N95 GPS settings.

BoomAM

BoomAM

BoomAM

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Joined
5 Jul 2003
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Atlanta, USA
Hi.
Yesterday, i enabled 3g on my phone and let the Nokia Maps use the 'internet'. I found that the GPS on my N95-8Gb went from being completely useless to being pretty dam handy. Locks in under a minute.

Now, under the GPS positioning menu, i can select what methods apply to GPS, the choices are:
-Internal GPS
-Assisted GPS
-Network Based
-Bluetooth GPS

After enabling 3g and testing the GPS, i went to this menu and saw that the only one that was selected was 'Internal GPS'.
So i enabled Assisted & Network based.

What i want to know is, do i need them on?
Reason i ask is that i thought allowing nokia maps to goto the internet, and hence getting satalite data WAS assisted GPS.

Thoughts/Opinions/Advice?

Thanks in advance all. :).
 
Allowing Nokia Maps to use the internet will let it search an online database for places etc you've searched for, as well as downloading any maps that you don't have (like google maps). Although you can download full maps by using the Nokia Map Loader software.

Not sure if you're familiar with how A-GPS works, but it will allow you to lock on much quicker. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-GPS)
Network based doesn't actually use the data network, it uses the mobile phone masts as rough estimates to triangulate a position AFAIK, so it doesn't cost you anything to turn it on. I've never turned mine off so I don't know how much of an effect it has.

I've always found the N95 doesn't acquire a lock as well as my N82, it always seems to outperform my friends' N95. So leaving A-GPS on will make it much more usable IMO.

If you've got a data package, Google Maps is much better than Nokia Maps. The only area where the Nokia software has the edge is that it has a better navigation system - but that's not free.
 
So, i have Nokia Maps, and soon to be TomTom6 on it (i know about the fix)....which of those positioning methods do i need on for optimal GPS performance, as it were.

The access points setting in Nokia maps is just for downloading map data/ect; then is it? So i should be ok switching that off shouldnt i?

Do i need 3g on for AGPS?

Thanks.
 
For best GPS performance, I'd turn on A-GPS and try with Network Based on and off.

In Nokia maps, if you haven't got a data tariff then don't allow it Internet access. Map data is obviously quite large so you could end up with a big bill, however the data it uses for searching for addresses/POI's isn't much.

You don't need 3G for A-GPS, but you do need some network access.

For navigation software, there is also GarminXT and CoPilot7 to loot at if you're interested.
 
So summed up:
3g, not essential, but would probably provide quicker access than GPRS?
AGPS, sends an extremely small amount of data to get quicker locks.
Network based, as above.
NokiaMaps, uses the data connection for maps and searches. So if i do get TomTom, then its a moot point as all that would be built in?


I'll try with 3g switch off later and ensure AGPS/Network based is on.

Is there a way to ensure that the current cached satalite data is deleted, so i can test the 3g off mode from a 'cold start'?

Thanks in advance btw. :).
 
The only way 3G will be quicker for anything is if you're actually downloading map date in Nokia or Google Maps. For A-GPS the data you receive is so small, that network speed isn't that relevant.

In TomTom, with A-GPS off it won't use a data connection for anything at all, with A-GPS on it will use a small amount to get a lock. I don't believe it uses any once a lock is acquired unless it loses signal and needs to find a lock again.

I don't know of a way to delete the cached data, I normally find it will find a lock very quickly for a couple of hours after I've used the GPS 'from cold'.

It's just a case of playing with it and finding out what works best for you really. I went to France over the summer and turned off A-GPS. With the phone on a mount in the windscreen it found a lock fine and didn't lose it, but as with most GPS systems it's more difficult to get a lock once you're moving - so bear that mind.
 
Well at the moment, ive got 3g switched off, assisted gps on, integrated gps on & network based on.
I set Nokia Maps on load to not use a connection.

Went for a quick walk around outside work.
The gps signal bar didnt show at all, then a few mins later, it showed up, with a lock?

Gonna test again in a bit...
 
Just switched off the phone, in the hope of it clearing the GPS data cache, restarted it, walked to my car and stood there to see what it does.
Took 20second to get a lock, but as before, bizzarly, it just displays a 'network' icon until it gets a lock, then shows the signal status bar.
Ah well, as long as it locks. :).
 
You can get satellite status from the phone menu rather than relying on a separate program.

Go to Tools>Connectivity>GPS Data>Position. This will update when you get a lock, also Options>Satellite status will show you how many satellites you're locked onto etc.
 
So if i do that without the maps app being open, the 'lines' that turn solid will indicate a lock?
 
It just gives you a little more detail than you get in the Maps application, you can see how many satellites you're locked onto etc.

The data on the position screen will populate when you get a lock (long/lat/speed etc), and you'll be able to see the satellite locks by looking at the satellite status page.
 
I faffed with it w/ Garmin for about 10mins last night, and it uploaded 2kb and downloaded 12kb.
Is that about right?
 
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