OnX - New Compass Mode
General Topic
OnX did an update the other night. If you use an iPhone, check out the new Compass Mode > under the Tools Setting.
Not sure when other phone platform will be available
I just tried it. Wow! That is a great new feature. I like the way it also creates a tick-vibration on the phone with each degree.
Great new feature. Thanks OnX!!
Matt
I just found out to EXIT the Compass Mode, hit the Blue Arrow, lower right
It'd be kind of nice if onx updated maps!! Down here in sw Colorado, you can still see the truck in the driveway my dad sold in 2018. Not joking. Forest Service built a bunch of ponds 2 years ago that aren't on onx yet. And yes, I've emailed them, and they told me they are trying to get things updated. But that was in 2020.
I don’t think I like it. I feel like blue radius that showed up before was sufficient for what it was intended for. I could see what direction I was facing while my location remained in the middle of the screen and could see all the terrain around me. Now it defaults to bottom of the screen when the compass mode is on. I have a compass for when I need a compass and would never rely on a digital compass anyway, if I was in need of a compass to navigate.
I agree spikebow. Prefer to have my location in the center of the screen.
Distance wise I like it…but I like my location in the middle as well….the update reminds me of how basemaps compass is when heading to a point
Wow that’s interesting. Will definitely be worth a trial run in the field. My guess is that it’ll run down the phone battery faster with the vibration on every degree change.
Is there a way to drop a waypoint on the active compass page? If one were to glass a bedded mule deer for example , get the range with your rangefinder and use the compass page to get a compass bearing and drop a way point on the distance. Then navigate to the bedded animal.
I was watching Brian Call on Gritty and he mentioned an app that allowed one to enter the ranged distance and compass bearing and it would put in a waypoint I think it was GO HUNT.
I mentioned that application to onX several years ago and never heard anything back.
I prefer the old way personally. Want my location centered. And the compass clutters the map. Wish there was a way to turn it off
Cocoon Man, I used to do that with my Garmin GPS. There was an option to project a waypoint from your current location using a bearing and distance. I would get a bearing with a handheld compass and range the distance with a rangefinder and enter the info into the GPS to create the new waypoint. It would be nice if OnX had a similar feature.
Mike, I used to do that also, figured it would be nice to have it on OnX with the aerial maps, that's when I contacted them and asked if they could add that feature.
Hopefully they will in the future!
I wish they would make their little compass signal or whatever you’d call it (the round circle you tap) bigger!!
I’m always dropping waypoints or starting a track on accident when all I want to do it tap that!! Kind of a pain
^^^ Sasquatch finger problems …. I feel your pain.
Compass mode appears to be gone now. I think the best option if compass mode is going to be a thing would for it to be an option to turn off and on in the settings.
Weird I had it the other day gone now
It's gone from my phone too. But I didn't like it either. It would be OK if it were an optional navigation mode feature. Unlike Pat I hated the constant phone vibration for every degree turn.
OnX giveth, and OnX taketh away
Be nice if they actually used their product before launching an update.
For weeks I’ve requested to OnX to switch the ‘Go To Waypoint’ tab with the ‘Add to Folder’ tab.
I agree, I don’t think OnX really does much for ‘Field Review’
Be nice if WapitiBob was on their payroll so he could instruct them on what and what not to do...
cnelk: what's your logic for the menu switch?
^^^ Because when I [or most anyone] selects a waypoint, most of the time I want to 'Go To It'
Is it affected by metal, magnets, electricity? Etc?
I dont like or trust digital compasses. What I really want is a bearing reading displayed.
Ie... I'm standing wherever and want to go to my waypoint. It tells me I need to travel a bearing of 235deg.
Boom. Pull out real compass and walk 235 deg. GPS positioning= very accurate and reliable. Digital compass= not accurate and not reliable
cnelk: I agree with you...and as a right-hander, thumb-typer, "Go to" is at the far right, easiest to hit with my thumb...so I vote leave as is LOL
soccer: yet you're willing to rely on the electronic compass to tell you the bearing in the first place? I guess I'm "new school" but I've never carried a compass afield. Been hunting in remote areas for 40 years and still alive. I've always treated a GPS and OnX direction as a "guideline"...I walk that general direction, check occasionally, and will eventually end up where I want to be. A straight line is pretty much impossible to follow due to terrain, vegetation, etc. anyway.
Smarba.... it's not the same.
A digital compass relies on your phones orientation and all 3 axises. Whereas a bearing from point A(me) to point b relies on gps( where I'm standing) and the map. If you know the first 2 you know the third.... they just need to display it.
It doesnt rely or get effected by magnet,metal or how my phone is feeling that day. I've had a phone compass completely backwards because of touch screen gloves and once confused the only solution was to restart the phone
I get it makes " a line" to follow and just walk that way. But for me it's hard to tell you are walking the actual right direction until you go 50 yards or so. And even then it's just a rough direction. I'd rather just get the direct bearing, put away the phone, save battery, and shoot an azmith with my compass. And walk.
"Be nice if WapitiBob was on their payroll so he could instruct them on what and what not to do..."
It took less than 60 seconds of use before their new compass mode crapped out and also hosed up the zoom. They didn't test it, at all.
Hopefully they’ll make it optional and if you do decide to use it, your position will be back to the center of the screen.
Their current setup works good.
lol, thats funny. I was searching all over my app for an update that i thought i had done already. Then I see I have the most current version and No compass mode. That explains it. But, I dont think I would use it much anyway.
