Montana 650t vs eXplorist 710

[+webactive]

Hi,

 

Interested in peoples view on the best gps for geocaching?

Currently consider Montana 650t OR eXplorist 710 portable gps models.

 

My thoughts so far is the 650t, due to the bigger screen, more accessories and easy connection to geocacaching web site.

Any feedback would be appreciated greatly.

 

Matt

[+Atlas Cached]

Hi,

 

Interested in peoples view on the best gps for geocaching?

Currently consider Montana 650t OR eXplorist 710 portable gps models.

 

My thoughts so far is the 650t, due to the bigger screen, more accessories and easy connection to geocacaching web site.

Any feedback would be appreciated greatly.

 

Matt

 

For starters, here is a link to the Garmin Montana Wiki, and Garmin BaseCamp Wiki, to inform and assist you in the use of these Garmin products.

 

Now, for information on the Magellan GPS and software, well, there are no such sources.

 

I have personally owned products from both vendors, and still own nearly a dozen Garmin GPSr, and not a single Magellan GPSr. But that's just me

Edited January 4, 2013 by Atlas Cached

[+sduck]

I have a 710 and an oregon 550t. . They're very similar units, maybe theres less similarity between the montana and the 710. They'll both serve you well for the most part - as they both have issues.

 

Personally although the 710 is newer and shinier, I've been back to using the oregon pretty exclusively. The 710 has a big bad hardware bug that everybody should be aware of before buying. There is apparently an issue with the altimeter chip that was used on several production runs of this device, and the battery discharges even when the unit is powered off. This does not affect all the units out there, but there's no easy way to tell which ones are affected, short of trying them and seeing if it happens. Magellan support is aware of this, and has been very forthcoming in acknowledging the problem, and has offered to replace any affected units, but they don't know when this will happen, as it hasn't been comprehensively fixed yet.

[+Tjita1]

I'm considering getting the Montana as I could also use it as a motorcycle or even car navigatior, and thus getting a more versatile unit.

[+The Blorenges]

Some features of the 710 you may like. Excellent basemap compared to Garmin. In the UK the 710 comes with Magellans European topo maps which are very good. The US/Canada versions come with those country maps. Turn by turn navigation with voice directions. Ability to store a theoretical unlimited number of PQ's on a microSD card and transfer the required PQ's to the active memory to use (and move them back again). All the settings for the various screens are directly opened from the screen. So if you have the map screen open you can go to map settings without having to navigate back to the main menu like Garmin make you do. The Magellan Vantage Point software connects directly to geocaching.com and automatically downloads your PQ's (and cache page images). It uploads logs too but I've not used that feature.

 

Comparing it to my Oregon 550 I have to say the Magellan is much better with much easier to use menus. The screen is as sensitive as is the GPS receiver itself. I've written a detailed review of the 710 focusing on geocaching.

 

Chris

[+Atlas Cached]

All the settings for the various screens are directly opened from the screen. So if you have the map screen open you can go to map settings without having to navigate back to the main menu like Garmin make you do.

 

Chris

 

This information is false. The title of this thread asks about the Garmin Montana 650t, which has the most flexible setup menu system of any current GPSr. You can adjust any settings for the Map Screen DIRECTLY from the Map Screen.

 

If Magellan made a decent product, you, and many others would not have to perpetually populate these forums with misleading and incorrect information to promote them.

 

Worth considering; if you never get a Garmin, you'll never know what you are missing!

 

EDIT:

 

In reviewing the PDF review you linked to, I can see clear and obvious errors regarding available memory between the 710 and 650t as well. You show the 710 to have more available memory than the Garmin 650t, then add a foot note below to correct yourself, thus anyone looking at the chart alone will be mislead.

 

The available memory on the 710/610 is only 500mb, while the Montana will have more than 3GB available, even with the topo maps pre-installed on the 650t, which has a total memory of 7.35GB.

 

Why do you work so hard at misleading people?

Edited January 5, 2013 by Atlas Cached

[+sduck]

Did someone piss in your coffee today? You're on quite a roll - dissing macs, and any gps that's not by garmin, and now someone who's trying to help in a positive way. BTW Magellan DOES indeed make a decent product - you should try one!

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I own dozens of GPS units, both Garmin and Magellan. I haven't liked anything Magellan has made since the Meridian series.....I own over a dozen Meridians ( about 8 Platinums)and these were some of the greatest units ever made ( I find the Platinum superior to the 60 CSx ).....they about spoiled me for any other unit but they weren't paperless.

The Oregon is a good unit but the screen is not sensitive requiring multiple pokes and panning the map is a nightmare. The Montana is a big, beautiful unit that does it all with a screen like my iPhone......I did say big....bigger than my Nuvi. You can talk all you want about how its not much bigger than this or that but I find it too big for the field, period. If it stays in your vehicle its probably the all around best unit out there. For geocaching / field use, I recommend the 62S......I just got a second one and put software 3.90 on it as my older unit with 3.90 was performing better than the new one with 4.60......I checked today and they are both dead on.

[+Atlas Cached]

Did someone piss in your coffee today? You're on quite a roll - dissing macs, and any gps that's not by garmin, and now someone who's trying to help in a positive way. BTW Magellan DOES indeed make a decent product - you should try one!

 

Since when was disseminating false and misleading information considered positive?

 

The problem with most people today is that they are quite content with and gleefully accept half-@zz as good enough.

 

I HAVE used just about every brand GPSr available, and none of them perform as well as my Garmin units. DO NOT take my word for it, spend your hard earned $$ on what ever you like. Won't cost me a dime.

 

And ever since Apple released the iPhone, they have let their desktop OS fall far behind.

 

No piss in my coffee, gentlemen.

 

I just like using facts.

[+sduck]

 

And ever since Apple released the iPhone, they have let their desktop OS fall far behind.

 

I just like using facts.

 

As a mac user for quite some time, I disagree with this strongly, and could actually back it up with a pile of factlike semi-statistics, but will let it go instead. I like you and your posts, no need to get testy over details.

 

I always remember the Lipe Law (I saw Robert Lipe today!) - All gps's suck, just in different ways. (a paraphrase, but pretty close)

 

 

[+webactive]

Thanks to all - I ended up buying the garmin gpsmap 62sc as I was concerned how visible screens were in direct sun light. Many videos say it is the best for this.

Is been a lot of fun to use, 22 caches so far, the keys are slower than a touch screen, but compared to my iphone it is way more accurate and much easier to view in the direct sun. I still may buy another gpsr and use the 650t for urban geo cahcing.

 

Matt