Newbie with Mda Vario III

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

Hello,

Just joined the forum

I have just gotten a T-Mobile Mda Vario III and have some questions:

1. Downloaded Google Maps and it worked great with GPS - walking around and finding my location. Then, suddenly, it has stopped working :D with the GPS - i.e. it no longer tracks my location as it cannot find any sattelites. I haven't changed any settings and I have tried both a soft and hard reset.

2. Is the Vario III a 'smart-phone' or a 'pocket pc'? I have tried to install various apps but get the message that they are not valid Pocket PC applications. :D

3. What kind of updates can one apply to this device (firmware/software)?

Many thanks! :(

[Guest Transform]

welcome to modaco!

1. The latest Google maps version has the ability to track you without using GPS, somehow using the signal broadcasted from your phone. Make sure you have the GPS option ticked in the menu.

2. its a pocket pc. you can install apps that have the .cab extension

3. in terms of firmware, it depends what you have already, although there are various 'debranders' around to make it look like the default htc rom or you can get the htc rom itself. in terms of software, there it loads and loads of stuff you can put on it just have a search around this forum.

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

welcome to modaco!

1. The latest Google maps version has the ability to track you without using GPS, somehow using the signal broadcasted from your phone. Make sure you have the GPS option ticked in the menu.

2. its a pocket pc. you can install apps that have the .cab extension

3. in terms of firmware, it depends what you have already, although there are various 'debranders' around to make it look like the default htc rom or you can get the htc rom itself. in terms of software, there it loads and loads of stuff you can put on it just have a search around this forum.

Hi

I have tried an older version of Google Maps which worked fine with GPS when enabled. It suddenly stopped working. I have now also tried to new version which can find me without the GPS.. this works, but once again, the GPS is not working and brings up an error message to check settings (which I have not altered).

Do you know if there are any official T-Mobile updates?

If I apply another 'ROM', do I need to somehow unlock the phone? How would I get back to the original 'ROM'?

Thanks!

[Guest jimbouk]

1) Soft reset and google maps will work

2) I dont know of any t updates yet b- but the device is only a few months old

3) Some roms work fine without uunlocking the device but you should read up the threads re rom flashing over at xda developers before attemtping it.

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

1) Soft reset and google maps will work

Still doesn't work. I've also tried Yahoo GO and it cannot locate position via GPS. :D :(

[Guest dolbe666]

Still doesn't work. I've also tried Yahoo GO and it cannot locate position via GPS. :D :(

ok I may be stating the obvious, but are you using it in direct line site to the sky? you have to be near a window or actually outside for the gps to function  as its supposed to. also google maps has a very short timeout so nits best to get a small app that will activate the gps so you can use google maps

I use visualgps http://www.visualgps.net/VisualGPSce/default.htm its a very small gps tool with hardly any memory usage so you can use it in the background and it will keep your gps connection alive long enough for google maps to connect

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

ok I may be stating the obvious, but are you using it in direct line site to the sky? you have to be near a window or actually outside for the gps to function as its supposed to. also google maps has a very short timeout so nits best to get a small app that will activate the gps so you can use google maps

I use visualgps http://www.visualgps.net/VisualGPSce/default.htm its a very small gps tool with hardly any memory usage so you can use it in the background and it will keep your gps connection alive long enough for google maps to connect

Hi

Yeah.. I have tried it out in the open and now get nothing, whereas, I used to get full GPS functionality before.

Just downloaded visualgps and will try it tomorrow.. however, I think my GPS module and/or settings may be faulty (even though I have not changed any settings and done a soft and hard reset).

Thanks guys.

Edited December 5, 2007 by RockyBalboa-UK

[Guest dperren]

2) I dont know of any t updates yet b- but the device is only a few months old

If I buy a t-mobile device, and HTC then release a firmware upgrade, do I have to wait for t-mobile to arse about and customise it? Will they do so? I can already imagine the frustration of there being a upgrade enabling the graphics accelerator (I hope this part becomes reality), and it taking weeks for t-mobile to get their fingers out and make it available!

[Guest dolbe666]

If I buy a t-mobile device, and HTC then release a firmware upgrade, do I have to wait for t-mobile to arse about and customise it? Will they do so? I can already imagine the frustration of there being a upgrade enabling the graphics accelerator (I hope this part becomes reality), and it taking weeks for t-mobile to get their fingers out and make it available!

its upto the mobile carrier to decide if they want to use the updated firmware or not. they dont have to give you the latest version. they will have to distribute it from their website and it will be customised to their standards and not HTC's

[Guest dperren]

Hmmm. How difficult is it to change to the official HTC firmware?

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

Hi

I tried visualgps out in the open today and get 'Could not initialize communication buffer size' error on start-up. Then.. nothing.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Guest dolbe666]

check your gps settings and make sure your port is set to com4 and your baud rate 4800

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

check your gps settings and make sure your port is set to com4 and your baud rate 4800

GPS program port set at COM 4 (unchanged)

GPS hardware port set at 'None' (unchanged)

Baud rate set at 4800 (unchanged)

Manage GPS automatically is ticked (unchanged)

[Guest Transform]

The program I used when I first tested my GPS was called 'GPS Test' but I'm not sure where its from. Do a search in this forum and you should find it

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

Hi

Downloaded GPSTest from a message on Paul's list of free apps thread but when I try and run it I get a message stating: 'GPSTest is not a valid Pocet PC application'.

[Guest Transform]

did you make sure you didnt get it from the smartphone section? it works great on my vario

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

did you make sure you didnt get it from the smartphone section? it works great on my vario

Got it from the post further down this thread (it's a .exe):

http://www.modaco.com/content-page/258882/...tions/page/100/

Edited December 7, 2007 by RockyBalboa-UK

[Guest hicks]

GPS program port set at COM 4 (unchanged)

GPS hardware port set at 'None' (unchanged)

Baud rate set at 4800 (unchanged)

Manage GPS automatically is ticked (unchanged)

^ This sounds like you've been into the External GPS applet? There are known issues with this and the only way to resolve that would be a hardware reset.

What I would do: Hard reset again. Try running QuickGPS (which should be preinstalled on your phone). Open a GPS app such as Google maps and leave it in clear view of the sky - leave it there for up to half an hour in case it takes a long time to get a first time lock. If it still won't find a signal then return to vendor :(

[Guest Transform]

i did go into the gps settings but found that mine still worked. guess im a fortunate one

[Guest RockyBalboa-UK]

Hi guys,Returned the device and T-Mob sent me a new one. However, in the Connection Manager, the option click and manually activate GPS has disappeared?

[Guest shootydogthing]

There shouldn't be a "click to manually activate GPS" option

It's just activated by any programs that need it, as and when they need it

Maybe something you did added this option and therefore mucked up the GPS?