The onX Hunt review & question thread, by Rokstaff & Members

[silverbullet555]

Is there a way to tell the app to save offline maps to my SD card on my phone?

Also, is there a way to download them to an SD card on my computer and have them pull up on phone. It would save time.

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[MIKEYB]

Interesting...would be nice to hear from the OnX folks if that is the reason behind this. That said, if this is the case a good solution would be for the app to split the download up behind the scenes, rather than making me go in and do it manually. I select a game unit I want to download, the app tells me it is going to need to split this into 100 downloads and gives me an estimate on how long that is going to take, I click ok, and off it goes, I take a nap. Making the user do this part, and having to wait for each chunk to download completely before being able to select another area to download (i.e. no queuing feature for the download) is jut an exercise in frustration.

Maybe the process could look like this. . .

Pick the game unit or section you wish to download. checklist menu pops up and you can select which layers you want downloaded for that section.

Each layer is its own download but is seamless within the the offline map. Select and download overnight.

Again kind of how my experience with another app was.

 

[doverpack12]

I've been using the App quite a bit and actually got comfortable enough I left my GPS behind. Well Saturday the App decided to glitch. I had the area saved for offline use with all layers I planned to use turned on when I saved the map and it was the highest resolution map option. Got in a situation where i had 4-5 bulls below me bugling and I knew private property wasn't that far away. I had the option to turn the layer on and off and it would turn green then grey when off but no amount of zooming in, letting it sit with the layer on or anything else would make the property line display. Turned my phone off then back on and reloaded the app and still nothing. I didn't have cell service in this area. Ended up having to sit for an hour and send out an inreach message to a friend I trust and thought could figure out where the private line was. Got a message back private was at least a half mile away. Was able to move in on the bulls and 5 epic hours later after I blew 8-10 encounters and missed a bull, I switched to calling and my father in law killed a 360 bull. If I had not been able to use the inreach to obtain the information I was depending on the OnX app to provide I would be pissed enough to once again ditch the app and go back to the GPS because for me the App absolutely has to be 100% dependable. I have since deleted that saved map and resaved a new map and plan to head back Friday morning. If this happens again I'm done with the app for good.

Two weekends ago on September 22 I was in a different area on a different saved high resolution map and almost had the same issue but eventually the private lines displayed when I zoomed in and let it sit for a few minutes. That should have been my clue but I got the information I needed and kept on going and didn't think about it again.

Went back to the same spot with the new downloaded map Friday the 5th and didn't have any issues so I think this was just a glitch and the app didn't feel like doing what I was asking it to do that day. I'll continue to use the App but it's given me enough doubt I put my GPS with chip back into my pack.

Completely different area on Saturday the map I tried to download friday night the 5th did not save and took forever to que. I would say this is probably my fault for not checking on the map again after I saved it and then falling asleep but I'm not sure why it didn't work. I have 9 other maps save and no issues getting any of those to download and save. Haven't had a chance to re-try downloading this area again. Luckily I had good enough service to load the app and see private up on the mountain. I did have my GPS in my pack just in case.

 

[Randle]

I just got the elite acct and I am trying to figure it out. I don't have the same toolbar that are show in the previous post screen shots. My toolbar is on the left side of my computer and phone . I also don't see the map download for off grid stuff. Any help would be great

 

[onX Hunt]

I just got the elite acct and I am trying to figure it out. I don't have the same toolbar that are show in the previous post screen shots. My toolbar is on the left side of my computer and phone . I also don't see the map download for off grid stuff. Any help would be great

On your phone you will download the app from the App store if you have an iPhone or the Google Play store if you have an Android device. It sounds like you are trying to access the Web Map on your mobile device which will not function correctly since that is designed for use on a computer. After downloading the app, then you will see the same layout as other screenshots are showing and you'll see that off-grid tab to download maps. Since computers don't have GPS receivers in them and you need internet to use the Web Map, the offline functionality is not built into the Web Map system on the computer.

 

[Randle]

Great , I figured it was just something I was missing
thanks

 

[robby denning]

thanks for chiming in. How do I know if I have the most current version of the app? Just FYI, I wouldn't ignore an update if I actually saw it. How do we know we need to update?

I've also turned off my location services and turned them back on. I'm in a big building right now, so no opp to test, but I will...please let me know on that update question.

thanks

I checked the App Store and it didn't show I needed an update. I've used the app at least 5 hunting days since the problem of not being able to see my location in "off grid" while out of cell service. It has not happened again, so all good now.

Thanks

 

[robby denning]

Not sure if any of you guys get the media releases from onX, but they're pretty helpful and can help you use your app better, especially you guys like me who just get gear and start using it without tons of research (guilty, but this is real life for me.) Anyway, here's an email link explaining some features:

onX tips & tricks

and an email from my contact at onX explaining this Wind & Weather feature:

"Hey Robby,
>
> Hope all is well. I know we’re still sorting out that one issue with
> the GPS you mentioned in your last email, but I wanted to ask if you
> think there’s any possibility of mentioning onX’s new Wind &
> Weather feature.
>
> As a reminder, it shows users current weather, wind direction,
> barometric pressure, sunrise/sunset times, and has offline data
> caching. Here are some screenshots of what it looks like:
> Box
> The feature is currently available for all Android users and will be
> available for iOS users in the next two weeks.

Who has used it? thoughts?

 

[bsnedeker]

Not sure if any of you guys get the media releases from onX, but they're pretty helpful and can help you use your app better, especially you guys like me who just get gear and start using it without tons of research (guilty, but this is real life for me.) Anyway, here's an email link explaining some features:

onX tips & tricks

and an email from my contact at onX explaining this Wind & Weather feature:

"Hey Robby,
>
> Hope all is well. I know we’re still sorting out that one issue with
> the GPS you mentioned in your last email, but I wanted to ask if you
> think there’s any possibility of mentioning onX’s new Wind &
> Weather feature.
>
> As a reminder, it shows users current weather, wind direction,
> barometric pressure, sunrise/sunset times, and has offline data
> caching. Here are some screenshots of what it looks like:
> Box
> The feature is currently available for all Android users and will be
> available for iOS users in the next two weeks.

Who has used it? thoughts?

I think it's cool for hunting whitetail sui I can see wind before I try to go out to the stand.

It is a huge pet peeve of mine that wind direction arrows go the opposite of the direction the wind is actually going and I wish onx would have bucked that nonsense. My phone isn't a damn weather vane so there is no logical reason for the arrow to point the wrong way.

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[doverpack12]

Robby did OnX say where they are pulling the weather report from? Barometric pressure could use the phone's sensor but there is an app that will read pressure on its own. Just don't want to rely on weather if its coming from East cost somewhere that doesn't have any more clue than I do what the weather might do. If its somewhat localized or at least rocky mountain ish based might be alot more accurate.

 

[Randle]

Is there a way to tell the app to save offline maps to my SD card on my phone?

Also, is there a way to download them to an SD card on my computer and have them pull up on phone. It would save time.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Also interested in this one

 

[young7.3]

I've been using the phone app version for over a year now and find it very valuable. I'll summarize everything below...

Pros:

-Accurate gps tracking and marks that I place on the map. The app will get me pretty darn close to where I placed a marker or follow my old trail.
-User friendly after you have put a few hours into it.
-Multiple different layers you can add (roadless, trails, B&C overlay, etc).
-Offline feature is super nice. No one enjoys a dead battery.


Cons (in order of importance):

-It would be nice to have the notes of an icon pop up when you click it. Currently you have to edit the icon in order to view the notes. This is cumbersome in the field on a phone.
-Wish there were more symbols (food source, game trail, different color options)
-Premium (1 state) fee is a tad high. Maybe $9.99? I know a lot of people that don't use it because they only hunt one state and $30 is a little steep.


Suggestion: It would be cool if the app could pop up an alert to download an offline map when it senses you are dropping pins in a new area. I hunted a new public piece last weekend and forgot to download a map. Of course when I got there no reception.


Overall I really like the app and am looking forward to using the weather feature when it comes available for Apple.

 

[wapitibob]

Is there a way to tell the app to save offline maps to my SD card on my phone?

Also, is there a way to download them to an SD card on my computer and have them pull up on phone. It would save time.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

You can save to an sd card on a rooted android and 3rd party app. Obviously not supported but it has worked for me until I hit 5 gigs of maps, then the app will crash back to the home screen.

An iphone will never save or pull from an sd card.

 

[robby denning]

young7.3, thanks for the feedback, nearly mirrors my experience.

Also, my off grid glitch of not showing my actual location has not happened again. Doverpack-you?


So as hunting season winds down, I'm giving my experience an overall A-. I hunted on and around private property heavily this year (the main reason I'd use the app) and only had that one issue, all others were positive.

Wishes: tilt function like GE would be nice and less drain on the battery, and like young7. 3 said-a notification to upload a new area would be good.

 

[doverpack12]

young7.3, thanks for the feedback, nearly mirrors my experience.

Also, my off grid glitch of not showing my actual location has not happened again. Doverpack-you?


So as hunting season winds down, I'm giving my experience an overall A-. I hunted on and around private property heavily this year (the main reason I'd use the app) and only had that one issue, all others were positive.

Wishes: tilt function like GE would be nice and less drain on the battery, and like young7. 3 said-a notification to upload a new area would be good.

Robby I wouldn’t say it happened again because the situation was different this time around. I knew where the private line was but wanted to test the app and check for the fun of it. Opened OnX and couldn’t get enough cell coverage to load the app with layers as I had one bar of 3G. Thought no big deal I saved this map awhile ago just to have it. Went offline and could see the aerial and toggle through sat, Topo, and Hybrid but it would not show all of my layers mainly the private boundaries. Now I had once again gained enough confidence back to remove my GPS with chip from my pack so no direct comparison. BUT I think I may have figured out what is causing the issue but I need to check through all my saved maps to confirm and get out with both saved map versions although I’m not sure I can tell it to use one and not the other in offline mode. So when I go to save a map at my house on WiFi I have all the layers I wish to save turned on then go to the off grid tab and hit the save map option. NOW HERE is the important part once you get the map positioned where you want it don’t just hit the save map button YOU MUST wait and watch the map as the layers populate themselves. Once you see all layers appear you had selected then hit the save map button. I’ll check into this more with other maps I saved and just hit the save map button right away once I had my size and area selected. This still doesn’t explain why I had one map just decide it was going to fail to download but I’ll take responsibility for that one since I didn’t check and was tired and going to bed to leave the next morning.

 

[robby denning]

OK doverpack, let us know what you find out on that. But for now if I understand you, it sounds like when we save a map we need to make sure all the layers are there that we want, AND give it enough time to auto-populate those layers, before hitting save

Correct?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[doverpack12]

young7.3, thanks for the feedback, nearly mirrors my experience.

Also, my off grid glitch of not showing my actual location has not happened again. Doverpack-you?


So as hunting season winds down, I'm giving my experience an overall A-. I hunted on and around private property heavily this year (the main reason I'd use the app) and only had that one issue, all others were positive.

Wishes: tilt function like GE would be nice and less drain on the battery, and like young7. 3 said-a notification to upload a new area would be good.

OK doverpack, let us know what you find out on that. But for now if I understand you, it sounds like when we save a map we need to make sure all the layers are there that we want, AND give it enough time to auto-populate those layers, before hitting save

Correct?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s correct

 

[robby denning]

Good article on saving battery from Eric Siegfried, founder of onX. He did a head-to-head with two iPhone 6 phones, one on airplane mode, one in service. The battery performance was days better in airplane mode. I expected that but good to see some quantification. Article here: GPS App Battery Life Saving Tips - From The Founder of | onX

 

[robby denning]

Also, I didn't know that onX offered a Trial Membership, but they do. It gives you a full week of Premium membership (all 50 states) minus the Layers like B&C, RMEF, etc.. but it will give a good feel for land ownership and navigation. If you're on the fence, give it a try! Link is in upper left corner here onX Hunt Hunting Apps: GPS Maps for iPhone, Android, Web, Garmin | onX
A week is just right for testing it out on a hunt

 

[Matt W.]

onX has quite a few articles on there about tips and tricks. Should have spent more time reading those before just winging my way through it... : ) I too struggled with battery life; and the tracking mode and using live maps ate up some serious data. Saving the maps and going airplane mode seems like a good solution.