Poor GPS tracking - is this an app or device issue?

[JBThompson]

Ok so I had been using my LG G-Pad to test out some of the different GPS apps - Maps.Me, Backcountry Navigator, Orux, etc. I was having problems with the GPS basically not keeping up with my location. I especially noticed it in Maps.Me since I'm using it for general nav purposes.

Basically if I'm driving down a road the pointer icon on the screen would only move every five or six seconds and doesn't accurately reflect my location. It might even show that I'm driving down the sidewalk, or on more than one occasion it told me I was driving the wrong direction on the interstate. Thinking the G-Pad was taking a dive I tried using my Note 7 but it does the same thing. Poor location tracking, slow/laggy refresh. The screen will randomly rotate as if I've suddenly changed directions, even if I'm driving down a straight stretch of interstate. I've tried restarts, uninstalling and reinstalling apps, factory reset in the case of the tablet, nothing seems to work.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this issue and possibly found a solution. It seems to be an issue with the internal GPS and I'm almost wondering if I need to switch to an external GPS receiver like the Dual or a Garmin Glo. I've not read any complaints of this from anyone else, though.

 

[1leglance]

On your device or software should be a screen to show how many satellites you are picking up and the signal strength.
Especially inside a vehicle you could be having issues with the device having a good view of the sky.
My best luck has always been with a small usb magnetic puck on the roof and the cable with extension fed into my netbook.

 

[Kerensky97]

"GPS Test" on android is a great app to see what signal you're getting on each satelite. Sounds like where your devices are mounted aren't getting a good enough view of the sky and so your margin of errors is allover the place within a large error.
Use the app and test in the car and outside and see how the signal changes. If your car is blocking too much you might need one of the GPS repeaters like 1leglance mentioned.
http://amzn.to/2dHZSpn

 

[JBThompson]

I'll download that app and see what I come up with. The tab was up on the dash so you'd think it should have a clear line of sight to the satellites.

 

[rayra]

Depends. The constellation is in medium-high orbit and moving all the time, you might be only getting 2-3 satellites in a useful manner. And you likely aren't getting any of the differential GPS ground signals folded in. So 50-100' might be as accurate as you can get with that device in your area / usual routine. Do use the test app and it will also show you signal strength and relative position in the sky.
I would also suggest trying your tablet on foot, out in the clear, to see if you get a big improvement in satellite detection and accuracy.

 

[TrailBadger]

Sounds to me like a system recognition issue.. slow loading. Have you tried just turning on the location service and enter a site like Google maps, Mapquest etc (not the app) and see if it follows you movements more actuality. if the moment is actuate.. then it much be the serves relation to your location via those apps you're using. Sounds a bit redundant, having to log another server/site just to locate your own location. If their system isn't in sync with you or vice versa.. you would experience this lag type screen display.

Another possibility, if it something in the background on your device is updating at the time of viewing the location system.

 

[JBThompson]

Definitely not something updating. I tried running the tablet and the phone at the same time just to see if there is a difference and they both lag pretty bad, the tablet somewhat worse.

I haven't downloaded the test app on the tablet yet but I did put it on the phone last night and tried it out this morning. These screen shots were taken with the phone mounted on the dash, no case, just the mount. The truck was sitting in an open parking lot with no obstructions and a clear view of the sky.

 

[TrailBadger]

Like I always say, check with the source site first:

http://maps.me/en/help

Scroll down to GPS: "The app cannot determine my location"

Two questions down: "What can I do if my position is determined incorrectly?"

Otherwise, I'd send a support ticket to the manufacture of all those apps.. I just see a clash of apps trying to override one another.. if that makes sense. Also, because map.me is an open source app.. I'd see if there is an open source like sourceforge forums just to see if others are experiencing the same.

 

[Retired Tanker]

With regards to the update rate, you may be chasing your tail.


GPS navigations messages are only transmitted every 6 seconds.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_signals


Scroll down and you'll find the following:
"The receiver is potentially capable of getting a new pseudorange measurement at the beginning of each subframe or every 6 seconds."


Commercial/consumer grade GPS receivers "cheat" by using road-following algorithms. That's why they might not recognize that you've exited the interstate for several seconds, for example.


Of course that's pretty useless when you're on or between trails.

 

[Joe917]

Are you testing the pad with another GPS on at the same time?
If I run my Samsung S4 and Garmin nuvi(piece of crap) within a foot or so of each other they screw each other up.

 

[JBThompson]

No, I had both mounted on the dash next to each other and I was switching back and forth between the two. Strangely enough there was about a twenty second window where the phone's GPS tracked nice and smooth like our Garmin does. Then it went back to lagging behind. It's definitely not as bad as the tablet which is just horrendous.

If there's a 6-second window I guess that makes sense. I'm not all that tech savvy, I just know that my Garmin seems to track my location in real time regardless of where I am or how fast I am going, and the phone or tablet don't. It's frustrating.

 

[Joe917]

No, I had both mounted on the dash next to each other and I was switching back and forth between the two. Strangely enough there was about a twenty second window where the phone's GPS tracked nice and smooth like our Garmin does. Then it went back to lagging behind. It's definitely not as bad as the tablet which is just horrendous.

If there's a 6-second window I guess that makes sense. I'm not all that tech savvy, I just know that my Garmin seems to track my location in real time regardless of where I am or how fast I am going, and the phone or tablet don't. It's frustrating.

They were on the dash next to each other? I assume then only on one at a time.
Maps.me on our Galaxy tab tracks better than the Garmin and has far more options. Sounds like you have a tablet issue.

 

[JBThompson]

Yeah I ran one, exited the app, ran the other, exited the app, wash, rinse, repeat. Both the G-Pad and the Note 7 have the same issue, the tablet is just worse.

For what it's worth, I turned off the data, set airplane mode, set location service to use GPS only. Even then the GPS was still not able to keep up. If I was approaching an intersection I'd be through it before the GPS showed I was even there yet.

I tried everything I can think of, even uninstalled and reinstalled the app on both devices, downloaded all of the maps again, adjusted settings. Short of trying an external receiver I just don't know what else there is.

 

[TrailBadger]

My original suggestion was not to use any apps, turn on the your location and log a web site like Google maps just to see if it's pointing out of keeping up with your relative located as compared to using one of those apps. If the location service is more accurate than the apps.. then My guess is that there is a laps or delay with the apps connecting to their servers.

Just try it with out any apps active is all I'm asking and just to rule out or even pinpoint where this delay is coming from. I'm just finding that by trusting apps is not as great as one would have hoped for.. Issues like you're tend to keep us away from using the, We've found it just as easy to turn on the Mobile data, turn off the wifi and then turn on our location and us the web browser in conjunction with a site like Google Maps or Mapquest.. Not looking for any extreme detail.. just a reliable and current mapping system.

 

[JBThompson]

Google Maps operates smooth as glass on the Note 7, tracks like it should without any issues. The G-Pad isn't on a data plan so I haven't tried Google Maps on it.