N97 GPS repair

repairs are supposed to be carried out in what is a reasonable time for the customer and also the technician

i would say 2 weeks is fair

glad youre dealing with the matter mate

maybe send a note with the phone explaining the gps issues your having and explain its allways the same wether it be sunshine or rain etc etc tell them you have compared several n97 gps systems running the same software and your one is useless compared to the other n97s

maybe print of your consumer rights and also staple them to the note about the gps problems

then sellotape the info to the phone so that the technician that fixes the phone has personal notes about the problem to help him with the fix mate

I just called my local nokia care point and he told me there were some common issues with the GPS, one being that maps wont load (?) the other with the signal. So maybe they can fix it? Will probably drop mine off, get them to sort my camera lens too, then i'll probably pop the slider off!

I would say three days for such an important and much relied upon device is fair. I'll take the phone to a service centre at an agreed date, make sure someone is there to fix it.

They can change screens, so some one can change the GPS unit.

Hi everyone

Thanks for the replies, I took it to a NCP in Croydon yesterday and he said he could not fix it.

They gave me a phone number for the N-97 support line so called that and they said take it back to the shop I got it from for a replacement.

I emailed them and they said no to replacement as it's over 7 days old. So emailed back and said I'd take it back for a refund as it's not working and they won�t fix or replace it, now they say they'll send it away with priority and will give me a loan phone.

We'll see if they can fix it!

Keiran.

keep us posted mate, i want to see if GPS is actually fixed after sending it to nokia for repair.

I've got some checking on the Sale of Goods Act, but I understand you can get a replacement if repair is not convenient. I understand you should have upto six months.

I have been banned from Nokia Discussions...

regarding...

the talk about copper wires and alternative fixes regarding this GPS issue with the N97. After several experiments and attempts to use different tools... it is not the contact points itself, but the API (software) and a very large issue with the antenna, as Brkix mentioned in his YouTube Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypljg3MLAf8

So, here... I will post... and hopefully, someone at Nokia would read this.

There seems to be a Gag order to ban people who have valid ideas on fixing the GPS issue rather than Nokia publicly admitting to the fault and offering a fix, for free (including free shipping to designated Nokia Care Centres).

Hopefully... Nokia would listen. This is not just some device. It is the Nokia Flagship that a lot of people paid a lot of money for. I have already cautioned all my friends.

It seems that Nokia wants a Gag order because the N97 mini is coming out, based on the N97. Well... v20 will fix some problems but without a permanent FIX to the hardware, nothing will do....

This is my experience!!!

[quote]I bought this device (Nokia N97 at C$750) as a replacement for my Nokia N85. When I had my N85, I knew that turning A-GPS off would lengthen the time for the GPS unit inside the phone to get a signal fix (TTTF). Sometimes, it would take 10 minutes, lately, it has only been requiring 5 minutes.

In Positioning Methods, I have both Network Based and Integrated GPS ticked off, and Bluetooth and Assited GPS left unticked. When I received my Nokia N97, I have had problems with it including 5 times where it just sat there in the boot logo screen, hence a hard reset was called 5 times. Everything including data and applications had to be re-installed 5 times.

For a phone which I paid a hefty sum for, I would not expect this to happen. I have been using a Nokia since 1997 and have bought 2-3 handsets a year. Is this where is is leading to? A decline in performance and quality?

I spent two weeks trying to make sense of this phone and make it work the way I want it to. Then, 3 days ago, I decided to test the GPS out. I never use Nokia Maps, nor Ovi Maps for this matter. I use Garmin Mobile XT since it has way more map data than Nokia or Google for countries that are not so popular.

I live in Canada, by the way, in Vancouver, an urban sprawl.

Day 1 of GPS Experience

3 days ago, it was a cloudy day, and it did rain a lot. I drove from my place to our office in Surrey. The elevation where I live is higher than Surrey. Does this affect GPS performance, in particular TTTF (Getting a Signal Fix) and maintaining that fix?

I turned Garmin on, it was 'Waiting for Better GPS Accuracy'. Lucky, the traffic that day was heavy. After 20-30 minutes, it finally acquired a good enough signal and I happily drove off to work.

I have the N97 plugged into the DC-6 Charger.

On my way home, I started the GPS (Garmin Mobile XT) and it was not able to get a Satellite Fix at all. I got home, got frustrated and turned it off.

I then researched N97 GPS problems and was made aware that Nokia has announced that some N97 units have faulty GPS. I started wondering if mine was. There was one article that mentioned to use cotton swabs and press the stickers where the antenna is located at the left & right of the camera down, specially the contact points.

I tried searching for signal inside and outside my apartment that night but still could not get a fix for hours. I got so frustrated I decided to leave it for another day. The whole day and night, we had cloudy/rainy weather.

Day 2 of GPS Experience

Is it my lucky day today? I drove to work, started Garmin Mobile XT, searched for Satellite Signals and within 5 minutes, it obtained a fix and was able to maintain the signal level until I got to work. It even told me to turn right at the correct entrance to my work's parking lot. Crazy!

So, I decided maybe that weather was a factor in GPS performance since today is a relatively clear and sunny day.

On my way home though, I did not get any signal from the GPS, no fix, no nothing. =(

Day 3 of GPS Experience

Today, I was even luckier. I got a Satellite fix and 3-4 signal bars with bright green on Garmin Mobile XT. But after 3-4 minutes of driving. It lost satellite reception? Why is that? For the rest of the trip, it was not able to re-obtain a Satellite fix??? I did not use the DC-6 Car charger this time. Got too lazy... and wanted to try using the N97 GPS without external power.

This afternoon, I left work 30 minutes later than normal. Instead of going straight home, I decide to run a few errands. I turn the GPS on at the parking lot and started to drive out. Within a few minutes, Garmin Mobile XT reports that it has obtained satellite signal. I see three green bars. On top, it says 2D Satellite View??? Never noticed this before. In the morning, I noticed this too. I figure it was the image...

But within 2 minutes of driving further, it lost Satellite Reception. After about 5 minutes. I get 2D Sattelite view again with 3 bars but soon after lost it. After about 10 minutes, I arrived at Costco. I did not turn off Garmin Mobile XT. I put it the N97 in my pocket and when I checked again after putting my groceries in the car, I get 3D Satellite View... now I am astounded! Wow! This is different, I see 4 bars, full green signals. This is in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver on a major thoroughfare. I continually monitor the GPS Info while driving to another grocery store.

As I enter the grocery store, I still see 4 bars but as soon as I got deeper into the store, I hear a voice telling me "Lost Satellite Reception". I was now wondering if I will get immediate Satellite Reception when I get out of the store. After my chores in that store, I get out and then checked the N97. Still no signal.

Within a minute, I see that I have 3D Satellite View again. I drive home and monitor the N97 mounted on my windshield. For the whole trip, I get 4 bars mostly, sometimes,, dropping to 3 bars but I still had 4 bars when I get home.

From the time I left Costco to Home, it is about 45 minutes. So for 45 minutes, I get a good signal... only after 20~30 minute wait cold start to TTTF?

READ MORE ABOUT THE POSTS THAT NOKIA DISCUSSIONS REMOVED FROM ITS FORUMS!!! AND FINALLY BANNED MY AND MY IP FROM USING THE FORUMS TO DISCUSS IDEAS!

http://my-symbian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=368163#368163

So you were 20-30 minutes late to work because you were waiting on your GPS to get a fix. I can just hear you calling in to your boss "I'm late while waiting to get a fix". After you hang up I can just hear them scrambling to have a specimen jar ready for you when you arrive! 😉

You have to respect Nokia Discussions--by merely allowing a post to stay there, despite the disclaimers posted, it appears to be a sanction of whatever a user may post.

Thus they have an obligation to themselves to edit things out which could get a user in trouble and make them have to defend themselves in court.

Granted they are far from innocent where the N97's problems are concerned.

What I've found to work while posting to an "official" manufacturer's forum is to mention briefly the other idea/theory/etc. and then post a link to some other user forum where the topic may be discussed openly.

Back to your post here...I have not seen anything "official" from Nokia admitting to a GPS problem. What I have seen is anecdotal posting from people who have talked with someone at Nokia or even received an email from them. Even the emails are rather banal in that they admit to nothing.

Ha! Ha! Ha! That's a great new excuse for being late for work. LoL.

Here's the link where the full post is:

http://my-symbian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=368163#368163

True enough, hope Nokia makes something "official", offer us some kind of compensation and reparation....

Based on my experience the problem is threefold. First, there are obviously some software issues, this can be fixed. Secondly, there is a problem with the antenna assembly on the back panel. I had severe problems with my GPS reception, so I sent the phone in for repair and they replaced the back panel assembly. I tested it when I received it back from repair, and the GPS accuracy seemed pretty good and stable, about 20 to 30 m outdoors.

Thirdly, although the GPS reception has improved, I'm still having problems when my charging cable is plugged into the phone. This is even without the cable being plugged in at the other end (Nokia car charger with Nokia micro USB adapter). Whenever I connect the charging cable the accuracy drops to between 40 and 100 m. So, there are obviously multiple parts of the phone that affect the GPS performance.

I have finally applied to my store for a full refund which I will use to buy a new version of the phone (at a lower price than at first release), hoping that this will not have the same problems (except the software problems).

kolaf wrote:Based on my experience the problem is threefold. First, there are obviously some software issues, this can be fixed. Secondly, there is a problem with the antenna assembly on the back panel. I had severe problems with my GPS reception, so I sent the phone in for repair and they replaced the back panel assembly. I tested it when I received it back from repair, and the GPS accuracy seemed pretty good and stable, about 20 to 30 m outdoors.

Thirdly, although the GPS reception has improved, I'm still having problems when my charging cable is plugged into the phone. This is even without the cable being plugged in at the other end (Nokia car charger with Nokia micro USB adapter). Whenever I connect the charging cable the accuracy drops to between 40 and 100 m. So, there are obviously multiple parts of the phone that affect the GPS performance.

I have finally applied to my store for a full refund which I will use to buy a new version of the phone (at a lower price than at first release), hoping that this will not have the same problems (except the software problems).

D'accord Kolaf! I wish Nokia fix it or offer us something!

Experimenting with my N97...

Just pressing down firmly no the GPS antenna "leaves" in the vicinity of the two gold-colored contacts have made my N97 get a satellite fix quickly and reliably.

The GPS position doesn't seem to "jump" around as much as it used to.

BUT...the position still LAGS BEHIND about 20 seconds while driving--even at slow speeds.

SO....I surmise that the software bug is responsible for the slowness and even the occasional inaccuracy.

ps. The compass deviation from true north also seems to have corrected when I pressed firmly on the GPS antennas (or is it antennae?).

Hurry up v20!!

Hello,

Well I got my phone back today and it still has GPS issues and flash flooding after 3 weeks in Finland al they did was flash the firmware! Sent an email to the shop saying I'm not happy, they are 40 miles away and called them to test and they said camera was fine but GPS didn't work in the shop!!!!

an anyone give me advice for a refund or replacement, they are refusing a replacement or refund as I'm out of my 7 day period. Not happy, I just want a new working one!

Keiran.