I am getting a strange problem with Google Maps. When I open Google Maps (without using SignalLoc), everything is fine. I can switch between MAP VIEW and SATELLITE VIEW and the screen repaints correctly - zoom in/zoom out, no problems.

But when I open SignalLoc and try to view the Google Maps from there, I get the red 'pin' marking the location of the tower, but the map screen refused to paint - in either MAP VIEW or SATELLITE VIEW. I have let it sit for upwards of 5 minutes and it will not pain the map/satellite view.

If I quit Google Maps, quit SignalLoc and return to Google Maps, all is well again.

Thoughts? Comments?

If I want to drive around and keep a log of all the towers, does the application need to be active on the screen, or can it be running in the background and still save the cell sites?

It can be running the background. Just make sure to use the "hang up" key and not the back key, as the back key will completely exit the app.

4.5 is pretty flakey on my 8820 in general. I'm still goofing with it.

Yes, I tend to get a GPS fix within 2m 90% of the time the rest being within 1700m (i.e. the latter being cell tower triangulation)

Normally, there is no mapping software open in the background.

IF I start Google Maps & get a pinpoint GPS fix and then move it to the background and then start SigLoc I tend to get the same result.

"Not yet valid" appears after a long period of time.

The "MyLoc-" saved locations are shown correctly for me on Google Maps.

Yes, everytime.

FYI : I am using 4.5.0.55.

I just upgraded my 8130 to OS 4.5.0.66 and now there isn't a space for cell tower location. It looks like this right now:

...
Id/Ch:
<Separator>
Current
Location
...

GPS is enabled and I tried saving cell site and looking at its details. Sure enough, the coordinates were 0,0.

EDIT: Nevermind! I forgot that upgrading the OS resets the settings of some 3rd party Apps. I just re-enabled "carrier provides cell site location" and it works again.

How do I get the cell location to show up? I have the "Carrier provides cell site location" turned on and the Cell Site line has a distance and bearing but the Loc line is empty and the saved cell site has a lat,lon of 0,0.

I don't have an 8703 to test with but it may be because it doesn't have a GPS, even though the GPS isn't needed to get the cell site location. Let me see if I can scrounge a non-verizon 8703 to test with.

Anyone else have a non-verizon 8703 that they can test this with?

Oops. Need to update my profile. I've got an 8310 now.

I reread the first post and it said that GSM towers don't provide their location. Can you calculate it from the distance and bearing information?

Ah, that explains it. Nope, no way to do it. I calculate distance and bearing from the location so that won't help either. Sorry.

--- SignalLocBB - Build 0.1.754 - Released August 5 2008

* Fixed: [ 2036326 ] Fonts aren't refreshing when changed in options
* Fixed: [ 2036286 ] Need to recapture GPS when leaving maps app
* Fixed: [ 2036117 ] ArrayIndexOutOfBounds exception when leaving GPS details
* Fixed: [ 2036296 ] Timeout for capturing cell site location may be too low
* Added: [ 2036285 ] Add option to ignore cell sites with invalid locations
* Refactor: [ 2037697 ] Refactor GPS code
* Refactor: [ 2037696 ] Refactor radio code

***WARNING***
The mechanism that saves cell sites and locations changed. Before upgrading to
this release you should export your saved cell sites and locations or they
will be lost. You should DELETE the app from the device before loading the
new version.

Don't forget to clear the cache on your browser before downloading.

Can you clarify that process for me?

Thanks!

Go to Google Maps
In the search box where you would normally put an address, copy and paste the url of the kml file you downloaded.
For example, mine is at http://netfiles.uiuc.edu/tbhuang2/shared/towers.kml and if you just copy and paste that address into the search box and press enter, it will load the kml file!

I just uninstalled the old version and downloaded build 0.1.754. The first thing I noticed was that the program won't start unless GPS is already enabled. If GPS is disabled, the screen flashes white as if it tries to start, but then it closes. I checked my application switcher to see if it was running in the background and it wasn't. It works great with GPS enabled though.

OK, I'll fix that.

I tried that with my exported file and it tells me:

could not be displayed because it contains errors.

I didn't investigate too much but at first I tried using an https: URL and I got the same error.

Ah, so the distance and bearing are just using some garbage coordinates when that option is on for GSM.

Here's an idea for a future version when you're feeling bored: Once per second log the current position, current tower ID and signal strength. That way an external program could eventually build a map of the tower locations.

You already have the option to log cell sites as they change, and your location when you've travelled a specified distance. Not enough?

The exporting doesnt seem to work for me. Google Earth keeps giving me errors.
[quote]
Parse error at line 7, column 11:
not well formed (invalid token)


Using 1754

[quote=Sith_Apprentice;1048698]The exporting doesnt seem to work for me. Google Earth keeps giving me errors.
Can you post (or pm) me the file?

[quote=RemyJ;1048714]two files.

[quote=Sith_Apprentice;1048758]Rats. It's the "&" in AT&T. I'll fix the code but in the mean time, you can just do a global replace "AT&T" to "AT&amp;T".

Thank you for the quick response


Update: It puts me at 0,0 lat/lon on all my locations lol

OK, thanks for the tip on the AT&T/AT&amp;T fix. I got the file to load in Google Maps (desktop browser version), but there is something wrong with the GPS coordinates... it's sticking my cell towers in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Africa (south of Ghana and west of Gabon), instead of in the Phoenix AZ metro area...

I have also verified that this explains the issue that I mentioned above with regard to getting nothing on my Google Maps app on the my 8310. If I zoom out on the 8310 Google Maps, I eventually see the same thing - a cell tower in the middle of the Atlantic off the coast of Africa.

I have one other request. Could you either rearrange the menu for exporting the cell towers to move the EXPORT ALL TO FILE away from DELETE ALL and/or add a confirmation prior to deleting all? More than one time I have wiped out my list of cell towers by being 'too quick' on the menu.

I was only looking at the saved cell site data which didn't have what I wanted (no location). Just looked at the saved location data and you did include the cell tower and signal strength in each location. Perfect!

A nice to have would be an option to save the location every X amount of minutes in addition to the existing distance. If you haven't moved the specified distance in that time it would take another location snapshot and reset the timer. If you have moved the distance then the timer would reset to 0 again.

This way you could average out the signal strength at a location and remove any anomalous readings.

Not reading the Readme I guess.
Only CDMA networks provide cell site location.

Will do.

That makes sense. I'll add the option.

I was talking about the GPS export data when imported to Google Earth puts me off the coast of Africa at 0,0

Sorry. You're exporting LOCATIONS and it's 0,0? I thought you were talking about cell sites.

Checking...

In addition to when the program won't start unless GPS is on:
If the program is running in the background and I disable GPS, attempting to return to SignalLoc results in an almost frozen BB. This happens whether or not the "...except when it has an invalid location" option is checked.

One request--allow the option for a prefix when exporting all to a file. For example, an option for [current date]-[current time]-[user input].kml Oh and that includes adding the .kml for us, if it isn't too much trouble!

Sith, I can't reproduce this for locations. Again, can you post the file? The 2 you posted earlier were cell site exports.

Yep, there's a deadlock somewhere. I'm looking at it. Question, why do you turn location services off? Paranoia? It doesn't save battery since the GPS itself is only active when there's a program using it.

I'll add current date and time and a dialog for user specified data. And yes, I'll start adding the ".kml" extension for the typing challenged.

Orly... I guess it just my wrong intuition. Thanks for the info!

Hey now, it's just standard file saving protocol! Personally, I would hate having to add ".doc" to every word document I write. Thanks for this addition

Guilty

But that sort of renders this app useless for GSM folks, eh? Too bad, this had a lot of potential...

That's what you get for being on inferior technology.

Still you can use it to record YOUR location and the signal strength and base station encountered.

Thanks RemyJ. Very handy app for gathering info.

I installed it on my 8703e... I try to execute it, the screen goes white and then back to my Homescreen.

Here's the error log:

Name: NullPointerException
Severity: Sever Error

No detail message
signalloc
Worker
setGpsLocationListener
0x50BE
signalloc
Worker
<init>
0x546F
signalloc
Worker
startup
0x5510
signalloc
SignalLocScreen
run
0x4328
net_rim_cldc-4
Application
dispatchInvokeLater
0x7E3
net_rim_cldc-4
Application
processNextMessage
0xEF7
net_rim_cldc-4
Application
enterEventDispatcher
0x788
signalloc
SignalLoc
startup0x3E33
signalloc
SignalLoc
main
0x3E83

it looks like a cool app... would love it work. or maybe i've done something wrong?

altitude604, that's exactly what happens to me if I try opening the program without having GPS enabled. If your GPS is in fact enabled, then sorry, but I have no advice for you.

I'll have a new release out in the morning that should fix that.

my LBS is enabled... unless there's some other setting I have to toggle?

but afaik everything should be ready to go...