Why the app can't find the location in a foreign country?

[drbelette]

Hi,

I have a Nexus S on Android 2.3.4 and the latest Locus Pro.

Last week, I've downloaded the map of Warsaw, Poland and tested that the app worked from home by forcing the offline mode (and by deactivating data globally on Android). But when I was in Warsaw for real, the app was unable to find my location…

I tried with the official Google Maps app too (even without data, as I was in a foreign country) and it couldn't find my location either! So the problem may not come from your app, but I can't understand what was the problem :| Maybe we have to wait a loooong time before the GPS could find our position?

Thanks

[rijackson741]

The GPS will take longer to get a fix if you have moved a long way since the last time you used it (or if you have not used it for a long time) because it stores information about which satellites to look for. It can take 1-2 minutes sometimes.

Also, you will not get a fix if you are inside any sort of large building. That includes hotels, office blocks, supermarkets, etc. You may get a fix inside a house, but there's not much chance with anything bigger.

I have used locus in offline mode (including no data of any sort) in China, and it worked fine. The maps in China are a whole other story  :roll: , but Locus worked OK.

[rijackson741]

More specifically, what you get if you have a data connection is Assisted GPS information. See here:

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS

It's only good for a few days, and no good at all if you change location and don't have a data connection to update it. The GPS still works though.

[rijackson741]

The GPS still works though.

Having said that, I just read on Wikipedia "Some aGPS devices do not have the option of falling back to standalone or autonomous GPS". That would suck! That's obviously not the case on my phone though, and you said you checked yours at home with the data connection turned off and it worked OK.

[drbelette]

Hi,

Thanks, it makes sense. Without data, it can't use capabilities of A-GPS. Then I have to wait a long time, like any other GPS

[Menion]

yes, agree with rijackson. I also heard that some phones without a-gps data (so week without internet) aren't able to compute gps location at all! Stupid ...

[drbelette]

I guess it shouldn't be the case of my Nexus S, supposed to be the current flagship phone for Android