Samsung Blackjack II GPS... ACTIVATED!

[Guest Jnowak1981]

Well I hard reset my phone and re-installed GPS TEST and the GPS Fix Cab.

GPS Test scans for GPS. Finds it on COM 4 and then it says "Starting Gps". Then nothing happens. I left it on last night and looked at it 2 hours later. STill saying "Starting GPS"

IT looks like it finds it but can initialize it.

Any thoughts?

[Guest Jnowak1981]

Maybe off topic but I noticed something weird.

When I run the GPS Fix Cab it puts Security Policy 1005 at 40

When I then run SDA App Unlock it puts it at 16.

Doesn't 16 mean locked? WHy would SDA App Unlock put it back to 16?

ANyhow can someone chime in with the correct procedures for unlocking? I remember with my BJ1 and WM5 I ran Security COnfirmation Manager and had to install a Secpolicies.cab file to unlock..

Does the same need to be done here? ANyone know? SDA App unlock ssems to not be working right.

Also cans omeone who has their BJ2 app unlocked finally post all the values for security policies that they see on their phone?

Thanks.

[Guest dorgan]

I have installed this both via the PC setup and directly on the phone, and it still does not seems to work. In google maps if i set options->My Location Settings: Set Manually COM4: 19200 and i still get "GPS Connection Error" "Your GPS receiver does not appear to be responding..." Any help with this would be appreciated.

[Guest Jnowak1981]

I went as far as adding the stupid $9.99/m TeleNav service.

Guess what?

TeleNav can't get a GPS signal.

This is ridiculous. I'm in Chicago, so I know there is no issue with towers from AT&T (if assisted Gps)

I really don't know what the issue is.

Time to hard reset and go to AT&T to exchange the phone. Maybe soe of our phones are faulty.

I can't think of any other reasons why some have it up and running and some don't.

[Guest SeanH]

Set it to ‘Set by Windows (Via Start -> Setttings)’

It should show ‘8KB Seeking GPS Satellites (0)’

If it does wait. The (0) is how many satellites it has locked. You need at least three for a lock (3). If you see this message things are working just wait, it should lock fast.

SeanH

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Exactly. Google Maps and WLS can use the GPS Intermediary Driver (aka 'Set by Windows') out of the box.

COM4 should still work tho!

P

[Guest Jnowak1981]

Ok People. Some of you might like this some of you might not.

I'm 99% sure that it is in fact the device (some of them) that is the culprit.

I went to a local ATT store here by my work. Exchanged for a brand new one.

TeleNav now works. Map moves as I drive, etc. (This did not work for me on the previosu device at all - it couldn't find a GPS signal...)

Nothing worked for me on the previous device. TeleNav, Gmaps, Windows Live, GPS Test

w/ an wo/ the Modaco cab none of the above worked for me with the preoiosu BJII

Will try GMAPS later on when I get home.

Hope this helps.

[Guest Jnowak1981]

Update. Couldn't wait until I got home.

GMAPS works. No hack. Located me in 5 seconds.

Windows live works. No hack. Took about 30 seconds. Now it takes 5 seconds as well.

GO EXCHANGE YOUR PHONES!!!!

There is only one way to look at this. My other phone was faulty. I've hard reset it 5 times or so. reinstalled GMPAS, W live, GPS TEST and other apps. Nothing worked.

Now that I got a new phone - everything works.

I do have the TELENAV 9.99/ m plan and am gonna keep it until someone tells me that they got a new device and all works without it.

I also had it ony old device and TeleNav nor any others worked. Had to be the phone itself.

[Guest SeanH]

I found it interesting that it worked with out the hack so I removed the hack and mine worked also.

I could never get it to work with com4: Google Maps times out trying to initialize the GPS. I wonder if this is why Pocket Streets will not find the GPS.

One thing different on my BJ II is I ran SN App Unlock before I installed any apps. With the BJ 1 you had to do this to install some apps and modify the registry. I wonder if there is a conflict with this app that does an app unlock, and SN App Unlock.

SeanH

[Guest solo118]

What other options do we have?

I refuse to believe that some BJII's work and some dont.

How can we even tell if the "gps activator" is installed correctly on the phone?

I have installed it but I dont even know if it really is installed because the gps still wont pick up a signal. On gmaps I have com 4 and I tried 19200 baud as per some posts. On Windows live I have intermediate driver selected, What am I doing wrong here? I know it wont work indoors so I try in my car and I get NOTHING!

[Guest DaRep]

I had been having troubles getting my GPS working on the BJ2 as well (without or without Paul's piece of code to map it to a COM port), and here's what I just did that worked. Hopefully it's worth something to someone else -

I ran GPSTest in my Windows directory, went to the options and switched it to "Stand-Alone" "Navigator" (which it already was)" and "Cold" start. I'm not brilliant in the ways of GPS but after asking around some friends told me that warm starting a GPS receiver tells it to use some previously acquired data if it's not 'stale' - I figured since I didn't have any previously acquired data that I knew of, I'd switch it to cold start to tell it no previous data exists.

Then I restarted my phone with these changed settings and went back to the GPSTest app to verify it was still set to those settings (which it was). I then started the acquisition and set the phone on my windowsill for about 1 minute or 2. When I came back to it, it had acquired signal/data from 8 satellites and was jamming away. I then switched the option to 'Warm' start since I assume I now have some previous data. I then exited GPSTest and went to WLS, with it configured for COM4 (since I had Paul's app installed in this case) and it acquired my position just fine, which I verified on the WLS map.

Up until now it hasn't worked even once, so this gives me some hope.

[Guest rm1331]

i was just wondering if it costs any money to use the gps...i have the unlimited data plan

[Guest jgibo1]

Is the gpstest in windows the one you used? Also I can't seem to find how to unhide files so I can find it.

[Guest codycivic77]

hey i tryed to download it on my bj2 using the ota link and it didnt work so i tried installing it with it hooked up to the computer it brought up the install a program thing but didnt have that file for the gps activator

[Guest rm1331]

so does using the gps count as a download and cost money....and also is it possible to make it where the samsung pop up theme thing doesnt use military time for the appointments

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

No, using the GPS doesn't cost money.

You don't need the Telenav subscription to use the GPS.

If the app is insalled succesfully, it'll appear in 'Remove Programs'.

P

[Guest dbhouston]

I've posted a longer note under the Q9h thread, but I'll just drop in my two cents here that, with the fix installed on the Q9, gps works amazingly well. However, battery drain is a real issue - it is definitely draining power when installed.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

That's a real concern, and it sounds like the Q isn't shutting down the GPS when it should.

When I get my Q9H I can investigate...

P

[Guest DaRep]

Well, despite my success last night in using the GPS, this morning after taking the phone off charge and heading off to work I could only get GPSTest to get a signal 1 time in 10 or so while driving in my car. I waited around 3-4 minutes each time after starting the acquisition.

Who knows, maybe what the other guy said about it being defective is true. Maybe the 'power switch' in the circuitry that turns it on when it's called for is broken or malfuctioning, god only knows.

I'm going to exchange the phone today, maybe I'll get one that works regularly. Not looking forward to cleaning this phone up and reinstalling all my apps on a new phone, but I really would like to get the GPS working as some seem to have it here.

[Guest cagrino]

Paul,

I've heard something really disturbing today...

According to Level 3 support at Samsung, the BlackJack II DOES NOT have any GPS hardware.

This would explain all the different problems people are experiencing and why all the AT&T reps were so evasive when they were asked about the GPS in the BJ II.

Are you able to investigate this and find out what is going on?

[Guest jgibo1]

Paul,

I've heard something really disturbing today...

According to Level 3 support at Samsung, the BlackJack II DOES NOT have any GPS hardware.

This would explain all the different problems people are experiencing and why all the AT&T reps were so evasive when they were asked about the GPS in the BJ II.

Are you able to investigate this and find out what is going on?

I went ahead and purchased Telenav to try and still no luck. Took it back but sold out at 2 of the stores. I wonder if some of these have it installed but is set to off or something. Kind of like a dip switch.

The guy at the store had his blackberry out and holding both in his hands, his was up in about 20 seconds while mine kept chugging along before finally saying weak signal.

[Guest gunfingers]

What other options do we have?

I refuse to believe that some BJII's work and some dont.

How can we even tell if the "gps activator" is installed correctly on the phone?

I have installed it but I dont even know if it really is installed because the gps still wont pick up a signal. On gmaps I have com 4 and I tried 19200 baud as per some posts. On Windows live I have intermediate driver selected, What am I doing wrong here? I know it wont work indoors so I try in my car and I get NOTHING!

I had two BJ2's and neither would do squat with the GPS (w/ and wo/ the hack) until I ran the paid version of TeleNav for the first time. Looks like TeleNav is doing something. After the first run, it seems I can uninstall TeleNav and the GPS is open to other apps. Pain in the ass.

[Guest DaRep]

Paul,

I've heard something really disturbing today...

According to Level 3 support at Samsung, the BlackJack II DOES NOT have any GPS hardware.

This would explain all the different problems people are experiencing and why all the AT&T reps were so evasive when they were asked about the GPS in the BJ II.

Are you able to investigate this and find out what is going on?

Not sure it could triangulate as accurately as it seems to be if it was just using towers. And if that were true I don't know why GPSTest would report that it has signals from "X" number of satellites.

But it should be easy to test, someone who has the GPS working flawlessly could just turn off their phone's radio equipment and fire up a GPS application to see if it still pulls without being connected to anything.

I'm personally of the mind that it actually has a GPS hardware receiver in it, I just think that perhaps the driver DLL and the implementation are jacked.

[Guest Rob Halligan]

Not sure it could triangulate as accurately as it seems to be if it was just using towers. And if that were true I don't know why GPSTest would report that it has signals from "X" number of satellites.

But it should be easy to test, someone who has the GPS working flawlessly could just turn off their phone's radio equipment and fire up a GPS application to see if it still pulls without being connected to anything.

I'm personally of the mind that it actually has a GPS hardware receiver in it, I just think that perhaps the driver DLL and the implementation are jacked.

My Telenav and Google Maps worked with the internal GPS before the patch. Telenav, Google, and Live Maps, work after the patch. Thanks. I'll probably cancel Telenav before the trial period is up.

I was pretty miffed that it looks like just trying the MobiTV app will require me to cancel that subscription in 3 days or end up paying $10 a month. MobiTV is pretty cool, but it could get addicting.

Q - I don't see how to change the Start Menu icon positions after the patch install. Is that all that the patch unlocked or does the patch unlock the phone from the ATT network all together? And where do I access the settings to change the Start Menu?

Q - ATT required me to upgrade to a $40 a month data plan when I got this BlackJack II. Does switching back to the $20 per month data plan result in charges for using over 15mb a month as my generally well-informed salesman claimed? Is it possible to change back on the ATT website?

[Guest novajowski]

I had the same experience as gunfingers.

I installed the GPS Activator and tried everything described above, but neither Google Maps nor Windows Live would locate a GPS satellite. I then called AT&T and had the TeleNav trial activated. I reset, ran TeleNav once (it worked), and then tried Google Maps again. Now it works fine.

My next issue is whether I should bother with mailing in the $100 rebate, which "[r]equires activation on a PDA Personal Plan or a $39.99 or higher unlimited data rate plan or a $19.99 or higher messaging plan plus an AT&T Voice Plan of $39.99 or higher." I only have the $29.99 MEDIA MAX 1500 plan -- which doesn't seem to be covered. I'm hesitant to ask an AT&T rep b/c I don't want them to force me to upgrade to a more expensive data plan. Any thoughts?