I can confirm your observations - once I finally got a fix again, the satellite status is almost realtime instead of "once every now and then", and holding my hand over the unit or holding the unit from below does increase the signal strength.

Good news, i just got my n810, it was an open box/display model via ebay. This morning I used the Wayfinder app for the first time, and it locked and tracked within seconds. I didn't do anything before hand. I did install the agps app and installed maemo maps but hadn't run either one. This was strictly Wayfinder app. I also didn't have a web connection at the time either. I live in a moderately hilly area, with pretty large amount of tall trees lining the roads I take to work.

Anyway, I'm wondering if this has been fixed in earlier models of the n810? I'm sure my luck will be different this afternoon. I'll give it a shot when I leave work and see how it does.

I found an application that as well as adjusting the N810 clock to GPS time, logs the time to get a fix. Add the folllowing repiository:

Catalog name: Nitapps Maemo Repository
Web address: http://nitapps.com
Components: user

You'll now be able to install gps-clockd. Once installed it will automatically run whenever the GPS is used. You can view the log in the Terminal as follows:

~ $ cat /var/log/gps-clockd.log
[Mon Nov 3 12:26:41 2008] *** GPS Clock Daemon started ***
[Mon Nov 3 12:29:35 2008] GPS activated. Time to first fix 02m17s
[Mon Nov 3 12:29:30 2008] Adjusted clock by -5.08 seconds to match GPS time
~ $

good news, after i got out of hte parking deck after work tonight, and got to clear sky (basically right outside of the parking deck) i had a lock in as little as 45 seconds. this is using day of my wayfinder trial.

so i wish i could tell when my n810 was made so we could see if its a hardware thing that has since then been fixed

Did you find any difference with this apps before and after install, or no difference, on the gps lock time?

bun

My N810 also has a totally ******ed gps. Naturally, I have tried almost all suggestions in the forum. None of them work consistently. The best, I found, so far to get a lock, is DONT MOVE, stand still, it gets lock faster than any tricks. face south, face north, stick it in your mouth, or say a little prayer, whatever, none of them work for me. I, usually, leave it in the car, go take a 'leak', it locked when I came back, under 5 minutes. If it does not lock, I would reboot, I think it is confuse :-]


bun

This ap made no difference in lock time and wasn't intended to. It does give us a more scientific measurement of time to fix. I've spent a lot of time researching this issue and rather than reitterating what I've already documented check out the Maemo Mapper HowTo http://FragosTech.com/MaemoMapper. It has a lot of information on what impacts getting a fix and what works best.

Thanks. That is a lot of work!

bun

thanks fragos, you definitely put a lot of work into this and its appreciated. just to give another update..

i'm on day 2 of my wayfinder trial with my new (used) n810 and it got a lock in 101 seconds. while i'm thankful I haven't (knock on wood) had any TTF issues, I would like to know what the difference is for me versus the large number of users that do have TTF issues.

i'm going to spend some time reading through your site tonight fragos to see if i can't make some sense of it.

have you used that mapping app that lets you use garmin maps? or is that maemo mapper?

anyway thanks again. i just wish the n810 was faster. oh well, for what it is, it seems to be a great solution.

all week I've been able to get a decent fix.
This morning no matter what I did it just wouldn't lock.
We drove around for hours chasing this one sole patch of clear blue sky but to no avail.

Make sure there is clear line of sight when trying to get a lock.
Obviously, this means it must be daytime else the n810 won't see the satellite.