Problems obtaining your initial GPS lock? Read here!

[00hkelly]

GREAT NEWS - i suggest you do this too!!!

tools>GPS Data>Navigation>options>satellite status

then leave it on this.

open the keypad and prop the phone up at 45 degrees and leave it on a windowsill

the just check on it every 5 mins or so and eventually it will get a connection.

i think that its just the first time that it connects it needs to figure out whats going on. but now it connects instantly and knows where i am.

[pseudofinn]

So once you get the initial GPS lock, it seems to lock much faster now?

Have you tried getting a GPS lock after restarting the device to see if it's still locking quicker?

[Salman]

^Thanks 00hkelly, it worked like a charm...GPS locking on instantaneously now...

[Dario]

cool

[pseudofinn]

When you restart the device, is the wait for GPS lock still very, very long? Or are the cold starts only that bad when the device uses the GPS for the first time ever?

[btc]

Was much quicker for me after a cold start. I would around 10-20 seconds to get the lock.

[pseudofinn]

I don't mean warm start- I mean is it just as long to get a lock after the first cold start ever, after restarting the device since GPS lock, or do cold starts get quicker? It seems some N95's are taking 10-20 minutes upon the first cold start. I'm wondering if this is the case everytime you restart the N95 and attempt cold start... you know?

[btc]

First time I tried GPS it took around 5 minutes (2 days ago).
Second time I tried it was not long after a full restart (ie. I took my battery out). Thats when it took around 10-20 seconds.

[Salman]

yeah, as long as you're out in an open place, the second time it connects much quicker

[pseudofinn]

This is certainly good news. I was very concerned about this. A 10-20 second cold start is actually pretty decent. I had feared that we what was experienced before was the standard deal after a restart of the device. Feeling better about the internal GPS all the time.

[mattshaw]

GREAT NEWS - i suggest you do this too!!!

tools>GPS Data>Navigation>options>satellite status

then leave it on this.

open the keypad and prop the phone up at 45 degrees and leave it on a windowsill

the just check on it every 5 mins or so and eventually it will get a connection.

i think that its just the first time that it connects it needs to figure out whats going on. but now it connects instantly and knows where i am.

Mate, you are a legend!!!! Was struggling with mine even when leaving it on the windowsill etc.... but used your method & it was sorted in under 5min Will test it out later as im gonna be driving a couple hundred miles.... then ill decided whether i need an external reciever.

Again... 00hkelly... you a legend!!

[pseudofinn]

Right then. Agreed. 00Kelly's posting has truly been a seemingly invaluable reasource. What's the score then? Shall I split his comments and the related replies to another thread and sticky the ol' chap?

Lemme know guys, if you want, I'll do it ASAP!

[mdunn77]

do it

[pseudofinn]

Done! Sorry I had to drop a couple postings so the new thread would make sense- my apologies, it's the first time I've split a thread, and I made a mistake... ops:

I think this will help quite a few users out, as it seems many have this same concern when they first get the device. Thanks very much to 00kelly for the help on this one!

[N95user]

Well, if you turn GPS off and move a good few miles away it takes a little longer to get another fix from cold, longest mine has ever taken was around 3 min (first use), if it's in the same place it locks very quickly.
Mine locks on to a signal even when I'm in my lounge with the blinds closed! Keypad should be open to get quickest fix but not essential.

[snarf]

Hi,

I have tried leaving it on the window seal following the instructions as mention on the first post. However it seems like it will not pick up the connection. A blue box comes up saying satellites 14 and then a white rectangle to the right of it. Im not sure if I am doing something wrong, if the firmware is bust or what. Does anyone have any ideas?

I have tried accessing the Maps and it keeps looking for a WLAN and not looking at the internal GPS. Is this meant to do this?

Regards,

Oliver Neighbour

[Malossi]

Works!!!! You made my day !!!

[pseudofinn]

Works!!!! You made my day !!!

Very glad we could all help you out. Welcome to the forum!

[mongoofy]

What constitutes a "lock"?

Is that when the Sat bars turn solid and the compass displays?

[brunetel21]

i have problems with mine:
-i got like 4-5 satelites in satelite data but not marked with black bar,just some numbers and bars but empty bars
-when i get GPS signal i have a speed of 1100km/h and then it disapear forever...
-i forgot to mention that i'm in the middle of the Atlantic ocean right now on a cruise ship......so you think that the sattelites don't work in here?
They should cover all planet right?
Somebody smarter than me advice me please.
Sorry for my english

[johnny]

Well, if you turn GPS off and move a good few miles away it takes a little longer to get another fix from cold, longest mine has ever taken was around 3 min (first use), if it's in the same place it locks very quickly.
Mine locks on to a signal even when I'm in my lounge with the blinds closed! Keypad should be open to get quickest fix but not essential.

The N95 uses a technology known as Assisted GPS. The reason a fix is performed quickly is directly related to the phone being registered on the network. The network (or carrier for our US friends) cell has been registered with the GPS data to the location where the N95 was last on. In the case above, turning the phone on in a new location to where it was last registered provides a miss-match to the received GPS signal and where the network believes you to be. It therefore takes a short while to re-synch.
The good news for A-GPS is that if you leave your phone on all the time, the time taken for a GPS fix is very quick.
Cheers!

[bagamyan]

Hello guys,

( Sorry for my English first ) Its annoying but works for me If you put your phone, just in your eyes direction with 45 degree it take so quick connections, today I try this a lot and I get my connections fast, I guess the idea is how tall you hold your phone It gets better connections.

Regards and hope you will have same experiance. ( People aroud you can smile but just for connections. )

good days,

[piloteer]

Hi all. My first post! Yay!

I had problems like most of us with the initial GPS lock although the instructions didn't help either. What I would add is that you MUST be outside for this GPS Data>Position>satellite info "trick" to work reliably. The receiver is clearly either underpowered/poorly located or buggy and must have a decent clear line of sight with plenty of visible sky, so outside but in between buildings is often not good enough for a quick lock. Saying this it did work from my windowsill at home and once connected seems fine for a sat nav assisted journey in the car. Also after a factory reset/changing lots of settings it's important to do the trick again.

I've used the sat nav successfully on a 100mile car journey and I'd give it a rating of 75-80%. Great for small roads but motorway driving can be frustrating as it's not quite quick/specific enough and you'll quite easily end up on the wrong road when navigating complicated junctions/exits especially in heavy traffic. It lost connection once but regained in a few seconds and the speed was spot on throughout the 70 minute journey.

Advice for using it in the car is to plan ahead - don't assume you'll get a position the instant you want to leave. Do the old "satellite status/info" trick 15 mins before you leave then start (or plan then start) your route. Otherwise you could be stuck waiting for it to get a lock again.

Reports that the GPS does not work at all are innaccurate. The latest revison of the phone (if there is one) can and does work, although it's not 100% hassle free.

[gadgetman]

The N95 uses a technology known as Assisted GPS. The reason a fix is performed quickly is directly related to the phone being registered on the network. The network (or carrier for our US friends) cell has been registered with the GPS data to the location where the N95 was last on. In the case above, turning the phone on in a new location to where it was last registered provides a miss-match to the received GPS signal and where the network believes you to be. It therefore takes a short while to re-synch.
The good news for A-GPS is that if you leave your phone on all the time, the time taken for a GPS fix is very quick.
Cheers!

GPS is kinda my relm, so here goes.

The assisted bit simply downloads the known GPS data for your approx position the network sees you in, which is what happens when waiting for a lock. each sat is pumping out a signal of time date etc. Once you have enough for a lock, part of the signal actually tells you what sats to expect and where. Some GPS devices store this, hence the quick lock if you're in the same location as when last used. Many can deal with a certain distance, but then 'see' different sats than expected, so dump the data and have to get a cold update.

PocketGPSWorld (PGPSW) have loads of guides on this for anyone who's interested - plus IIRC a N95 v's GPS evaluation for TT6 (not sure what they'll test the N95 against)

[daddymac]

Hi all

I do this every time I wanna use gps find it helps loads I can even get a signal sat in my house with this detects even when I move from room to room (how cool)

best upgrade I every got

Hope y'all love yours to

PS: my house is quite small

[geoffbaker]

This is certainly good news. I was very concerned about this. A 10-20 second cold start is actually pretty decent. I had feared that we what was experienced before was the standard deal after a restart of the device. Feeling better about the internal GPS all the time.

Yes, it is odd, but the more I use the GPS, the better it behaves... when i started I had the same problems everyone else reports - 10 - 20 minute cold start...

Now, mostly, its up and running in 15-20 seconds and performs well.

But this morning, I used SportsTracker for the first time on my bike ride and it didn't track the first 5 miles at all...

I'll have to work on it..

[gavinguinness]

Out and about yesterday, I noticed that the GPS found a Sat really fast if I switched on the GPS in the same place I switched it off.

EG. I wanted to pop to a shop, but didn't know the way to the area it was in. Took about 5 mins to grab a signal (normal, I've observed). Then when I got to where I was going, I switched off GPS, did the shopping, then went back to the car. When I enabled GPS for the return journey, it locked immediately. When I went home from the office, I flicked GPS on again and it connected instantly...

This morning, I checked the signla when I got to work and it took 5 mins or so.

It seems to be faster if the last position is the current position...

[Odd]

There is a difference between showing your location and the connection to the satalietes. The GPS allways shows your latest possition if it is not connected.

I have been travelling a bit in Europe lately and my experience is that if you are within a few kilometers of your last possition the connection is quite fast (5-10 s), but if you go futher away it gets slower.

When arriving in a new country I have noticed that the GPS is as slow as my first cold start.

[pseudofinn]

Yes, when traveling far from your last known location, the GPS needs to download a bit of information and calculate the data to display your new location. That is why a cold start takes so long, and why that initial lock after unboxing is such a pain.

[eyobsonjoseph]

hai folks i am new in here tring to find a soultion to get ma GPS started in N95.

[ilya87]

what am i looking for when I check back at the 'satellite status' screen? It currently has 4 horizontal bars with numbers next to them, and the numbers change around, sometimes another bar is added. When do I know that it's locked on though?

[timo_w2s]

The bars go black when it's locked. Also the the red "x" from the GPS satellite logo on the bottom right of the Maps screen changes to green lines.

[DJ Kyro]

I got the same problem. No GPS lock even though I left it on my window sill for close to 45 mins now. I get upto 4 bars, all white though. then it drops to 2 then to 1 then back to 2. But always stays white. Does that mean I have a faulty module or something?

[timo_w2s]

I sometimes can't get a decent lock inside, even by a window. The best thing is to go outside in the open to get your first lock.

[salada2k]

I think the weather plays a big role as well, I find cloudy days work best sometimes, go figure.. :-)

Possibly less UV rays destroying the signal?

[Rapid Dr3am]

You just became my hero. Locks in seconds now.

[mike]

A few brief suggestions...

First, as it says in the manual, it will take quite a while for the phone to get a lock with the GPS if you're in a "new" location when you turn it on. If you turn it on while you're in the same location as when you last turned it off, the phone will get a lock very quickly. If you move to a new location and then turn it on, the phone has to figure out where you are. Apparently, the bigger the change, the longer it takes. Go from Miami to Delhi and it's like using the GPS for the very first time.

Second, make sure the phone is open. The antenna is behind the keypad, and if you leave the phone closed, it won't work as well.

If you get the latest Nokia updates, you'll get "assisted GPS" which means the phone will use both satellite data *and* cell tower data to figure out where you are, which is how it can even work while you're indoors, with no view of the sky.

After you get a fix one time, you'll be much happier with the speed of the GPS.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

If you've got an N95 and haven't already done so, go to Mobile GMaps - View maps from various sources on your mobile phone! and download and install the n95 version. Awesome program, and you then can choose whose maps (or satellite views) you want to see. That's just the start.

[chris3lx]

I have read all your tips and followed them but still no success.

I have a N95 8GB which Ive had for less than a week. I left my phone on window sill for 1hr 20mins and no locks at all. I then left phone outside for about 20mins and it briefly had 1 black bar showing. Do I have a faulty unit? Is there something i'm doing wrong. Keyboard is open, I have a clear view of sky etc.

Your help would be appreciated because this is driving me mad!!!

[BlueMeany]

sounds just like mine

i cba taking it back to a service centre again - I've already been without it for 3 weeks previously when they sent it off to Nokia.

Basically the GPS is rubbish (for fear of getting a ban!)

[Pritt]

Hey,

The bars on each satellite have been going up and down for about 5 minutes now, although this is the first time I have tried using the GPS. Is it normal to take this long? The phone is sitting on my bedroom window in a fairly non-built up area.

Thanks.

[andykn]

Hey,

The bars on each satellite have been going up and down for about 5 minutes now, although this is the first time I have tried using the GPS. Is it normal to take this long? The phone is sitting on my bedroom window in a fairly non-built up area.

Thanks.

How many are there and are they hollow or solid? It will take longer on a windowsill rather than outside as it can only see in one direction.

[jeckthehell]

Cloud, even wind conditions affects your initial GPS lock..

Another factor is the buildings around you...

I find it very frustrating.

[arielshu1]

hello friends.

i read all the above and i found it very intresting.
i don't have GPS maps, i just want to work it with the sport tracker and postion, that's all.

i have the phone for about 8 mounths...and i have never was able to work out the GPS.
i find my self stand next the window nor outside in the clear open field and scream cause nothing happens.

i just wonder do you have any suggest to what should i do?.
maybe there is some FIX for the GPS?.

ariel.

[coltrane]

Hello, I have the same kind of problem. After a software update (v20) I can't get a GPS fix. I re-update 3 times already but nothing works.
Any Idea what helps? I tried above options.

Thnx!

[ayearinmx]

just posting to thank the original poster.... that technique worked with my n95 8gb with it now picking up the GPS a LOT faster now.

i've learned a helluva lot about this phone from this forum, which is why i decided to purchase... now that i've got it, i'm glad i did

cheers

[grebo]

thank you oohkelly gps now working ok

[Chadford]

Forgive me If I’m wrong but I think that any GPS receiver that has not been used for some time or has moved a long way since it was last turned on requires:-

1) The ‘Almanac’ to be downloaded, this provides detailed satellite positions for the place you are stood. This can take quite some time. Once downloaded the Almanac can be used for some time. This is called a ‘Cold Start’
2) Then ‘Ephemeral’ data needs to be downloaded this gives minor corrections to the Almanac. Ephemeral data downloads very quickly and if you have turned your GPS on with a valid Almanac’ then this is called a ‘Warm Start’.
3) ‘Assisted GPS’ uses phone cells to provide a rough location of where you are and thus allows the ‘Almanac’ to be downloaded via the phone much quicker than could be obtained from satellites.

Thus once you get your first GPS lock, providing you keep using the GPS, you should get a lock very quickly.
I think that’s roughly it – please jump in and correct me if I’m wrong.

[Ritzar]

Believe it or not, I use the GPS and the navigation on shorthaul flights, in planes where there is no LCD screens that show the current position to the passengers.
I open the phone, put it near the window and wait 2-3 min. The navigation tells me altitude, speed and ETA, while nokia maps shows me the position.
I save the destination airport as favourite before travel.

[Grayburn]

Yeah,other people here have done that already mate.

[cityrat]

I've observed that after I updated to V21 the time before I get a lock on the satellites takes at least 5-8 times as long time as with V20.
Anybody got the same experience?