[Question] Some help with GPS please

[pewe]

I have 2 identical (well the colour is different ) Feitend GT-I9300 phones.
They both have the MTK 6577 chipset and run on Android 4.1.1.

I have issues with GPS on both phones, but they are different issues.

Blue phone:
The issue with the first phone is the locking to GPS satellites - which is slow, but it does lock. If I place the phone next to my tablet on the window cill my tablet ses 13 satellites and locks on 11-13 of them, the phone sees 9 of the satellites but won't lock on them most of the time until I am outside.

White phone:
This phone sees no satellites on the window cill, and even when outside it will only ever see one satellite at best.

So it appears that both phones have a working GPS - it is their ability to find and lock satellites that is lacking.

I have seen posts here (and elsewhere) suggesting various ways to try and fix the problem - and so far none have improved the situation.

I did see a post on this site in which the poster suggested the antenna was the problem on their phone and they fixed it with some copper tape.

This got me thinking and so I took the back off the phone to find this
   

It looks like some copper tape with a white paper backing, and it looks to be close to where the other poster found their GPS antenna.
Can anyone
- confirm that this tape is probably attached the GPS antenna
- confirm that possibly extending the tape may increase signal strength.

It is very much a 'shot in the dark' post, but here's hoping.

Any advice, comments, suggestions, possible alternative solutions welcome.

PS.
There is another piece of the same tape with the same number fixed to the bottom of the phone as can be seen here
   

[GizBeat]

How slow is slow with the first phone? Anything 2 minutes or under is normal. It's also quite normal to need to be outside to get a fix.

With the 2nd phone, have you tried deleting mtkgps.dat?

[pewe]

How slow is slow with the first phone? Anything 2 minutes or under is normal. It's also quite normal to need to be outside to get a fix.

With the 2nd phone, have you tried deleting mtkgps.dat?

Thanks Giz

The first phone locking can take between 1 & 4 minutes depending on where I am eg at home is slower than if I am say 10 miles away. The tablet takes about a minute at home.

I have not tried deleting anything.
I tried a fix which suggested adding a file (gps.conf) to system/etc - but that didn't help.

Where should mtkgps.dat be located - I searched the whole device and can't find it.

[GizBeat]

[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

[pewe]

Unfortunately this did not work either.

I have now tried numerous software/system fixes - so unless I can figure out how to improve the antenna it looks like this phone is never going to work wth GPS

[GizBeat]

The first phone sounds fine. The second one isn't fine though. If you've tried the tutorial and deleted mtkgps.dat and you still can't get a fix, it may be a hardware issue. Some issue with the antenna most likely. Have you contacted the seller and told them about the issue?

[pewe]

The first phone sounds fine. The second one isn't fine though. If you've tried the tutorial and deleted mtkgps.dat and you still can't get a fix, it may be a hardware issue. Some issue with the antenna most likely. Have you contacted the seller and told them about the issue?

Thanks Giz.

I have also come to the conclusion it may be a hardware issue.

I'm sure the GPS is working but just has weak reception because outside 'GPS Data' reports one satellite fix, and it is the same as one of the 11 satellites found by 'GPS Data' on the other phone in the same place - if the numbers mean anything.

I did contact the vendor - but they have said they will look at the phone if I return at my expense - and the cost of shipping is over half what I paid for the phone - so I'd like to have a go at 'extending' the antenna to try and increase the signal to see if that helps (it has worked for some folks) but not sure how to go about that.

[GizBeat]

Have a look at [Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register] and [Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

[pewe]

I had seen that thanks.
However my phones are different to the one shown, and don't have a small hole to insert the foil into - not that I'm sure the gps antenna is in that position either.

I can't take the back internal cover off the phone as it has some small 'service stickers' over some of the screws, and until I have it confirmed from the supplier that they are not going to entertain paying for the return I am reluctant to 'break the seal'.

I am currently trying to find further info about the gps hardware on this phone.

[GizBeat]

You can forget about them paying for shipping. Sorry for the bad news, but there it is. That's unfortunately the risk we take when purchasing China brands without a local warranty. The best you can hope for is for them to accept it back and get it repaired.