UMI SUPER GPS PROBLEMS

Johnt

OK so if you put tin foil over the two contacts then your shorting it, bypassing the antenna in the cover ? Which should make it worse not better

Johnt

I  just checked mine and mine only has one contact for the GPS WiFi also. That link to the cover also is not for sale anymore

cr45h

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BLUF: Aluminum foil does not work and actually worsens reception. Two contacts are not needed. Antenna already has second connection (using screw) and functions as designed.

I tried the aluminum foil method and I can say with certainty that it does not work. I was able to use my wife's UMI Super as well as my own and performed a side by side comparison with one phone modified (mine) and one unmodified (hers). The modified phone performed significantly worse (using the GPS Test app). Additionally, I figured out that the second contact is not needed because the connection is being made through one of the screws (the one in the middle with the small metal washer on it). Here are my results:

1. No back cover (i.e. no antenna at all): No reception. Clearly the antenna is needed.
2. Modified with aluminum foil and fully re-assembled: Reception much worse than before. Very clear difference between my modified phone and my wife's unmodified one. Her's sees 10 to 11 satellites while mines sees 6 to 7 (consistently). This was not at all what I expected.
3. Unmodified but without screws: Reception was still quite bad and much worse than my wife's stock phone. I removed the foil, put the phone back together, and ran outside to do another test (before putting the screws back in). The reception was still quite bad so, for a second, I though that I had damaged my phone somehow. But then I reinstalled the screws and the reception went back to normal.
4. Unmodified and fully re-assembled (including the screw mentioned above): Best performance. Picked up 11 satellites with lots of green (which sounds good until you actually try to use it for maps/navigation). This result was basically the same as before the experiment and the same as my wife's unmodified phone.

So, bottom line, don't take your phone apart thinking you'll improve the GPS. You don't need a second contact and what others are experiencing is very likely a placebo effect. My best guess is that our GPS problems are due to a combination of cheap hardware and badly written software (drivers). UMI alone can fix this problem and, unfortunately, they don't seem to be trying.

bencebacsi

Dear Users,

Please try not to ignore my posts here.
http://community.umidigi.com/for ... 769&fromuid=974

Just for an explanation: Let's imagine that the hardware design or the software or even both of them have bugs, causing abnormal working of the GPS. If that's the case, how can other (much more) devices with the same hardware and running the same software work properly? No way of course, so the conclusion is that, there are some devices with sporadic and not exactly the same bugs that can be repaired or not but we surely can not resolve unknown issues remotely, not even if that's our major intantion. That's not ignorance, just simply impossibility. In such cases the only way is to return your device to the reseller to repair it or for a replacement. If you bought your phone at the local shop, then that's just a short walk but if you ordered it directly from China (to save money), then you have to send your phone back to China. However, you should know that, by opening and mending your phone by your own, you just cancel your warranty. So, never do that.

Regards,
Bence

Johnt

cr45h replied at 2016-9-4 05:53
Edited by cr45h at 2016-9-4 05:58 \n\n
BLUF: Aluminum foil does not work and actually worsens recep ...

Can post a pic of the screw you are talking about? When I opened my umi the top middle screw was missing

sithkanti

I don't know must take and wait how long time that Product Owner will assist or fix problems (GPS + Other problems issue).  Very impressive after saw the pictures and descriptions in the social network also a good
feeling after UMI Super in my hand.  After months of using found problems of which seems no suitable solution from UMI can solve it eventhough to try to make to better.....just mentioned " send it back for the replacement for warranty "....funny. It cost approx 1/5 of the phone value for the expenses.

saikee

My UMI Super is normal and its gps works satisfactory.

Recently I drove from Newcastle to London in a 800 miles round trip (plus local travel).  It misbehaved in about 3 times each wondering off position in less than a minute as I also had a Tom Tom next to the phone.

I now had my other phone Vernee Apollo Lite delivered.  When put to side by side gps test UMI reported using 10 satellites to give 18ft accuracy.  Vernee Apollo Lite used 22 satellites to 17 accuracy.  There is no doubt even a perfectly assembled  UMI Super is no match to its competitors like Vernee Apollo Lite which reports stronger GPS signal.  Vernee Apollo Lite cost me 7% more but has 10-core MTK 6769 at 2.3 GHz against the UMI's 8-core MTK 6755 at 2GHz.

Beatertech

saikee replied at 2016-9-4 19:17
My UMI Super is normal and its gps works satisfactory.

Recently I drove from Newcastle to London in ...

Vernee and UMI have the same issues.  GPS accuracy.
Having a distance of 18ft is not normal.
Other more known competitors LeTV,  OPO etc have an accuracy of 3ft.

It would be proof to me if anyone from UMI can post a video showing an accuracy of 3ft on a GPS Test. -

The GPS pin on my UMI Super was slightly lower than the others made no difference to GPS Test when balanced with the others.  Having done the test leads me to believe this is a GPS driver related issue.

UmiIronPro2015

Haluska replied at 2016-9-2 13:46
It's weird.
On this side is the only GPS / WiFi antenna. With 4G has nothing in common. Watch photo ...

I did pull those little pieces of metal on the cover up with a precision knife, i just lifted them up and leaved it free on the air, then i closed the cover and signal improvemment was greater.
Before on GPS test app only greys, and orange and not much yellow ones . . . , not  few oranges not much , and lot of yellow and some greens . . .

It worked for Umi Super and for my Umi Iron Pro as well.

Thank you !

saikee

The Internet information on gps accuracy:

"All things considered, you can usually expect to be within about 20 to 30 feet of the mark with most consumer grade receivers."

I believe a 3ft accuracy gps belongs the military grade equipment.