Problem with OnX showing you facing the wrong direction?

[AA_Jeeper]

I was hitting some easy trails last weekend and testing out OnX maps when I ran into an interesting issue.

The problem- when I put my phone onto my Bulletpoint magnetic mount, OnX thinks I'm going backwards. In the photo below, I am driving "down". I scratched my head for a few minutes until I figured this out. When I remove it from the mount, it starts tracking properly after about 30 seconds.

Interestingly, Google maps, Waze , and all other navigation apps work fine on the magnetic mount, it's just OnX that's the issue. This is pretty annoying with the cost of both the mount and OnX subscription - yes I know, 1st world problem.

I'm assuming OnX uses compass and accelerometer, while Google maps uses GPS change in location? I've searched the forums and am wondering if anyone else has experienced the issue, and if there's a setting fix? Or am I SOL and just need to do a different mount.

Pic: when I put the phone on the magnetic mount, OnX registers me as driving "downwards" in this map:

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[walleyecrazy]

That is very odd. I use OnX for my offroad maps as well as a bulletpoint magnetic mount, and I don’t have this problem at all. Mine acts perfectly normal wether on the mount or not.

 

[MikesMojito]

You can try going into Google Maps and running a calibration to see if that clears it up, if Maps is working fine, but this app isn't, it's likely not that.

Check your app permissions and make sure it has full access to all the requested things. Sometimes, if an app is missing permission to a certain feed, things can get wonky.

Try turning on High Accuracy Mode and seeing if it's trying to use that, and it wasn't enabled.

Settings > Location > Location Services > Google Location Accuracy "ON"

There's also a location permission for apps (outside of app requested permissions) in this area of settings.

 

[3arl0fBruce]

It might also have something to do with your speed when using ON-X vs Google Maps. Most navigation apps have a speed threshold where they switch from internal compass and accelerometer to GPS for speed and direction. If you are always crawling when using ON-X, GPS may not have enough data to properly determine your heading, and so the compass is used, which is absolutely affected by any nearby magnets.

Try going faster with ON-X, or crawl speed with Google Maps to see if behavior between the two apps is similar.

 

[Still Jeepin]

Did you check the map orientation setting? If it is set to north up that would show you traveling down on the screen, if you were heading south. Gary

 

[agentdr8]

I've noticed this behavior in OnX too, and just assumed it was an app-related issue. GMaps/Waze work just fine, regardless of mount.

When using OnX to navigate a trail, the heading arrow is always pointing in the wrong direction for me, and the map display never seems to center when I get close to the edge of the screen.

 

[AA_Jeeper]

I did some more testing today, still have the issue, though it may not be completely related to the magnetic mount.

1. I started again with the magnetic mount and took a video of OnX showing me going backwards.
2. I removed the device from the magnetic mount and put it onto a non-magnetic mount with no "recalibration." OnX then showed me going sideways.
3. I recalibrated by rotating the phone multiple times, then back to the non-magnetic mount. Better- now my arrow is pointing about 45 degrees to the right
4. I recalibrated again longer, non-magnetic mount, now showing proper orientation of the arrow.
5. I put it back on the magnetic mount, and it stayed properly oriented.

Now I'm very confused- does anyone have a contact for OnX support or is OnX on here? This is pretty annoying.

Also, to confirm settings:

• @MikesMojito I confirmed the high location accuracy is on
• @3arl0fBruce the speed was between 12-15 mph on my street, great 5G signal, no blocking buildings or trees, etc.
• @Still Jeepin the orientation is set for the angled view, not "north up."
• My phone is a Pixel 10 pro
• I do not see a method of calibrating inside the Google Maps app?

 

[AA_Jeeper]

Video on magnetic mount

 

[AA_Jeeper]

Video on non-magnetic mount

 

[GRAK]

Very strange. I literally had to get out and walk around w/ phone to get it to update position, to figure out which trail to take at a 4 way Xroads

 

[AA_Jeeper]

Small update- I reached out to OnX support and got on the phone with Lindsay. She was super nice and helpful- props to their tech support department. I did a few other tests including:

1. Changing the battery setting to remove optimization
2. Testing without the phone case on the phone.
3. Took a video showing going from OnX to Waze to Trails Offroad. OnX is the only one where the dot is going in the right direction, but the arrow is facing the wrong direction (causing me to not be able to see where I'm going)

After conferring with their engineers, she said this is a known issue with some versions of head units and they're working to fix it, but do not have a timeline for a fix.

Bummer, but hopefully it gets fixed. I MUCH prefer the OnX navigation maps over Trails Offroad.

 

[3arl0fBruce]

I did some more testing today, still have the issue, though it may not be completely related to the magnetic mount.

1. I started again with the magnetic mount and took a video of OnX showing me going backwards.
2. I removed the device from the magnetic mount and put it onto a non-magnetic mount with no "recalibration." OnX then showed me going sideways.
3. I recalibrated by rotating the phone multiple times, then back to the non-magnetic mount. Better- now my arrow is pointing about 45 degrees to the right
4. I recalibrated again longer, non-magnetic mount, now showing proper orientation of the arrow.
5. I put it back on the magnetic mount, and it stayed properly oriented.

Now I'm very confused- does anyone have a contact for OnX support or is OnX on here? This is pretty annoying.

Also, to confirm settings:

• @MikesMojito I confirmed the high location accuracy is on
• @3arl0fBruce the speed was between 12-15 mph on my street, great 5G signal, no blocking buildings or trees, etc.
• @Still Jeepin the orientation is set for the angled view, not "north up."
• My phone is a Pixel 10 pro
• I do not see a method of calibrating inside the Google Maps app?

12-15 mph should be sufficient speed for GPS to determine direction without using the compass. I don’t know about ON-X, but I’m fairly certain that many of the navigation apps use speed and position data provided by the vehicle when connected via CarPlay / AndroidAuto. Just to add another variable.

 

[AA_Jeeper]

12-15 mph should be sufficient speed for GPS to determine direction without using the compass. I don’t know about ON-X, but I’m fairly certain that many of the navigation apps use speed and position data provided by the vehicle when connected via CarPlay / AndroidAuto. Just to add another variable.

That sounds consistent with what the OnX rep said - an issue with some head units.

 

[Terrymo]

That sounds consistent with what the OnX rep said - an issue with some head units.

So just to clarify. It the magnetic phone mount a factor?

 

[AA_Jeeper]

So just to clarify. It the magnetic phone mount a factor?

It does not seem to be correlating strongly to the magnetic mount. The performance in my testing today was worse than the previous tests, and the direction of travel is staying wrong. More consistently in both the magnetic and non-magnetic mounts.

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