1. Because you bought a GPS without maps.
2. Because a GPS is slightly more complex than a toaster.
3. There is a learning curve.

For maps you have these choices:

Buy maps from Garmin. GB Explorer might fit the bill, because you want contours. City Navigator doesn't have them. Bear in mind that maps will become outdated and updates cost money, too, unless you pay up-front for lifetime updates.

Find and install 3rd party maps. If you look at garmin.openstreetmap.nl you should be able to figure out how to download a map of GB. From the available options choose the Mapsource install file, which installs also into Basecamp. (I understand that you have BC installed.) This is an executable (program) file, so you just double-click it and follow the instructions. You can then send the maps from BC to your GPS.

Don't give up yet!

Take a look at this link and see if it helps you: FREE British Isles, UK and Ireland Maps Home (talkytoaster)

Something you should understand... If you download a GMAPSUPP file, you cannot view that on your PC, with or without Mapsource/Basecamp... not without a LOT of messing and software and knowledge
These files are for use ONLY on the GPS unit.

Download the ????.MapSource.zip version of the files to use in BC or MS. You can then send the whole lot, or a subset, to your device (or you can save it to a file and copy it to the SD card later), from Mapsource/Bascamp - the file generated will be a GMAPSUPP file format. You can rename it on the unit or before you send/copy it.

On the Montana, you can call it what you like - eg. LocalTracks.img
The file must be located in the \Garmin\ directory in the unit OR in a directory of the same name on the SD card and it MUST have the .img file extension .

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers,
John

Thanks guys. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I am learning fast. When I bought the unit I managed to confuse myself and the sales guy over Garmin GB Discoverer and Memory Map Discoverer. I have a regional Memory Map and an offer to upgrade to UK coverage. I thought the products were one and the same. me and the sales guy were clearly talking cross-purposes which is why I ended up with a unit and no maps.

I found talkytoaster just this morning and it looks promising. Will have a go later. I thought I was reasonably OK with computers and probably will be once I really start using the Garmin, but at the moment it seems so confusing.

Yes, Stick with it.

I bought a Montana with no maps, and it took me a little while to figure out how to load them, and in the end it was easier than I thought. When you plug the GPS into the computer using an USB lead, you see the gps as remote drive, and you can navigate your way around the directories on the gps. From the root directory on the GPS, there is a Garmin directory. Copy any maps you have downloaded to that directory (ignore the subdirectories that are in there), and it then reads them and uses the next time to switch it on.

to be clear, it the /garmin directory that you are interested in.

This is an alternative way to doing it than running mapsource, it's neither better or worse than mapsource, just different.

Merv.

Done it. Downloaded some maps from talkytoaster, unzipped them, and copied onto the Garmin drive on the device. bier Easy once I got the right unzip package installed and working - that was my main problem I thought the files were unzipping but clearly weren't.

I had a little moment when I installed two maps onto the garmin and it locked up - I had to get into mass storage mode and delete one of the maps. I think I need to rename the unzipped files.

But....... the routing on the map I have downloaded is, umm, interesting and cant seem to cope with anything other than local routing.

Oh, and for the avoidance of doubt I am a very very good navigator with loads of experience in orienteering and adventure racing - maps make me happy and have I never bothered with a GPS as I have never felt the need, but will be travelling in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana soon and was strongly advised to use a sat nav - montana 600 recommended. Its the new technical terms that I dont quite get (yet) that send me into a spin, and frankly I think that Garmin really need to work on their user interface and processes, coz its crap really. I am sure I will get into it soon.

Some very useful information coming up now but it's more a problem of not being particularily computer literate. Some of us need to learn one small step at a time - getting there slowly I think.

The Montana will be a fantastic device if I can ever master it and if not I might be knocking on Bertrand's door if you are thinking of setting up school!

I wonder if they will bring one out with bluetooth?

surely someone could post a simple tutorial for us GPS dummies...

If that's where your off to (Africa), then definitly get the maps / waypoints from tracks4africa.

They have all sorts of waypoints - mobile phone masts, fuel, sundowner spots, hippo pools. Superb.

Enjoy!
Merv.

hi guys,

i am thinking of changing my 60CSx and I have already bough one 62s which I did not like after 3 months and sold it right away (many problems, especially with the software and sound)

now, i am considering to buy a montana while i am in the usa. although i have read all the treads on hubb and some other reviews from the web, i have some more questions regarding to montana.

1- I would like to use it on the motorbike and in the car. i have noticed that montana hasn't got any speaker and it has to be connected to a speaker. is it right? can anyone give me some more info about its turn by turn voice? where do i have to connect it in the car? (dont tell me aux of the car stereo)

2- what about on the bike? do i have to put some speakers to the bike (silly!!)?

3- does the original montana mount has any speaker or has it just got the speaker connection?

4- any garmin or oem mount for the motorbike which also has a power/audio connection?

5- how about the software? the software of the 62s was really crap. freezes frequently and garmin did not give many support. also it has this reset odometer problem and low voice.

i am quite happy with my old 60CSx. however, it is slow and take ages to connect to the satellite when it is cold. 62 had better connection, but again the software was crap.

any info appreciated.

hope this helps:D

fantastic info betrand. thanks a lot!

I had a play with a Montana running the OS Discoverer maps and its brill so am going to take the plunge a buy a copy. Question on the best format...

I understand that an SD card can be used in any compatible device - good; And that in order to view the maps on my PC I need basecamp (got) and I think I need to have the GPS unit attached too. But, can I copy the map files off the card supplied as back up onto my PC and onto another spare SD card in case I lose the one supplied? edit.... their is conflicting guidance on the garmin site. In the requirements tab on the Montana page it says the map on an SD card is unlocked to a specific device; on the FAQ page "which format is right for me" it says the following about SD card supplied maps "These maps do not need to be unlocked to your device which allows you to move the card to multiple units if desired". Does anyone know which it actually is?

second edit: just spotted the following sentence on the garmin site on the requirements tab if the montana page: Maps on microSD/SD cards cannot be copied or viewed on a computer. I still need to clarify the first point about viewing maps on the PC and if the card can be moved between devices - I have emailed garmin about this.

If I buy as a download I understand that the maps are unlocked to a specific device and I have to copy the files to the device or an SD card. Can I make more than one copy as back up, eg one card for use the device and another in a safe place as spare/backup if I lose the first copy.

I think I have read in this thread that the Montana will accept big SD card - 16Gb+. I also think that I can copy several maps on the same card as long as they have different names. I select the maps I want enabled on the device, but if they are the same area it causes unpredictable results.

Is it better to have all maps on one big SD card or several smaller SD cards with a separate maps on each (and backups/spares of each in my safe place).

I have also got my powered mount up and running now wired to a Hella plug/socket. What has anyone else done with the masses of spare wires supplied - all the serial connectors and the extra length.

I just picked up a Montana, very excited. I'm sure I will have lots of questions!

Garmin maps supplied on SD cards are locked to the card. You can make as many copies as you want, but they somehow put a key on the SD card and it will not work on any other card. If you want to view the map on the PC you must buy the d/l version. You can put it wherever you want, but it will only show in MS/BC and your GPS.