Garmin Montana Collected Wisdom and FAQs

The "New Garmin Montana" thread in "Laying Down Tracks" is far too big for anyone to find information, and that's why this thread is needed.

WHERE CAN I DISCUSS THE MONTANA LINE ON ADVRider?

If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

Please do not reply in this thread...

THE GARMIN MONTANA - WHAT IT IS:

The Montana is Garmin's latest series of gps which incorporates the best of the handheld and automotive gps attributes, minus the media players and Bluetooth of the Zumo line. The Montana is seen by many as the ultimate motorcycle gps because it is very configurable, has excellent map capabilities, solid track and route handling, and holds many waypoints.

See the Garmin web site for complete overviews: http://sites.garmin.com/montana/

There is an excellent video on the GPSCIty site which is an overview of the Montana line, and a comparison between the Montana, Oregon and Dakota series:
http://www.gpscity.com/garmin-montana-650-videos.html?youtube=mLkaLON_7rM

WHICH MODEL TO GET? 600/650/650T ?

Here's a comparison on the GPSCity site:

WHERE TO BUY A GARMIN MONTANA?

In North America, the two places which most often have the best prices and service are GPSCity and GPSCentral.

See the web sites by clicking the links.

GPSCity in Canada
GPSCity in the USA

GPSCity is giving ADVRider inmates a special deal - check this thread in the Vendors forum for details: RAM Mount & Garmin Discounts

GPSCentral in Canada
GPSCentral in the USA

WHERE CAN I DISCUSS THE MONTANA LINE ON ADVRider?

If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

Please do not reply in this thread...

WHY DO WE LIKE THE MONTANA SO MUCH?

In addition to the features common in all of Garmin's latest handheld units, like Wireless Transfer of Waypoints/Routes/Tracks etc to other compatible units, the Montana has these features as well:

• The Montana has Profiles. This means you can make your gps into many different units based entirely on settings you can switch in a second through a Shortcut.
  
• The Montana has a proper powered, lockable mount which is very inexpensive, at around $33. See the "Rugged Mount".
  
• The Montana has the ability to be used in Landscape or Portrait mode.
  
• The Montana has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and can use 3 AAs instead, if the rechargeable one dies.

Please do not reply in this thread... If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

THE WAYS A MONTANA CAN FAIL AND HOW TO FIX IT:

• Many times a simple Master Reset will fix the problem. See below for the reset procedure.
  
• Some early Montanas had a screen calibration issue. Garmin stopped production for a short time as they sorted out the issue. There may still be older, defective units out there but Garmin replaces them when they fail.
  
• Antenna stops working. There have been reports (My wife's unit did this) of the gps not acquiring signal. If a reset does not cure this problem, you can connect an external antenna as a quick fix, and contact Garmin for a replacement.
  
• Battery Problems: Over time, the battery becomes a little loose in the compartment, and causes all kinds of strange problems such as spontaneous shutdowns, or the loss of map information. There are ways to fix this, the easiest being the addition of a foam earplug under the battery cover. This prevents the battery from moving, and stops the spontaneous shutdowns.
  

Master Reset Procedure:

Information is from the Garmin Web Site:

To perform the master reset:

Power the device off
Press and hold your finger on the upper left side of the display
Power the device on while still maintaining pressure on the display
Release on the display when the Do you really want to erase all user data? message appears
Touch Yes

The Montana is now reset. You will want to leave the device outside with a clear view of the sky for a minimum of 20 minutes to acquire satellite data.

(Even though Garmin warns you that a Master Reset will lose various things, it doesn't seem to lose much at all so it is worth trying a reset if you think it's necessary)

Garmin does not repair your unit and return it to you - If your unit is defective and needs to be returned, Garmin will exchange it for a Refurbished unit which is good as new. Garmin will Cross Ship if you ask for it. This means that if you have a charge card they can bill for $170, the cost of a Refurbished unit, they will send your replacement unit out before receiving your defective unit. But you must ask for this so it's best to phone.

You pay for shipping to Garmin; they pay for it to be returned.

Garmin Help Information (You can email Garmin or use their web site but the best results come from a phone call.)

Monday–Thursday: 8 AM–6 PM, Friday 8 AM–5 PM Central Time (closed holidays)

U.S.: 913-397-8200
U.S. toll-free: 1-800-800-1020
Canada: 1-866-429-9296

If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

Please do not reply in this thread...

THE MONTANA IS A "TRANSFORMER".

Okay, this idea's a little "out there", but when it was suggested that we need information here on using Profiles and Shortcuts, it occurred to me that using both together makes the Montana into a "Transformer". You can be riding down the road in Nuvi mode, see a back road you want to check, hit the Shortcut you created to a Profile with Topo attributes, and in a couple of seconds your gps is switched over to a completely different unit with Topo maps enabled, Auto Zoom turned off, terrain shading enabled, whatever you set up in that Profile.

Here's How:

The most efficient way to do this is to start with one profile which we'll call "Master Profile". This will have the attributes you're likely to want in all the rest of the Profiles you're about to create. For instance, if you never want your gps to have Auto Zoom enabled, then make sure it's off in the Master Profile.

Once you're happy with your Master Profile, and it is the profile which is currently enabled, go to Setup/Profiles and click the + at the top of the screen as often as you'll need to create the new profiles based on the current one. The new profiles show up at the bottom of the list as "Profile NN". If you click on the new profiles, you can rename or select the profile to go to it. Modify each Profile accordingly.

I created multiple profiles on my Montana so as to have easy access to my different maps, each with the attributes I wanted specifically for those maps. I have one called Automotive, another called "Topo", a third called OSM Maps, a fourth called "Geocaching". You get the idea. Each profile is very different, the Dashboards/Icon placement in Main window/Number of Icons etc.

Once all those Profiles are created, I create Shortcuts to each of those Profiles, and add those Shortcuts to the various screens of each Profile.

In this example, the Automotive Profile screen has Shortcuts to the Topo, OSM, Canada Enhanced Basemap and Geocaching Profiles.



This is my Topo screen, showing Shortcuts to the OSM and Auto Profiles.



Creating a Shortcut to Another Profile: From any profile, select Setup\Shortcuts. Click the + at the top of the screen to add a shortcut. In the next screen, give it a short descriptive name, choose an icon, and in the "Profile" box, choose the profile you want to load. That's it!

Next step is to add the shortcut to the Profile you want it to work from. You will need to add it to all Profiles if it's one you want everywhere. To add the Shortcut, go back to the "Create Shortcut menu, and scroll down to the new Shortcut, then select it. Choose "Add to Menu", then Main Menu if you want it on your desktop, Drawer, or Favourites. You can have it in all three, for that matter. Once you have added it to the Main Menu, the icon will expand the number of menu items to fit the new one.

If you'd rather not have so many icons on the Main Menu, you can put your finger on items for a second, and drag them around to re-order that menu, or off the screen to put the icon back into the drawer.

With Profiles, it's important to know that if you update maps on your Montana, you need to go back to each Profile and make sure the maps you selected are still the ones which are enabled. I updated my City Navigator mapset recently and found it ended up enabled in all profiles. CNNA has the highest map priority, so if it's enabled, it's going to be the one you see no matter what else is enabled.

Please do not reply in this thread... If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

MORE WAYS A MONTANA CAN FAIL:

The Dreaded White Screen: This does not seem to be happening much any more, but it's still worth mentioning. When your Montana is on a powered mount like the "Rugged" or the "Automotive" mount, and the power is lost when you turn off the ignition key or switch, if you don't click on "Stay On", the gps would partially shut down, then get stuck on a blank white screen.

Most people would pull the battery to shut down, then restart the unit. While software updates have made this problem much more of a rarity these days, if you do see these symptoms, do the following to fix the problem properly:

1. Take the unit off the powered mount
2. Hold your finger on the power button for about 20 seconds. Eventually you will see the screen go black.
3. Restart the unit by pushing the power button or replacing it on the powered mount

This problem was happening often to many people, but in my experience when you follow the instructions listed above, you'll not see the problem again (unless your software is way out of date, that is)

Losing Icons/Compass/Volume Control, etc: If you've lost icons, components or functions, the first thing to do is see if they have been put into the "Drawer" somehow, and restore them to the Main Screen by dragging them back on. If the thing you're looking for is truly gone, as in deleted from the gps, then it's probably time for a "Master Reset".

If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

Please do not reply in this thread...

A short tip this time: Screen Captures on the Montana (and Dakota/Oregon/62/78 as well)

To capture screens exactly as they show up on your gps, go to Setup/Display and select "Screen Capture". Once this is enabled, if you go to the screen you want to capture and press the Power button once, quickly, then that screen will be captured and saved on the gps.

To get the files off the gps, connect the gps via USB cable to a computer and use Finder on the Mac or Explorer in Windows to navigate to the folder called \Garmin\scrn

Enabling Screen Capture only works until the next time you power down when it will become disabled again.

Here's a couple of examples:



If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

Please do not reply in this thread...

THE DIFFERENT MOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR THE MONTANA:

(Click the images below to go to the sites for more information)

(Please note that no matter which mount system you use, it's a very good idea to use a lanyard to attach your precious gps to the bike)

From Garmin:

The Rugged Mount



Advantages:

• Inexpensive ($33 at GPSCity)
• Solidly made
• Lockable through a Torx security screw
• Using the locking screw to secure the gps to the mount is insurance that the gps is properly installed on the mount - the lock won't work if everything's not lined up well
• Wired to bike's battery
• Provides excellent power connection to gps through surface connectors
• Easy to switch between Landscape and Portrait mode
• Speaker connection through a 1/8" plug on the cable
• Includes three decent screen protectors
  

Disadvantages:

• Requires RAM AMPS ball which should be included with mount. (Unless you plan to mount this directly to a dash with about a 2" x 2" square surface to attach it to but if you do so, you lose the ability to angle the unit for optimum viewing, or to avoid reflection from the sun.)

The Automotive Mount



Advantages:

• Powered through a lighter outlet cable
• Speaker included in cradle
• Suction cup base included

Disadvantages:

• Not lockable
• Not sturdy enough to be used on a motorcycle (gps likely to fall off)
• Not waterproof

The Marine Mount

• Cradle is Identical to "Rugged Mount" (See description above)
• Comes with a base which allows you to change the angle of the gps

Disadvantages:

• Not many, but probably not of much use on a motorcycle. Likely too fragile.

From other sources:

The RAM Mount



Advantages:

• Very inexpensive ($8.95 at GPSCity)
• Looks solid enough

Disadvantages:

• No power to the gps unless you plan to use the mini USB cable and that is doomed to failure, either through water getting into the connection, or the connector wearing out, and it will wear out eventually.

The Touratech Mount



Advantages:

• Very secure
• Looks great (Aluminium/Stainless Construction)
• Lockable through a proper key
• Vibration dampening through rubber mounts
• Power supply through the Garmin Rugged Mount which is required and purchased separately.
• Bling Factor (important to some people)

Disadvantages:

• Price! ($180 + Rugged Mount cost)

If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.


Please do not reply in this thread...

A WARNING RE SCREEN PROTECTORS:

Screen protectors are very useful, and while protecting your screen from scratches, they also make the screen a little easier to see in bright sunlight but there has been at least one instance of the touch screen on the Montana breaking when a screen protector, in this case the ZAGG version, was removed incorrectly. Some instructions suggest removing the protector by pulling straight up at a right angle to the screen, but DO NOT PULL STRAIGHT UP ON A MONTANA.

If you're careful, and pull forward, in the direction of removal, you should be ok.

The Garmin brand protectors which are included with the Rugged Mount are less likely to cause problems but exercise caution anyway. Getting Garmin to cover the damaged touch screen is possible, but not necessarily something they feel obligated to do.

If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.


Please do not reply in this thread...

SOFTWARE - HOW TO UPDATE (New Information Added to Reflect Release of version 4.10)

Always ensure you have a completely charged battery when doing updates - the last thing you want is your gps battery giving out halfway through the update, which could "Brick" your gps.

In case your update doesn't quite go as planned, it's a really good idea to back up the data on your gps.

Here's how:

1. Connect your gps to a computer via USB cable
2. Using Finder on the MAC or My Computer in Windows, navigate to X:\Garmin
3. Copy everything to a directory (c:\Montana Backup or similar) on your computer or backup drive

After you back up, you're ready for the next step:

If you used any Beta releases, before running WebUpdater check the gps and uSD card and remove any gupdate.gcd files.

DRTBYK's advice on the best way to update your GPS.

1. Set the Profile to Recreation
2. Shutdown the Montana and and do a Master Reset. Upon reboot and before selecting the Language option, Power Off.
3. Plug unit into computer and using WebUpdater, install latest release.
4. Power On unit and allow new software to install.
5. Once unit is booted up and language options selected you can set the Profile to whatever you normally use.

Use WebUpdater: As with all other Garmin units, you would use Garmin WebUpdater. Garmin released version 4.10 on May 25, 2012, and this version is the first official release in a very long time.

Beta releases are never distributed through WebUpdater. Some people stay away from Beta releases - one version in early 2012 actually "bricked" some people's Montanas, but Garmin pulled that release, and replaced those bricked units quickly. I generally update to the latest Beta release soon after it is published, but not until I check with a couple of sites where issues with Beta releases are likely to be reported very quickly. The GPS and Technology forum on the Groundspeak site is one such place. There is almost always an immediate thread discussing software releases, including Beta releases for most models. Click the link below for the latest Beta release.

You can download the latest Beta update here. But don't bother; 4.10, the official release is the latest and best, for the moment.


Please do not reply in this thread... If you want to discuss the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

The Rugged Mount Torx T10 Security Tool Cover

If you lose the cap on your "Rugged Mount" Torx security crew, and you're worried that the tool itself is going to start scratching the paint on your bike, then you might want to listen up. My wife lost the cover on hers, so I found some small diameter tubing, the size I keep around to bleed brakes, and after making sure this hose was clean, I cut an inch or so off and put it on the end of the tool, leaving only about 1/16" sticking out the end.

That's all you need to lock the mount, and this way, it's really unlikely to damage paint or dig a hole in her pocket.



In fact this works so well that I've ditched the covers off my own two Torx tools, and put some tubing on both of those as well.



Why wait until I lose the covers to improve the tool? This way makes it much faster to take the Montana off its mount if I want to take a picture.

Custom Waypoint and Point of Interest (POI) Symbols (Icons)

Custom Waypoint and POI Symbols are not essential, but very useful to have in your gps, rather than the generic dots and flags normally used to indicate Waypoints and Points of Interest

The information below was written by dvwalker, in two posts, to the New Garmin Montana thread in early 2012. The software versions for both BaseCamp and the Montana have changed but the information is still relevant, though minor details may have changed with the software.

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CUSTOM WAYPOINT SYMBOLS:

Not sure how many here have tried to get custom waypoint and poi symbols working with BC and the Montana but it's a bit of a black art. I know I spent at least a couple hours decoding how this works, so thought I'd share my efforts. I'm sure others with more knowledge will chime in with more detail, but if I can save someone else a couple hours of trouble I think this topic is worthy of a post.
*
Tools:
- BaseCamp 3.3 (BC for Windows)
- Montana 650 fw:v3.68
- Paint.Net (used for creating/updating bitmap files)
*
*
Step 1: Enabling custom symbols in BaseCamp:*
*
After importing a large number of motorcycle NA/Canada repair shops (ie., Honda, KTM, Yamaha, etc) into BC, I wanted to assign the appropriate factory symbol to each dealer waypoint. As I travel I like to know where the closest repair or parts dealer is located either via POI or Waypoint. These are the steps I followed to enable custom waypoint symbols. Custom POI symbols can be discussed in a separate post since this is a different process all together...

1. create or obtain desired custom bitmap files (.bmp format) for each dealer. I used bmp file format because this is what worked when getting custom symbols to work on the Montana (described below).
2. Pixel size for each bitmap file I used was equal to or less than 22x22 with a bitsize of 24. BC may support up to 32x32 ps, but I did not confirm.
3. copy custom bitmap files into the \Documents\My Garmin\Custom Waypoint Symbols directory
4. bitmap filenames must be numbered (i.e, 000, 001, etc) in sequence using NNN mask. Otherwise BC will not load the symbols. Note BC loads these symbols on startup, so if you add another custom bmp later, you'll need to restart BC.
   
   
5. Custom images will now be available for selection in BC WayPoint symbols dialog grouped at the bottom in the Custom section.*
   
6. BC will allow you to select multiple waypoints and assign your custom symbol at the same time. Very nice feature...
   ​

Step 2: Enabling custom symbols on the Montana:*
*
Now that custom symbols have been assigned to my various waypoint lists in BC, I want my Montana to show these custom symbols after any transfer from BC. There's a few tricks to make this work...

1. Copy custom bitmap files from the BC \Documents\My Garmin\Custom Waypoint Symbols directory to the Montana \Garmin\CustomSymbols directory. I used the main memory drive, but the SD would probably work just as well.
2. bitmap filenames must be named Custom 1.bmp, Custom 2.bmp, etc in sequence using "Custom nN.bmp" mask. Otherwise when BC transfers over the waypoints the custom symbols will NOT be loaded :huh.
3. Also found that the bitsize needs to be 24 bit, otherwise the symbols will NOT be loaded by the Montana :huh. Note, jumping ahead to custom POI bitmaps, they need to be 8 bit to show correctly on the map, go figure...:eek1.
   
   
4. On inspection of the waypoint GPX file produced by BC on the Montana after transfer (send to->), you'll notice the reason for the difference in the file naming convention between the two products. I believe this is a software development artifact due to two separate teams working on different products. At some point I would expect the Garmin teams to get their act together and fix this compatibility issue between BC and newer units.
   
5. To test that custom symbols are working on the Montana, I sent a single waypoint from BC to the Montana. Instead of the default flag, the custom symbol was displayed after transfer
   
6. On further inspection, the other custom symbols are also available for selection on the Montana
   

CUSTOM POI SYMBOLS

Assigning custom POI symbols is a completely different process than assigning custom Waypoint symbols. Of course, there's a couple tricks to enable this to function correctly on the Montana.
*
Tools:
- POI Loader v2.7 (Windows)
- Montana 650 fw:v3.68*
- Paint.Net (used for creating/updating bitmap files)

1. Download POI files (csv or gpx format) from your favorite POI website. I found it easier to group similar POI files together in the same directory on your PC because of how the POI loader program works.
2. To assign a custom symbol to each POI file, download or create a bitmap file with the same name as the POI file. I found the bitsize must be 8 bits and less than 32x32 pixel size otherwise image does not display correctly on the map.
   
3. Run POI Loader.exe program to send POI's to your Montana. Available from Garmin website.
4. POI Loader will generate a Garmin formatted POI file in the \Garmin\poi folder. Due to a bug in POI Loader v2.7, you must rename the extension from ".poi" to ".gpi". Otherwise the POI's will not be loaded by the Montana. (Edit - This may no longer be the case - Garmin has updated PoiLoader) *The bitmap image file(s) for your custom symbols will be included in the POI file. Note the waypoint image files located in your \Garmin\CustomSymbols are not used for POI's.*
   
5. Where To? application on the Montana should now have an Extras option along with your POI lists
   *
   
   *
   
6. The custom POI symbol should also be available on the map
   

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The original post on Custom Waypoints is here

The original post on Custom POIs is here.

If you want to discuss the techniques, please go to the original post through the link provided and discuss it there, so we can keep this thread clear of discussion.

DRTBYK'S GARMIN MONTANA WISH LIST:

This is my Feature Request list "open items" for the Montana. If you like/want any of these and haven't expressed it to the Montana Team please do so. If you have others... (Emmbeedee edit - post them back as replies to the original post in the New Garmin Montana thread)

Feature & Description

1. Four Corner - Transparent Data Fields. Please provide an additional Dashboard option for Small (1/3 smaller than the current "Small") Transparent-background, Configurable Data fields in the four corners of the Map screen similar to the zumo 660's More Map View or the GPSMAP 478.
2. Track Manager - Options. Provide a Setting tab option on the main Track Manager screen to: "Show All Tracks on Map", "Hide All Tracks on Map", "Delete All Tracks".
3. Waypoint Categories. Support Waypoint Categories
4. Waypoint Contact Info. Support Waypoint Contact Info Fields (Street Address, City, State, ZIP, Country, Phone #'s)
5. Display - Screen Capture. Save Screen Capture setting in Profile
6. Where To? Search - Along Active Route. When navigating; Option to search "Along Active Route"
7. Power Management - Option. Keep unit on when External Power is lost as a Profile setting.
8. Multiple Trip Odometers. Multiple Independently resettable Trip Odometers
9. TracBack - Shortcut. One touch shortcut for TracBack
10. Camera Settings. Provide Camera settings (Resolution and Storage Location) as part of the Profile data.
11. Save Current Track Shortcut option. Provide a Shortcut Setting for Track - Save Current Track. Allow this setting to be combined with Clear Current Track as part of a "Save and Clear" Shortcut.
12. Track - "Show on Map". Please save the Track "Show on Map" selection in the GPX data so that when a Track is shared with other GPS it will show on the Map as defined in the GPX data - just like Color selection is saved.
13. Shortcut "Setup" - Indicate Option(s). Indicate the Setup Options applied to a Shortcut using # and Alfa combo for each option selected.
14. Resettable Odometer. A Shortcut / Reset option to reset the Odometer without having to preform a Master Reset. (dacrazyrn)
15. Data field for voltage from Mount.
16. Display setting to allow Topo data to be hidden, showing Major and/or Minor topo lines at greater than specified zoom level.
17. Track Manager/Waypoint Manager/Route Planner - please add the ability to "Sort by Alphanumeric" to these data lists. Update, Version 4.20 allows Alphanumeric sorting of Waypoints
18. Security Lock: "PIN" code and location support.

GARMIN MONTANA AND BASECAMP:

(This is not a tutorial - you can find that in the Basecamp Help files)

The following is not absolutely essential in order for you to use your Montana, but once you get used to using Basecamp to plan your routes/tracks, you'll probably be interested in this as well.

Garmin Basecamp is a program which allows you to create routes/tracks and plan trips on your computer. There is both a Windows and a Mac version available. They are not identical, and it's reckoned that the Mac version is better in some ways. Both versions are available here.

Basecamp is the replacement for Mapsource. Basecamp is more powerful but it takes some getting used to, especially if you've used Mapsource for years. Forget everything you learned about Mapsource when you start using Basecamp. Check out the online videos which can be found in the Basecamp Help section, and do be sure you have the most recent version of BC so you won't have to suffer from too many bugs (aka undocumented features).

The Montana, as well as other modern Garmin units like the Oregon, Dakota and 62/78 have the ability to use their installed maps in Garmin's Basecamp program without those maps being installed on the computer. If all goes well, all you need to do is plug the compatible gps into the USB cable on the computer and a list of maps on the gps and on the Micro SD card, if you have one with maps on it, will show up in the Basecamp window.

But try as I might, I could never get it to see my maps.

I noticed someone on a Garmin forum describing GMapTool, a program which can be used to set a flag in the .img file so that BaseCamp will see the maps, no matter where they came from so I tried it and it works! Finally, I was able to see all my maps in BaseCamp without having to install them on the computer!

GMapTool is available here: http://www.anpo.republika.pl/download.html (Don't worry about the Polish text - the program has an English language option)

Here's a screen shot to prove it: In the foreground is the log of changes made through GMapTool to the maps on the SD card in my Montana, and in the background is the list of maps on the card which BaseCamp is now seeing.



This is the post on the Garmin forum which describes the process.

This is essentially how GMapTool is used:

I created a little Jing video screen capture showing how to make it work. There's only ambient noise in the video - dogs, tractors, nothing interesting. But it shows how easy the process is.

Make sure you have backups of your maps, just in case. Don't work directly on your Montana, whatever you do. If you make a mistake and cause your Montana to become unresponsive, you can just take the SD card out and the Montana will start up normally.

If your maps are on a uSD card, take it out of the Montana, make a complete copy of it and use that to work on.

1. Backup everything.
2. Open Gmaptool
3. Click on "Add Files"
4. Browse to the map directory X:\Garmin (Substitute your drive letter)
5. Select the file (you can do one at a time if you want - probably safer to do so)
6. Go to the "Options" Tab
7. Select "Advanced Options" (You only need to set this once)
8. Go to the "Write" tab
9. Select "Set Version in Header"
10. Add 0 in "MS" field (Number Zero)
11. Click "Write All"

That's it. Then eject the SD card, put it into your gps and plug the gps into your computer, then run Basecamp and check to see if the map(s) is (are) listed.

GARMIN MONTANA MAP VISIBILITY IN BASECAMP:

(This works for Oregon/Dakota/Colorado/62/78 series gps units as well)

This is an alternate, and probably better way to make your gps maps visible in BaseCamp. As described in the previous post, the maps on your compatible gps should be visible in BaseCamp even if they are not installed on the computer, while your gps is plugged into the computer, but often they are not.

Javawa Device Manager allows you to do many things with your gps, including setting the visibility of your maps in BaseCamp. There is help available in the program, and most of the functions are obvious.

Here's the screen I see when I plug in my Montana and start the program:



If I select "Manage Maps" on the uSD card, Javawa DM lists the maps and shows a number of attributes, some of which you can change, including visibility in BaseCamp, and the map name.



I selected the "Topo Canada Only" map which was not shown as visible in BaseCamp and changed its visibility, as seen below.



I repeated the process for the rest of the maps and now have all the maps set to be visible in BC.



Here's the proof. BaseCamp is now in the process of reading the maps which Javawa made visible. These are large maps so it'll probably take 10 minutes to load those maps.



Done!



Javawa Device Manager can be downloaded for free, without restriction. It works really well, and has a very useful help system built in.

It also is very useful for checking the gps and uSD card for corrupt gpx files, and the Mac version even lets you turn off the "Trash" bin, a component which can cause problems. Check under "Extras" for these elements.

Highly recommended!

And if you do use it, you should consider making a donation to the programmers through their web site.

MAKING GARMIN BASECAMP INTO A PORTABLE APPLICATION:

Technically, this is not a "Montana" issue, but since BaseCamp (BC) is the program of choice when creating routes and tracks to be used on the Montana, people are relying on BC so it only makes sense to make BC "portable". This way if you're traveling without a Laptop or Netbook and need to create routes or tracks, all you need to do is find a computer, plug your USB or SD card into the computer and run BaseCamp from the storage device.

There's no need to install BaseCamp on the computer, something which many computers in public places will not allow anyway.

The following was written by dvwalker, and posted to the New Garmin Montana thread. This applies to the Windows version of BaseCamp.

It works!!!

This saves a step of having to install BC onto a host computer for emergency track repair while out in the field. I simply copied the BC app files from my PC into a folder on the SD card. I had to include GlobalMaps (\Basecamp\Maps folder) since BC requires at least one map during initial load. After initial load then BC will recognize the other BC enabled map files (img files) from the Montana. Very cool...

1. In windows 7, BC is installed in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Garmin\BaseCamp directory
2. copy all files (*.dll, *.exe, etc) and \Maps folders to directory on your SD card. I created folder [SD]:\Tools\basecamp. I skipped copying the help file folders (\en).
3. plug Montana into any Windows XP/7 PC and run BaseCamp.exe



notes:

• \Database folder is a copy of My Collection (Alldata.gdb) database in case I ever need to do an emergency import.
• \Setup folder is a copy of the BC installer file, just in case I need to install onto host computer...

THE PHANTOM SELECTOR, or, the Ghost in the Machine:

It has come to my attention over the last month that some Montanas are self-selecting menu items and going into Map Scroll mode on their own without any user input. A friend's 650 has an extreme case where it just keeps making menu selections until it reaches a screen where it can't go any further, then won't let him make menu selections back to the map or anywhere else he might want to go.

This video shows the problem.




The issue as I see it is heat related, and seems to happen mostly when stopped in full sun. I think the screen protectors which come with the Garmin Rugged Mount get hot, then exert pressure on the touch screen, causing strange behaviour. If you happen to be on the map screen, it'll likely go into Map Scroll mode. If this happens while you're travelling, it will look like your screen is not updating itself. To check if this is the case, look for an arrow at the bottom left of the screen. If you see one, you're in scroll mode. The normal map screen has an X in the lower left, not an arrow, as seen below.



This is not a fatal error, and in my case, once I start moving the problem goes away but my buddy said his was doing it at 130kph.

It may be worth trying the unit without a screen protector to see if the problem persists.

The Phantom Selector Part II (For the record)

Garmin asked me to run some tests, to try out my theory about removing the screen protector to see if that stops the problem. Finally had time, and hot weather today, so I ran a test.

I left my Montana out in the sun for 1/2 an hour and it started making its own selections.

Temperature went to about 31C while I was filming. (31 degrees Celsius = 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit)

This is the setup I used:



After about 1/2 an hour the screen started doing this kind of thing:



I then took the Montana screen protector off and put it back out in the sun which was even hotter, by this point. By the way, a credit card had been suggested by Garmin as the way to get the screen protector off. The credit card did not help in getting the protector off, even though I cut a flat edge to try, when the rounded edge didn't work.

A fingernail, however, worked perfectly. It was just what I needed to hook under and get the initial start I needed. The protector was not the least bit difficult to take off. It was more like a magnetic attraction than an adhesive which kept it on the screen. (For those of you who're scared to take their screen protector off, having read about the guy who cracked his touch screen while taking off a ZAGG protector)

This shows how easy it is to take the screen protector off if you use a fingernail to pull it up.



I have not seen one phantom selection on the screen in the 1 hour I left it out in the sun without the screen protector.

The TORX Security Screw, and What You Can Do About It:

The Montana's Rugged Mount includes a TORX Security Screw which some people love, and others hate. Personally I don't mind it, and when I'm leaving the bike for a few minutes, like going into a gas station to pay, it provides a measure of security that the gps will still be there when I get back out.

But some people would prefer to have a locking mechanism which could be enabled and disabled without needing to use the fiddly little Torx tool Garmin provides for this purpose.

The following was written by Bli55 in a post to the New Garmin Montana thread. It describes how to get into the Rugged Mount to get that security screw out, and a low-tech method to make up a substitute which you can use your fingers to turn.

Start off by unscrewing 6 tiny screw and taking off the back panel.

Then take out the button sliding part (hold the tiny spring!!!) and the top (hold the tiny spring!!!):







Now with access to the inside, we see the culprit. Pry it (the circlip) off.



Luckily, Garmin uses a standard pitch M3 thread. So to a bolt shop I go.

The standard screw has threads only at the very end and the thinner stalk moves freely in the hole in the top plastic part. I needed to duplicate that, except that I chose to leave a few more threads at the end.

And if you don't have a lathe (use a drill chuck instead):







The standard bolt stops not when the threads go all the way into the well, but when the bolthead touches against the plastic - so it's ok the leave more thread at the end as long as there's something on our new bolt to push against the plastic top part (to mimic the standard bolthead).

In my case, a long "handle":



Put the new bolt in, remembering the cone shaped spring, then slip on the retaining clip from the inside (you can leave it out if you think there will be a need to remove the lock screw without taking the mount apart again).

Then put the 2 plastic parts together. Do I need to mention the tiny springs?





They fly far once being bounced off your head and can only be found by lucky chance inside some camera cases.
And don't think breaking a lighter will save you!



Result:



Thanks Bli55 for giving permission to use this here!

The Garmin Rugged Mount Power Cable:

The Rugged Mount includes about 8' of cable so that you can wire the power directly to a battery, but most people do not need or want that much cable. Also, there is an audio plug which can be used to listen to audio navigation directions.

The cable itself splits into a power/data set and the audio cable. From the mount itself to the molded junction is 34" long, and the length of the audio cable past the junction is 36" so you can see how this can become a real nuisance if you don't plan to use the audio out from the Rugged Mount.

If you're unsure if you will ever want to use that audio cable, you can coil the excess around the RAM mount base, using twist-ties or nylon ties to keep the cable from getting in the way.





If you'd rather not have 6' of cable off the Rugged Mount, you can safely cut the cable off as short as you want, leaving just enough to connect up the power connector, if you're using one.



There is NO voltage regulator built into the Garmin Rugged Mount cable! Your Montana can be powered by up to 35 volts without damaging it. (10 to 35 volts according to the manual).



If all you'll be using is the power cable, cut the cable at your desired length, and separate the RED and BLACK as they are the only two you'll need to connect. The other wires should be isolated from each other, so I cut them off so each is slightly shorter than the others, and then use a piece of shrink wrap to seal them up to the red and black.

When you hook up your red and black cables FROM the Rugged Mount to a molded plug, you should make sure the RED is connected to the MALE power plug, and the Black should be to the FEMALE power plug. This is so that polarity will be right when you hook up to your Battery Tender cable, if you have one on the bike.

The Battery Tender cable must be hooked up so that the MALE connector is Ground/Black/- and the FEMALE connector is Live/Positive/+. This ensures that the live connector can not touch a grounded part of the bike because it is recessed (female). If your Battery Tender cable has a built in fuse (and it really should) then you can leave off the fuse which is on the Rugged Mount cable. If you don't know if there's a fuse on your Tender cable, best to play it safe and splice in the one on the mount cable after you snip the cable off short.

I have a fused Battery Tender connector up at my handlebars with a SAE molded two pin plug which I connect to when I use the gps, and hook a charger to if the bike will not be used for an extended period. So I cut my mount cable down to about 12" long.

If you want to discuss this, or anything else to do with the Montana, go to the humungous thread called Laying Down Tracks/New Garmin Montana.

Please do not reply in this thread...