Check your custom ROM before taking it on the road
The last two days, I had to make a trip to Kentucky and back. From where I live it’s about an eight hour drive one way. I normally use my HTC EVO as the information center for our trips. It runs the navigation and music, both of which are essential for making any trip an enjoyable one (being lost and listening to a crappy radio station are a great way to ruin a trip).
A while ago, I bought a Mountek car mount for my phone. So of course the first thing I do is install it in the CD player and get my car charger plugged in. I throw my phone in the holder and fire up my navigation app. After typing in the address, we leave the house because I know how to get started on our trip. A few minutes later I look at my phone and it is still saying it is searching for GPS. Uh oh.
Normally it only takes a minute at most in my neighborhood. I have my wife cancel the navigation, and start it over thinking that would help. Five minutes later it is still saying the same thing and can’t connect. Now I’m a little worried. Never in all my time owning my EVO have I had any issues with my GPS, no matter what custom ROM I was running. I always check to see what things are not working in a ROM, and since it’s usually 4G and Netflix – or something similar that I never use – I don’t worry too much about it.
Last week I flashed a new ROM, hoping to get some ICS goodness on my phone. I came across Team V3ND3TTA’s Black Ice Kangorade on XDA and thought it looked pretty good. I read through the thread and didn’t see anyone complaining about any major issues. I looked at the known issues list, and it said: “4G, FFC, hulu, netflix.” There was no mention of any GPS issues, so I decided to give it a try and downloaded the files. I got it installed with no issues, and shortly had it setup exactly how I wanted it.
Fast forward a week and I’m suddenly regretting not checking to make sure the GPS was functioning before relying on it to make a 1,000 mile trip. Luckily, I just grabbed my wife’s EVO which was still running a MikROM that was very stable. I opened up her car panel and we were good to go. Had I been alone, I would have been in trouble. From now on anytime I flash a new ROM I will make sure all the essentials are working myself, regardless of what the developer says is or isn’t working. Now I’m sure some would say this is common sense, but for me I use my GPS six to seven times a year. It is hardly an essential app on a daily basis, but I have learned my lesson and will go over any future installs with a fine tooth comb before trusting it.
