Sponsored

OnX app sucks!

rubicon4wheeler

Well-Known Member
First Name
Geoff
Joined
Jan 1, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
222
Reaction score
362
Location
Sierra Nevada, California
Vehicle(s)
2022 Gladiator Rubicon Diesel
Occupation
Safety Supervisor
I have subscribed to both OnX Offroad and Gaia for a few years, and I MUCH prefer Gaia. For one thing, it doesn't limit me to little tiny map areas to download one after another after another after another like OnX does. And Gaia offers an almost unlimited number of map layers to choose from. I keep hearing people rave about OnX, but I just don't get it. The interface is clunky, I'm stuck with their choice of map layers, and I find that every time I start out using it I just give up and go back to Gaia. I need to stop my OnX subscription.
Sponsored

 

BearFootSam

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jim
Joined
Oct 12, 2022
Threads
9
Messages
674
Reaction score
950
Location
PNW
Vehicle(s)
22' Gladiator Rubicon
Occupation
Fed
I’ve had OnX, Gaia, and Avenza leave me high and dry all at once onetime in the backcountry. Did not like that at all, had to paper map my way out.

After that experience i paid what’s honestly a ridiculous amount of money for the Garmin Tread Overland 8”, so I would have a constant satellite GPS fallback if need be. I don’t feel like getting into all the details of it, but overall, I’d say buying that Tread was one of the best and most useful pieces of off-road equipment I’ve ever bought. The amount of times it’s gotten our group out of sticky routing decisions is almost immeasurable.
I got the OnX trial after purchase as well and the best feature i've found is the property line and owners which are helpful hunting. I've had a Garmin Overlander for a couple of years and have honestly thought it was awesome, but you have to pay $65 per state for property line data.

Paper maps are my favorite but for driving the Garmin has served me well across the country. It is reasonably easy to get the FS multi use maps data loaded in and the fact that it works offline has been handy when my itinerary deviates from the original plan.

OnX's integration with the uConnect is nice but I'm still not sold on having to know what map data needs to be downloaded in advance and then hoping it works off grid.
 

Chad1376

Active Member
First Name
Chad
Joined
Dec 27, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
31
Reaction score
119
Location
Henderson, Nevada
Vehicle(s)
2022 Mojave
Occupation
Civil Engineer
I did the free trial for OnX and cancelled before they charged my card. The app kept overheating my phone, (it was well ventalated on a 50-degree day). Many smaller trails weren't there, and offline "high resoulution" aerial was too low-res to be usefull.

Right now, I'm trying to "roll my own" using QGIS, OSM data, other GIS resourses. I'm hoping to create detailed info for areas we're most likely to explore (1 day-ish radius.) I need to get file sizes small enough to run on a wimpy Windows tablet. Decent aerial probably isn't possible due to file sizes, but I might be able to incorporate some USGS topo. It'll be an effort to get it to work the way I envision.
 

Chad1376

Active Member
First Name
Chad
Joined
Dec 27, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
31
Reaction score
119
Location
Henderson, Nevada
Vehicle(s)
2022 Mojave
Occupation
Civil Engineer
Just geeking out on what can be done with free GIS data, in free QGIS. Here's some progress on compiling complete offline map data for my area. Roads and trails are from open source Open Street Map (OSM), and topo (10 meter contours) are from USGS. I'm 99% sure OnX and other apps are using OSM data. This is all a work in progress, and It'll take some time to get it to work the way I want.

Here's southern Nevada (Clark County). I'm compiling info for surrounding counties in AZ, CA and UT too.

Jeep Gladiator OnX app sucks! i-g4Q4S5b-XL


With this you have complete control over how information is shown. I have trails in red.
Jeep Gladiator OnX app sucks! i-zW5VQSn-L


QGIS is able to provide live GPS location. Creating routes isn't do-able though. File sizes are big, and I'll probably need a beefier laptop to get it to work smoothly. QGIS does allow custom menus that can be "dumbed down" to make it easier to use for touch screens, although it isn't perfect.

Bonus, if you can get cell service and a hot-spot going, you can bring in Google imagary.
Jeep Gladiator OnX app sucks! i-jSVK2wZ-XL
 

Sponsored

Orange01z28

Well-Known Member
First Name
Andrew
Joined
Aug 19, 2020
Threads
69
Messages
1,420
Reaction score
1,814
Location
Queen Creek Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2020 JTR
Seriously the app sucks.

a week ago I reminded myself, while out on a popular trail and no cell phone service/ in and out of airplane mode. I opened up my onX app, that I paid the $30 bucks for, and had a blank screen on my iPhone 13 pro max and nothing on my CarPlay.

I sent an email to onX explaining what I saw and ran across. really honestly, semi slow to reply and asked basic tech questions” did you have the latest app update, when was the last time you updated the maps… Ummm …yeah I did. Hell I’ve even reset my phone.

fast forward to today… I made sure to have the latest app update from the store, I updated all my saved offline maps.

I drove through an area that has no cell phone signals to where the”offline” maps are supposedly to work. And…opened the app… and nothing! Frick!!! Why!!!! No !!! Map!!!! If you watch all the “YouTubers” that promote the crap out of this app… you think it’s the save all app no matter where your at in the USA.

I find it a crap app. I’m including the snapshots of where I was without “cell signal” and what I saw. Oh and google offline maps… work perfectly and they are free!
Again imo

ps… I do a lot of travel that requires being in out of cell service … I just don’t understand why our cell phones have to be connected all the time for apps to work. I’m looking at you Apple Music. I had to downloaded my entire library a freakish way just to have my own bought music to play while in a “offline” situation…Apple really doesn’t care either fyi. And neither does the cell phone carriers… that’s why they just pocket your money and not build infrastructure.

97BD915B-5301-4DFB-BD51-D8D99A88E279.png


735AB7C5-2C7C-4619-94A1-DB9D3C6AB09C.png


3992A467-B7B7-4AE6-962B-F26007128289.png


4F5FBA7D-BC8D-4FA3-AC9D-2B72EA01C3A3.png


41E08B1F-6126-4E34-8C14-B36A07A0A06E.png


5913457D-3A19-48E2-B53B-0A5CD3F4FC7C.png


E73B4CA7-91E3-4F1C-A30C-0E74C651DC97.png


AD774D9C-6349-4814-93A3-BD550ACEBB3A.png


C08CDE49-3197-4958-A016-173ECC102DE3.png


98FDE662-111F-4ABC-BA74-E48985B3AED4.png
Same thing happened to me

I ditched it and stuck with Gaia which i have always used

I used the money I was paying to OnX to Trails Offroad instead
 

KC_H

Well-Known Member
First Name
KC
Joined
Mar 31, 2021
Threads
6
Messages
172
Reaction score
200
Location
Florida
Vehicle(s)
Gladiator Rubicon
Occupation
Retired
I ditched both Gaia and OnX in favor a Garmin Tread 5.5 Base model. At least the garmin will not strand me in the boonies...
 
Last edited:

PlayfulBird

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2022
Threads
22
Messages
749
Reaction score
803
Location
Germany
Vehicle(s)
JT 2020 Rubicon Gobi
I wanted to see if I can map or use it in Europe. Got asked 50times for my credit card, heck guys, how about you first check where the user is located with your fancy software. What's the chance that someone wants to pay that kinda money if there is no info for the area
Sponsored

 
 







Top