[jamespaulritter]

Hello good BB buddies!!!

Is my GPS a lemon?

I have the Alltel 8330 and I am using Telenav along with google maps. I get an error from telenav occasionally that the GPS signal is weak but I am in a flat area of southern Missouri with no tall buildings and I am in wide open clear skies. Also the GPS "you are here now" blue dot is slow to update. It is often a block or half block in behind. Then when I am stopped for a bit it is still about 70 feet off the mark.

I had a kaiser HTC TyTN II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia before this and it was always extremely exact and moved with you as you drove" spot on" within 10 feet.

Is the curve GPS cheapo cheapo or is mine a lemon?

[pshift]

The 8330 (VZW) internal GPS is 'locked' to VZNavigator. I'm not sure about the Alltell-branded 8330. YOu can get around this (until they unlock the GPS) by using an external BT puck. What you are seeing is an approximate location based upon triangulation from cell phone towers in your vicinity.

[CO_BBTechie]

Originally Posted by pshift

The 8330 (VZW) internal GPS is 'locked' to VZNavigator. I'm not sure about the Alltell-branded 8330. YOu can get around this (until they unlock the GPS) by using an external BT puck. What you are seeing is an approximate location based upon triangulation from cell phone towers in your vicinity.

Did you even read the OP's entire question?

[CO_BBTechie]

Originally Posted by jamespaulritter

Is the curve GPS cheapo cheapo or is mine a lemon?

You may have a problem with your specific device. I find the GPS on my 8310 to be very accurate.

[JSanders]

Mine is very accurate.

Remember, the GPS can be accurate and spot on quick to locate you, but YOUR mapping application (in this case TeleNav) depends on a separate data signal to download the map, and your device processor and memory space to display that map.

What is your File Free at Options > About?

[jamespaulritter]

Originally Posted by JSanders

Mine is very accurate.

Remember, the GPS can be accurate and spot on quick to locate you, but YOUR mapping application (in this case TeleNav) depends on a separate data signal to download the map, and your device processor and memory space to display that map.

What is your File Free at Options > About?

47 MB free

I have been just launching "maps & traffic" then selecting "current location". This seems to be a lousy way to view yourself traveling across the city. It repositions you an the map a block at a time. Not real time.

To day I selected the "Drive to" option and it followed me fairly well.

So what is the best way to use this program if I simply catch a yard sale sign so I turn but then don't see a yard sell so I fire up telenav to map my current location, show the layout of the area and track me as I move threw that area.

The deal it that I am not always driving to something. Sometimes I just need to see where I am and whats around me.

[jimbochicago]

As for the original issue - Is the internal GPS any good on the Curve? - I cant say. I can say a GPS puck works excellent on my Tmobile Curve. And the new Sprint 8830 and slightly older ATT clone, the 8800, are TERRIBLE. They take 10 minutes or longer to get a fix - even though they are showing satellites. This happens every time you start 'em, even if it,s the same geographical spot.

[jimbochicago]

As for the original issue - Is the internal GPS any good on the Curve? - I cant say. I can say a GPS puck works excellent on my Tmobile Curve. And the new Sprint 8830 and slightly older ATT clone, the 8800, are TERRIBLE. They take 10 minutes or longer to get a fix - even though they are showing satellites. This happens every time you start 'em, even if it,s the same geographical spot.

[JSanders]

Wirelessly posted (8310; The Juggernaut)

Originally Posted by jimbochicago

As for the original issue - Is the internal GPS any good on the Curve? - I cant say. I can say a GPS puck works excellent on my Tmobile Curve. And the new Sprint 8830 and slightly older ATT clone, the 8800, are TERRIBLE. They take 10 minutes or longer to get a fix - even though they are showing satellites. This happens every time you start 'em, even if it,s the same geographical spot.

That was not my experience with my former 8800 nor the current 8310. The inital GPS fix after a wipe, OS upgrade or traveling a long distance by air will take a few Master Image minutes, but instant communication just ona routine GPS positions from TeleNav, WLS, or GoogleMaps.

[Darmichar]

I have an 8330 on Alltel too and I can confirm that the internal GPS does in fact suck on it. I can walk outside, stand in the middle of a 1 acre field on a clear day and get nothing for hours on end. I can go back outside later (sometimes hours, sometimes days) to the same location and have the GPS pick up satellites almost immediately.

I have yet to determine any rhyme or reason why it is this way.

[Rhyalus]

I had no problem with my 8820 or my current 8310.

I get pretty quick fixes - I certainly don't share Darmichar's experience.

Sometimes when using Telenav, I put the phone on the dashboard. I sometimes feel that by holding the phone that it takes longer to get a fix; either that or getting further out under the windshield just helps.

Regards,
R

[Dubdub]

70 feet off is well within the accuracy circle for standard GPS, although I admit the norm is less than 4 meters (approx 12 feet). DoD has a random signal degrade from time to time, I think. I know they used to do it and think the practice continues today.

[jamespaulritter]

I seem to get a fix with in 3 minutes consistantly with Tele Nav and it seems to track me fairly well with the "Get Route" option. But with the other options it does a really ba job tracking me. Google maps is always a block behind and Windows Live Search hasnt worked ever since the 1st day after starting the Tele Nav trial. I give up. It was a fun and interesting experiment. I sold it on ebay yesterday and bought a WM HTC PPC 6800. I use to have one a year ago but traded it for a treo. The GPS is independent (free), with a custom ROM and its always accurate within 15 feet. Thanks everyone.

[cellman08]

I have an 8310/AT&T and with Google Maps I get an accuracy of 3m most of the time. That's better than my Garmin.

[wangta01]

Mine works pretty well - locks on satellite witin a couple seconds of being outdoors. I can use Google maps and MQ Navigator by the time I get to my car (parking lot next to office building).

[rietherll]

Still waiting on verizon to unlock mine!!!

[Shane Pitman]

I've got the 8330 on Sprint and my GPS is very accurate. I was showing my wife earlier that it had me dead on in the house looking at a satellite map view. That was with Google Maps, the Sprint Navigation app seems to be spot on as well.

[Shagasaur]

My GPS works fine on my 8310... except at my house.. I can go anywhere around my house and I get no GPS readings... But I have been told that my house is a dead zone for directv.. we worked for 2 hours just pointing my dish. And I have no cell reception either , Don't know.... Welcome to the Dead Zone!

[Cammer]

The few times that I have used my Alltel GPS with Telenav I have been able to get a fix in less than a minute. I'm new to the GPS thing so I thought that was a long time until I complained about it to a friend of mine who was impressed at the speed.