On-X & similar applications.

[ntodwild]

On-X and other applications that are similar (Basemap in particular). SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

I am not looking to discuss which application is better or has more features but after using the features for a year now I can see the useful tools within these applications for things like e-scouting, public vs private land and much more. Those of you who use these applications know exactly what I speak of.

I spend plenty of time each year in the backcountry (66 days so far this year). My primary use for one of these applications is it's SAFETY features such as location sharing services (being able to locate and be located by others with the application). Scouting, land boundaries, e-scouting and all the various features of these apps are great while NOT in the field but when in the field......Having the ability to be located or locate hunting partner who may be in need of help or just the piece of mind of knowing when a loved one is or if they are safe is very helpful and is an amazing feature and one of the primary reasons I as well as all my hunting partners subscribed and downloaded one of these applications. I would say that given a full year of use I am extremely disappointed in this particular feature. It's reliance on cell coverage is the primary issue

Let me explain: All of these applications regardless of features, overlays, scouting info and anything else they offer have one major flaw that is easily discovered if your a backcountry hunter. It is a major flaw in my opinion! WITHOUT CELL SERVICE THE LOCATION SHARING SERVICES OF THESE APPLICATIONS ARE USELESS. They do not work at all. Unless you are within cell coverage areas the location services will not work as they are only operable with cell coverage. Within cell service areas it works fine but for those of us who are in the backcountry who wish to use this service as a safety feature consider something else because these application will only work as a GPS in the backcountry. There are various other items with these applications that also require cell coverage (overlays and other services).

Don't get me wrong, these applications and services are extremely helpful for the large majority of us outdoorsman and cell coverage areas are and will get better over time. I personally love the "all in one place" e-scouting these applications provide. Just be very aware that when you sign up and spend your hard earned money for a yearly subscription to one of these applications that many of these features disappear when cell service disappears so if you're a backcountry hunter this is something to consider. These technologies are amazing considering what they will do when cell coverage is available and as I said, it's only a matter of time before cell coverage is dominant in the backcountry.

Just something to be aware of if you are considering these services. I am not looking to make this a giant debate, more of an informative post for those considering one of these applications.

 

[kylemcintyre67]

I've only used Onx, so that is the only one I can respond to. They do not advertise the product as a locator service in the back country. The sharing info feature is so you can share overlays and such with your buddies.

 

[Estimator86]

Communication back and forth would be reliant on cell service, which is illegal in some western states (for hunting purposes) anyways, correct? As far as location goes, that is only reliant on GPS service. Download a parcel on OnX, turn your phone on airplane mode, and hit the "my location" button and it will find you, even in the middle of nowhere. You think the government would allow us these devices and not be able to track our every move.. Just sayin

 

[Deleted member 28227]

On-X and other applications that are similar (Basemap in particular). SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

I am not looking to discuss which application is better or has more features but after using the features for a year now I can see the useful tools within these applications for things like e-scouting, public vs private land and much more. Those of you who use these applications know exactly what I speak of.

I spend plenty of time each year in the backcountry (66 days so far this year). My primary use for one of these applications is it's SAFETY features such as location services (being able to locate and be located by others with the application). Scouting, land boundaries, e-scouting and all the various features of these apps are great while NOT in the field but when in the field......Having the ability to be located or locate hunting partner who may be in need of help or just the piece of mind of knowing when a loved one is or if they are safe is very helpful and is an amazing feature and one of the primary reasons I as well as all my hunting partners subscribed and downloaded one of these applications. I would say that given a full year of use I am extremely disappointed in this particular feature. It's reliance on cell coverage is the primary issue

Let me explain: All of these applications regardless of features, overlays, scouting info and anything else they offer have one major flaw that is easily discovered if your a backcountry hunter. It is a major flaw in my opinion! WITHOUT CELL SERVICE THE LOCATION SERVICES OF THESE APPLICATIONS ARE USELESS. They do not work at all. Unless you are within cell coverage areas the location services will not work as they are only operable with cell coverage. Within cell service areas it works fine but for those of us who are in the backcountry who wish to use this service as a safety feature consider something else because these application will only work as a GPS in the backcountry. There are various other items with these applications that also require cell coverage (overlays and other services).

Don't get me wrong, these applications and services are extremely helpful for the large majority of us outdoorsman and cell coverage areas are and will get better over time. I personally love the "all in one place" e-scouting these applications provide. Just be very aware that when you sign up and spend your hard earned money for a yearly subscription to one of these applications that many of these features disappear when cell service disappears so if you're a backcountry hunter this is something to consider. These technologies are amazing considering what they will do when cell coverage is available and as I said, it's only a matter of time before cell coverage is dominant in the backcountry.

Just something to be aware of if you are considering these services. I am not looking to make this a giant debate, more of an informative post for those considering one of these applications.

um... no

You clearly have no idea how your cellphone works.

All locational service work outside of coverage. All cell phones have a GPS antenna it works with both satellites and land based towers. The GPS via satellite connection can't send "data" text, calls, or otherwise and is solely locational. The location service works even while outside of network coverage, most of the services mentioned allow you to save map data and then work with the Satellite GPS connection to tell you where you area on the map. This works outside of coverage.

There are two systems that work in your phone towers GPS (satellites) AGPS (essentially towers) notice how sometimes when you pull up google maps the dot is in the correct part of town, but maybe 500 yards off and then it snaps into place. Essentially what is happening is when you first open the app AGPS is using the towers in your area to roughly determine your position, then after a bit the GPS kicks in and gives you your true position.

Could be a bit off on the numbers but essentially there are 28 GPS satellites maintained by the gov for free location use. Any communication is done via private satellite networks either Iridium or Globalstar.

If you are trying to send your location to someone, which is different than knowing where you are located you need a satellite communication device eg Garmin Mini, sat phone, spot, etc that runs on these later systems.

 

[MThuntr]

why are you not downloading the hunting areas before you get there?

Also I don't think these services are designed or intended to be used for locating your buddies. As far as I can tell InReach is just about the only reliable service that has mapping capabilities with communication without cell coverage. You need to download maps but you can get topo and ortho imagery for free (with the required service plan). They don't offer private land data but their public lands stuff is the same as all other companies.

 

[ntodwild]

um... no

You clearly have no idea how your cellphone works.

This is unfortunate and what I was trying to avoid. I have spoken directly with "Basemap" which is the application I was using and I have been assured that Cell phones have no GPS position transmission capability. Since then I have done a little poking and this is true. I strictly posted this as a way to educate others who may have chosen to use these services for similar reasons my hunt partners and I chose to use them. I did not intend for others on the forum to take my post personally as an attack on Basemap or ON-X. Purely educational. Unfortunate.

As for MTHunters post, yes I have downloaded offline maps and used the offline services within the app I was using (worked great). Yes I put the application through its paces with all that it offers both offline and on-line with cell coverage. As stated in my original post. I love the services of these applications unfortunately location sharing services as well as some of the other features are cell signal dependent.

Here is a quote from the Basemap Support Team.

"Hi Joe,

Thanks for reaching out to us. The Location Sharing feature requires cellular service to update. GPS signal is one way, in order to location share without cellular service it would require the device to have a transmitter such as a radio transmitter to broadcast its position to other devices. Most cellular devices do not have this functionality. If Location sharing was enabled when the device went out of cell service, it will share the last known location of the device before losing connection. Was the locations you were seeing your friend places they have been or was it showing them in places they have not been in at all?

Sincerely,
BaseMap Support Team"

 

[ntodwild]

My hope is that Wilm1313 just misunderstood my post. "Location Sharing" is a product of cellular service.

My hunt partners and I hunt in different areas of the backcountry yearly Many times we hunt out of a spike camp and each can find ourselves heading our own way for the day or two head one way and two head another. Knowing/transmitting our position to each other would be extremely helpful for many reason as you can imagine. Previously, if within radio contact it was easy enough to rattle GPS coordinates to each other, punch them in our GPS and whalla, I could get a really good idea of where my partner/partners are. Many times this was not feasible in the backcountry through radio coms so we decided to try one of the applications as they do advertise "location sharing" as a feature (both Basemap and ON-X).

 

[Deleted member 28227]

My hope is that Wilm1313 just misunderstood my post. "Location Sharing" is a product of cellular service.

My hunt partners and I hunt in different areas of the backcountry yearly Many times we hunt out of a spike camp and each can find ourselves heading our own way for the day or two head one way and two head another. Knowing/transmitting our position to each other would be extremely helpful for many reason as you can imagine. Previously, if within radio contact it was easy enough to rattle GPS coordinates to each other, punch them in our GPS and whalla, I could get a really good idea of where my partner/partners are. Many times this was not feasible in the backcountry through radio coms so we decided to try one of the applications as they do advertise "location sharing" as a feature (both Basemap and ON-X).

Yeah I guess I just kinda thought that it was obvious a cell phone couldn’t send a message without service.

Most confusion stems from the fact that people assume they can’t recieve a signal as well.

If you both get an inReach you can do exactly what you want to do anywhere in the world.

Also technically you can transmit way-points to each other without cell coverage via airdrop, but the range is very limited. Good option if your at camp and want to give your buddy a route to follow the next day or something like that.

 

[WapitiBob]

Or a Garmin rhino