nexus5/lollipop can't fix on GPS location in Bermuda

[erdos]

hi,

 

i recently went to Bermuda for a few days and discovered my Nexus5's GPS isn't working in Bermuda.

 

I installed Here Beta offline maps for Bermuda prior to my trip. when i used Here maps on the island, the phone is constantly searching for GPS signal but never been able to find it. I've got tmobile service with Nexus5 and there's no coverage on the island.

 

meantime, my handheld Garmin Montana performs perfectly.

 

isn't Nexus5 equipped with both GPS and GLONASS? it seems one can't rely on smartphone as serious GPS device.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

History reflects poorly on the Bermuda Triangle....

[+ecanderson]

You don't say if you ever have successfully used the location feature(s) of your Nexus back in the U.S. I'll assume so, but am wondering if there is any chance your phone is refusing to operate without A-GPS for some reason? My version of a Nexus doesn't offer that kind of configuration, but with no cellular coverage ....

I'd be surprised if it could be configured to do so, but it's definitely worth a look. Meanwhile .. be aware that that it could take as much as 12 minutes (worst case) for your phone to pull down the requisite ephemeris data since you've just moved it a great distance from its last known location. I imagine you noted a bit of a delay getting your first lock on your Montana as well, but perhaps not nearly so much.

[+splashy]

"t it could take as much as 12 minutes (worst case)"

 

Can take even longer and there should be no moving objects between the phone and the sky, the phone should be

motionless.

Meaning if you pick up the phone while it's collecting data, the sequence might disrupted and the whole sequence starts all over again

or a message like 'no satellites available' might pop up.

 

Since you had a working Montana it wasn't really important I guess. ;-)

[ohgood]

i remember hearing from friends about problems with the gps firmware on the nexus 5 series. i don't recall if it was the latest firmware available from google that would fix the problem, or the 4.4.2 version (earlier).

 

i can remember this happening on a galaxy s (blaze) with a particular firmware, and that was the only issue i've seen with the last 10 or so cellphones/tablets i've used for GPS positioning. currently i have 4 phones that lock within about 4 seconds of starting my GPS applications, so by the time the app loads, it's done. it's a good idea to reset the GPS (agps) datas when traveling from one area to a new area hundreds of miles away.

 

those same phones are accurate to +/- 9feet if i stand still, and with gps averaging, about +/- 2 feet. these are NOT glonass units either. ;-)