Garmin'S MONTANA
 

This sounds like what I have been waiting for ...

- 4 inch touch screen
- 3000 waypoints (not 1000 like the z660 or 500 like the z550/500/450/400)
- Dual battery system - swappable lithium battery pack or AA batteries
- Dual orientation - works in 'portrait' as well as 'landscape' modes (not always fixed in landscape mode like existing units)
- 3GB of built in memory (not 500 MB like the z550 series)
- portable - useable on or off the bike
- battery life off the bike - 22 hours
- A barometric altimeter
- A compass
- A 5MP camera with geotagging.


Garmin | Montana™

https://static.garmincdn.com/en/prod...01/g/rf-lg.jpg

http://s1.outdoorsmagic.com/uploads/...dium/13024.jpg

What it doesnt yet have is Bluetooth.

Add some mobile phone software in there and you've got Garmins answer to the iPhone.

Looks the buisness, how much is the question?:cool4:

Google is your friend...

Using said search engine I found it for £500 this side of the Atlantic and $650 or thereabouts t'other...

Simples

Wow.. This does look great !

They also do a 600 model without the camera and i've seen it for £360.00

http://www.mesltd.co.uk/garmin-montana-p-13244.html

Not sure how handy a camera would be on a bike but if you used it for hiking too, it would be nice !

It's knocking about for about £420 from what I can see.....

http://www.mesltd.co.uk/garmin-montana-p-13245.html

Awesome- doing a wee review shortly - I have the 600 as have no need for a camera-
and the compass is a 3 axis compensated one so even Ted can't get lost! :blushing:
BTW Ted...where's my keg? jeiger

3gb internal ram sounds odd because the nuivi western European maps are a 3.5Gb ( 19 hours download) or they would be if Garmin website did not disconnect you after 12-14 hours.

I will deliver it in person... But with my sense of direction, it may take a while !!



:scooter:

Looks good. Wonder if it can load GPX or similar files of the microSD card. That's what I'd like to see.

eagerly awaiting your motorcycle specific review Bertrand :)

Looking forward to that... it's been tempting me for a few weeks now.

Ted- no excuses! bier

the 600
For those of you that knew the 62S, the 600 is as close to this unit as I can think but with a 4" diag screen.

Most of the menus are the same

The level of screen / data fields customisation is very high and easy to do-
The key is to learn about the purpose of profiles and how to create them-
For example, you may prefer no motorways, no tolls and you can create a particular profile to do just that.

Another could be Motorways and tolls OK - so that if fatigue or the weather closes in, you can almost instantly, by changing profiles, change your routing preferences.

The screen is very very clear even in direct sunlight- I'll be making a bespoke 'sun-shield for it as well as a handlebar mount as soon as the Garmin mount comes- it is plastic and will need some anti-vibration mounts like TT makes - but TT will take awhile to make one so I'm currently making my own.

Power is fed from the base of the mount to 'brass pins' under the unit so no worries about the usb plug which remains covered up with a rubber bung.

A speaker output is also on the side covered up with a rubber bung.

Custom POI's are great- I still have not hit the buffer limit having uploaded a smidge of 322,000 :blushing:!!

The specs of the unit are available on the Garmin site so no need for me to repeat them here.

This unit feels very rugged- and it is heavier than expected. It's powered by one single Li-Ion battery 3.7V 2000mAh, 7.4Wh but there are slots to take 3 normal AA type batteries too- that's a real plus.

Micro SD- I am using 4GB as these are the largest I have. Garmin tells me that 32GB will probably work. That's an awful lot of mapping!
IMHO it is not a good idea to use such large micro SD card - as one failed on me today- (all 'eggs in one basket'=stuffed if that happens to you on the road)
I prefer to have a small pile of them in a wee box that weighs almost nothing just in case this happens.

The manual (in various languages ) are stored in the 'documents' folder in the the main memory of the unit.
I deleted all but two- sadly you cannot access the PDF from the unit so I copied mine to my phone.

The screen can be set to 'auto' rotate so you can have landscape or A4 by just flipping it over- or you can lock it to your fav position. That is a great feature- Strange but when it comes to maps, I always prefer landscape!.

The 600 fits in my shirt pocket and has no outer antenna to catch-

It's rate of signal acquisition equates that of the 62S

For those willing to spend a little time setting it up, it is , in my opinion, probably the best navigator out there for now.
I would compare it, quality wise, to the 278C but with more memory, SD capability, faster, same size 4" screen and better colours.

I chose not to opt for the camera model as I prefer not to have a camera (or Bluetooth or an ipod etc etc) cluttering up my navigator.You can exchange data though wirelessly between units.

It has a 3 axis compensated compass so ideal if you are going to mount this at any angle. The compass page has date fields that are also customiseable.

The unit has various 'dashboards' to chose from- again a useful feature especially the odometer that I rely on as well as that on the bike as I have no fuel gauges on any of my 3 fuel tanks!

TMotten- yes it can do all that. Connect the usb to your pc and it behaves like an external drive.
You can store your own documents, bike manuals etc there too- quite handy as a back up-

From the Garmin site you can download, for free, different pointers to relieve your monotony! I am currently using SpongeBob in a rowing boat!!!


Well recommended and I may be allowed to 'plug' a supplier who really deserves it, the fabulous level of customer service I received from Jacob, Diane and Jess at Cotswold Outdoor (mail order dept) have been amazing.:thumbup1:
No connection but a very happy customer.

Can you view PDF's on there or just jpegs?

I had my 60CSX crash on me once (only once) and lost all maps and tracks in the memory. I had the GPX files for the tracks at least on the card which I could browse to, but not load without mapsource on a computer. But you're saying you can load that on the unit without a computer? Could you do that with maps by having a backup GMUPP or whatever that map library file is called? Like taking a back up of that file on the microSD card and when the file on the onboard memory fails you can copy the one on the card over and reboot? I'm basically trying to have a garmin that doesn't need mapsource.

To clear up some confusion Tmotten-

You cannot read a PDF on the 600- just store it
You can associate an image to a waypoint- it has to be loaded manually via the PC link.
The advantage of the unit with the camera is that you can do all that without a pc- as in mark the spot and take a photo it it and link them up. It can be useful but if I need a photo I can always take one with my proper camera and do this later- it's all about personal choice!

The unit will speak to you too - then again, I prefer not to be nagged:nono: and to receive guidance via the screen. For the same reason I do not use bluetooth - my helmet is either a place of peace and quiet or enjoys a little music from my ipod at times- I don't like 'combi' tools much as often one will fail -

Once you connect the 600 TO the PC, the pc reacts as if it is a new external hard drive.
You can cut/copy/paste files to and from your unit.
The file format for the map in the 600's internal memory is a GMAPPROM image and you can ONLY have one of those.

However, on the micro SD card, you can have as many GMAPSUPP images as you like-(*)
Just be sure to have only one gmapsupp, the next must be (*) gmapsupp1, gmapsupp2 etc etc for the unit to be able to see them as maps.

You can give the individual files other names but the unit will ignore those (then rename them with a pc or smart-phone when you need them- personally speaking, I can't see the point as that's another job to do on the move and I don't carry a notebook)
When powered up, you can chose in the 600, to 'Enable' or 'Disable' any gmapsupp images (or the gmapprom for that matter) that you need/don't need at that particular time.
Remember NOT to have two maps enabled for the same area- else...

I bought my unit with GB discoverer to see the quality of the topographic maps and display and it is fabulous, crisp and clear and it routes too!.

The unit comes pre-loaded with a world base map too.

TMotten- As belt-and-braces- you can copy a 'spare' img file onto a another micro sd card (don't back-up as the back-up software could write some weird stuff on the file- I have tried with OSM maps and it is fine.
This only works with free maps- If you have bought licenced maps, you can make another copy on an SD card in case one card fails -but it will only work in your unit.

Hope this helps. The alarm clock turned the unit on for me this morning and was bang...on time doh!!

The calender function is very handy-
The Way-Point Manager enables you to enter a saved way-point and add details such as a postal address/phone number etc. via a screen keypad.

Having used the display (brightness user adjustable) I am impressed at the clarity of this screen both in bright sunlight and in the dark-

The hard mount has not arrived yet so am 'testing' this by shank and pony!

any other questions- do feel free to ask (except "can I have yours?"!! as that's a resounding 'no' !!!):Beach:

Thanks for the review, sounds awesome. The only question is whether I should wait for my Zumo 500 to fail or buy one of these immediately...

I guess this really all comes down to a review of the camera function for me. If it is just a mobile phone quality camera, then it definitely is not worth paying an extra 70 quid for. If it is a compact camera quality camera, then I would go for it.

U R welcome-
personally I'd call Diane pronto- not much stock around....!:innocent:

starting to lean your way Bertrand (the 600) ... I have always had decent geotagging results just using geosetter software.

Better just to stick with a reliable, flash enabled compact in my pocket, and use the Garmin as an excellent GPS receiver

Small Update
Garmin are kindly sending me the hard mount for the 600- As soon as I receive it, I will make a handlebar bracket for it -wire-it up and post pictures 'how to'- keeping it as simple as possible. Hopefully this will encourage those who are not sure how to mount it on their motorcycles and who have asked me 'how'.

So mean time ... I am no engineer so 'pretty' it will not be :blushing: but functional it will be!:thumbup1:
Keep watching - photos to come-

Touratech told me today they will be making a mount for the 600 series in time but it could be next year before it is available.

Aside from the need to hold the gps- you'll need the bespoke Garmin's AMPS Mount (part 010-11654-01) as the audio and power are fed through the base of the unit via those brass pins.
I'll be making the rest of the mount to attach this Garmin mount to. (it already comes conveniently pre-drilled with 4 screw holes).

Thanks for the review Bert. Like others, I have been dribbling over this one:eek3:

Time to sell the 276c maybe:clap:

Cheers,
John

U R welcome John! more to come:funmeteryes:

The 600 series IMHO seems to be the 'replacement' for the 278C and, seems rugged enough- Time will tell.
The only way is to mount them and see how they survive.
I'm half way making the 'secondary' aluminium mount and now need to wait for some parts and the actual Garmin mount to arrive.


(p.s John -stop salivating- buy it and start to enjoy it- I am even if currently it's only being used as a handheld until I memorise all the pages/menus!)

I spoke to Garmin yesterday and asked if they would consider in a future software update, some sort of pdf reader in the actual unit which would be fab. One use I see would be the ability to read one's bike mechanics manual if that was possible.
I'm trying to convert mine in different formats to see if there is another way at the moment.

There is but it's a big compromise. PDF to JPEG converter. Each page becomes a JPEG so a 300+ page document will require a bit of splitting of chapters in separate folders. I did it for my old Nokia which was to slow for PDF use but fine for JPEGs.

There is a RAM cradle thats about $10 but has no provision for the power cable.
Would not be that difficult to modify it..., would it?

RAM Mounts for the Garmin Montana

Cheers,
John

Yes John there is a RAM cradle for the Montana- but, as you say, there are no provisions for power or audio connections. Looking at the pictures on the RAM site, I am struggling to see how you'd modify theirs to provide for this.

If you look at my handlebars picture below, you'll see that I have used the RAM mount for the 62S BUT I have also mounted that on the same principle, anti-vibration, bracket just as I did for the 600. Vibration, in time, is what kills the gps.

and yes, my 600 is wearing it's sun hat too :Beach: - it is, after all, summer (allegedly!)

Maybe there is an Ram adapter that would take the Garmin mount.
I'm not a fan of the dampers you use. I had them on the TT mount for the 276c and find that the Ram system transmits less vibration... as in the unit is more stable... My bike is an old GS though so the vibes are not high frequency stuff.

That's 'cos you're in the Garden of England.... needs water. Hot and dry here in SW France:thumbup1:

Cheers,
John

Hi John
Dampers work for me on my 278C, 62S and 600!
I tried different methods with RAM mounts/single plates/ball mounts etc and the best combination that works- I use.
I needed the powered option more than the sound option -so for that I needed the Garmin mount- to date, I see no way around and the mount is well designed- the 600 clips solidly into it.

On the 62S, I do use the bespoke RAM mount but the interface with the handlebars is still the 'sandwich dampers' method- I tried with a single plate but the vibrations were too much. The dampers took them out-

I get no vibes with my TT mount with the 278C in it at all-

Lucky you with the sunshine- wish you could put it in a jar and send it over!bier

Small update-
Once the Montana is in the mount- I have just found a wee locking screw that prevents the 'push-to-release' knob from working-
Sorry about dark pic- took that one in garage
The furry bit is the velcro that holds my sun-shade:smiliex:

another version of the mount- ( just for you John!)
I used the same principle but then replaced the rubber dampers in the corners with two vertical coiled and reversed coiled wires-
The result feels more 'wobbly' when you mount the unit on it but, once clipped in, and riding I find there are way less vibrations than before (which didn't have much)
Looks weird but it works!

Pictures please:D

John

OOhh yeah.. :innocent:

I'm another pleased and exited victim of Bert's recommendation... bought a Montana 600 as well and dumped my 60Cx including the TT bracket :D

well not regarding this post's over here, (found this afterwards).. but yes thanks to Bert's great emails and skype efforts with personal touch and of course my own analyses, experiences about what I'm expecting from a modern GPS... yes I must admit, the 600 covers all needs for bike travellers.. it's near perfect bier

I was so feed up with the 60cx regarding all it's bugs, freezing the maps, painful slow, that I was playing with the thought to get a z660... but hey yea the Montana 600 got everything needed.

After deleting most of the crap, stored on the 600, like all sorts of voice files, manuals, pictures, wallpapers, demo files and so on, which I would never use anyway, I found all the space I need for all my maps, POI, waypoints... and I found use for storing special JPG's for on the road without a PC...
As I did scan in my passport, driving licence, V5, and so on, it's actually very useful space to sore short infos like short notes, conversion tables and else that can be useful for a quick view see the Arab-Latin number image for example...

the 600 is even able to zoom this images as well... :thumbup1:

yes special thanks to Bertrand:clap:

ahh yea and I'm wonder about the next HU meetings, where little circles of Montana 600 owner doing WiFi-WP-exchange partys and sending each others there latest WP via air around... great future isn't it :D

This looks the buisness

I have had the Colorado and Find it great for off the beaten track nav and in some ways prefer it to the zumo 500 I have on my road bike.

Apart from the fact that Zumo is designed to work with gloves on.

I do like the music player function on my Zumo mind (does the montana have one??).

This looks the buisness for my next trip

Thanks

wee update
 

small correction

Walter it's 4000! even better!!:mchappy:

I've loaded over 300 thousand Custom POI's and still cannot get the unit to 'crash' - things just keep improving- I'm still looking for where the limit is!

Dual battery system - swappable lithium battery pack or AA batteries

It's clever to have the option of using AA's but an oversight on Garmin's part- that could have won them even more brownie points if they had wired the unit to charge those as well. Sadly, the unit cannot recharge those when it is in its powered cradle- That's a shame- hoping for a future fix on that.

clarification
 

Sorry Bertrand but just to clarify, with this unit (600) do you mean it can switch from one map to another without need of a PC/Smartphone? or you still need something to rename the file?

Thanks!
bier

In a word- yes Emiraff, provided you have already saved your different maps to the micro SD card.

Maps stored on the micro SD card need be called gmapsupp (only once can be called gmapsupp) then gmapsupp1, gmapsupp2, gmapsupp3 and so on.

You can have more than one 'Enabled' at the same time but remember never do that for two (or more!) maps for the same area! else the results will be VERY confusing!

And the more maps you enable, the slower the gps.
As with so many things in life, keep it simple- one map at a time

That is extremely cool.

I am angry with myself for not getting one before my current trip to Morocco.

Didn't you use the zumo? What's the reason for wanting to ditch it?

On my 276c, that has very restricted memory, I often select a subset of the maps of France, (full set wont fit on 256meg) in Mapsource and save it to a .gdb. Then, "switch product" to France Topo and load the sections of that mapping for my destination or route and save these into the same .gdb.

That way I have the current routeable mapping and all the twiddly bits on top when I zoom down to them.
Does that still work with the Montana?

Cheers,
John

Hello John
I don't understand what you mean by 'twiddly bits' !! but if you look at my post #7, that is how to add maps to the Montana.
In its internal memory you store (if you want to that is) one gmapprom map image and on the micro sd all the gmapsupp's ones.
You can chose map 'enable' or 'disable' as you wish.
Then you can zoom in and out.
If the 'twiddly bits' are icons, you can chose the various zoom levels when you want these to appear or not.
Is this what you were looking for? hope it helps

p.s read the bit about not having 2 maps enabled of the same area in #37!

Hello Guys.

Sorry if this question is phrased badly.

Can you upload a log file from a previous trip and follow it? I'm talking about a "Bread Crumb" trail. (tracks?)

If so is there a size restriction?

For example I have a 3.20 MB .gdb file covering a trip of four weeks, with 140'250 points.

Do these points = Custom POI's?

Thanks.

Very kind offer, I will email you bier

Thanks very much for testing that so quickly, you're a star. :thumbup1:

Do you think the above means 10,000 points in total over 200 saved tracks or 200 tracks of up to 10,000 points each?

If its the latter then you could have 200 days worth of log files, I'm guessing.

Thank you
I interpret that as 200 tracks of 10K each IMHO but hey I could be wrong- I'm the proverbial optimist!:Beach:
I'd suggest you adjust frequency of waypoints using either distance or time to suit your needs.
aka no point to have a waypoint made every 100 meters if on the M1 to Birmingham!:blushing:
A useful trick- clear aka 'cut' the files and paste on a safe folder on your PC a whole load of files on the Montana that you'll probably never use thereby freeing internal memory.

NEW SOFTWARE UPDATE today

+
A heap load of good information here too

Look up SHORTCUTS- a very useful and clever feature-

A particularly useful feature is the ability to show or hide the compass on the map page. Image courtesy of Garmin-


Now if only Garmin would INCREASE the size of the compass to make use of the compass page, I'd be a happy bunny!
(pretty please Mr Garmin?)

Been away for a week...

The gmapsupp thing is for a complete mapset... say City Nav Europe. I want to combine maps:

In Mapsource, the CNEU 2012.1 maps are comprised if a number of tiles. I take a sub-set of those tiles that cover my area of travel.

I then open France Topo and select a some map tiles if my destination area. This adds City Nav and Topo maps to the window on the left of the Mapsource display. Then do "file", "save as" and call it localmaps.gdb.

This mapset I upload to the card in my 276c and so when I zoom down to street level, it shows all the contours/building/tracks/paths and stuff.

Still works?

Cheers,
John

Still works? I don't know nor am I going to try it-

Combining maps of the same area,m whilst do-able, is likely to cause a navigational nightmare.
Garmin have told me the same and also not to have two maps enabled for the same are at the same time as this can results in weird routing calculations. Tho sets of good data, joined, will most probably result in routing gobledeegook!.
In the Montana you simply have two (or more) img files and you just enable the one you want. simples!

If you are upgrading, I would recommend Garmin's Montana. Garmin have done a very good job with it -
I'm not a fan of updates but today's one brought new options that I find very practical. see above-

Time to 'take Ze plunge mon ami' !! and get one! ( I should be on commission- alas......)

HEADS UP - A Spooky development!
 

Here is a very Spooky :scared: development!!

Spooky has found by accident that you actually can rename a gmapsupp image anything you like - for example 'India' or Thailand etc as long as you do not alter the file extension!
This means you no longer need to rename the files gmapsupp1, gmapsupp2, etc.

Just to be safe, before I posted this up, I checked this with Garmin and they tell me that this is fine and works on the latest units.
Works on Montana and the handheld 62S - I did not ask about other units.

This is particularly helpful when saving OSM maps of various parts of the world as it identifies them clearly when the micro SD is placed in an adapter so that you can read the content on a PC and not overwrite the wrong file.

Congratulations to Spooky for finding this little treasure!:thumbup1:

Hi,

Is anyone using a Montana in a 4x4 with a lot of "stuff" - RTT or whatever over the cab? How is the reception?

Do any of the mounting brackets allow for the use of an external Ariel? Anyone think they are needed?

Merv.

Yes Merv
Yes, there is an output for an external antenna - needed? mmm hard one that- if in vehicle with heavy shielding maybe?
Yes, I also use this in my 4x4 without any problems without an extra antenna-and I have VHF/CB etc on board
Yes the montana automotive mount allows access fore the cable
No, no problems of signal loss at all. (tunnels and places of the sort excluded!)

I have used this a lot in my land rover that has a very vertical screen and you do not need an external antenna. I did on my previous Garmin 176c. So I would be surprised if you did need an external antenna. This unit seems to have a pretty sensitive receiver.

Dan

But only if the maps are all routable! You can combine a routable road map with a non-routable topo map and that should not cause any problems.

I can confirm this. We were in Slovenia in the summer and the Adria and CityNavigator maps caused the unit to go mental when i accidentally forgot to disable one. I eventually managed to get it to disable one set.

This is only an issue when you try to calculate a route.

I have noticed odd behaviour between Explorer and Birdseye layers, where you don't get the correct detail as you zoom in. I have a toggle shortcut to work around this.

The following questions will give an idea of my level of knowledge, but here goes:


With the Montana can you design bespoke routes on a PC utilising Mapsource and transfer them to the unit?

Garmin appears to offer automotive and marine mounts with a power and audio cable, can it then be hardwired into the 'bike's power removing the need for batteries?

Many thanks.

You can use either map source or basecamp. The latter has profiles which allow you to change the behaviour of the program. EG Walking, driving, bike etc

If you hard wire the device it no longer uses the battery, The battery has a very good life of about 14 hours in my experience, it will also takes aa batteries which is useful. The wired connection provides more than just power. EG Audio.

Hope that helps

Dan

MONTANA MASTER RESET
Procedure:
1. Turn off the unit.
2. Press the top left hand corner of the screen with your finger.
3. Keeping your finger in the corner, turn on the unit.
4. Keep your finger on the screen, until you get a message ?Do you
really want to erase all user data.
5. Select yes, and follow the setup instructions
6. Now leave the unit in clear view of the sky, outside is better, but a
window sill or glass roofed conservatory will do.
7. Do not move the unit for 30 minutes, this is to allow it re-register
its data with the satellites.
8. Then turn it off and on, and it should be working.

hope this helps someone-

Can you upload georeferenced images and use them as maps or do you need them to be in the Garmin format?

yes you can as long as the image has been correctly geo-referenced, it will appear:thumbup1:

Hi Bertrand,

Montana and mount on order but will be a couple of weeks. In the mean-time, can you tell me what spacings the the 4 holes of that mount are please?

See what sort of mounting I can come up withbier

John

with the usual disclaimers!
measured from centre of screws

Beers! bier

John

Hello Bertrand

So if I have geo tagged photos on the GPS the photos will show on the map?

A bit like Google Maps with the photo option on?

oh and when will the 600 cost £300? :Beach:

ahh yeah... when Bert is getting his new Montana 750 next spring... :thumbup:
there there will be plenty of Montana 600 around for a bargain... :devil2:

From the US:
GARMIN MONTANA 600 HANDHELD GPS £290 :mchappy:

John

joy of new discoveries
 

More info from Garmin (thanks to Phil Elliott EU product support) - this gets better every day!

200 saved tracks of up to 10,000 points each

2000 archived tracks

2000 GPX files (each can contain mixture of waypoints/geocaches/routes and tracks)

12,000 geocaches

200 routes of 250 points in each

and 500 CUSTOM map tiles

"Houston....we're gonna need a bigger planet! ":scooter:

I take it the track is auto-saved after the 10k points?


Cheers,
John

There you go John :whistling: easier if you read this and something to do as the evenings draw darker!

and the answer is.... yes archive when full or...daily...or weekly

I have the unit in my hot little hand now :D and am working my way through it. Coming from the 276c, its not that "different", but BETTER and having stuffed a 16gb SDCard into it I can have maps coming out of my ears!

I also got the AMPS rugged mount. Slightly disappointing to see that the power cable is a permanent mount to it... I now have to buy another mount for the green line bike... AND the car....
I found a US seller on ebay that does the RAM stuff at the cheaper US prices, but also charges very cheap mailing rates.

Cheers,
John

More Montana
 

Did you know:

On your Montana select the following Setup features: Setup->System->Interface->Garmin Spanner, you will be able to plug in the USB cable and still manipulate the Montana features/functions via the screen.


John

spanner mode
 

Best use for that is when 62S or Montana is plugged into notebook running Nroute
thereby enabling the gps to display on moving map on large screen (in 4x4 !)

Software update
 

Montana has a software update available- now 3.7
Use webupdater

Thanks for the info Bertrand... DL proceeding...

I had reason to call Garmin support last week. Helpful as ever, but unable to help me really.
I use the Montana in the car/bike and on the lane bike.
When traveling to see a friend in northern France it was unable to calculate a route longer than 500kms unless I used toll roads so I had to travel until I was <500k from the destination before it would calculate the route without "truncation"

Its down to limited memory available for the routing function... apparently...
Even my 276c could cope with that route without truncation
. I would be interested to see if you get the same result, if you have the same map - CNEU2012.3. Routing options set to min.time. Avoids=uturn/tolls/unpaved/carpool/ferries. Route from Abjat-sur-Bandiat to Walschbronn - both in FR.

Cheers,
John

Sorry John
Can't help- I use OSM:thumbup1:

Where to ?
 

I've finally dumped my Zumo for the Montana so I can use it for walking and riding and customise it my way - it's great but I'm having trouble with the OSM maps. Finding addresses, some towns and smaller villages wll not work - any advice in simple terms please!!

Head for the OSM Garmin forum and ask your questions there.

why is everything so complicated
 

I think I made a big mistake - I bought a Garmin Montana 600 a couple of weeks ago. No maps. This is my first GPS.

I have tried really hard to understand how the thing works. I have been on OSM and downloaded maps. I have downloaded an unzip programme. I have read this thread about 10 times. I have been on the Garmin website and many many others that claim to demystify GPS's.

Yet I still dont understand anything and still no maps on my PC except basecamp and no maps on my GPS. Is it just me being thick or what. Garmin makes it all sound so easy.

All I want at the moment is a UK map with towns, roads, tracks and paths and contours, and some waypoints in enough detail that I can browse on my PC and GPS. That I can ask for directions on my GPS and it routes me along roads, and that I can create routes or tracks on my PC and then follow them using my GPS. WHY IS IT SO EFFING HARD.

I will sell it soon if I dont get it working.

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.

Buying the Montana from the US
 

Looking to buy the Garmin Montana 600 from a US store as so far they have been much cheaper then what the UK can offer. Has anyone had any issues with regards to having to pay UK customs and excise some kind of import duty?

You can "Activate" just the map you are using. Deactivate and then activate another... Setup, Map, Select Map. Shows you what maps are known (unit & SDcard) and which are act/deact.

Cheers,
John

Have just spoken to HMRC Customs & Excise.

Basically if you want to buy the Montana from the US you will have to pay an additional 3.7% Import Duty and 20% VAT which is calculated on the total cost of the GPS, shipping and insurance. The HMRC C&E Product classification code for this is: 8526912099

Suddenly it is not such a good deal!!!:(

In addition, there might also be a Royal Mail/Parcelforce 'handling fee'.

[quote]:
If duty and/or tax is payable, Royal Mail/Parcelforce will pay this to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on your behalf, and charge a handling fee to cover:

• operating the postal customs depot
• handling the package for customs examination
• opening, repacking and resealing the package if required
• paying the charges to HMRC on your behalf.

source: HM Revenue & Customs: Goods posted from outside the EU: tax payments, queries or refunds


.

As per the other reply the Montana has no speaker and the speaker is part of the car mount.

It works however I have found it very hard to hear the directions over the top of road noise in my Landcruiser Prado.

Maybe I've missed something but there doen't appear to be anyway to increase the volume that I have found so far.

Once the unit has powered up and it's in the mount, press the power button quickly. You will hear one beep. Use the slider to adjust the volume.

RTFM :whistling:

Cheers,
John

[QUOTE=Keith1954;364830]In addition, there might also be a Royal Mail/Parcelforce 'handling fee'.

Ended up buying from a UK supplier in the end, just got it delivered this morning:thumbup1:

I guess if you know someone in the US who can buy it on your behalf and post as a non commercial package you can get around it!

Hi all

Austin posted above a very good question. Now, I am literate with computers, but am finding conflicting information.

I have not bought one yet(still have my old map76s), but am seriously considering a 650t, but I have a bit of a doubt about usability.

I really want to be able to use my software(including the maps that I have bought). That means, I want to be able to use my computer to plan my routes, add geocaches and other POIs that I have collected from elsewhere and then upload to the device.

From what I can see, UNLESS I get the CD/DVD then I canNOT use my computer to plan my routes, but they don't sell the maps in that format except Worldmap!!! ? But this is the only format that allows map updates, all the other formats require a brand new purchase, I think that stinks!!!

But then I see something about the Basecamp software, once again, it seems you cannot actually do any planning, just view it, what is the use of that or am I getting confused here, it sure feels like it. And once again, with both downloads and SD cards, no updates are available, only a repurchase, it sounds like downright thievery that you cannot get a cheaper update when that is all you need.

One of the other alternatives to the Montana is to buy the Zumo660, but it will also have the map update problem

Another alternative is to either refurbish my TomTomRider2(or buy on ebay) and at least be able to get updates regularly, on the downside of this though is coverage, nothing for Asia.

Any hints or help is appreciated, before I fork out for an expensive gadget, my trip is not for a few months, so I have some time.

Cheers
TS

Hi

Basecamp will do everything that Mapsource does, so you can use it to manage poi's, geocaches and also plan routes.

To use the maps on you device it has to be plugged in via usb or if the maps are on SD that should be inserted to your computer. Then you can use then in the same way as you do in mapsource. Any installed on your computer you can also use in the same way. (i.e. the drop down menu)

Edit...

The updates are only available on DVD/CD copies of citynavigator. The best route to this is to buy on old version of the maps for example city navigator from amazon cheap, them purchase the lifetime updates from Garmin. I don't think updates are available for all maps thou.

Hope that answers your questions?

Dan

I'm still figuring out the Montana which I just picked up, and have three questions:

1) I don't see anything on the device or in the manual about playing mp3s on it, so I guess I'm out of luck? My zumo 550 worked really well with audio directions and music.

2) It seems like there are lots of customization options--does anyone have any recommendations for good set-ups for adventure travel?

3) I'm checking out the Birdseye satellite imagery for use on the Montana in places like Mongolia, etc. looks kind of cool, but I'm wondering how practical it really is, and whether it generally works OK?