Garmin Montana - The perfect road /off road GPS

squid

squid

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Or I hope so anyway as I've ordered a 650 model.

Takes CN mapping or O/S /custom, 4000 way points, large screen, and a 5mp camera which tags photo positions to view later in a map.

I'm hoping the camara function will create a ride report in itself.

This device should be capable of holding a multi day off road route due to the number of waypoints rather than trying to follow a breadcrum track.

http://sites.garmin.com/montana/
 
Cradle is RAM-HOL-GA46 and is expected early Sept.

Uses diamond base part to attach onto rear of cradle and form part of the mount

RAM-HOL-GA46U.jpg
 
Looks good. Can you make phone calls on it too ;)

I'd be v interested to hear how you get on. It looks like it might be a sufficient step forwards to make me consider upgrading my trusty a2610....
 
RAM-man said:
Cradle is RAM-HOL-GA46 and is expected early Sept.

Uses diamond base part to attach onto rear of cradle and form part of the mount

RAM-HOL-GA46U.jpg
Click to expand...

Is this going to be a powered cradle with audio? Although I've never really bothered with the audion on my Quest mount.

I will need to order a cradle for mine but Sept could be too far off.

Garmin are doing two types of car kit with speaker, a marine one and a powered bike one. The bike one is showing as £43
 
Is this going to be a powered cradle with audio ?
No - its passive, but has access to all electronic ports and camera

If I hear thats its coming earlier shall update.
 
RAM-man said:
Is this going to be a powered cradle with audio ?
No - its passive, but has access to all electronic ports and camera

If I hear thats its coming earlier shall update.
Click to expand...

Will it mount across as well as vertical?

What lead would be used to power the unit? Does this mean the rubber flap would be open in use? If so does that not reduce the water proofing?

The Garmin one suits my needs but wonder about the silly grub screw. With the camera function on the unit I want to be able to quickly unclip it to take photo's.
 
The Montana arrived a few days ago - a very nice bit of kit, excellent screen.

I have the mount on order but not arrived yet.
 
D K said:
Where did you order and what did you pay?:eek:
Click to expand...

Cheapest when I looked by some way was to order from Cotswolds outdoors and use the UKGSer discount code.

Having used it a little more now I can say it is a really good bit of kit.

I have GB 1/50 topo and CN working on it plus a few other maps. It took a 16GB card no problem so now has 20GB of memory.

The track function for off road use is excellent.

A cheaper alternative without the large screen or cradle charging is the 450/550. Smaller but cheaper now.

Rob
 
Nice piece of hardware if a touch bulky.
I got the OS 1:50 full GB map bundled with mine but the quality of the map is quite poor, it is like a low rez PDF picture of the paper map and the off road trails in red are not that clear.
Also your track line, as with the Zumo, is in turquoise, so the same colour as rivers and gridlines, and a bit confusing. Not sure if the colour can be changed?
The original writing on the OS map is still shown west/east so if you head south the writing is upsidedown. There is some extra Garmin wording for town names etc that superimposes on top.
I only got mine for the OS mapping but other than that, there is not a significant amount of features that the Zumo does not posses.

Good
OS Mapping
Good battery life
Option of using AA batteries once the rechargeable is dead ~ good for the trail
Camera ~ on the 650T option
The optional bike mount seems quite rugged and if fitted to an, again optional extra, RAM ball system you can handlebar mount with the camera facing forward to snap as you ride, even past a GSA screen. With the RAM you can use the Montana in either portrait or landscape so you can choose to either see what is coming up ahead or what is to the side.

Bad
All mounts are extra
Price~difficult to justify extra cost over that of the Zumo although it is a different animal for different uses.
No road routing unless you get the additional GB Discoverer maps
In road routing you cannot navigate with just the postcode, you need the address as well ~ old software technology.

I will add some more when I come across it with more usage.

I got mine from Tom at www.lovingoutdoors.com and paid £599.00 including the OS map which normally sells for £200.00 and Family Pass to National Trust normally £30.00 (still await arrival of this though).
Very helpful internet company with real people on the phone who know their stuff. I have had it 3 weeks now and probably paid a "new bling" premium, it is probably on offer now but I dare not check.
 
I'm interested in this. Currently using an Oregon 450 with GB Discoverer Maps plus used it with Spanish Topo and road maps and CN NT Euro.

When the mounts come I'd be interested to hear how the unit is powered. I have the TT mount for mine, the original wasn't up to it and the mount kept flying open so they changed it for a lockable one which solved the problem. The RAM mount looks as though it mightn't been robust enough for trail riding.

One thing I can't do on the Oregon, and I'd be grateful if a Montana owner could check, is navigate to the start of a track.

I have most of my trails as MemoryMap files, just the green lane part, saved as routes and tracks. I'd like to be able to:

where to>tracks>(track name) and have the unit navigate me by road to the start of the track - but it doesn't work, the navigation just doesn't start.

BTW, on the Oregon you can change the colour of the track in setup>tracks
 
What are OS maps and CN maps?

I'm a little behind on gps tech....:blast


I'm looking fora deal on the 600, and trying to figure out the best way to mount it.
Where is the best place to get maps? Direct from Garmin?
Is there a Pirate Bay for maps?:D

Is there any reason NOT to get this in favor of a Nuvi/Zumo?

D
 
D K said:
Is there any reason NOT to get this in favor of a Nuvi/Zumo?

D
Click to expand...



The Nuvi/Zumo units are proper road navigation units, which means they have more useful functions like full postcode look up, better POI's, better screen stuff like lane assist, audio, plus the Zumo's hold more routes, can manage more waypoints per route, allow you to select fastest/shortest/avoidances and route preferences.

I navigated back from Devon on road using the Oregon and it worked but it wasn't good. I'd say these are for occasional/emergency road use.
 
Berin said:
The Nuvi/Zumo units are proper road navigation units, which means they have more useful functions like full postcode look up, better POI's, better screen stuff like lane assist, audio, plus the Zumo's hold more routes, can manage more waypoints per route, allow you to select fastest/shortest/avoidances and route preferences.

I navigated back from Devon on road using the Oregon and it worked but it wasn't good. I'd say these are for occasional/emergency road use.
Click to expand...

The montana does everything and more than a zumo except for MP3 / blue tooth audio and traffic warnings.

It will take 4000 waypoints (2000 for a Oregon)

Wireless transfer of routes and tracks between devices is enabled.

I've not used an Oregon but the Montana is deffo a better device than the zumo in my experience so far.

I ride with mate who has an Oregon, it is smaller (depends what you want it for) the mount only powers the device not charges. However, the batteries last ages so not really an issue. It will run CN mapping.

A montana (and Oregon i think) will run exactly the same CN maps as a zumo as well as O/S which a Zumo will not. The montana cradle has audio or the device itself has a headphone jack.

The montana has 4GB of internal memory but I have added a 16Gb card so can switch between O/S (which does also do road routing with POI) or full CN or France Topo or Portugal O/S etc

The off road track function is excellent, for adventure riding this walks all over the Zumo. Maps are available for most areas and once you know how to do custom mapping it opens up access to all sorts of places.
 
Berin said:
One thing I can't do on the Oregon, and I'd be grateful if a Montana owner could check, is navigate to the start of a track.

I have most of my trails as MemoryMap files, just the green lane part, saved as routes and tracks. I'd like to be able to:

where to>tracks>(track name) and have the unit navigate me by road to the start of the track - but it doesn't work, the navigation just doesn't start.
Click to expand...

Eh, I do this all the time with my Oregon. Have you both the MemoryMap files and the road maps activated at the same time ?
 
That's good to know.
I'm moving from 90road/10off road to hopefully 70road/30off road - so I'm on the fence whether to get a cheap Nuvi and buy a different one later, or go with the Montana.
If the CN maps are the same, then I think it would make more sense with the montana.

Is there any other place to buy maps besides Garmin?

D




squid said:
The montana does everything and more than a zumo except for MP3 / blue tooth audio and traffic warnings.

It will take 4000 waypoints (2000 for a Oregon)

Wireless transfer of routes and tracks between devices is enabled.

I've not used an Oregon but the Montana is deffo a better device than the zumo in my experience so far.

I ride with mate who has an Oregon, it is smaller (depends what you want it for) the mount only powers the device not charges. However, the batteries last ages so not really an issue. It will run CN mapping.

A montana (and Oregon i think) will run exactly the same CN maps as a zumo as well as O/S which a Zumo will not. The montana cradle has audio or the device itself has a headphone jack.

The montana has 4GB of internal memory but I have added a 16Gb card so can switch between O/S (which does also do road routing with POI) or full CN or France Topo or Portugal O/S etc

The off road track function is excellent, for adventure riding this walks all over the Zumo. Maps are available for most areas and once you know how to do custom mapping it opens up access to all sorts of places.
Click to expand...
 
beepster said:
Eh, I do this all the time with my Oregon. Have you both the MemoryMap files and the road maps activated at the same time ?
Click to expand...

I use Garmin GB Discoverer maps, (I don't think Memory Map runs on the Oregon) if I go where to> track1 (or route1) and I'm not actually at the start of thye track or route it just doesn't do anything.

On my Zumo, if I do where to>route1 and I'm not at the start of the route it asks if I want to navigate there.
 
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