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GPS wandering

At least once a week I have to give my “blue dot” speech to someone. Makes my head hurt.

If you want a waypoint that is close to where you believe it to be and is repeatable then the best bet is a differentially corrected handheld GPS unit (such as a WAAS enabled unit).

If you want convenience use an app on your phone.

Learn to read a map. Learn to look around. Learn how geometry works and how to make it work for you.
 
For spots I plan to access in the dark, I don't rely on GPS. There are obscure LEGAL ways to make landmarks. A pile of dead limbs in parallel is not illegal but very easy to spot. And there are usually natural landmarks. Scout these spots in good light, and take video of the approach. Point out the landmarks and review the video night before.
 
To add to that, a headlamp makes it harder to navigate and doing things like you’re talking about and following unmistakable terrain features make it easier.
 
I'm flabbergasted, bewildered, befuddled, and just plain confused.

I used my headlamp and GPS just this morning to hit an exact location 3/4 of a mile off the river. No tacks, no flagging tape...just my phone and a light and a ball compass on my backpack strap.

Could I do it with just a compass? Probably. Dad was COE and taught me basic land nav. But it seems weird not to use something as cool and handy as satellite-based electronic nav for more-or-less free when it's in my pocket.
 
thedutchtouch said:
Likely goes without saying and slightly tangential but don't trust the compass arrow direction on your phone while standing still as well, for some reason phones need motion to have the compass work correctly. Likely it's gps based and needs to triangulate off of multiple towers (and if standing still it only has a single triangle and guesses which way you're facing). I use my cheap pin on compass, my key chain compass or my compass i carry in my pack when it's dark and direction of travel matters.
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The compass on your phone needs to be calibrated occasionally. There is the option of doing in the Basemap app and also in Google maps and there should be a setting in your phone as well I believe

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Glad to hear I’m not the only one having issues with OnX. It’s never been real accurate (and I don’t expect it to be pinpoint) but lately I’ve had to ditch tracks because it’s “wandered” several miles in the course of a 20 minute walk. One time it had the audacity to ask me if I forgot to turn off the tracking feature because I’d travelled so far. My phone is several years old so I figured that was the reason and it may be a contributing factor. I’m going to recalibrate my compass as suggested and see if that helps.
 
I’m NOT an OnX fan in the least, but the app uses your phone’s GPS, not its own so I’m not sure it’s OnX’s fault (but everything else in the world is surely their fault so I’m cool with you blaming them if you wish to continue, lol).
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I've noticed the pin on Onx will wander around a bit, so I let it settle down before making the spot. I don't use the pin to find the spot again. If I am going in in the dark and looking for a spot, I will us the Garmin 64st. I don't trust the phone. Last year I was way back and had the compass feature out and notice that things were not adding up. The I noticed that according to my phone the sun was setting in the east. So, either the phone was wrong, or the solar system was out of whack.

I also have added a little ball compass I bought from Eastern Wood Outdoors to my backpack. It was only a few bucks and I really like having it there.

I always assume the gps or phone coordinate is only accurate to about 30 yards, give or take.
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I got one of the ball compass too at my local cabelas and it comes with a safety pin to clip on my sleeve…i use it dropping milkweed to confirm wind and determining the travel path of the sun and compare it to my phone yea I really like it too just I dunno maybe $9


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Dmathews87 said:
Battery saver mode can affect accuracy and as others have stated it could also be your hardware and a lower OS version. I had an issue on my android phone awhile back. updated app and my OS but it didnt clear up until i got a new phone that had a higher OS version. With Onx, also make sure you download offline maps and go offline when in field which also seems to help.
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Defintely! There are a lot of spots where I have no cell and found out the hard way so I try to remember to download that map from home then go offline at the site…and airplane mode if I’m real brave…lol


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I’ve never found phone nav to be very accurate and the associated apps are only as good as the phone. They are good enough to get you in and out and close but I find that my hand held gps gets me to the tree better, but it‘s not perfect either. I find that a limb leaned up against the tree I will be looking for works better than a gps.
 
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