A quick scan of the "specs" leads me to believe that it's a "throwback", since it seems to have few of the "advanced" features that many have come to expect......AND.....it does not have pre-loaded maps.
And the price.....YIKES !!!
I wonder what they think the target market is for a model like this......and how they expect it to compete even with their OWN existing models ??
Unless I missed soemthing critical, it doesn't make much sense to me.
Sounds nice but I don't think there is a big market for them. It could appeal to the owners of high end vehicles but most of them have a GPS built in. Don't see that in an average persons budget.
The 650t model is the only one with pre-loaded maps. Topographical maps that is. All of them require a purchase of a City Navigator NT mapset to use as a road GPS.
I think I understand why no topo maps are included. Unlike City Navigator NT road maps, topo maps aren't locked to a particular device and can be freely moved from device to device.
But yeah, the price is too high right now for a GPS that can go anywhere and do anything.
Guess it's mainly for hiking and off road, but does some of everything, depending on what maps you buy and install. It would require a heavy investment in maps (topo, city, etc) to take advantage of all its capabilities. For me, too expensive...
-- Tuckahoe Mike -
Nuvi 3490LMT, Nuvi 260W, iPhone X, Mazda MX-5 Nav
I'm all for the all-in-one approach provided that it really does every thing it's supposed to do and does it well.
For my personal needs, a GPS that I could use in my car, on the trail, on the golf course, and in on my boat for lakes and rivers would be ideal--and it looks like maybe the Montana would do this--not sure about Golf though....
Interestingly enough, my Droid does all of these things, does them very well with FREE apps and FREE maps, and it only cost $180...
NP
-- In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
I have a Garmin gpsmap model for outdoor use and have found an abundance of free topo maps and 4-wheel and hiking trail map overlays. I have added these maps to both my gpsmap and Nuvi. As this group is mostly interested in using in-car units, I would not expect a lot of interest in an outdoors oriented gps. While we wish for such features as lane assist, the Montana and similar models are much more durable, operate on AA batteries, can be seen in bright sunlight and may have touch screens that can be operated with gloved hands. The model I have is waterproof and floats and has done such in sea water. Such features command a higher price. My less expensive Nuvi works much better in the car and is suitable for an urban walk but I will always use the other type on the trail.
Interestingly enough, my Droid does all of these things, does them very well with FREE apps and FREE maps, and it only cost $180...
NP
You apparently downloaded Backcountry Navigator demo, Gaia GPS Lite, or possibly Androzic for your Droid, since those are the only free options on the Market that have topographic maps. Or you downloaded one I didn't find just now on the market. But, your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
I think we can all agree however that the Montana is way too pricey for what it does. Give it a year or two. I suspect the price will come down.
-- "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."
--Douglas Adams
Garmin COULD make a Nuvi-style GPS that would do everything (turn by turn, golf, trails, waterproof, etc.) but they've never done a good job with an all-purpose GPS most likely because they've wanted us to buy multiple PND's.
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
-- In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
Interestingly enough, my Droid does all of these things, does them very well with FREE apps and FREE maps, and it only cost $180...
NP
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
I think we can all agree however that the Montana is way too pricey for what it does. Give it a year or two. I suspect the price will come down.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
NP
-- In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
the smart phone GPS has nothing to do with the drop in price, it market saturation that is driving the price, everyone that wants a PND has one or generally multiples, so if the manufactures want to sell more they need to do one of 2 things 1. increase the features(add value) or 2. drop the prices. since it seems they are not adding features the only other thing is to drop prices.
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
the smart phone GPS has nothing to do with the drop in price, it market saturation that is driving the price, everyone that wants a PND has one or generally multiples, so if the manufactures want to sell more they need to do one of 2 things 1. increase the features(add value) or 2. drop the prices. since it seems they are not adding features the only other thing is to drop prices.
Then how do you explain the precipitous drop in price in map updates?
Garmin used to charge $99 for ONE update, and $150 (and up) for lifetime updates. Since the Droids came on the scene with FREE Google maps, now Garmin only charges $40 for lifetime map updates......
-- In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
the smart phone GPS has nothing to do with the drop in price, it market saturation that is driving the price, everyone that wants a PND has one or generally multiples, so if the manufactures want to sell more they need to do one of 2 things 1. increase the features(add value) or 2. drop the prices. since it seems they are not adding features the only other thing is to drop prices.
Then how do you explain the precipitous drop in price in map updates?
Garmin used to charge $99 for ONE update, and $150 (and up) for lifetime updates. Since the Droids came on the scene with FREE Google maps, now Garmin only charges $40 for lifetime map updates......
how many people are going to pay the price for update in the first place, when sometimes very little changes, it took 2 years for the my location to show in Garmin/TomTom map updates, that would have been a waste of money to upgrade sooner, I had a garmin 205w, I bought an upgrade only to add canada to the unit otherwise I would not have spent the money. what they are doing is instead of making a lot of money on one sale they drop the price and make less on a single sale but make up for it in quantity.
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
You're too easily baited. When your Droid or my Dell Streak can function in the extremes off-roaders and hikers use GPS receivers in without assistance from a case and can use regular batteries then come talk to me.
-- "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."
--Douglas Adams
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
You're too easily baited. When your Droid or my Dell Streak can function in the extremes off-roaders and hikers use GPS receivers in without assistance from a case and can use regular batteries then come talk to me.
Lol! How well would your PND work without a "case?"
Droid Otterbox for $40 (waterproof, dustproof) AA battery adapter <$10.....
NP
-- In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
The thread is about the Garmin Montana, a ruggedized hiker GPS receiver with road navigation capability, NOT a road GPS.
Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?
As I stated in yet another thread over the issue of dedicated devices and converged units: Some people think every one else is an idiot while the others agree the comment does not reflect their views.
Review ORNONPROPHET's posts. He's a troll stirring up debate and adding little to the body of knowledge.
Review ORNONPROPHET's posts. He's a troll stirring up debate and adding little to the body of knowledge.
....Even when you're wrong. I'm not a troll and I can guarantee you that I have more experience in using GPS devices than you do!
As to your comment that I'm not adding anything useful to the body of knowledge, again you're entitled to YOUR OPINION, but if you scroll through threads that I participate in you'll see that many don't agree with your claims....
I know that change is scary for those who are invested in the status quo, but really, there's no good reason for personal attacks, don't you agree?
NP
-- In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
I'm not the average customer, but this one has a lot of things I like --
-- Ability to use AA cells or lithium battery. When I' talking to folks looking for handheld (ham) radios, I tell them to get one with an AA pack -- in an emergency, you can "recharge" a radio that uses AA cells in a few seconds.
-- External antenna connector. I use the external antenna on my 660/680. Makes a difference.
-- NMEA data output. Serial GPS data output for other devices to use. Looks good for APRS (ham radio stuff)
-- Cradle with lots of connections. One of the areas to investigate.
Looks promising! Not for everybody, but that's the reason for multiple product lines.
-- Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows
Review ORNONPROPHET's posts. He's a troll stirring up debate and adding little to the body of knowledge.
I came to that conclusion after I had posted, when I saw him post five consecutive times in another thread. His posting patterns indicate he does not care about the quality of his posts, only ensuring that he is the loudest voice in the room.
I'm sorry to all my friends on this forum for my reaction to the troll. I'm generally good enough not to feed f**king trolls, but I admit I got taken in by this one.
-- "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."
--Douglas Adams
I have a GARMIN GPSMAP60CSx and it is a great unit. Most of you here are predominantly car GPS users, such as nuvis. You are not the target audience for the Montana, or the 60/62/76/78 series. I have 2012.1, National Parks East TOPO and most of TOPO 2008 maps loaded on a 4GB card. Loaded for anything.
As I read these forums, most of you complain that your nuvi or whatever doesn't do this or that, and as a result, you have multiple GPS units for different applications/uses. Well, the 60 does it all, and I've had the 60CSx since it was released. That's over 5 yrs, which is forever and then some in GPS years. And it is still more advanced (more features) than most, if not all, nuvis.
The Montana is a modernization of the venerable 60/62/76/78 series with the touch screen and some other features. It's not for everyone. I use the 60CSx in the car, on my bikes and hiking, kayaking, exploring, etc. It is a tough unit. It was pricy, but after reading how most of you have multiple GPS units for different uses, the 60CSx was less expensive than getting multiple units. I use the one GPS for everything, and it is great.
I plan on getting the Montana to enjoy the modernization and larger screen, and use the 60CSx as a backup.
-- When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
I'm almost the exact opposite. I had a 60CS and it drove me nuts because it could never fit in my pocket. If I ever bought one again it would be an etrex. For me, an even bigger screen is a joke for trying to hike so I'm somewhat lost as to the audience for this product.
I have a GARMIN GPSMAP60CSx and it is a great unit. Most of you here are predominantly car GPS users, such as nuvis. You are not the target audience for the Montana, or the 60/62/76/78 series.
As I read these forums, most of you complain that your nuvi or whatever doesn't do this or that, and as a result, you have multiple GPS units for different applications/uses. Well, the 60 does it all, and I've had the 60CSx since it was released.
I really wish that Garmin WOULD produce a do-it-all PND at a reasonable price, but so far I haven't found one that will. I borrowed a friend's 60CSX for a 10 day wilderness trek and while it did fine on the trails navigating, it was definitely a battery hog and it's performance on the road so-so at best in terms of routing and turn-by-turn directions.
Maybe the Montana really will do it all well, but with it's beefy ($500+) price tag I'm not exactly running out the door to get one, but I will be very curious to see what reviewers have to say about it....
NP
NP
-- In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
I have been looking for a serious upgrade to my Legend...now that this one is out the Oregon and 60series may have some blowout pricing. This one looks too loaded with fluff to be a serious hiking contender for me.
I really wish that Garmin WOULD produce a do-it-all PND at a reasonable price, but so far I haven't found one that will. I borrowed a friend's 60CSX for a 10 day wilderness trek and while it did fine on the trails navigating, it was definitely a battery hog and it's performance on the road so-so at best in terms of routing and turn-by-turn directions.
NP
NP
Why did you consider the 60 a battery hog?
What is your criteria for the routing and turn-by-turn performance?
-- When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Th battery options are very intriguing. It can use a cube battery I assume will be LiON technology, or AA in the same compartment. Not at the same time, but either or.
Will this unit allow for charging of the batteries while the batteries are in the unit?
My scanner and HT transceiver can charge batteries while installed in the unit. I find it somewhat anachronistic to have to replace batteries nowadays instead of charging them in-situ.
-- When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Th battery options are very intriguing. It can use a cube battery I assume will be LiON technology, or AA in the same compartment. Not at the same time, but either or.
Will this unit allow for charging of the batteries while the batteries are in the unit?
My scanner and HT transceiver can charge batteries while installed in the unit. I find it somewhat anachronistic to have to replace batteries nowadays instead of charging them in-situ.
-- When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
You're too easily baited. When your Droid or my Dell Streak can function in the extremes off-roaders and hikers use GPS receivers in without assistance from a case and can use regular batteries then come talk to me.
Lol! How well would your PND work without a "case?"
Droid Otterbox for $40 (waterproof, dustproof) AA battery adapter <$10.....
NP
The otterbox is not waterproof, per the manufacturer's data.
Please stop spreading these incorrect statements.
-- When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
I have a GARMIN GPSMAP60CSx and it is a great unit.
Well, the 60 does it all, and I've had the 60CSx since it was released.
The Montana is a modernization of the venerable 60/62/76/78 series with the touch screen and some other features. It's not for everyone.
I plan on getting the Montana to enjoy the modernization and larger screen, and use the 60CSx as a backup.
I am a geocacher and while I can get close to a cache with my nuvi 765t (my favorite automotive unit) there are tools the off-road units have that make geocaching life much easier.
I also have a 60csx with NA maps and an Oregon 550 with NA maps and now a Montana 650 again with NA maps. The 60csx has been a great GPS and is now my backup GPS (for the impending Zombie apocalypse ), Tough as nails, accurate and always works, best offroad GPS Garmin has ever made IMO.
I purchased the Oregon for the paperless caching and touchscreen, great unit!!
I purchased the Montana because it was bigger and badder (cant ever have enough horsepower or tools or toys). An Oregon on steroids if you will.
Did it give me $500+ of benefit? No. But geocaching is my all free time consuming hobby and my only real splurge.
I lived for 50 years without a GPS but splurged (at the time) when I bought my 765t a few years ago because it seemed something useful as I was on the road a lot and a techie guy. I thought the price of it was over the top then but have no regrets at all.
Yes, I have an iphone and mapping apps but it wont get me as close as a dedicated PND / GPS does especially deep in the woods
-- (formerly known as condump) RV 770 LMT-S, Nuvi2797LMT, Nuvi765T
I really wish that Garmin WOULD produce a do-it-all PND at a reasonable price, but so far I haven't found one that will. I borrowed a friend's 60CSX for a 10 day wilderness trek and while it did fine on the trails navigating, it was definitely a battery hog and it's performance on the road so-so at best in terms of routing and turn-by-turn directions.
NP
NP
Why did you consider the 60 a battery hog?
What is your criteria for the routing and turn-by-turn performance?
I was wondering the same thing. I have a 76CSx which is the same internally as the 60. With a set of Sanyo hybrids I know I have gotten at least 15 hours run time and probably would have gotten more, but at that point I changed the batteries. I have also used it for routing when I didn't happen to have the 855 in the car and other then the fact it didn't have voice it worked really well. I went with the 76 because like the 60 it's waterproof but it also floats, it has some marine features, and it doesn't have the antenna sticking out in the way.
-- Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
It's cheaper than my Nuvi 775T was. And it looks to be a very useful product - it is very nearly exactly what I was looking for when I bought my 775T, and which I do load topo and marine maps from time to time.
Now Garmin offers a product which will really shine in those applications, and I'm delighted.
And no, your phone can't hold a candle to it. Not even close.
Well, I got the Montana 600, and it is rather impressive. It is a modernization of the 60 series with a touch screen and more processing power. This thing is fast. I needed the touch screen since I was so accustomed to my iPhone, I tried to operate the 60CSx by touching/swiping the screen.
The feature set is about the same as the 60CSx, a few more that I haven't explored yet. Using this by touch is far better than moving and selecting a highlighted area.
I have the Garmin car mount, and it is excellent. The mount has the power cord and the speaker. The Montana just snaps into the mount and all connections are made by virtue of the installation. No connectors or plugs to keep track of, just snap the Montana into the mount. Great job!!!!
Previous unit was a 60CSx, which will now be a backup.
The Montana is offered in three versions: 600, 650, 650T
The 600 is what it is. The 650 adds a camera, and the 650T adds topographical maps to the 650.
The topo maps option is interesting. The full topo map install on the 600 or 650 would require well over the 4000 map segment limit, and the 650T option is juiced to hold the entire topographical map and then whatever you want on top of that, such as City Navigator.
As I am loading my Montana 600 in preparation for a x-country trip, to Montana, I had to select the topo segments instead of just loading the whole topo map set. No big deal.
The Lion cube battery will charge in-situ, the AA batteries do not.
It has a nuvi mode to simulate a nuvi unit.
So far, so good.
-- When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
The market for this type of unit is more limited then the market for an auto designed Nuvi. Makes sense the cost would be higher then a Nuvi with similar hardware.
I think its great Garmin is marketing units designed for different types of users.
I used waterproof Garmin hand held units for several years before adding a Nuvi. The GPSmap 76csx is still the most versatile unit I've used but it's no match for the Nuvi for in-car navigation. It appears the Montana is an attempt to bridge that gap.
It would seem that the people who question the appeal of such a unit have not relied on a gps in marine or hiking situations. I don't know what the rest of us could say to change that.
I used waterproof Garmin hand held units for several years before adding a Nuvi. The GPSmap 76csx is still the most versatile unit I've used but it's no match for the Nuvi for in-car navigation. It appears the Montana is an attempt to bridge that gap.
It would seem that the people who question the appeal of such a unit have not relied on a gps in marine or hiking situations. I don't know what the rest of us could say to change that.
I'll second the idea of having a handheld. I have full maps on my 76CSx and usually have it in the car. There have been times when I didn't have the 855 in the car and used the 76 to navigate. Other then the fact it has no speech it does as good as the 855 navigating.
-- Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
I used waterproof Garmin hand held units for several years before adding a Nuvi. The GPSmap 76csx is still the most versatile unit I've used but it's no match for the Nuvi for in-car navigation. It appears the Montana is an attempt to bridge that gap.
It would seem that the people who question the appeal of such a unit have not relied on a gps in marine or hiking situations. I don't know what the rest of us could say to change that.
I'll second the idea of having a handheld. I have full maps on my 76CSx and usually have it in the car. There have been times when I didn't have the 855 in the car and used the 76 to navigate. Other then the fact it has no speech it does as good as the 855 navigating.
I purchased City Navigator and used my 76csx for in car navigation before buying a Nuvi. On one of the several occasions of being bounced off rocks the buzzer quit working and that was good enough excuse to add the Nuvi. I still much prefer the 76 when out of the car.
I used the Montana 600 on my recent cross country trip and several issues with the Montana were revealed:
1. Freezes
2. Shuts off on its own
3. Very fussy about POI lineage. Bad POI whacks the unit out. The Montana does not like the POI I have used with the 60CSx for over 5 years.
4. Latest firmware revision introduced a new problem: unit crashes when selecting Map setup icon from Map screen
5. Where To searches are unacceptably long. It took 3 minutes and 52 seconds to return results. My 60CSx took 4 seconds for the same search with the same databases.
6. Routes are rendered no longer editable and no longer reversible if the routes are touched by BaseCamp.
-- When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
New but not "improved" ??
Here is a link to videos for the Garmin Montana.
A quick scan of the "specs" leads me to believe that it's a "throwback", since it seems to have few of the "advanced" features that many have come to expect......AND.....it does not have pre-loaded maps.
And the price.....YIKES !!!
I wonder what they think the target market is for a model like this......and how they expect it to compete even with their OWN existing models ??
Unless I missed soemthing critical, it doesn't make much sense to me.
Magellan Maestro 4250// MIO C310X
Not too sure what to make of this model
Cool that it has a camera, everything else though.....uh OK???
Nuvi 360, OS X Lion 10.7
Not worth it
Sounds nice but I don't think there is a big market for them. It could appeal to the owners of high end vehicles but most of them have a GPS built in. Don't see that in an average persons budget.
The 650t model is the only
The 650t model is the only one with pre-loaded maps. Topographical maps that is. All of them require a purchase of a City Navigator NT mapset to use as a road GPS.
I think I understand why no topo maps are included. Unlike City Navigator NT road maps, topo maps aren't locked to a particular device and can be freely moved from device to device.
But yeah, the price is too high right now for a GPS that can go anywhere and do anything.
Montana Comparison Page
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams
Too much!
Guess it's mainly for hiking and off road, but does some of everything, depending on what maps you buy and install. It would require a heavy investment in maps (topo, city, etc) to take advantage of all its capabilities. For me, too expensive...
Tuckahoe Mike - Nuvi 3490LMT, Nuvi 260W, iPhone X, Mazda MX-5 Nav
Spendy!
I'm all for the all-in-one approach provided that it really does every thing it's supposed to do and does it well.
For my personal needs, a GPS that I could use in my car, on the trail, on the golf course, and in on my boat for lakes and rivers would be ideal--and it looks like maybe the Montana would do this--not sure about Golf though....
Interestingly enough, my Droid does all of these things, does them very well with FREE apps and FREE maps, and it only cost $180...
NP
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
apples and oranges
I have a Garmin gpsmap model for outdoor use and have found an abundance of free topo maps and 4-wheel and hiking trail map overlays. I have added these maps to both my gpsmap and Nuvi. As this group is mostly interested in using in-car units, I would not expect a lot of interest in an outdoors oriented gps. While we wish for such features as lane assist, the Montana and similar models are much more durable, operate on AA batteries, can be seen in bright sunlight and may have touch screens that can be operated with gloved hands. The model I have is waterproof and floats and has done such in sea water. Such features command a higher price. My less expensive Nuvi works much better in the car and is suitable for an urban walk but I will always use the other type on the trail.
Droid doesn't do everything.
Interestingly enough, my Droid does all of these things, does them very well with FREE apps and FREE maps, and it only cost $180...
NP
You apparently downloaded Backcountry Navigator demo, Gaia GPS Lite, or possibly Androzic for your Droid, since those are the only free options on the Market that have topographic maps. Or you downloaded one I didn't find just now on the market. But, your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
I think we can all agree however that the Montana is way too pricey for what it does. Give it a year or two. I suspect the price will come down.
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams
Montana
This unit is aimed at the Geochaching community more than the Auto users group.
It's the new generation replacement in the Garmin hand held line ultimately replacing the 60/62, 76/78 units.
It's more for Hiking, Biking, water navigation and it can be used in a vehicle with road maps.
I don't know about anyone
I don't know about anyone else, but I know who it's geared for and I STILL think the Montana is too pricey for what it does.
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams
new GPS
I like that is can be used both on and off road. But it is expensive.
It's Too Bad...
Garmin COULD make a Nuvi-style GPS that would do everything (turn by turn, golf, trails, waterproof, etc.) but they've never done a good job with an all-purpose GPS most likely because they've wanted us to buy multiple PND's.
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
Actually...
Interestingly enough, my Droid does all of these things, does them very well with FREE apps and FREE maps, and it only cost $180...
NP
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
I think we can all agree however that the Montana is way too pricey for what it does. Give it a year or two. I suspect the price will come down.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
NP
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
dont think so
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
the smart phone GPS has nothing to do with the drop in price, it market saturation that is driving the price, everyone that wants a PND has one or generally multiples, so if the manufactures want to sell more they need to do one of 2 things 1. increase the features(add value) or 2. drop the prices. since it seems they are not adding features the only other thing is to drop prices.
Don't think so....
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
the smart phone GPS has nothing to do with the drop in price, it market saturation that is driving the price, everyone that wants a PND has one or generally multiples, so if the manufactures want to sell more they need to do one of 2 things 1. increase the features(add value) or 2. drop the prices. since it seems they are not adding features the only other thing is to drop prices.
Then how do you explain the precipitous drop in price in map updates?
Garmin used to charge $99 for ONE update, and $150 (and up) for lifetime updates. Since the Droids came on the scene with FREE Google maps, now Garmin only charges $40 for lifetime map updates......
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
same/similar process
Fortunately for us consumers, the open-source smartphone apps market is forcing the top 3 PND makers to reconsider their marketing strategies...
NP
the smart phone GPS has nothing to do with the drop in price, it market saturation that is driving the price, everyone that wants a PND has one or generally multiples, so if the manufactures want to sell more they need to do one of 2 things 1. increase the features(add value) or 2. drop the prices. since it seems they are not adding features the only other thing is to drop prices.
Then how do you explain the precipitous drop in price in map updates?
Garmin used to charge $99 for ONE update, and $150 (and up) for lifetime updates. Since the Droids came on the scene with FREE Google maps, now Garmin only charges $40 for lifetime map updates......
how many people are going to pay the price for update in the first place, when sometimes very little changes, it took 2 years for the my location to show in Garmin/TomTom map updates, that would have been a waste of money to upgrade sooner, I had a garmin 205w, I bought an upgrade only to add canada to the unit otherwise I would not have spent the money. what they are doing is instead of making a lot of money on one sale they drop the price and make less on a single sale but make up for it in quantity.
Not Worth The Time
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
You're too easily baited. When your Droid or my Dell Streak can function in the extremes off-roaders and hikers use GPS receivers in without assistance from a case and can use regular batteries then come talk to me.
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams
Lol!
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
You're too easily baited. When your Droid or my Dell Streak can function in the extremes off-roaders and hikers use GPS receivers in without assistance from a case and can use regular batteries then come talk to me.
Lol! How well would your PND work without a "case?"
Droid Otterbox for $40 (waterproof, dustproof) AA battery adapter <$10.....
NP
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
Reading Comprehension 101
The thread is about the Garmin Montana, a ruggedized hiker GPS receiver with road navigation capability, NOT a road GPS.
Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams
as i stated in another thread
The thread is about the Garmin Montana, a ruggedized hiker GPS receiver with road navigation capability, NOT a road GPS.
Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?
As I stated in yet another thread over the issue of dedicated devices and converged units: Some people think every one else is an idiot while the others agree the comment does not reflect their views.
Review ORNONPROPHET's posts. He's a troll stirring up debate and adding little to the body of knowledge.
Illiterate? Write for free help.
You're entitled to your opinion....
Review ORNONPROPHET's posts. He's a troll stirring up debate and adding little to the body of knowledge.
....Even when you're wrong. I'm not a troll and I can guarantee you that I have more experience in using GPS devices than you do!
As to your comment that I'm not adding anything useful to the body of knowledge, again you're entitled to YOUR OPINION, but if you scroll through threads that I participate in you'll see that many don't agree with your claims....
I know that change is scary for those who are invested in the status quo, but really, there's no good reason for personal attacks, don't you agree?
NP
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
Looks good!
I'm not the average customer, but this one has a lot of things I like --
-- Ability to use AA cells or lithium battery. When I' talking to folks looking for handheld (ham) radios, I tell them to get one with an AA pack -- in an emergency, you can "recharge" a radio that uses AA cells in a few seconds.
-- External antenna connector. I use the external antenna on my 660/680. Makes a difference.
-- NMEA data output. Serial GPS data output for other devices to use. Looks good for APRS (ham radio stuff)
-- Cradle with lots of connections. One of the areas to investigate.
Looks promising! Not for everybody, but that's the reason for multiple product lines.
Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows
Oregon 550
On steroids is what it reminds me of. Looks a lot like my 550 but with a much larger screen
As I was drooling on my KB (I am a geocacher) over this thing the price made me pucker right up.
(formerly known as condump) RV 770 LMT-S, Nuvi2797LMT, Nuvi765T
I'm Sorry
Review ORNONPROPHET's posts. He's a troll stirring up debate and adding little to the body of knowledge.
I came to that conclusion after I had posted, when I saw him post five consecutive times in another thread. His posting patterns indicate he does not care about the quality of his posts, only ensuring that he is the loudest voice in the room.
I'm sorry to all my friends on this forum for my reaction to the troll. I'm generally good enough not to feed f**king trolls, but I admit I got taken in by this one.
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams
This is a great advance
I have a GARMIN GPSMAP60CSx and it is a great unit. Most of you here are predominantly car GPS users, such as nuvis. You are not the target audience for the Montana, or the 60/62/76/78 series. I have 2012.1, National Parks East TOPO and most of TOPO 2008 maps loaded on a 4GB card. Loaded for anything.
As I read these forums, most of you complain that your nuvi or whatever doesn't do this or that, and as a result, you have multiple GPS units for different applications/uses. Well, the 60 does it all, and I've had the 60CSx since it was released. That's over 5 yrs, which is forever and then some in GPS years. And it is still more advanced (more features) than most, if not all, nuvis.
The Montana is a modernization of the venerable 60/62/76/78 series with the touch screen and some other features. It's not for everyone. I use the 60CSx in the car, on my bikes and hiking, kayaking, exploring, etc. It is a tough unit. It was pricy, but after reading how most of you have multiple GPS units for different uses, the 60CSx was less expensive than getting multiple units. I use the one GPS for everything, and it is great.
I plan on getting the Montana to enjoy the modernization and larger screen, and use the 60CSx as a backup.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
I'm almost the exact
I'm almost the exact opposite. I had a 60CS and it drove me nuts because it could never fit in my pocket. If I ever bought one again it would be an etrex. For me, an even bigger screen is a joke for trying to hike so I'm somewhat lost as to the audience for this product.
I wish...
I have a GARMIN GPSMAP60CSx and it is a great unit. Most of you here are predominantly car GPS users, such as nuvis. You are not the target audience for the Montana, or the 60/62/76/78 series.
As I read these forums, most of you complain that your nuvi or whatever doesn't do this or that, and as a result, you have multiple GPS units for different applications/uses. Well, the 60 does it all, and I've had the 60CSx since it was released.
I really wish that Garmin WOULD produce a do-it-all PND at a reasonable price, but so far I haven't found one that will. I borrowed a friend's 60CSX for a 10 day wilderness trek and while it did fine on the trails navigating, it was definitely a battery hog and it's performance on the road so-so at best in terms of routing and turn-by-turn directions.
Maybe the Montana really will do it all well, but with it's beefy ($500+) price tag I'm not exactly running out the door to get one, but I will be very curious to see what reviewers have to say about it....
NP
NP
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
Upgrade
I have been looking for a serious upgrade to my Legend...now that this one is out the Oregon and 60series may have some blowout pricing. This one looks too loaded with fluff to be a serious hiking contender for me.
There has been good 60 pricing
Keep a look out. I saw some incredible prices on the 60 series a couple weeks ago. I was almost tempted to get another...
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Get GPS Pants
I'm not kidding. I have GPS pants with a perfect pocket for the 60.
Also, the Garmin carabiner is great to hang it off a belt loop or elsewhere on the Camelback.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Please, do tell
I really wish that Garmin WOULD produce a do-it-all PND at a reasonable price, but so far I haven't found one that will. I borrowed a friend's 60CSX for a 10 day wilderness trek and while it did fine on the trails navigating, it was definitely a battery hog and it's performance on the road so-so at best in terms of routing and turn-by-turn directions.
NP
NP
Why did you consider the 60 a battery hog?
What is your criteria for the routing and turn-by-turn performance?
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
But...do
Cool that it has a camera, everything else though.....uh OK???
we need another camera? I rarely ever use the one on my mobile phone...and I already have a camera that does that!
"Backward, turn backward, oh time in your flight, make me a child again, just for tonight."
Battery
Th battery options are very intriguing. It can use a cube battery I assume will be LiON technology, or AA in the same compartment. Not at the same time, but either or.
Will this unit allow for charging of the batteries while the batteries are in the unit?
My scanner and HT transceiver can charge batteries while installed in the unit. I find it somewhat anachronistic to have to replace batteries nowadays instead of charging them in-situ.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Battery
Th battery options are very intriguing. It can use a cube battery I assume will be LiON technology, or AA in the same compartment. Not at the same time, but either or.
Will this unit allow for charging of the batteries while the batteries are in the unit?
My scanner and HT transceiver can charge batteries while installed in the unit. I find it somewhat anachronistic to have to replace batteries nowadays instead of charging them in-situ.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Please stop this
....your Droid does not do everything the Montana can do, because it isn't waterproof and shock resistant like the Montana.
Can you say "Otter Box?"
You're too easily baited. When your Droid or my Dell Streak can function in the extremes off-roaders and hikers use GPS receivers in without assistance from a case and can use regular batteries then come talk to me.
Lol! How well would your PND work without a "case?"
Droid Otterbox for $40 (waterproof, dustproof) AA battery adapter <$10.....
NP
The otterbox is not waterproof, per the manufacturer's data.
Please stop spreading these incorrect statements.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Montana thread
Here's an EXHAUSTIVE thread on the Garmin Montana from the ADV (mixed on/off road) motorcycle community. It's over 100 pages of info:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=688775&highlight...
The Montana looks like a really fine rugged GPS unit, with more features than most folks would ever use. You do pay for that, of course.
Nuvi 760 (died 6/2013); Forerunner 305 bike/run; Inreach SE; MotionX Drive (iPhone)
Garmin Montana Wisdom and FAQ Thread
Here's an EXHAUSTIVE thread on the Garmin Montana from the ADV (mixed on/off road) motorcycle community. It's over 100 pages of info:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=688775&highlight...
The Montana looks like a really fine rugged GPS unit, with more features than most folks would ever use. You do pay for that, of course.
Update to my note above: Here's an even BETTER thread for you on that site, the Garmin Montana Wisdom and FAQ thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=18675927#pos...
Nuvi 760 (died 6/2013); Forerunner 305 bike/run; Inreach SE; MotionX Drive (iPhone)
Montana
I have a GARMIN GPSMAP60CSx and it is a great unit.
Well, the 60 does it all, and I've had the 60CSx since it was released.
The Montana is a modernization of the venerable 60/62/76/78 series with the touch screen and some other features. It's not for everyone.
I plan on getting the Montana to enjoy the modernization and larger screen, and use the 60CSx as a backup.
I am a geocacher and while I can get close to a cache with my nuvi 765t (my favorite automotive unit) there are tools the off-road units have that make geocaching life much easier.
I also have a 60csx with NA maps and an Oregon 550 with NA maps and now a Montana 650 again with NA maps. The 60csx has been a great GPS and is now my backup GPS (for the impending Zombie apocalypse
), Tough as nails, accurate and always works, best offroad GPS Garmin has ever made IMO.
I purchased the Oregon for the paperless caching and touchscreen, great unit!!
I purchased the Montana because it was bigger and badder (cant ever have enough horsepower or tools or toys). An Oregon on steroids if you will.
Did it give me $500+ of benefit? No. But geocaching is my all free time consuming hobby and my only real splurge.
I lived for 50 years without a GPS but splurged (at the time) when I bought my 765t a few years ago because it seemed something useful as I was on the road a lot and a techie guy. I thought the price of it was over the top then but have no regrets at all.
Yes, I have an iphone and mapping apps but it wont get me as close as a dedicated PND / GPS does especially deep in the woods
(formerly known as condump) RV 770 LMT-S, Nuvi2797LMT, Nuvi765T
wondering
I really wish that Garmin WOULD produce a do-it-all PND at a reasonable price, but so far I haven't found one that will. I borrowed a friend's 60CSX for a 10 day wilderness trek and while it did fine on the trails navigating, it was definitely a battery hog and it's performance on the road so-so at best in terms of routing and turn-by-turn directions.
NP
NP
Why did you consider the 60 a battery hog?
What is your criteria for the routing and turn-by-turn performance?
I was wondering the same thing. I have a 76CSx which is the same internally as the 60. With a set of Sanyo hybrids I know I have gotten at least 15 hours run time and probably would have gotten more, but at that point I changed the batteries. I have also used it for routing when I didn't happen to have the 855 in the car and other then the fact it didn't have voice it worked really well. I went with the 76 because like the 60 it's waterproof but it also floats, it has some marine features, and it doesn't have the antenna sticking out in the way.
Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
It's cheaper than my Nuvi 775T
It's cheaper than my Nuvi 775T was. And it looks to be a very useful product - it is very nearly exactly what I was looking for when I bought my 775T, and which I do load topo and marine maps from time to time.
Now Garmin offers a product which will really shine in those applications, and I'm delighted.
And no, your phone can't hold a candle to it. Not even close.
17
Here's the NUVI map screen from the Montana
I finally have an upgrade/replacement path from my Nuvi 775t. It's only a matter of time now....
Here's the NUVI map screen from the Montana:
http://www.gpscity.com/garmin-montana-600-videos.html?youtub...
Current street price is $450.
17
Montana is Impressive
Well, I got the Montana 600, and it is rather impressive. It is a modernization of the 60 series with a touch screen and more processing power. This thing is fast. I needed the touch screen since I was so accustomed to my iPhone, I tried to operate the 60CSx by touching/swiping the screen.
The feature set is about the same as the 60CSx, a few more that I haven't explored yet. Using this by touch is far better than moving and selecting a highlighted area.
I have the Garmin car mount, and it is excellent. The mount has the power cord and the speaker. The Montana just snaps into the mount and all connections are made by virtue of the installation. No connectors or plugs to keep track of, just snap the Montana into the mount. Great job!!!!
Previous unit was a 60CSx, which will now be a backup.
The Montana is offered in three versions: 600, 650, 650T
The 600 is what it is. The 650 adds a camera, and the 650T adds topographical maps to the 650.
The topo maps option is interesting. The full topo map install on the 600 or 650 would require well over the 4000 map segment limit, and the 650T option is juiced to hold the entire topographical map and then whatever you want on top of that, such as City Navigator.
As I am loading my Montana 600 in preparation for a x-country trip, to Montana, I had to select the topo segments instead of just loading the whole topo map set. No big deal.
The Lion cube battery will charge in-situ, the AA batteries do not.
It has a nuvi mode to simulate a nuvi unit.
So far, so good.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.
Your picture
Have you noticed your picture is now showing up as my picture also,,,,,!,,'
johnm405 660 & MSS&T
The market for this type of
The market for this type of unit is more limited then the market for an auto designed Nuvi. Makes sense the cost would be higher then a Nuvi with similar hardware.
I think its great Garmin is marketing units designed for different types of users.
looks interesting... but
looks interesting... but when will they bring back the mp3 player feature... won't give up my 760 until that happens
Roleplaying Canuck Gamer with: Nuvi 760 & 2595 LMT (Map Ver.: 2019.30) 2012 RAM 1500 4x4 Big Horn Quad
didn't mean to post a message
*************
Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
I used waterproof Garmin
I used waterproof Garmin hand held units for several years before adding a Nuvi. The GPSmap 76csx is still the most versatile unit I've used but it's no match for the Nuvi for in-car navigation. It appears the Montana is an attempt to bridge that gap.
It would seem that the people who question the appeal of such a unit have not relied on a gps in marine or hiking situations. I don't know what the rest of us could say to change that.
76CSx
I used waterproof Garmin hand held units for several years before adding a Nuvi. The GPSmap 76csx is still the most versatile unit I've used but it's no match for the Nuvi for in-car navigation. It appears the Montana is an attempt to bridge that gap.
It would seem that the people who question the appeal of such a unit have not relied on a gps in marine or hiking situations. I don't know what the rest of us could say to change that.
I'll second the idea of having a handheld. I have full maps on my 76CSx and usually have it in the car. There have been times when I didn't have the 855 in the car and used the 76 to navigate. Other then the fact it has no speech it does as good as the 855 navigating.
Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
Used 76csx for in-car navigation
I used waterproof Garmin hand held units for several years before adding a Nuvi. The GPSmap 76csx is still the most versatile unit I've used but it's no match for the Nuvi for in-car navigation. It appears the Montana is an attempt to bridge that gap.
It would seem that the people who question the appeal of such a unit have not relied on a gps in marine or hiking situations. I don't know what the rest of us could say to change that.
I'll second the idea of having a handheld. I have full maps on my 76CSx and usually have it in the car. There have been times when I didn't have the 855 in the car and used the 76 to navigate. Other then the fact it has no speech it does as good as the 855 navigating.
I purchased City Navigator and used my 76csx for in car navigation before buying a Nuvi. On one of the several occasions of being bounced off rocks the buzzer quit working and that was good enough excuse to add the Nuvi. I still much prefer the 76 when out of the car.
It Needs Revision
I used the Montana 600 on my recent cross country trip and several issues with the Montana were revealed:
1. Freezes
2. Shuts off on its own
3. Very fussy about POI lineage. Bad POI whacks the unit out. The Montana does not like the POI I have used with the 60CSx for over 5 years.
4. Latest firmware revision introduced a new problem: unit crashes when selecting Map setup icon from Map screen
5. Where To searches are unacceptably long. It took 3 minutes and 52 seconds to return results. My 60CSx took 4 seconds for the same search with the same databases.
6. Routes are rendered no longer editable and no longer reversible if the routes are touched by BaseCamp.
When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.