GPS Problem, no fix

bencebacsi

Niebieskooki replied at 2015-10-15 23:02
Edited by Niebieskooki at 2015-10-15 23:04 \n\nhow can I fix the antenna?
Unfortunately, this progr ...

Yes, you can if you're familiar with disassembling and mending mobile phones. If this would be the first such event, I don't recommend you to do that.

Fozzy

\n\n

This guide goes to all, who have GPS troubles.

As UMi iRON comes with ROMs fixed to China settings by default,
if you're located on other parts of this planet,
you might find this guide useful:

1. Turn your WiFi - ON

2. Download the following tools from PlayStore:

• Mobileuncle Tools
• MT GPS
• FasterGPS
• Total Commander (or Root Explorer)
• MTK Engineering Mode Start
  

3. Open Mobileuncle Tools:

3.1. Click Power GPS Search on main screen
3.2. Select GPS SET
3.3. Reboot the phone

4. Open FasterGPS

4.1. Select your continent
4.2. Select your country
4.3. Go to advanced settings and set:

• intermediate_pos type the value :1
• select accuracy_thres value:500
• enable wiper value=1
• at the ntp server you should find your country's ntp sever (bg.pool.ntp.org)
• supl_no_secure_port value=3425
• supl_port=7275
• DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE=TRUE
• DEFAULT_USER_PLANE=TRUE
  

• DEFAULT_SSL_ENABLE=FALSE
  

4.4. Reboot the phone

5. Open Total Commander and in /system/etc you should edit your gps.conf file to match the following:

• NTP_SERVER=XX.pool.ntp.org (find your country here: http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/ )
• NTP_SERVER=YY.pool.ntp.org (set your continent)
• XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
• XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
• XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra4.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin
• DEFAULT_AGPS_ENABLE=TRUE
• DEFAULT_USER_PLANE=TRUE
• DEFAULT_SSL_ENABLE=FALSE
• SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com
• SUPL_PORT=7275
• SUPL_NO_SECURE_PORT=3425
• DEBUG_LEVEL=3
• ENABLE_WIPER=1
• INTERMEDIATE_POS=1
• ACCURACY_THRES=500
  
  6. Open MT GPS and download EPOs
  
  7. Go to open air and turn ON data and WiFi connections.
  
  8. Open MTK Engineering Mode Start:
  
  8.1. Select MTK Settings
  8.2. Swipe right to Location
  8.3. Select YGPS then Information
  8.4. Press HOT and wait 3 sec
  8.5. Press FULL and wait 3 sec
  8.6. Press AGPS restart
  8.7. Go to Satellites tab and now wait till red spots turn to green. First fix could take up to (and more than) 5 minutes
  
  9. If your position is fixed - start your GPS application.
  

Credits for the original source go to Koronu
I have followed the guide and my iGO works flawlessly now.Good luck!

Edited by bencebacsi for better readability only. No content has been changed.

Fozzy

\n\nAfter fixing the configuration/software issues,
let's get on the hardware side of the GPS problem:

On this picture below you may see the dismantled upper part of an UMi iRON device:

UMi iRON GPS Antenna

In my case,
the actual antenna contact pins (seen in the left red rectangle) were bent 360 inside so there was no metal-on-metal contact with the GPS module (seen in the right rectangle).
Straighten them, and when assemble back the top plastic cap, watch out for them to stay straigh and properly contat with the GPS module pins.

But that's not all.
If you want a GPS fix time less than 1000 ms on at least 8 satellites even inside a building,
cut out a piece from baking tin-foil, following the contour of original antenna (you'll see the pattern when you inspect the black piece thoroughly),
and set it over the original antenna, as an intermediary antenna.
Beware, and cut out the piece with separeate, at the beginning, two nodes.
Otherwise, it will not be a (good) antenna.

And... results of this mod are smashing. Truly.
Good luck!

Christos13

Hi there,

I am a new owner of the IRON PRO model and having many issues with the GPS tracking which does not work with my maps or even my apps and unfortunately also with my microSD Sandisk card, which is recongnisable by the IRON but when I set it as the default storage, the phone keeps saving new apps, photos etc into my phones capacity.

Please throw some light here cause I am not an expert of IT, but still I am trying hard fixing it. For your sake, I am running v1.8

bencebacsi

Christos13 replied at 2015-12-9 06:11
Hi there,

I am a new owner of the IRON PRO model and having many issues with the GPS tracking whic ...

Hi,

You're a bit confusing by your words. Do you have an Iron or an Iron Pro?
In Android 4.4 and above systems apps cannot be installed on the external SD-card. That's a limitation of the Android system. If you install SDFix, apps that make it available to set, will be able to use the SD-card as a storage drive. Apps themselves will never be possible to be installed on the SD-card.