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rtj70
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Joined: Jun 18, 2005
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 Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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It might be okay for location based services in large connurbations but elsewhere it will have little value.
I agree a typical phone will talk to multiple cells at the same time and switch. Heck mine can switch whilst at home without moving! Going from a good signal strength to poor.
Even in the States the iphone will only be able to do it's location trick with good phone and wifi coverage. Like in SF or NY. In the middle of nowhere it will be absolutely useless.
I use MemoryMap for example for walking. So an iphone could work out a location on the top of a hill in north Wales? GPS can. When phone signals do not work ;-)
My brother who lives south of San Fransisco had wireless internet in 1996 anywhere in the Bay area at 64-128kbps at fixed cost per month. Technology not moved on that much :-) |
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sneeks
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Joined: Feb 17, 2006
Posts: 99
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:53 am Post subject: |
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It's not very accurate for me, my iPhone thinks I live in Colombia.  |
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mostdom
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Joined: Jul 10, 2006
Posts: 1964
Location: Surrey, UK.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:23 am Post subject: |
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My iPhone struggles to get a decent fix when I'm indoors, and a fairly inaccurate fix when I'm out doors. So far at best I have been within 1 or 2 km of my location when used. I liken it to taking pot shots at a target. I have had a couple of close ones but statistically not often enough to be trusted.
If seems to off with even the slightest gust of wind. 
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Dom
HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
Navigon 7310/iPhone Navigon&Copilot |
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mostdom
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Joined: Jul 10, 2006
Posts: 1964
Location: Surrey, UK.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| sneeks wrote: | | It's not very accurate for me, my iPhone thinks I live in Colombia. |
Do you live in columbia? 
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Dom
HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
Navigon 7310/iPhone Navigon&Copilot |
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Darren
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Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:38 am Post subject: |
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| sneeks wrote: | | It's not very accurate for me, my iPhone thinks I live in Colombia. |
Are you using a standard O2 account or an unlocked one on another network? What firmware version?
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Darren Griffin |
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Darren
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Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:38 am Post subject: |
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| mostdom wrote: | My iPhone struggles to get a decent fix when I'm indoors, and a fairly inaccurate fix when I'm out doors. So far at best I have been within 1 or 2 km of my location when used. I liken it to taking pot shots at a target. I have had a couple of close ones but statistically not often enough to be trusted.
If seems to off with even the slightest gust of wind. |
You should try it on T-Mobile, I'm only a few miles from you and it's better here!
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Darren Griffin |
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mostdom
Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jul 10, 2006
Posts: 1964
Location: Surrey, UK.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:05 am Post subject: |
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| Darren wrote: | | You should try it on T-Mobile, I'm only a few miles from you and it's better here! |
I AM on T-Mobile! When I use the Google locator on my 1.1.4 I get a circle about a km wide, sometimes wider. My house is normally in the zone but still not quite there. I just tried it here at work and almost bang on the money but the circle is about 2km wide. As I understand it, the smaller the circle the better the fix.
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Dom
HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
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Darren
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Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:20 am Post subject: |
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Ah ok  Yes the smaller the circle the more accurate the positional data.
My circle of precision is about 400m wide and I am well within the circle but not centered.
Oh well, just a thought!
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Darren Griffin |
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mostdom
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Joined: Jul 10, 2006
Posts: 1964
Location: Surrey, UK.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:36 am Post subject: |
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I keep trying to remember to try it when I have good reception on the phone to see if the fix improves. At home I often have only three bars out of four, so there in may lie the problem.
Glad to see your phone obviously works fine! 
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Dom
HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:41 am Post subject: |
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I'm lucky to get two bars at home, most often 1.
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Darren Griffin |
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mostdom
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Joined: Jul 10, 2006
Posts: 1964
Location: Surrey, UK.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:53 am Post subject: |
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| Darren wrote: | | I'm lucky to get two bars at home, most often 1. |
AARRGH! Just as I thought i'd figured it out, you go a ruin it. It must then be something to do with this backward town I live in!
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Dom
HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:56 am Post subject: |
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It may just be that you don't have enough cell sites around you to allow triangulation. You could have many with weak signals like I do or be right next to one with 5 bars but not have any others.
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Darren Griffin |
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simontdc
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Joined: 11/03/2003 08:29:43
Posts: 64
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| rtj70 wrote: | | Apart from when you're on open roads with poor EDGE connection (like a motorway) and therefore no signal and therefore no ability to locate you. When you're walking then triangulation of the phone signal might work. But not when driving. |
Not true, it works when driving, although reduced accuracy. |
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simontdc
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Joined: 11/03/2003 08:29:43
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Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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| mostdom wrote: | Wouldn't the phone need to send a signal to the masts constantly, which in turn could jam up the network a bit? And like rtj70 said, if you haven't got a full rack of bars in your signal strength, then edge and accuracy would go out the car window.
I think that kind of technology is still a little way off but would useful if it could be made to work! |
The phone will listen to the masts, it does not transmit constantly. Indeed, if a phone does not lose contact with a registered base station, it will transmit only once every 17 minutes. This is how you get long standby times, if the phone transmitted all the time, the battery would run down very quickly, because the transmit power on 900MHz is 2 Watts! (although only on the control channel, so not 100% duty cycle) |
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geofflowe
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Joined: 19/10/2002 10:20:39
Posts: 99
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Darren wrote: | | I'm lucky to get two bars at home, most often 1. |
Me too (i'm just down the road from you!!) |
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