michaelnel

I am happily autorouting on my Dakota 20 with the free Open Street Maps: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

I have found the same, except for the DEM data that Topo 2008 has that the free maps don't. Not sure I care, though. I have had my Topo 2008 DVD for several years, and since it is not tied to any particular GPSR, I install it as a matter of course. I have never been impressed with it, though.

The point is, I think it is unlikely the unit will come back with fewer bugs than the one that went out to them.

Upload them via what method and to what? Where does the error message come from? What program are you using incorrectly?

I have seen similar errors, freeday.

My Montana arrived at Garmin this morning. Hopefully they will turn it around quickly. They'll probably just take a new one, install the latest bug-ridden firmware and ship it.

If it's in decent shape, I would say yes.

If it's really a cx instead of a csx, it doesn't have the magnetic compass, which is extremely useful when geocaching. I'd pass on it if it is a cx and not a csx. Especially at that price, you can get a brand new GPSMap 60csx at REI for $219.

Oh, I agree, I have the OSM routable on my Dakota 20 and for my needs it works just as well as City Navigator. Fewer POIs, but I don't use those on a handheld anyway, they tend to just clutter up the screen.

Do you mean OSM, as in Open Street Maps? http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

Don't buy any until you try the free ones at these sites: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/ They are very high quality and frequently more up to date than the expensive Garmin maps. You might find those are all you need. You can always buy the Garmin ones later if the free ones don't please you. I am using them on my Dakota 20 and am very pleased with them.

Also, if you want a routable street map that works about as well as City Navigator, check out the Open Street Maps routable maps. They're free and work very well.

Out of the 16 GPSRs I have owned going way back, the 62S is my favorite. Good choice!

I bought a Garmin Dakota 20 yesterday to replace my Garmin Montana 600. So far I really like it. It's small and light, and that allows it to hang on the SUPPLIED neck lanyard. The Montana is so big and heavy you have to hold it in your hand or put it in a pack or belt pouch. The screen is so much smaller that I feel it will be more durable than the large, unsupported real estate of the Montana. It's still quite readable, but I will admit it's not as readable as the Montana screen. I don't need the Montana's limited car functionality, because I have a Nuvi 1690 that goes circles around the Montana in car mode. It runs the same chipset as the Oregon 450 series, and I never had any complaints about the accuracy of the 450. I *have* had bad accuracy from the Montana. The routing works correctly even with the free Open Street Maps routable maps, and so does the compass (unlike the Montana's compass). It's a LOT cheaper than the Montana and still does everything I need a GPS to do. I won't be putting a Zagg screen protector on it, either.

No physical damage to a Garmin screen is covered by warranty. If the screen is damaged, you pay the "Standard Repair Charge" (which is $160 on the Montana) unless you want to just toss the unit in the trash. BTW, I didn't call it a defect. I said it's fragile, and it is.

That's the way the geocaching dashboard works. If you want to find waypoints instead of geocaches, use the recreational profile, or change the dashboard, or use the compass page, or just ignore the geocaching dashboard.

I couldn't care less if you believe me. What I said happened is what happened. People get pretty brave behind their keyboard on the internet. I doubt you'd call me a liar to my face.

I don't believe you did this with a ZAGG brand screen protector. The adhesive on the ZAGGs is many times stronger than on most protectors, so much so that the act of removing a fully cured ZAGG will so stretch the ZAGG that you can't put it back on.

If I had it to do over again I would skip the protector. It works much better without the Zagg than with it. The Zagg has a sticky feel that I don't like on a touch screen display.

No I did not contact Zagg. I didn't buy it from them (I bought it from a member here) and they don't support the Montana. I warned the people here, and on several other boards. That's all I'm going to do about it. I'm just sick of this thing. It has never worked right since the day I got it, and I really don't see any clear benefits at all over the combination of my Nuvi 1690 and a 60CSX and my Android smartphone. The Nuvi is a way better car unit (it's internet-connected), and the Android does an equally good job of paperless caching, and the 60CSX is more accurate and way better under tree cover. I'd have the Nuvi in the car anyway, and I'd have the Android with me because of all the stuff it does. When it gets back from Garmin, it's going back to where I bought it. I don't need the aggravation of being an alpha tester for Garmin while they screw me.

Zagg doesn't support the Montana, and I can see why. It's too fragile.

Be really, really careful with the big screen on your Montana. Mine broke (just the thin clear plastic cover broke) while I was peeling off a Zagg screen protector. I just got off the phone with Garmin support, and they want $160 plus my cost of shipping it to them to repair it. THIS IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. They are going to replace one thin plastic sheet over the display (the display itself is not broken, and they are going to stick it to me to the tune of $160. No more Garmin touch screens for me. The Oregon 450's screen was awful, and the Montana series is fragile and so full of bugs as to make it very frustrating to use. Be careful with that fragile screen.

Not even a reacharound.

Just got off the phone with Garmin about repairing the screen on my Montana 600. ONE HUNDRED SIXTY BUCKS (plus $10 FedEx ground back to them). I could just toss it and buy a used 60csx, which is probably what I should do. I won't be able to sit down for a long, long time.

Any of the ones you mentioned, depending on what features you want. People will likely tell you the Garmin Montana is the best. I owned a Garmin GPSMap 62S and unloaded it to buy a Montana. That was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. I wish I had my 62S back and had never heard of the Montana.