Technical On X Map Question

[Bluemoon]

For those using the On X map application, do you prefer to use it on your hand held GPS or on your smart phone?
Thanks for the input..

[KFhunter]

I've got a rino, it just sits in the truck now.  I never could convince the rest of my hunting peeps to get more rino's. I even contemplated buying them one but they'd just leave in the the truck.

I now use my phone for everything.  The only thing I give up by not having the rino is in areas w/o cell coverage I can't send my current location to my hunting partner/s.  Typically I'm alone anyways though.


I upgraded my old samsung s4 with crappy GPS for a new S9 plus which has a much better GPS system, that way I didn't need to purchase a bluetooth GPS puck like Elf or Garmin to accurize my GPS on the phone.

[Stalkin Prey]

I prefer my smart phone. I still carry my Garmin with the chip as a backup but the app on my phone hands down is my go to. I had a lot of issues with onX right before my seasons kicked off last year and posted on here about it and they’ve fixed the issues with the app that I was having.


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[E35alex]

I used to use handheld gps. Then tried out the phone option. Won't ever go back to handheld gps. Phone has way more options. You can download the images. And view everything on your computer later. With handheld, you have to download what you saved. 

[cbond3318]

I much prefer my smart phone to the GPS. It can be a bit of a pain pre downloading the maps if you'll be in an area with no cell coverage but the downloadable area is huge.

[KFhunter]

I much prefer my smart phone to the GPS. It can be a bit of a pain pre downloading the maps if you'll be in an area with no cell coverage but the downloadable area is huge.

 

I do high res where I've dropped a lot of pins,  med res around places most likely to hunt, and low res for pretty much most of the state should I find myself out of cell coverage needing a basic map. 

I hunt in a lot of offline only areas, so I have a lot of storage on the cell phone, I put in a high quality SD card with super fast read/write, if you want those huge maps to pull up quickly get a pro level SD card for recording 4k video.

[Bob33]

In the field I always use a GPS. It's more weather resistant and durable than my phone, has better battery life and battery replacement is easier and cheaper, and if damaged is less expensive to replace. There's no online/offline to mess: turn it on, and it works.

[KFhunter]

In the field I always use a GPS. It's more weather resistant and durable than my phone, has better battery life and battery replacement is easier and cheaper, and if damaged is less expensive to replace. There's no online/offline to mess: turn it on, and it works.

Good argument, I too carry my GPS with fully charged battery and if I'm going deep it'll go in my pack.   But I sure love dropping pins on my cell phone and sharing with my brother, so they both go. 

As for the cell phone my new one I used it a full day and it got down to 85% battery     
A battery charging pack will take care of any dead battery issues.

I love the wireless charging, but after reading about it online it does generate heat, so I only use the wireless charger to top off the battery and not bring it up from very low battery life.  The slower plug in charger is easier on the battery.

Speaking of which, I'm going to get me a battery pack now from amazon 

Looks like I need a USB-C battery pack for the new phone

[Karl Blanchard]

I run a phone exclusively.  Bigger screen, better image, don't have to spend a fortune on batteries, already carrying it into the field anyways.  Put a good case on it and the odds of breaking it are probably no better than breaking a handheld gps (no doubt a GPS unit is mlre stout though). 

[grundy53]

Smart phone

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[Stein]

Phone, seven days a week and twice on Sunday.


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[X-Force]

I run a phone exclusively.  Bigger screen, better image, don't have to spend a fortune on batteries, already carrying it into the field anyways.  Put a good case on it and the odds of breaking it are probably no better than breaking a handheld gps (no doubt a GPS unit is mlre stout though). 

[pianoman9701]

Rino. When I have the big one out there, it'll be nice to key the mic so they know where to find the body.

[3dvapor]

phone,  and never looked back!!

[X-Force]

Rino. When I have the big one out there, it'll be nice to key the mic so they know where to find the body.

[OltHunter]

I put my cell phone in the life saving category.  I want max battery and for it to be used as communication only.  USB chargers can die, it might be left at the tent/truck, cord my not work or get lost and if you've been using your phone exploring a whole new area, marking points, and only a few miles from the truck with cell phone service, you slip and fall and become immobile and realize you have 1% battery left, you probably aren't going to be able to call for help. 

And yes, I also carry an InReach as a backup communicator.  And don't have the InReach+ for the same reasons, that I want a dedicated GPS, a dedicated Phone, and a dedicated Sat communicator.

That is my world....hopefully you aren't as crazy as me though and can find a better balance! 

I exclusively use my GPS, it's not much hassle to load KML files from BaseCamp to OnX for checking out online or your app when back in the city/home/work or from OnX to Basecamp to keep them synced.

Outside of the woods, I use OnX almost daily online and sometimes on my phone.

 

[banishd]

Phone with inreach backup. Picked up a luci solar light that recharges my phone to 50% when the solar charge is full, more if you use it in the sun. I keep my phone on airplane mode and 50% charge is a lot more than i need for a days use. Have used rhinos but unless everyone has the higher wattage ones they are basically just a gps with a small screen in mountainous terrain.

[Elkcollector82]

Phone with inreach backup. Picked up a luci solar light that recharges my phone to 50% when the solar charge is full, more if you use it in the sun. I keep my phone on airplane mode and 50% charge is a lot more than i need for a days use. Have used rhinos but unless everyone has the higher wattage ones they are basically just a gps with a small screen in mountainous terrain.

 

[Karl Blanchard]

I put my cell phone in the life saving category.  I want max battery and for it to be used as communication only.  USB chargers can die, it might be left at the tent/truck, cord my not work or get lost and if you've been using your phone exploring a whole new area, marking points, and only a few miles from the truck with cell phone service, you slip and fall and become immobile and realize you have 1% battery left, you probably aren't going to be able to call for help. 

And yes, I also carry an InReach as a backup communicator.  And don't have the InReach+ for the same reasons, that I want a dedicated GPS, a dedicated Phone, and a dedicated Sat communicator.

That is my world....hopefully you aren't as crazy as me though and can find a better balance! 

I exclusively use my GPS, it's not much hassle to load KML files from BaseCamp to OnX for checking out online or your app when back in the city/home/work or from OnX to Basecamp to keep them synced.

Outside of the woods, I use OnX almost daily online and sometimes on my phone.

 

personally I'm never going to rely on my cell phone for emergency help while I'm on the mountain.  Some of the places I hunt I'd be an hour  drive just to get service and I can forget about service while on the mountain.  If the inreach won't get out, my cellphone sure as heck won't. 

[dscubame]

Hmmmm. All these comments are going to have me making a go with the phone this year. 

Does the onx chip go in the phone like it does in the Rhino?

[CP]

Can I pipe it into my truck's Synch 3 with Android Auto?

[CAMPMEAT]

MotionX is good app for a $2.12 download. Runs off of satellites. I've taken it out in the desert and it kept track of us to the T. I downloaded it on my iPhone 7 and iPad.

[ghosthunter]

Rhinos all the way.
Don’t own a smart phone or want one.

[WAElkhunter89]

Might be a dumb question, but if you exclusively use your smart phone and the OnX app, what do you do for actually dropping pins for a trail you've taken or so you know where you are on a map? The areas I hunt there is virtually no cell service. Just curious as I know with a Rhino it will pin point your position.

[Bob33]

Might be a dumb question, but if you exclusively use your smart phone and the OnX app, what do you do for actually dropping pins for a trail you've taken or so you know where you are on a map? The areas I hunt there is virtually no cell service. Just curious as I know with a Rhino it will pin point your position.

Phones have GPS units built in.

[Bluemoon]

Thank you all for your input.  Now I am really confused on which way to go.  My situation is I am moving my guide service from N.C. Montana (Where I know every fence post) to eastern Montana.  So I need a system to keep me on our leases which is entwined which other properties.  Please keep the feedback coming.

[X-Force]

Might be a dumb question, but if you exclusively use your smart phone and the OnX app, what do you do for actually dropping pins for a trail you've taken or so you know where you are on a map? The areas I hunt there is virtually no cell service. Just curious as I know with a Rhino it will pin point your position.

The GPS on your phone doesn't need cell service and having a detailed downloaded map with overlays makes zero cell service a non issue.