Garmin 660 and tracks

[eddyturn]

Thinking about a Garmin 660 but cannot tell if it takes tracks or not. The only speak to routes. I would imagine that you make them in Mapsource and then transfer like other units do. Not sure but thinking of dumping the 478 for something newer.

[sonic578]

eddy,
yes, the 660 will record tracks. I am not sure what the track limitations are? Also, Mapsource has been replaced by Basecamp. FYI, the 660 has been discontinued recently. You can still purchase them new however. I have been using one for a couple of years now and like it a lot. There may be better high-end units out there now, but the 660 has a lot of very useful features, and, is waterproof.

[DRTBYK]

Originally Posted by eddyturn

Thinking about a Garmin 660 but cannot tell if it takes tracks or not. The only speak to routes. I would imagine that you make them in Mapsource and then transfer like other units do. Not sure but thinking of dumping the 478 for something newer.

The zumo 660/665 will Import Tracks as well as record them in the Trip Log. It is a bit unique in that you can Import Tracks in two ways. You can Import them from the My Data, new data Trip Log - in this case the Tracks are converted to Routes so you can navigate them. Just remember to set your Recalculation=OFF; otherwise when you go off-route you will completely screw up the Route. If that ever happens, just stop navigating the Route and restart it.

The second way the zumo 66x can Import Tracks is via the My Data, new data Off Road Tracks list. Here you will import that Track as a Track and it will show up in the Tools-> Off Road Tracks app. From there you can set the color and Show/Hide on Map up to 16 Tracks. You cannot navigate a track but you can see it on the map and just follow the line.

Cheers,

[SmellyGoatBoy]

Sonic,
What other high end unit are you thinking of? I'm not finding much to choose from.

[eddyturn]

I think he might be referring to the Montana units.

[SmellyGoatBoy]

I reading numerous reports that the montana is not responding well to heavy vibration. Thus not being recommended for offroad motorcycle use. has anyone experienced this? I was looking at the BMW version of the Zumo today, and they said it was beefed up for durability and vibration, but does not come with the Lifetime Maps. Back to square one.

[DRTBYK]

The Montana has the same Garmin battery issues that many of it's predecessor's had. The included rechargeable Lithium battery is slightly to small for the compartment. A little tape on the sides to keep it from moving side to side will fix the issue (or you can put a foam ear plug between the battery and the battery door). You can also run the unit on the bike without a battery when powered by the bike. Or you can use AA batteries for when you are off-bike and the unit will still power from the Garmin AMPS Rugged Mount.

This is one of the most Off-road capable GPS's on the market but a lot of folks are not taking the time to learn it's capabilities and nuances.

Cheers,

[eddyturn]

What happens in the foam ear plugs have been caked with wax first?