GPS capability released! Sprint S720 and U720.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1970

This deserves its own thread to discuss GPS funcitonality recently released on the Sprint S720 and U720 devices.

Need the latest firmware update. Go to Connection Manager menu and do a Software Update or download manually from sprint.com/downloads. I tried this on an S620 card and it does not have GPS capability.

Update: You need to force to 1xRTT or Auto mode if forced EVDO does not work.

There are two modes, Basic and Premium. Basic only works for now but I'm not sure what the differences are. In Microsoft Streets and Trips, speed does not work in basic mode. Read page two in this thread about getting into Premium mode.

The current Basic mode pops this up when activated. Windows only!

- Find Nearest Sprint Nextel Store
- Find Nearest Restaurant
- Find Nearest Bank
- Find Nearest Hotel
- Find Nearest Gas Station
- Find Nearest Coffee House

Or you can search for something.

You can assign it to use Google, Yahoo, Maquest or MSN Live maps. Google/Yahoo appear to be best, at least in my area.

It also assigns a serial port to the GPS device so you should be able to use any Windows GPS program such as Microsoft Streets and Trips, etc.

If you have more findings of more GPS capability, please post here.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1970

BTW, this won't work directly on Mac, Linux or KR1. I'm thinking it's possible to hack a driver to point to the GPS device and assign it a serial port that can be used by Mac/Linux GPS apps. Anyone think this is doable?

deparson · EVDO Junkie Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 248

Good for Sprint in adding this functionally and even more so for not trying to charge users more for it!

-D

Fox McCloud · EVDO Junkie Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 605

hmm, very interesting! Yet another reason to get the S720!

I take it that this will not work with the Linksys WRT54G3G-ST, either?

Anyway, perhaps the premium will use satellites and the cell-phone towers in combination...which would give extremely accurate results (out-doors anyway).

I hope you don't have to pay for premium service...but ultimately, I bet you will. :T

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1970

tbhausen · EVDO Junkie Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 158

U720 GPS works well for me indoors--shows about 8 satellites and HEPE of about 8m... Not bad.

Todd/Indy

Fox McCloud · EVDO Junkie Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 605

ok, Xeno, that makes sense.

Hmm, 8 satellites when you're indoors? That's pretty good; I'll definitely be using this with Microsoft streets when I finally get this card. (I'd use it with Google Earth...but you'd have to pay :T).

jddotson · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject:

I connected to 10 satellites and then typed "home" in the find field and it brought up the current location of the wireless card on the MS live aerial map. I tried typing in phone number of other cards and phones but it kept bringing up my current location and said the others were not found.

ebiz · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:45 pm Post subject:

I had a clean install and firmware upgrade, then reinstalled PRL 20225 and enabled Locaton on Device in Settings. When I choose Location & Search Services in the SCM menu from a disconnected state it initiates a data connection and a search for GPS signal; however, whether outdoors or indoors, after 5 minutes I get an error that said "The Location and Search Services are currently not available. Please try again later".

When I use the GPSModule.exe from a disconnected state, I get a data connection, but nothing happens when clicking the Start GPS button other than the button changing ot Stop GPS.

Exactly how are you guys connecting? Where do you see the sattelite info?
_________________
Vista64 & EX720

jddotson · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:54 pm Post subject:

I was getting the same message and shut the computer down for about two hours. Connection was immediate after restart. It might take some time for the update to register on the system?

ebiz

I'm still getting "The Location and Search Services are currently not available. Please try again later", but, for those of you who have been able to access a GPS link, have you been able to track using Google Earth>Tools>GPS>Realtime>NMEA?

The instructions for it are at http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_gps.html and it seems it should work.
_________________
Vista64 & EX720

Fox McCloud · EVDO Junkie Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 605

You have to pay to use that feature on Google Earth, correct?

deparson · EVDO Junkie Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 248

Yes.

slr001 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

After updating my U720 yesterday, the gps didn't work but like someone mentioned after I rebooted today it did.
There's a new menu item "Location and Search Services" that pops up the dialog that does the searching.

I switched to Google Maps. I like the click and drag feature for the map much more than using Google's buttons for relocating the map.

I am using IE7 and each new search opens a new tab and names it with the search item.

I wonder if there is any charge for using the Location Services?