if I disable GPS and use fixed position, the app will not let me input correct position
it round position to some wired position values about 50meters away…
also the fixed height input, the app let me input 35 meters, but my unit is in 36 meters
so i try to do that… impossible !! it refuses to input and store 36
have a look in channel setttings ! there are new settings about gps accuracy.
maybe that is the problem :
I had the same problem. Under the settings icon, there is a check box for “Provide phone location to Mesh”. I marked it and waited several minutes. My Heltec unit (no gps) was displaying the correct lat and long values. I unchecked the “Provide phone location to Mesh” box. I was then able to edit the altitude location (60meters) to a correct value and it state. The unit is a fixed location so no need for me to change anything else. I hope this is a help.
The above post by me sort of works. I found the location was wrong after an hour or two. My solution was to take the Heltec unit and the old android phone (I used to control the Meshtastic app) out on the back deck. The back deck has a good view of the sky. I got an Android app, MyGPS, which shows the GPS data including accuracy on the phone. I turn everything on with the check box to get the phone GPS data checked and let everything sit for an hour. I check the GPS data with the MyGPS app during the hour. When the GPS location was stable, I let it go for another ten minutes to ensure the Heltec unit got the good data from the phone. I then I uncheck the “Provide phone location to Mesh” box. So far the location has not changed even after a reboot.
I did find in general, the altitude data was always changing. Even after the lat and long set down to a constant value, the altitude still changed. I am no longer concerned over the bad altitude values. I hope this is a help to someone else.
what i want is the ability to correctly input lat long and altitude,
with out the app or the hardware unit, alter anything, or round it.
what you help with, is also very good way to obtain the values in case people dont know their correct lat long and so on,
I think there is a misunderstanding of what I was trying to explain/do. I have the same problem as you.
I have checked the official documentation on fixed position entry. Here it is the description:
Fixed Position
Acceptable values: true or false, False by default
If set, this node is at a fixed position. The device will generate GPS updates at the regular GPS update interval, but use whatever the last lat/lon/alt it saved for the node. The lat/lon/alt can be set
by an internal GPS or with the help of the mobile device’s GPS.
I also looked in the official documentation for information on Settings Icon menu check box labeled “Provide phone location to Mesh” I found no information.
This is what I thinking is happening. If there is no GPS available, the device uses the last known good GPS value. Yes, you can edit the value and it will change for short time. However, the end of the GPS update period, the device uses the last good GPS value and overwrites your changed value.
Unless, there is a way of disabling the GPS update, the last known good GPS value is always used by the device. This is why I place the Mesh device and android phone in location with good GPS reception. I let them run for a hour or so to ensure I got the best GPS value. I used MyGPS app to ensure the accuracy was good. I turned off the phone. Since then, the device has been showing the correct Lat/Long, but altitude is wrong. I am doing range testing so I need a correct Lat/Long.
The device is also using the GPS updates to correct the internal time clock. This is another reason for the GPS updates. I hope the above is a help.
Hi
I tried this workaround but it didn’t work for me. When I had the node set to use the phone location the Lat, Lon and Alt were populated correctly. As soon as I turned use phone off the Alt went back to zero and it won’t accept a manual entry.
I repeated the process again with my Heltec V3 unit (no GPS) using an old android phone. I let the phone GPS get stable in one location and provide the GPS information to the Heltec. I uncheck the “Provide phone location to Mesh” . The Heltec unit show the correct GPS information for about 10 minutes. After that time period, the Heltec GPS information changed to some other value.
It is a bug. The Meshtastic software is looking for periodic updates of GPS information. If the Meshtastic software does not get the updates, then the software uses something. What is providing the GPS value, I do not know. I am new to this forum and do not know how to file a “Bug Report”. Hopefully, some one will file the Bug Report to the software developers.
If you have a unit without a GPS module, then one needs to have the unit connected by bluetooth to a phone with GPS. I will not be buying any more devices that do not have GPS modules.
I did a factory reset to my Heltec V3. Warning this sets the Bluetooth pairing to random pin value. The phone or other android device will have to be paired again with the Meshtastic device. I first configured the long name/short name, device settings, Bluetooth (I prefer fix pin) and any preferences. I was able to set fixed position and edit the lat, long and altitude values. I let the unit run for about 18 hours. During that time, when connected to a phone and Use phone location box checked, the GPS values were the phone values. Unchecking the phone location box and waiting for a GPS update, the device showed the entered GPS values. I was able to go back and forth between the two phone location settings. It worked well. This work for me. For me, this is not bug. It maybe more of documentation issue on how to use the fix position settings.
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Fixed position has been re-worked, if you want to use fixed position you need to upgrade your firmware and app >= 2.3.3
If you have GPS enabled, new GPS locations will replace the fixed position.
Fixed position will not be overwritten by position packets sent from the phone anymore, when you set fixed position you also set a position, this position will remain in place unless a GPS position arrives, or fixed position is turned off again.
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Thank you garth for the information. I am running 2.3.3 firmware. GPS is working as you described.