RANT: OnXmaps is wacked!

[wysongdog]

I have the app and the chip for my gps. Love have the app on my phone but when I’m elk there’s no service so my gps comes out.

 

[wapitibob]

Onx worked perfectly fine on a phone of mine that was incapable of connecting to a service provider. All you need is WiFi to install the app and download offline maps.

 

[JoeDirt]

I had all sort of issues with my OnX and my Android phone. Most of my issues were with internal memory. I ended up switching to Iphone because of their massive internal memory and no more issues.

 

[widnert]

I use OnX with my Android phone and have used it almost exclusively since the product came out. The ability to leave the paper maps and backup GPS in camp is really nice. My experience has been very little, if any, issues while using this tool. I can say I have not experienced losing the PP layers - ever. I might suggest, when you call customer service (it sounds like you have been talking with them), to ask for a next level manager or more senior support-person. They have made quite a few new hires lately and you may be getting the newbie.

I have talked with quite a few folks about their issues with OnX and the vast majority have turned out to be the lack of pre-planning before going afield - i.e. not downloading the maps with the desired layers to your phone's memory prior to hunting and/or not being familiar with how the app behaves on their phone. Not saying that is your issue, since you clearly understand the process but many, many folks I have talked to just think the app should know what to do automatically. When it doesn't, they get angry at the app, their phone and the product.

Another subtle suggestion I make to folks is to practice using the app in the way you'll use it in the field. Find somewhere in your area with crappy/no cell signal. Go there and play with the app. There are nuances with how the app behaves on your specific cell phone that you should be comfortable with before relying on it in the back country.

Just my input and worth exactly what you paid for it - YMMV.

 

[elkstabber]

My Gaia subscription costs $19/year and it's been flawless for me.

 

[ChrisS]

I've run Gaia for a long time, since at least 2013 I think. I like their method for downloading layers for offline use and I like being able to have tools like measure and bearing on the app more than I like OnX. I like the property layers on Onx, but I really don't hunt much private, or at least much that's close to boundaries. I'm probably heading back to Gaia for this season.

 

[muddydogs]

I have the app and the chip for my gps. Love have the app on my phone but when I’m elk there’s no service so my gps comes out.

You don't need service to run mapping programs on your phone as long as you download the maps while in wifi coverage.

 

[wysongdog]

You don't need service to run mapping programs on your phone as long as you download the maps while in wifi coverage.

That’s correct. But there’s enough issues with that, that I’d rather be safe than sorry and get in trouble for trespassing

 

[Mt Al]

For me, chipped GPS works like a charm. This, plus paper maps for new areas complies with my unofficial "simple wins" philosophy. Based on what I've read and heard, if I go with a phone app, it will be Gaia. My 2 cents.

 

[muddydogs]

Sure glad I just use the Earthmate app that is available with the InReach, doesn't cost anything beside the purchase of the InReach and whatever data plan one chooses and does everything I need it to do. With all the mapping apps out now a days I can't believe that guys are shelling out between $30 to $100 a year for an app plus dealing with app issues. Choose the right plan for the InReach and your not paying over $100 a year for communications not to mention the mapping app.

Guess more people would probably use something different but most of the other company's don't advertise as much as Onx and someone has to pay for the advertisements and sponsorship's.

 

[mproberts]

I’ve got an iPhone 8 Plus and I use OnX a ton. I have never had any of the issues that I hear about on these forums. It has always worked for me with no issues. I’m guessing perhaps it is something between droid and their app?

+1

I've never had an issue with it on my iPhone 6 over years of use. Used it multiple times last year on hunts and hikes that were way outside of cell range including a north slope hunt where I saved like half the brooks range to my phone. My only complaint with the saved maps was as of last year the high quality download option was the same exact resolution as the medium quality download, which made downloading a lot longer if you chose the high quality option since the download area was a lot smaller. I talked to their tech team about that and they said they were still working out an agreement with google to download the high quality imagery so they might have fixed that by now.

 

[Brendan]

Sure glad I just use the Earthmate app that is available with the InReach, doesn't cost anything beside the purchase of the InReach and whatever data plan one chooses and does everything I need it to do. With all the mapping apps out now a days I can't believe that guys are shelling out between $30 to $100 a year for an app plus dealing with app issues. Choose the right plan for the InReach and your not paying over $100 a year for communications not to mention the mapping app.

Guess more people would probably use something different but most of the other company's don't advertise as much as Onx and someone has to pay for the advertisements and sponsorship's.

Except it's nowhere comparable in functionality to an app like Gaia... I have the inreach, with Earthmate, and there's no way I'd use it for navigation when I have Gaia...


Anyone has questions, I've been using Gaia since 2015 I think. You want the premium subscription if you want private land layers.

Have it on an Android now, and there are a couple small things here and there that aren't perfect, but I've never had issue with it working. Downloaded maps are limited by your storage space, and very easy to sync everything from your Google Earth install on your computer right to Gaia...

 

[Jebuwh]

Man this thread makes me feel like I am lucky or something. I have had OnX for I think 4 years now, 3 different android phones, plus a couple Android tablets. I use it for hunting, fly fishing, RZR rides, off road trips, all that. I have never had an issue with offline maps.

Is everyone downloading the maps offline, then using the phone in airplane mode? I wonder what would cause those issues. Very weird.

 

[fatlander]

OnX works fine for me so far in offline mode. *knocks on wood*

One precautionary measure of mine is to screen shot my maps in onX and print them. If onX won’t load the layers/waypoints - I still have a screen shot to help keep me on course. If my phone is dead/broken I’ve got paper maps that have everything on them. Pretty cheap insurance policy and whole lot easier than going to the county register that’s 1500 miles away from me. . .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[muddydogs]

Except it's nowhere comparable in functionality to an app like Gaia... I have the inreach, with Earthmate, and there's no way I'd use it for navigation when I have Gaia...

Why not? Earthmate has landowner, photo's, topo, USGS quad's, digital Atlas, streets and the Hybrid which puts roads, topo lines and water over the top of a photo. What more does a guy need? If you can't navigate with all the map options in Earthmate then no mapping app is going to help.

I'm not sure whats all included with Earthmate now but since I was a paying member a few years ago before they stopped the pay for upgraded maps I still get GMU's, Survey maps and landowner names.

From what I have seen and I have messed with most of the mapping app's for my job Earthmate is just as good as any of them.

 

[Brendan]

A bunch of reasons, but I'll caveat it in saying it's been a couple years since I've actively used Earthmate. All of these my personal opinion.

First reason is that I don't keep an Inreach subscription all year. $40 / year for Gaia as compared to what, $40 per month for the Inreach? Not sure if that's a requirement (probably not), but Gaia for me gets used year round and I'm not carrying an Inreach unless I'm off the grid and need it.

Second, interface wasn't nearly as good. Overall usability was much better in Gaia, and then OnX. Even when I've looked recently, I still feel this way although it's been brief.

When I used it first - the maps sucked in comparison, not even close. I know they've gotten better, but at the end of the day Earthmate still doesn't have nearly as many options from what I can tell. What I have with Gaia: Public/Private, Parcel Ownership, Wildfire History and Current Wildfires, Timber Harvests, Snow Depth, Shaded Relief, Slope Angle, Multiple Topo Aerial and Satellite, MVUM and Road/Trail Layers, Precipitation and Snow Forecast, Hunting Districts, Roadless / Trailless Areas, most/all of the Caltopo layers, and a whole bunch more - basically over 100 layers without even getting into the hunting district and unit maps where there are 200-300 of those...

The other thing - loading maps. Pick the layers you want in the app and they're loaded, they're available immediately if you're online, no need to download them to the device. 95% of my time I'm on the grid, so this works better for those times... Select only what areas and layers (and zoom level) you want to download locally and they download over cell or wifi. No hookup needed. I can select new layers and save them locally if needed from a mountaintop if I have signal there.

Another big thing for me, ease of integration with Google Earth. I can do all my pre-scouting in GE, Hundreds of Waypoints, Trails, Tracks, Areas marked, and upload them with one quick file. I know that's gotten better (And I'm a fan of Garmin in general where I was not with Delorme), but it's pretty damn easy for me to sync everything up.

I guess what I'm getting at - I have Earthmate and an Inreach, and I gladly pay the extra for Gaia.

 

[Doghed]

I’ve got an iPhone 8 Plus and I use OnX a ton. I have never had any of the issues that I hear about on these forums. It has always worked for me with no issues.

Same for me. I’ve used a 6, 8+, and a small IPad with no issues so far.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Paper maps and a compass.The wave of the future!

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Last year the app updated right before a hunt. My previously saved maps didn't work with the update. I had to drive out to where I could get cell service and re-download the maps. This year, I disabled auto updates and will check to make sure everything works in airplane mode before I head out. I also carry a paper map and compass because I tend to break stuff.

If you are having trouble with the private layer working in offline mode a work around might be to use the area tool to trace the private boundaries you will be near and save those area shapes to your phone. I've done that with other layers that are not available in offline mode and it works OK.

 

[Tberg]

A paper map from game planner maps with private parcels on it has never failed me. His digital maps for Avenza are pretty useful too. I'd give him a call and see what he can do for you. Its a solid system.

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