Montana v3.60

[+taeke]

Changes made from version 3.50 to 3.60:

 

Added option to configure power button. See TrailTech (http://garmin.blogs.com/softwareupdates/2011/09/the-need-for-speed.html) for more information.

Added shortcut option to toggle certain settings. See TrailTech for more information.

Added option to set off route recalculation from Setup > Routing.

Added page indicator to main menu.

Added scrollbars to lists.

Added option to avoid or allow unpaved roads in pedestrian routing.

Fixed shutdowns related to data field dashboards on the main menu.

Fixed issues with incorrect number of menu items on main menu pages.

Fixed display of long geocache descriptions and logs.

Fixed geocache ratings overlapping descriptions.

Fixed issue where street search would incorrectly display No Results.

Fixed issue where compass would not work after the unit was removed from an automotive mount.

Fixed issue where the route distance could be incorrect.

Fixed issue where calendar left and right buttons were not always responsive.

[kb6ooc]

Added option to set off route recalculation from Setup > Routing.

 

WOW! That one should please a LOT of people - well done Garmin!!!

 

Fixed issue where the route distance could be incorrect.

 

Another good fix!

 

Some great stuff in this one Garmin! I really appreciate the additions you've been making too. They are really making this into a great product!

[Phillips Family]

Lets hope this fixes the compass issues people have been having.

[yogazoo]

Lets hope this fixes the compass issues people have been having.

 

Eh, it seems a little better sitting here in my recliner but the true test is a field test. As for the toggle option, It's been something I've been waiting for since the release. Great update, thanks Garmin.

[+Alfresco2006]

This update has created a whole new problem for me that wasnt there before. The Hunting and Fishing calender feature will now not allow you to past the current day. You can go backwards in dates but not forward. Prior to this update you could go to any date in the future and i still can with other Garmin models I have with this feature. Ironically this happened on the first day of hunting season so not happy at all. I wonder what else this update messed up. As stated above hard to tell from your armchair needs to be tested out in the field.

[+splashy]

Mine does.

[yogazoo]

Mine does.

 

My Hunt-Fish calculator works just fine as well. Try a hard reset.

[+taeke]

Lets hope this fixes the compass issues people have been having.

 

I went out in the field yesterday. The compass was lagging occasionally, and pointing the wrong direction.

Also the maps didn't update. This time it wasn't for a few seconds (as with an earlier firmware), but even up till a minute

[+EddyG]

And still some (random?) shutdowns of the unit.

It happens once in a while.

[Phillips Family]

And still some (random?) shutdowns of the unit.

It happens once in a while.

 

I'm thinking that I'm doing ok with 3.4 for now then. Waiting for the next reasonably stable release...

[yogazoo]

v3.6 IS a reasonably stable release. My compass orientated map updated as well as could be expected today. Sorry your still experiencing problems Taeke. A few random shutdowns but only when configuring my unit (i.e. creating shortcuts, customizing menus, adjusting settings, etc.). Still no more or less stable than any other release (including 3.4) in my opinion.

 

I used my Montana for hunting (in Montana ) yesterday and had it on for 16 hours with heavy use, no issues or crashes experienced. I did however experience a bull moose at 10 meters .

 

Disclaimer: I think it's a stable release but then again I rarely geocache and usually don't experience any problems associated with geocaching functionality. I work my GPS hard and use alot of custom functionality but no PQ's are loaded at the moment.

[+taeke]

A few random shutdowns but only when configuring my unit (i.e. creating shortcuts, customizing menus, adjusting settings, etc.). Still no more or less stable than any other release (including 3.4) in my opinion.

 

I haven't experienced any shutdowns yet, but then I don't really play around with shortcuts, because I am pretty happy with the default settings.

 

The freezing map happened again a few times yesterday. I read on another forum someone else noticing the same, freezing was gone, but is back again with v3.60. Maybe it is something map related, or auto route recalculation, which could freeze the unit. I'll have to experiment with that, but when it happened a few days ago, the map froze, then it said that it was recalculating the route, but this went at a very slow pace, instead of the usual few seconds (this was in Auto mode by the way). A manual power-off/power-on reset the unit, and then it found the route again within a few seconds. So it seems occasionally the software goes into a loop or something.

[+splashy]

I had lag just driving, no route active.

[+wa2n]

A few random shutdowns but only when configuring my unit (i.e. creating shortcuts, customizing menus, adjusting settings, etc.). Still no more or less stable than any other release (including 3.4) in my opinion.

 

I haven't experienced any shutdowns yet, but then I don't really play around with shortcuts, because I am pretty happy with the default settings.

 

The freezing map happened again a few times yesterday. I read on another forum someone else noticing the same, freezing was gone, but is back again with v3.60. Maybe it is something map related, or auto route recalculation, which could freeze the unit. I'll have to experiment with that, but when it happened a few days ago, the map froze, then it said that it was recalculating the route, but this went at a very slow pace, instead of the usual few seconds (this was in Auto mode by the way). A manual power-off/power-on reset the unit, and then it found the route again within a few seconds. So it seems occasionally the software goes into a loop or something.

I had this happen during a route yesterday too on version 3.6.

Wayne

[pratzert]

Anyone have the 3.60 update as standalone rather than using the webupdater ?

[+Subraid]

Anyone have the 3.60 update as standalone rather than using the webupdater ?

 

Here you go: http://www8.garmin.com/software/Montana_WebUpdater__360.gcd

[pratzert]

Anyone have the 3.60 update as standalone rather than using the webupdater ?

 

Here you go: http://www8.garmin.com/software/Montana_WebUpdater__360.gcd

 

Subraid,

 

THANK YOU !

 

I kept trying to use the WebUpdater but kept getting the error message "Update File is Corrupted".

 

I appreciate it.

 

Tim

[+taeke]

A few random shutdowns but only when configuring my unit (i.e. creating shortcuts, customizing menus, adjusting settings, etc.). Still no more or less stable than any other release (including 3.4) in my opinion.

 

I haven't experienced any shutdowns yet, but then I don't really play around with shortcuts, because I am pretty happy with the default settings.

 

The freezing map happened again a few times yesterday. I read on another forum someone else noticing the same, freezing was gone, but is back again with v3.60. Maybe it is something map related, or auto route recalculation, which could freeze the unit. I'll have to experiment with that, but when it happened a few days ago, the map froze, then it said that it was recalculating the route, but this went at a very slow pace, instead of the usual few seconds (this was in Auto mode by the way). A manual power-off/power-on reset the unit, and then it found the route again within a few seconds. So it seems occasionally the software goes into a loop or something.

I had this happen during a route yesterday too on version 3.6.

Wayne

 

Other issue noticing today is that after a while the driving instruction aren't updated anymore (when in Auto mode). So for instance it tells me to go right, and after I turned right, the distance is showing 0 meters, with the name of the street I needed to turn into. Then after a while it updates with the next road.

Pretty anoying when driving through an area where there are lots of streets and junctions following each other very rapidly.

[Barrikady]

A few random shutdowns but only when configuring my unit (i.e. creating shortcuts, customizing menus, adjusting settings, etc.). Still no more or less stable than any other release (including 3.4) in my opinion.

 

I haven't experienced any shutdowns yet, but then I don't really play around with shortcuts, because I am pretty happy with the default settings.

 

The freezing map happened again a few times yesterday. I read on another forum someone else noticing the same, freezing was gone, but is back again with v3.60. Maybe it is something map related, or auto route recalculation, which could freeze the unit. I'll have to experiment with that, but when it happened a few days ago, the map froze, then it said that it was recalculating the route, but this went at a very slow pace, instead of the usual few seconds (this was in Auto mode by the way). A manual power-off/power-on reset the unit, and then it found the route again within a few seconds. So it seems occasionally the software goes into a loop or something.

I had this happen during a route yesterday too on version 3.6.

Wayne

 

Other issue noticing today is that after a while the driving instruction aren't updated anymore (when in Auto mode). So for instance it tells me to go right, and after I turned right, the distance is showing 0 meters, with the name of the street I needed to turn into. Then after a while it updates with the next road.

Pretty anoying when driving through an area where there are lots of streets and junctions following each other very rapidly.

 

Do you have "Map Speed" set to Fast? (Setup>Map>Map Speed)

[+wa2n]

I agree that the routing is painfully slow to update after passing a waypoint.

 

Do you have "Map Speed" set to Fast? (Setup>Map>Map Speed)

What exactly does that setting do? I've tried both settings and haven't noticed a difference.

Edited October 6, 2011 by wa2n

[+taeke]

Do you have "Map Speed" set to Fast? (Setup>Map>Map Speed)

 

Normal.

[+wa2n]

Do you have "Map Speed" set to Fast? (Setup>Map>Map Speed)

 

Normal.

I looked at the manual and the setting changes the refresh rate of the display. Increasing that setting to "fast" will not improve anything wrt routing. If anything, it will probably slow down basic routing response further by going from Normal to Fast on the display refresh rate.

[+SAMM Clan]

Do you have "Map Speed" set to Fast? (Setup>Map>Map Speed)

 

Normal.

I looked at the manual and the setting changes the refresh rate of the display. Increasing that setting to "fast" will not improve anything wrt routing. If anything, it will probably slow down basic routing response further by going from Normal to Fast on the display refresh rate.

 

I'm sorry, but I am not sure how you came to your conclusion here. When I looked in the manual, I couldn't find any reference to the map speed slowing down the routing response. I know the manual is useless, since it only mentions map speed twice, once to refresh faster (page 38), and the other to tell you it decreases battery time (page 47). The processor should be good enough that the map speed does not slow down routing.

[+ecanderson]

The processor should be good enough that the map speed does not slow down routing.

That's a pretty big assumption. Anything that eats additional CPU cycles will slow down something else unless that 'something else' is what is known as a 'blocking task' - not very good technique in a system like this. Even if the thing eating the cycles is set to a lower level in the task queue, it still slows down other tasks somewhat just because it has to be run each time its slot comes up. So I think you can be assured that more frequent screen rendering is going to slow down everything a bit. Whether 'a bit' is enough to be bothersome to the user (a different issue) is a function of how the firmware/tasks are written and how much horsepower you have to begin with.

[+taeke]

Lets hope this fixes the compass issues people have been having.

 

I went out in the field yesterday. The compass was lagging occasionally, and pointing the wrong direction.

 

Replying to my own writing. Yesterday I had the problem again with the compass pointing completely the opposite direction of the cache. The distance to the cache got closer though. But this lead me to a bit of philosophising that this might be correct.

Namely, I had pedestrian/shortest distance routing enabled, and not the usual Direct Routes, and then I deviated from the calculated route by 180 degrees. So it looks like the compas was telling me which direction to follow for the routing, instead of aiming at the cache. Anybody else noticed this?

[yogazoo]

I had pedestrian/shortest distance routing enabled, and not the usual Direct Routes, and then I deviated from the calculated route by 180 degrees. So it looks like the compas was telling me which direction to follow for the routing, instead of aiming at the cache. Anybody else noticed this?

 

I noticed this exact same thing while hiking along a mapped trail. I had selected pedestrian routing and the trail was the highlighted route. The "Lock to Road" doesn't seem to work either on trails or when traveling at slow speeds. Anyway the arrow points to some arbitrary point along the route and not the destination which makes the compass swing wildly in most cases rendering it useless.

 

Here are two ways with which Garmin can fix this issue:

 

1) Have the compass point to the destination and not the route when in pedestrian mode.

 

or

 

2) If you must point to the route, only have the arrow point to the closest point along the route. Calculate the distance to that point and from there to the destination. Instead of having the distance to destination grow larger, even as I walk closer to the destination, just because I'm walking farther from an arbitrary point along my route.

 

Hmm, what's the montana beta email address again?

Edited October 21, 2011 by yogazoo

[+taeke]

I noticed this exact same thing while hiking along a mapped trail. I had selected pedestrian routing and the trail was the highlighted route. The "Lock to Road" doesn't seem to work either on trails or when traveling at slow speeds. Anyway the arrow points to some arbitrary point along the route and not the destination which makes the compass swing wildly in most cases rendering it useless.

 

I didn't use lock to road. But I don't think the arrow points to an arbitrary point, but to the next intersection/turn.

The distance is something which annoys me as well, as this is towards the cache, and not the remainder of the route, which would I am more interested in knowing. This "got me" on one of the very first caches which I did, where I followed the calculated trail, and it kept saying "600meters to the cache". So I thought it did an easier way, but in the end it turned out we did a trip of 3.6km instead of the 600 meters

 

I think I'll email MontanaBeta@garmin.com and send it as request

 

 

Just checking the manual, and it... makes sense:

Page 19, Navigating with the Bearing Pointer.

Just didn't expect this. "Live and learn, my son"

Edited October 21, 2011 by taeke

[jholly]

I had pedestrian/shortest distance routing enabled, and not the usual Direct Routes, and then I deviated from the calculated route by 180 degrees. So it looks like the compas was telling me which direction to follow for the routing, instead of aiming at the cache. Anybody else noticed this?

 

I noticed this exact same thing while hiking along a mapped trail. I had selected pedestrian routing and the trail was the highlighted route. The "Lock to Road" doesn't seem to work either on trails or when traveling at slow speeds. Anyway the arrow points to some arbitrary point along the route and not the destination which makes the compass swing wildly in most cases rendering it useless.

 

Here are two ways with which Garmin can fix this issue:

 

1) Have the compass point to the destination and not the route when in pedestrian mode.

 

or

 

2) If you must point to the route, only have the arrow point to the closest point along the route. Calculate the distance to that point and from there to the destination. Instead of having the distance to destination grow larger, even as I walk closer to the destination, just because I'm walking farther from an arbitrary point along my route.

 

Hmm, what's the montana beta email address again?

 

That sounds like it is in course pointer mode, not bearing pointer mode. In course pointer mode it points to the direction you need to go to get back on course, which of course, is the way to the destination. In bearing pointer mode it always points to the destination.

[+taeke]

That sounds like it is in course pointer mode, not bearing pointer mode. In course pointer mode it points to the direction you need to go to get back on course, which of course, is the way to the destination. In bearing pointer mode it always points to the destination.

 

That means the compass-function is tied to the routing type, which is just not immediately expected in geocaching mode (at least, not to me).

[yogazoo]

That sounds like it is in course pointer mode, not bearing pointer mode. In course pointer mode it points to the direction you need to go to get back on course, which of course, is the way to the destination. In bearing pointer mode it always points to the destination.

 

Nah, it's definately in bearing mode. The pointer just wants you to go to the point (arbitrary point) it feels will get you back on the route the unit calculated for you. The bearing is to the arbitrary, fixed point that usually doesn't update itself even if another place along the calculated route is closer. This problem dates way back and has been reported many times to Garmin (check the older threads on the Montana). Garmin either can't fix it or they simply don't want to.

Edited October 21, 2011 by yogazoo

[+taeke]

The pointer just wants you to go to the point (arbitrary point) it feels will get you back on the route the unit calculated for you. The bearing is to the arbitrary, fixed point that usually doesn't update itself even if another place along the calculated route is closer.

 

I went out earlier for a quick walk to try this. Apart from the start, it pointed me towards the direction of the route. So when I deliberatl walked past a turn to the right, the compass swung around, and kept aiming at the direction the route indicated. It didn't seem that it was pointing to an arbitrary point. However tomorrow I'm going to do some decent caching in unknown territory, and then I'll use the routing for sure and see how the compass will behave.

[jholly]

The pointer just wants you to go to the point (arbitrary point) it feels will get you back on the route the unit calculated for you. The bearing is to the arbitrary, fixed point that usually doesn't update itself even if another place along the calculated route is closer.

 

I went out earlier for a quick walk to try this. Apart from the start, it pointed me towards the direction of the route. So when I deliberatl walked past a turn to the right, the compass swung around, and kept aiming at the direction the route indicated. It didn't seem that it was pointing to an arbitrary point. However tomorrow I'm going to do some decent caching in unknown territory, and then I'll use the routing for sure and see how the compass will behave.

Again, that is the exactly the way I would expect the *COURSE* pointer to operate. It is not the way I would expect a *BEARING* pointer to operate. See pages 19 and 20 of the instruction manual for a discussion of these pointers. See page 40 for how to *change* the pointer. I prefer the *BEARING* pointer for geocaching but prefer the course pointer if I am navigating in a boat.

[jholly]

That sounds like it is in course pointer mode, not bearing pointer mode. In course pointer mode it points to the direction you need to go to get back on course, which of course, is the way to the destination. In bearing pointer mode it always points to the destination.

 

Nah, it's definately in bearing mode. The pointer just wants you to go to the point (arbitrary point) it feels will get you back on the route the unit calculated for you. The bearing is to the arbitrary, fixed point that usually doesn't update itself even if another place along the calculated route is closer. This problem dates way back and has been reported many times to Garmin (check the older threads on the Montana). Garmin either can't fix it or they simply don't want to.

Which is exactly how a *course* pointer operates.

[yogazoo]

Which is exactly how a *course* pointer operates.

 

Which is why I checked the setting and found it to be "Bearing" before I made that post. And it's so screwey that if the course pointer behaves that way too, I'd still have a big problem with it.