How to calibrate a GPS receiver on Android. Best calibration apps

Specially designed for the Android OS apps are here to help you perform the GPS calibration process, test your hardware and determine your geolocation. Let's talk about the best of them. Let's start with a step-by-step manual on using the most well-known program among them, which is the GPS Test.

Why do I need to perform GPS calibration?

It's quite difficult to overestimate the need to set up a GPS connection. Calibration allows you to:

• check the functionality of your gadget navigation module (GPS receiver);
• find the most favourable place to connect to the network with no signal overlap;
• find out more information about satellites: their availability, country affiliation, and exact coordinates.

Setting up GPS on Android OS. The GPS Test app

GPS Test is a perfect match if you need to test a mobile device running under the Android platform. The app is convenient because it allows you to check the capabilities of your GPS receiver without an Internet connection.

GPS Test uses the AGPS service for calibration, which in its turn corrects a bad GPS connection. The interface is more than merely intuitive if we can say so, which is definitely a significant advantage.

The app has six screens with the following information. Let’s highlight its most important features:

• A chart illustrating the GPS signal strength for each available satellite in the list, as well as signal stability with the GNSS network;
• A compass showing the position of satellites in the sky in the SkyView mode;
• A regular compass helping with the navigation around an open area;
• A map of the world and your current location as a specific place with a caption. You can also see the current position of the Sun and the transition curve between day and night on the map;
• The current speed, altitude, and direction are displayed in text format;
• Sunrise and sunset times in current coordinates; local time.

How to calibrate GPS connection

After getting acquainted with the app interface, you can start configuring GPS Test.

How to do it:

1. Go to the needed section of the program called "Settings".

2. Enable or disable continuous operation of the display during navigation.

3. Specify the coordinate and date display systems.

4. Choose the appropriate for you time, speed, distance and date format.

5. Grant access to the app GPS sensor from the home page.

6. Now you can switch between the satellites shown in the list by reading detailed information about them.

7. You can find out your current GPS location in the form of longitude and latitude.

GPS Test supports the following list of coordinate grids: OSGB, UTM, MGRS, USNG, CH1903 and Maidenhead.

Download GPS Test

GPS Status & Toolbox

If the GPS Test app is incompatible with your device for any reason or you don't like its functionality, there are many equally effective counterparts. All of them suit perfectly the need to test and calibrate GPS.

For example, GPS Status & Toolbox provides its users with sensor and GPS data such as:

• Satellite coordinates and signal strength;
• Battery status;
• The satellite speed and acceleration;
• Altimeter and speedometer.

With the program, you can find out your exact location in any coordinate format and share it with your friends. In addition to the calibrator, Status & Toolbox has a built-in magnetic compass.

The app also allows you to reset or download A-GPS data via which you can adjust the GPS receiver.

You can download the utility via the link

GPSTest app

The app provides real-time information for satellites on devices running under the Android platform. GPSTest also allows us to figure out what causes problems with GPS / GNSS.

Its distinctive features:

• The app shows a detailed description of satellites, their country of affiliation and geolocation.
• A comprehensive list of coordinate grids is supported: OSGB, UTM, MGRS, USNG, CH1903, Maidenhead, WGS84, NAD83, NAD27, ED50, AGD66, AGD84, SAD69.

The only drawback of the app is the fact that its interface isn't translated into other languages.

You can download GPSTest from the page with the same name in Google Play

GPS status

The GPS status app lets you find out your GPS location and share it with your friends. It's a real map of satellites in space, which are illustrated in the form of geometric shapes.

Using GPS status, you can:

• check the strength of the magnetic field to see if there are any signal overlaps;
• recognise areas by the data provided by servers;
• use GPS to determine your current location;
• use the built-in compass.

The app requires access to Your location and the Internet when root access is unrequired.

You can download GPS status via this link

GPS Server Optimizer: Fix & Test

The app with the succinct name GPS Server Optimizer will help you with the following:

• optimising your GPS signal in a few simple steps;
• performing the reset of configuration settings: which might be useful when GPS can't locate your device for a long time or does it incorrectly;
• testing a mobile device which is experiencing any problems;
• performing a fine calibration of the GPS receiver. The configuration is completed as quickly as possible and doesn't take much time for its users.

The list of disadvantages includes a poorly localised interface which is only available in English. Moreover, for the program to work fully, you must grant it root rights.

You can download the GPS Server Optimizer app from the official page in the Play Store