Is the GPS capable of "learning"?

**FSUftbllfan** · 12-03-2008, 12:54 PM

Okay, I hate to start yet another thread dedicated to the GPS in the G1 but I feel that my question is a bit different from the others related to the GPS quality/problems. Mods: As always if you feel this thread needs to be relocated then feel free to do so, I just wanted to get some quick opinions/knowledge related to the topic. Now to the topic at hand!

Is the GPS in the G1 capable of "learning"?

As many of you know I've had quite a few issues with my GPS recently, primarily the inability to lock on to my position, and when it finally does lock on, it is about 15-20 minutes past the time that I needed it to. Before anyone asks, yes, I did and do have the appropriate settings turned on. I was having a hard time understanding why I was having this issue with the GPS because when I first received the phone the GPS worked great. I was trying to think of anything that had changed throughout the course of my using and the only thing I could put a finger on was the OTA updates that we had received. So, at about my wits end with the phone (just because of GPS) I was about to call t-mobile to have them send me a replacement phone when I decided to use the GPS non-stop for a few days before I gave up on it. Its a few days later, and my GPS works PERFECTLY, it even finds me when I am inside my apartment, or at the office. My logic (helps me sleep better at night) is that because I had done a factory reset on the phone the GPS "forgot" the positioning data and all it needed was to be used for a while to "re-learn" where I was. I know this sounds extremely far-fetched, but is this possibly the reason my GPS had not been working? When I first got the G1 I used the GPS a lot, then I did the factory reset, GPS didn't work the first few times I tried it, so I stopped trying. So, did my GPS "learn" or are there any other explanations out there as to why this happened?

**GasBot** · 12-03-2008, 12:58 PM

I believe some of the issues you're talking about could be attributed to the difference between a cold start and warm start. If you keep your GPS active constantly, it'll be able to keep track of you much better than if you just turn it on whenever you want to use it.

**FSUftbllfan** · 12-03-2008, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by GasBot

I believe some of the issues you're talking about could be attributed to the difference between a cold start and warm start. If you keep your GPS active constantly, it'll be able to keep track of you much better than if you just turn it on whenever you want to use it.

When I received my phone I immediately turned the GPS on and it has been on since then. The only time I would turn it off would be when I would test it, and even then it would only be off for 5-10 minutes at a time and I only did it a few times. So there never should have been a "cold start." I completely understand your logic, but there was never a point that the GPS would stay off for more than 10 minutes.

**heatX** · 12-03-2008, 01:18 PM

i would like to keep mine on constantly but doesn't it suck up a significant amount of life from the battery while the gps is on???

**GasBot** · 12-03-2008, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by heatX

i would like to keep mine on constantly but doesn't it suck up a significant amount of life from the battery while the gps is on???

Not that I've noticed. I keep absolutely everything on GPS, 3G, etc. and I still get a full 20+ hours out of it.

**tread** · 12-03-2008, 01:22 PM

GPS only activates in the programs that utilize it

**heatX** · 12-03-2008, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by GasBot

20+ hours

do you have an extended battery or something?! i don't think i've ever gotten 20 hours from a charge... maybe its a defect in my battery...?

**hawtseks** · 12-03-2008, 01:30 PM

OP, do you use the toggle settings app to turn your GPS on and off?

**shuko** · 12-03-2008, 01:47 PM

GPS receivers are constantly receiving updated datum, the information on which satellites are where. Since the data comes at a very slow rate, it can take quite some time to receive the updated datum.

The more updated the datum, the faster the GPS will lock a position.

When we did GPS guided robot cars, we left the units on for several hours straight before competing so that the datum would be at it's most accurate.

So yes, the GPS is always "learning" when it is active and exposed to a clear sky. (Remember, the GPS on the G1 is almost always INactive, unless you are running a program that uses it.)

**FSUftbllfan** · 12-03-2008, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by hawtseks

OP, do you use the toggle settings app to turn your GPS on and off?

No, its just always "on." Granted, as others have pointed out, its not actually active unless there is an application that is using it, though I do notice at intermittent times the GPS icon will be on the notification bar. To my knowledge the only application that I have that uses GPS is weatherbug, so I suppose that weatherbug checks the GPS location every now and then to check the weather based on my location which is possibly the reason that every now and then I see the GPS icon in the notification bar. And as far as the Battery is concerned I guess I get pretty decent life. If it is 100% charged in the morning I can usually go all day without charging it. I don't use it as much as some, though. Send/Receive about 50 text messages, 10 emails, and 4-5 calls a day. Play games for about 10 minutes at a time usually 2-3 times a day, browse the internet for 10-15 minutes at a time usually 4-5 times a day, and now I use Google maps for 20-30 minutes at a time usually 2-3 times a day. I also listen to music for about 45 minutes at the start of the day. This is with wireless and GPS location settings on, 3G data and wifi on, the screen brightness at about 70 percent. Wow, now that I look at how much I use my phone in the course of the day, I guess I don't get that much work done afterall! But yeah, I can do all that and usually get through the day, but when I plug it in at night the battery is at about 3-10% remaining.