Garmin Montana

Okay... the laptop has ALL Windows Updates installed. No joy.

What is really weird is that this laptop has Mapsource installed and has the CNNA v8 maps installed. If I go to the "Check for updates" in the Mapsource, it immediately connects to a Garmin server and wants to know if I want to download the latest copy of Mapsource! So why on Earth can it connect for this update but not for the install of the CNNA 2012? Of course, I can't use the CNNA v8 with the Montana because of the ridiculous unlock codes.

You should be using Basecamp, not Mapsource. The new Garmins all work better with BC, though it does have a steep learning curve. With BC, maps don't meed to be installed on the computer as the gps maps can be seen by the program when connected via usb.

But don't you still have to install the maps on the GPS then? If so, I don't see how that gets around my problem of the install program failing to connect to the server.

You can update the maps to the GPS directly assuming the map update program can access the server. I prefer then installed in the computer.

Have you tried turning off the internet from your computer? Just an idea but I would think the install program should install without an internet connection.

MapInstall is the program you'd use to install the maps. Maybe it'll be more successful than Mapsource at connecting to the server.

The install program accesses the server to do its verification stuff, kind of like the unlock codes from older versions of the map software. On my two desktop computers, it would run, make the connection, the GPS had to be hooked to the computer, it would prompt for the code on the back of the DVD package, and finally it would install and activate the maps for that GPS. So I am pretty sure it has to have internet access.

Have you called Garmin customer service yet? Powered your router off/on? Turned off web blockers/anti-virus/malware software? Are the XP service packs up to date? Someone else had this exact problem a couple weeks ago and the solution was in this thread. I would search for that interaction in this thread...

The other optional solution, since it sounds like you already have the maps loaded on the Montana is to just use Basecamp which does not require CNNA to be loaded onto your laptop. Basecamp will recognize and use the maps installed on the Montana so your laptop does not have to have CNNA loaded onto it, but you would have to use Basecamp. Basecamp is just as easy as Mapsource for creating simple routes as you describe, so that is a viable option if you run out of time before your trip and cannot successfully load the CNNA DVD onto your laptop.

You are right. I just tried the install with the network shut off. That sucks! what if you don't have internet?

Well, I'd turn off my fire wall on the PC and try again. If that fails I'd move the PC to the DMZ of your router.

I have not called Garmin yet. That usually results in LONG hold times, which I can't do while at work. I only started messing with this last night around 11:00pm. As to all the other questions, yes. I did all those things, including all the latest XP updates, JAVA updates, Adobe updates, and every other update that I could find, hehe. XP firewall is off, Anti-virus is off. The one thing I did not try to do was hook the laptop directly to the DSL modem.

I've never messed with Basecamp, so let me see if I understand. I can load the maps from one of the desktops that has CNNA 2012 installed onto my unit. Then, I can install Basecamp on the laptop. Then when I hook Basecamp to the laptop, it should use the maps from the unit? If so, that is may solve the problem for now. Is Basecamp free?

Thanks for the suggestions.

Wait times with Garmin are usually only 3-5 minutes these days. That's all I spent waiting the last two times I called them, this year.

And yes, if you can get the maps on the gps some other way, then Basecamp should be able to see and use the gps maps when the gps is connected to the computer.

Basecamp is free.

So as long as the maps are already on the GPS, then I should be able to use any computer with basecamp installed to create routes just as I would in Mapsource? I'll get right on installing Basecamp on the laptop. Thanks!

One more question. Is there any advantage to loading smaller sections of the total map set versus just loading the entire map set at one time? For instance, if I am going on a trip, does the unit process any faster if I only create a small map set based on the area where I will be on the trip versus just always having the entire country loaded on the map? I generally like to have the Topo maps loaded along with the City Nav maps for when I am exploring out of the way places and I frequently switch back and forth between them. Does it slow things down on the unit itself to have the whole map set for both the Topo and CN on the unit all the time?

I am sure I am missing something, but I have Basecamp installed on the laptop, have the GPS plugged in and Basecamp sees it, but for the life of me I cannot find the maps!? I can see all of my routes and tracks. Under "Devices" it shows the Montana 600 and under that it shows, "All Data" "Memory Card" and "WorldWide Autoroute DEM Basemap". I have a 16GB card in the unit. That is where I have my Topo map and CNNA 2012 map stored. Do the map sets need to be stored on the internal memory in order for Basecamp to see them?

It should not matter if the maps are on the memory card or internal memory. You should be able to go into view>map product and select the map set you want to use from the Montana. Sometimes it takes a couple minutes for Basecamp to recognize the map set so start Basecamp, plug in the Montana and walk away for 5 minutes, then check. Is the CNNA map set that you loaded onto your Montana listed there? That works for me. If it doesn't, when you go into map setup on the Montana, is the CNNA map set listed there to enable/disable? Is CNNA enabled on the Montana?

So i though i would post this in case someone found this thread having the same problem. Yesterday i deleted all tracks and waypoints from my gps. I then reloaded them from base camp, sending and receiving seems to be working reliably now. Looking at the files i noticed some of the tracks did not have the same number of points as they did in base camp. It seems one of the version of base camp or firmwares on the gps caused a loss of data during the transfer to the gps. It's working now...

I just loaded a map img file onto my Montana that was not previously loaded in BaseCamp. When I opened BaseCamp and plugged my Montana in, BaseCamp recognized the GPS was plugged in and started reading the map from the Montana.

I finally got CNNA 2012 to load. Kaspersky Anti-Virus does not like to be disabled and kept re-enabling itself and screwing up the connection to the server but nothing else I was doing on the net.... I finally just shut the stupid program down and tried one more time and it finally worked. Sometimes it just sucks to be me

Anyway, CNNA shows up in both my Mapsource install and in BaseCamp, but it is not pulling it off the GPS as some of you mentioned. I never could make that work, even after moving the loaded mapsets from my external memory card in the GPS to the internal memory. Doesn't really matter now though. I should be good for the trip.

Thanks for the suggestions and patience with my fumbling. Basecamp looks pretty cool so I will keep playing with it anyway.

Trying to create a new profile.

But I go to Setup

Then to Profiles

But I have no "+ Profiles" at the top
Just list of the current profiles available

??

What version of the Montana software are you using? You might try a master reset and see it the "+" returns.

Does anyone have an idea, or a way to measure, how many milliamps the Montana draws in the rugged mount with the screen brightness cranked all the way up?

I left mine on for a day or two with the bike parked and came back to a dead battery. I know my old 60CS didn't draw too much, but the back-light was also nowhere near as bright as the Montana.