread with, i have been using the gps on my 5800 on an almost daily basis in Europe, Africa and the US - I have been using the maps application with navigation, and the sports tracker, extensively, and I am extremely happy with it, for what i want it works just as well as a dedicated GPS unit, and I cant really criticise it at all.

Even when roaming the data cost of using the AGPS is negligable,and i get a fix in seconds, so I really cant complain at all ... not really sure what the problem is - just switch the AGPS on!

 

A

[dingaling222]

---

aliwiper wrote: & Tom commented in red text

Hey Tom,

Whats the problem with using A-GPS?

It costs money. Other GPS devices doesn't cost me money.

If you are prepared to use google maps which downloads the maps instead, you are using way, way, way more data than if you just turned on the A-GPS

Like i said...  "i really don't want to use Google Maps" 

... plus, i think the reason you get a fix so quick with google maps is not because you have a gps fix, but because google maps uses some kind of network data to guesstimate your position, which is not so accurate.

I think you are correct here.

I dont know how other GPS units work without a-gps but all i can say that since i solved the problem that i started this thread with, i have been using the gps on my 5800 on an almost daily basis in Europe, Africa and the US - I have been using the maps application with navigation, and the sports tracker, extensively, and I am extremely happy with it, for what i want it works just as well as a dedicated GPS unit, and I cant really criticise it at all.

I don't know either exactly how they work, but i know they work, fast and without an internet connection  

Even when roaming the data cost of using the AGPS is negligable,and i get a fix in seconds, so I really cant complain at all ... not really sure what the problem is - just switch the AGPS on!

Repeating myself " Assisted GPS " shouldn't be necessary because it isn't on other gps devices I own

[aliwiper]

Well, ok, i was just giving my 5 cents.

Just use your other GPS devices and forget about your phone then if you dont want to pay the 1 krone per month for AGPS. Its not such a big deal.

[dingaling222]

Well, ok, and i was just giving you back you 5 cents.

And no, i will not use my other gps devices and forget about my phone. Nokia has a problem with slow gps locks, & they need to fix it.