Brunton pin on compass (new model)

[NH Hunter]

Not trying to be a smart ass but, how about OnX?? The offline maps seem to still be fairly accurate. You’d probably want to carry a spare power bar though. Hal seemed to like it.

I have it, and I used it this year. It's alright, but it also has its features I'm not a fan of. The navigation portion of Onyx out right sucks to be honest. The point in the compass for me is just a quick look down, "yup going the right way" and continue. I could pull a hand held compass out every time if I wanted to .

It's not a big deal. I thought more guys used these. The purpose of the post was to just give everyone who does buy and use them , the quality control doesn't appear to be what someone using the product has been accustomed to.

 

[338 Bear Hunter]

I'm not keen on relying on a complex, powered device for basic navigation. I make extensive use of my GPS, but won't go into the woods without an analog compass.

 

[longbow]

I have it, and I used it this year. It's alright, but it also has its features I'm not a fan of. The navigation portion of Onyx out right sucks to be honest. The point in the compass for me is just a quick look down, "yup going the right way" and continue. I could pull a hand held compass out every time if I wanted to .

It's not a big deal. I thought more guys used these. The purpose of the post was to just give everyone who does buy and use them , the quality control doesn't appear to be what someone using the product has been accustomed to.

I find the greatest benefit of something like ONX to be the ability to go into an unfamiliar area and be able to see all the new surrounding roads, cuts, streams, and your location in relation to them. A game changer. Something that we only dreamed about when I first started hunting. Now if we could just get an APP that showed the location of the bucks.

 

[338 Bear Hunter]

I find the greatest benefit of something like ONX to be the ability to go into an unfamiliar area and be able to see all the new surrounding roads, cuts, streams, and your location in relation to them. A game changer. Something that we only dreamed about when I first started hunting. Now if we could just get an APP that showed the location of the bucks.

Someday, you'll be able to afford your own satellite, or at least a timeshare on one. Add some good AI software and you'll have real-time buck data. The premium apps will even estimate size and point for you.

 

[longbow]

Someday, you'll be able to afford your own satellite, or at least a timeshare on one. Add some good AI software and you'll have real-time buck data. The premium apps will even estimate size and point for you.

Thermal imaging with a drone is pretty effective also. Check out this drone wounded deer recovery video. Skip to 3:40 if you don't want to watch the whole thing.

 

[lester2]

I

I've had onx on my phone for a few years doesn't seem to use much battery juice.

I'm not keen on relying on a complex, powered device for basic navigation. I make extensive use of my GPS, but won't go into the woods without an analog compass.

I’ve used OnX for a couple of years now. It’s so much more than basic navigation, as longbow said. The ability to see the terrain you are on in real time is an immense help, big or small woods. I’ve used it in Maine, vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Ohio. My gps now sits idle. I can share my location and waypoints with hunting partners in real time who also use the app, get public and private land boundaries and names and addresses (sometimes) of property owners. And oh, yes I can do go to’s and navigate with it too. I do carry a charger to charge my phone if the battery goes down, and I also carry a couple of good old fashioned compasses just in case. 30 years in the Army taught me more about land navigation than most will ever know but I’ll never enter the woods without one in my pocket.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

I love it now, but mostly because it saves me a LOT of non-hunting distance at the end of the day. In years past, I might have to leave the woods 2hrs before dark because I only know the general direction I need to go, in order to find my truck. And I might hit the road a couple miles away from the truck. Now, I can stay on a track longer because I can see exactly what direction to go for the shortest route to the truck. Oh, and if it happens to lead me to a cliff/pond/swamp, or any other hurdle, I can adjust. However, like NHH says, I use it to find the most efficient path back to the rig, get a bearing, and then use my ball compass all the way back. I think the people trying to "navigate" by it are also the ones that have battery life issues - but thats just a guess.

 

[longbow]

I love it now, but mostly because it saves me a LOT of non-hunting distance at the end of the day. In years past, I might have to leave the woods 2hrs before dark because I only know the general direction I need to go, in order to find my truck. And I might hit the road a couple miles away from the truck. Now, I can stay on a track longer because I can see exactly what direction to go for the shortest route to the truck. Oh, and if it happens to lead me to a cliff/pond/swamp, or any other hurdle, I can adjust. However, like NHH says, I use it to find the most efficient path back to the rig, get a bearing, and then use my ball compass all the way back. I think the people trying to "navigate" by it are also the ones that have battery life issues - but thats just a guess.

I just got a new iPhone and I had it on all day using the Onyx app and I was at about 70% left at the end of the day. Phone was on airplane mode with no cell service.

 

[NH Mountains]

I love it now, but mostly because it saves me a LOT of non-hunting distance at the end of the day. In years past, I might have to leave the woods 2hrs before dark because I only know the general direction I need to go, in order to find my truck. And I might hit the road a couple miles away from the truck. Now, I can stay on a track longer because I can see exactly what direction to go for the shortest route to the truck. Oh, and if it happens to lead me to a cliff/pond/swamp, or any other hurdle, I can adjust. However, like NHH says, I use it to find the most efficient path back to the rig, get a bearing, and then use my ball compass all the way back. I think the people trying to "navigate" by it are also the ones that have battery life issues - but thats just a guess.

Yeah and when Duke shoots the big buck he sends you his location so you can come and drag.

 

[NH Hunter]

I am happy with my 29.99 subscription to Onyx. Still think the new Brunton ball compasses are pieces of shit though. Not happy with the return policy or pain trying to get it solved. If I didn't care about having 3 hours more into it, I could have replacements. I've got bigger fish to fry with my custom set of golf irons that were suppose to take a week, then a month , now the "arrival date" is 3/28.

I just received a replacement handle for my stiletto hammer that took 2.5 weeks to arrive. It was "lost in transit" for a week and a half. To say I've had shit luck with "just order it" mentality is a massive understatement.

 

[Flatlander]

My boat has radar , depth finder , and a gps chart plotter but I'm still constantly eye balling my compass.

 

[338 Bear Hunter]

I


I’ve used OnX for a couple of years now. It’s so much more than basic navigation, as longbow said. The ability to see the terrain you are on in real time is an immense help, big or small woods. I’ve used it in Maine, vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Ohio. My gps now sits idle. I can share my location and waypoints with hunting partners in real time who also use the app, get public and private land boundaries and names and addresses (sometimes) of property owners. And oh, yes I can do go to’s and navigate with it too. I do carry a charger to charge my phone if the battery goes down, and I also carry a couple of good old fashioned compasses just in case. 30 years in the Army taught me more about land navigation than most will ever know but I’ll never enter the woods without one in my pocket.

Nothing against OnX or similar apps. I simply do not consider them a substitute for an analog compass. Still considering getting a smartphone for this main purpose of running OnX or something like it.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

I just got a new iPhone and I had it on all day using the Onyx app and I was at about 70% left at the end of the day. Phone was on airplane mode with no cell service.

Agreed. I think its the people that are not using airplane mode and "navigating" with it that kill their batteries.

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Yeah and when Duke shoots the big buck he sends you his location so you can come and drag.

He knows he'd get more pulling horsepower by calling his big brother...

 

[sneaky_pete000]

Nothing against OnX or similar apps. I simply do not consider them a substitute for an analog compass. Still considering getting a smartphone for this main purpose of running OnX or something like it.

I used to be the same way. Then years ago my compass broke when I fell. The irony was funny to me...everyone complains about not relying on an electronic device, but a compass is just as easy to lose or break. The lesson I took away is that redundancy is the key, regardless of the device.

 

[NH Mountains]

Agreed. I think its the people that are not using airplane mode and "navigating" with it that kill their batteries.

I had an iPhone a few years ago that would die with 50% charge if it was below 0. The only was I could get it back in the field was to connect it to a battery pack. My current one doesn’t die in the cold. At least yet.

 

[longbow]

Agreed. I think its the people that are not using airplane mode and "navigating" with it that kill their batteries.

Yes I leave the tracking feature on all the time, so at the end the day I can go back and share it with my partner. But it’s in my inside jacket pocket most of the time take it out occasionally to mark things, or to see exactly where I’m at. I think having it on airplane mode is the key so it’s not always searching for a signal.

 

[Meatseeker]

In my opinion, the compass offers a great safety redundancy to let you know what direction you are going so that you can navigate back to a road or other civilization features if your electronics fail. OnX and the like are very powerful geo-referencing, navigation, and mapping tools. Being able to study terrain features (elevation, rivers, lakes, swamps, ravines) is invaluable for identifying areas to scout and also areas to avoid when trying to get back to the truck. A compass can't do that for you. I find OnX especially useful when going into new areas. It might be the most valuable advancement in hunting technology in the last 25 years.

They both have there place, but comparing the a compass to OnX is like comparing a cannon ball to a laser guided bomb. Just my opinion.

 

[longbow]

I find OnX especially useful when going into new areas. It might be the most valuable advancement in hunting technology in the last 25 years.

They both have there place, but comparing the a compass to OnX is like comparing a cannon ball to a laser guided bomb. Just my opinion.

More than that, I would say it, (GPS navigation, with aerial imagery), is the most important and biggest advancement in aiding and assisting big woods hunters since it all started, late 1800's. Right up there with the internal combustion engine.