OnX compass off by ~20 degrees

[Bubblehide]

I've experienced the same issue in the woods and at home. Phone temp is normal. OnX's response was to tell me to calibrate my phone via Google Maps.


I've experienced this with GPS devices that need initial movement for triangulation, but not my phone. OnX will be jumpy or wander about 40 degrees, much like GPS devices that haven't locked into solid tracking. If I switch to Google Maps, the tracking is solid. Weird. How does OnX use Google Maps, yet not function the same?

I wish I knew the answer.

 

[long hunter]

True; pulling out a map and compass sounds like great fun. And props to people who can figure out where they are in the PNW jungle using a map when you can't see anything but forest.

I do carry a compass in case my phone, InReach and Garmin watch all fail.

We have become dependent on modern techno, Never been to the pacific N.W. but have been to the jungles in S.E. Asia no modern gadgets there and we done just fine.

 

[Venom One]

We have become dependent on modern techno, Never been to the pacific N.W. but have been to the jungles in S.E. Asia no modern gadgets there and we done just fine.

I'll concede you're right on all accounts while still keeping my techno.

 

[ODB]

I wish I knew the answer.

I would say that Google throttles capability so they maintain a competitive advantage.

 

[MallardSX2]

My compass matches pretty close. Not sure you can view an actual compass in ONX of if your using the N arrow dial in the upper right. Your only going to get it so close. I got an Iphone 13.


As a check, tape a piece of paper to a table, go to your compass app on your iphone and strike a line down the side of your phone, label it cell compass. Then go into onx and set it to navigate mode, then pivot from the end of your cell compass line to make it orient north and strike a second line.


They should be within a few degree of one another. If they are not then just do what I do and follow your nav on the onx. Hasn't let me down and I have been using it for years now.

I dont think it really knows exactly what way north is until your moving though. It bases its navigation off of GPS triangulation from what I am told.

Not sure it will compute compass bearings or not for you in onx?

 

[Blackbird]

I’ve had issues when wearing a bino harness with a magnet getting weird readings on OnX. If you are wearing one it could be giving you that issue.

 

[Venom One]

My compass matches pretty close. Not sure you can view an actual compass in ONX of if your using the N arrow dial in the upper right. Your only going to get it so close. I got an Iphone 13.


As a check, tape a piece of paper to a table, go to your compass app on your iphone and strike a line down the side of your phone, label it cell compass. Then go into onx and set it to navigate mode, then pivot from the end of your cell compass line to make it orient north and strike a second line.


They should be within a few degree of one another. If they are not then just do what I do and follow your nav on the onx. Hasn't let me down and I have been using it for years now.

I dont think it really knows exactly what way north is until your moving though. It bases its navigation off of GPS triangulation from what I am told.

Not sure it will compute compass bearings or not for you in onx?

Appreciate the reply.

Just to be clear, I'm not looking for OnX to spit out a bearing. I'm looking for OnX to point me in the right direction (usually back to my truck). I use the 'blue arc' direction indicator on OnX to show my heading. What clued me in to the fact that something was wrong was when I was walking down the road, but the 'blue fan/arc' was pointing to my right. For example, I was walking/facing North, but the phone said I was walking/facing East.

Calibrating Google Maps eliminated a lot of the directional discrepancy, but OnX is still ~ 20* off. The further complication is that OnX wanders directionally. If I rotate my phone and stop when it's pointing North, OnX directionally will wander from ~355* - 030* for a while, then settle down to ~ 010* - 30*. As soon as my move the phone, the direction wanders again. It won't prevent me from finding my way back. It'll just take longer and I didn't have this issue before.

 

[Venom One]

I’ve had issues when wearing a bino harness with a magnet getting weird readings on OnX. If you are wearing one it could be giving you that issue.

I won't buy a magnetic harness for this reason, but I'm seeing this under all conditions - hunting or chilling at home.

 

[MallardSX2]

I might have missed it in the thread above but what kind of a phone are you running?

 

[Venom One]

I might have missed it in the thread above but what kind of a phone are you running?

Samsung S21

 

[GotDraw?]

I hope OnX chimes in here...

I have to say that OnX's inability or unwillingness to provide an accurate bearing toward a destination IN DEGREES is a complete fail by ONX compared to Garmin.

OnX only provides rough guestimates of general direction, i.e. "NW", "SW"... these broad ranges are pretty useless for accurate navigation and force the user to more frequently double check the OnX app and drain the phone battery more.

I cannot understand why OnX won't give an accurate bearing to a destination. Total PITA.

I can get a bearing to a destination in Degrees from my Garmin and then use my compass to stay on that bearing so that I save a LOT of battery time. Why can't ONX do this?

It also seems it's been a while since I have seen a leap forward in technology from OnX.

JL