Tuesday, June 7, 2011

HTC Desire HD GPS problem - always searching for GPS satellites

I like my HTC Desire HD and I quite depend on it, with all the apps installed on it and sync-ed calendar and phone book, so when it broke....I was sad.
It worked fine for a while and then GPS stopped working.

As many other did, I searched forums and installed all GPS Test Apps from Markets - all gave me very consistent results - your GPS is not working.
But it has been working before, my HTC DHD is not one of the factory faulty ones.

What can be wrong then - I asked myself?

It could be:
1.  Any dodgy software upgrade - Navigation or Radio
2. Internal GPS IC
3. The GPS Antenna



1.  Any dodgy software upgrade - Navigation or Radio

I tried to uninstall the Navigation Pro (recently purchased) and flash latest RADIO - didn't help.
Factory Reset - didn't work.

2. Internal GPS ICToo bad then, it is still under warranty, I will go back to my Crazy John guys and surrender the phone...but let's do one more thing...

3. The GPS Antenna
Then I have found that GPS antenna is quite accessible and has few design issues that could give it contact problems. It is assembled together with the flash-light near the camera and the entire panel is not soldered in place, it is just clipped in place and it contains the GPS antenna also. 

Then, I have found this movie, that solved my mystery:Change GPS Antenna - HTC DHD.

If you believe that GPS antenna is faulty,  first thing, just press down the dual LED flash panel with your thumbs and then try the Navigation software again - if it locks on satellites in few seconds, then you have solved the issue - your GPS antenna just had an imperfect contact, it was moved a bit from its connection.
If this trick is not working, then follow this movie to change the antenna or if the phone is still under warranty just let them do it.

 
 Luckily, in my case was just a contact issue and it was solved by  pressing down the flash-light panel with my thumbs, all around its edges. 
Then, I tried again the Navigation software and it locked the GPS satellites very quickly, few seconds everything looks fine now and if symptoms reoccur I will try to get a spare GPS antenna handy... just in case.


Cheers,

Nick
 
Posted by Nick at 12:24 AM
Labels:

33 comments:

  1. NickJuly 4, 2011 at 2:28 PM

    It looks like, the led flash panel tends to pop out...from time to time. I had to push it back, again, yesterday and now GPS signal is back, all NAV Apps are working normally.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 16, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    I had the same problem. No GPS fix at all. Then I found this page and tried it. YES a fix in a couple of seconds!!! Thanks man. Hopefully it will stay this way. Otherwise I will ask for a spare antenna. Great post.

    Chris

    ReplyDelete
  3. NickAugust 17, 2011 at 10:41 PM

    Glad to help....same with me...I had to start disassembling my phone to get the fix...

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 24, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    Same problem here. with this fix, now working like new. Using sygic mobile maps 10

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 25, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    Tried this didn't work for me. Phone has been back to HTC twicw on return it is just the same. I drive 50 miles to work every morning and during that juorney it never even gets a fix on my location. I have asked them to replace the phone. I will let you know how i get on.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sa'adAugust 31, 2011 at 9:40 PM

    Thanks a lot man, I had my phone for quite a while now and this gps problem was driving me nuts. Now i get gps lock in less than a minute even inside my house! Hurray!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousSeptember 10, 2011 at 8:11 PM

    I finally found the one who solved the problem, common to many DHD. I was right to think of a hardware failure and not a software problem, I finally had the confirmation. Thanks to those who have found the solution

    ReplyDelete
  8. BrianSeptember 23, 2011 at 5:43 AM

    This fix worked immediately for me. Thanks for that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousSeptember 26, 2011 at 12:58 PM

    HUGE. This GPS problem has been driving me nuts for days now. Thanks a ton for posting this!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2011 at 6:33 AM

    May be too soon - just did it a few minutes ago (I did hear a click sound when I pushed it though), but so far so good = working. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousOctober 13, 2011 at 6:35 AM

    THANX ;) It worked with the thumb trix ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. ImranLiNovember 12, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    I got here from another link.

    http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1318892

    And YES, it works :)

    happy I can use runnKeeper again to track my run.

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousNovember 23, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    Hello.I had the same problem and it was driving me CRAZY!!!! :)) I had only removed the small cap near the camera clean the connectors and also lift them up and now i have gps signal even inside the house...Thanx for the help...

    ReplyDelete
  14. dmajDecember 12, 2011 at 12:56 AM

    Thumb trick worked for me thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  15. NickJanuary 11, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    Now is my time again. GPS stopped working on my phone. The GPS antenna cap needs a clean up and a lift up. Tried to buy a spare cap, but I could not find one. Does anybody know a supplier/source for this cap?

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2012 at 9:29 AM

    I tried pushing the flash-light panel and now... IT WORKS LIKE CHARM! Thanks dude, you solved this mystery which was bugging me for months!

    ReplyDelete
  17. LisaJanuary 22, 2012 at 9:28 AM

    Tried it, Gutted didn't work for me but thanks anyway. Help please!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousJanuary 25, 2012 at 10:36 PM

    Just found your super helpful article and I needed my GPS badly. After hours of searching the Internet I eventually found this post and the frustration ended. Thanks very much!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2012 at 9:43 AM

    Pressing the flash cover worked immediately for me, thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
  20. abhigyanMarch 4, 2012 at 2:05 AM

    Thanks a ton. This had been troubling me for a while and the simple fix worked like a charm.

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousApril 10, 2012 at 7:41 PM

    Thanks Appreciate the tip.. seems to be working fine now!

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousApril 11, 2012 at 2:00 AM

    Thanks buddy! The panel push worked! =)

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousMay 6, 2012 at 9:28 AM

    My phone is still under warranty, but despite all the complaints on numerous Forums about the inherant GPS problem with this phone, HTC will not acknowledge this as a warranty claim. This is the fourth and last HTC product that I shall purchase. Except for the GPS problem, this is a great unit, however, in my opinion, without the manufacturer's backup, the best product is not worth having. I note numerous letters on the Web from users around the world who have had similar experiences with HTC. Shame on you HTC!!
    As a result of HTC's lack of backup and failure to support, my advice is to stay away from this manufacturer's products at all costs.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Joe in MDMay 15, 2012 at 4:44 AM

    Another problem with this phone is a case -- with my Speck case on the phone, no GPS; take it off, GPS is fine??????

    ReplyDelete
  25. Joe in MDMay 17, 2012 at 4:32 AM

    For my DHD, the problem was the Speck CandyShell case. I discovered that if I peeled off the inner rubber from the hard external shell of the CandyShell over the GPS antenna panel (LED flash panel) that my GPS worked almost a well as with the case off. I used an Xacto knife to peel off the rubber -- not an easy task, but hardly brain surgery.

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 11:44 PM

    My DHD is about a year old and the GPS has been just working fine for periods, but whenever I wanted to use it for really navigations purposes it often fails! Used GoogleMap, HTC/R66 Location, EndomondoPro all with the same problems. I finally reported this to HTC Support (Norway) and they asked me to install GPS Test by Chartross (free on Play Shop) to check antenna signals and number of satellites. I made half an hour test walk and had 5-7 satellites and got position fix within seconds which I I reported this back to HTC along with a few screenshots showing the excellent results. I also explained that I did not expect this to last for long. The feedback I got said that "We do not think there is anything wrong with the phone, but you can do a Factory Reset ...". No links or information that such problems are well known in the user society!
    Two days later I was out hiking for 4 hours: Not a single position even though my Garmin had 5-7 satellites. Coming home I started GPS Tests which showed 0-2 weak satellites and no position. I opened the Help-text and finally could read "Settings: Clear A-GPS Button ... Press this if your GPS takes long time to get a FIX". I did as it said and EUREKA: 7-8 satellites with high SNR should up immediately and I had a position within seconds! If this is the solution, why is there not such a clear-function in any of the other application, or best of all: Why is it not programmed to do a A-GPS Update automatically when it fails to find satellite signals? Or: Was it just a coincidence? Did I accidently press the antenna-section whilst I was doing the clear-function? This was done yesterday and the GPS is working perfectly today (even after having moved 500 km to a new location with new GSM geometry).
    Has anyone else experienced that A-GPS data updates are solving this problem?
    Regards
    HalvorR

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousJune 5, 2012 at 11:13 PM

    i took my DHD out from its silicone cover (which after comparing makes a big difference) i used GpsTest to lock the signal then opened Igo and it locked in less than 10 secs.

    ReplyDelete
  28. UnknownJune 25, 2012 at 3:18 PM

    A huge round of applause, keep it up.
    http://c2logix.com

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  30. James BrookJuly 12, 2012 at 10:43 PM

    HTC desire HD had GPS problem. I have come across the problem twice in the phone but after switch off and on it won't be happen. I am more preferable with other Mobile Phones like Samsung Galaxy S3, Nokia Lumia 800, etc...

    ReplyDelete
  31. Antic_HeroJuly 13, 2012 at 4:45 PM

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    ReplyDelete
  32. AnonymousJuly 31, 2012 at 4:33 PM

    Hi.Thanks this Video

    ReplyDelete
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