You might follow my sig link to the GPS article I wrote on the Montana for a brief overview. 

Cheers,

You've mentioned doing an article on BaseCamp a few times...any idea when you might have that out? 

I loved your write up on the Montana!  Probably will be my next GPS and replacement for the trusty 60CSx.  I just downloaded BaseCamp last week and am now trying to find out the differences, pros & cons between it and the original Mapsource. 

You've mentioned doing an article on BaseCamp a few times...any idea when you might have that out? 

I loved your write up on the Montana!  Probably will be my next GPS and replacement for the trusty 60CSx.  I just downloaded BaseCamp last week and am now trying to find out the differences, pros & cons between it and the original Mapsource. 

Thanks for the kind words. 

End of December is the target for the BaseCamp article.  It will focus on the two versions and will not be a comparison to MapSource other than the main differences. 

My advice is to read through the Help file.  Then start using it - it's not MapSource so don't assume you know how things will work.  Otherwise you might get a bit frustrated. 

When I am in a profile:
Montana supplied unit profiles...When I change that profile by adding or changing functions...

1.  Is it automatically saved to that profile?  Does it change the unit specified profile or are those locked? 

2.  When I create a profile and then maybe down the road change something in that profile - does it change that profile I made or do I have to "create a new profile" to capture those changes? 

Issue - is - I am still figuring out my Montana profiles and have made a few - but when I am in them and tweak them - I would rather keep the initial profile I have made so that if my tweaks do not work out - I still have my starting point... If I like them then I save a new profile and delete the old one...

I am playing with it a lot and it seems that when I play around and set things up - in a profile it changes it...

When I am in a profile:
Montana supplied unit profiles...When I change that profile by adding or changing functions...

1.  Is it automatically saved to that profile?  Does it change the unit specified profile or are those locked? 

2.  When I create a profile and then maybe down the road change something in that profile - does it change that profile I made or do I have to "create a new profile" to capture those changes? 

Issue - is - I am still figuring out my Montana profiles and have made a few - but when I am in them and tweak them - I would rather keep the initial profile I have made so that if my tweaks do not work out - I still have my starting point... If I like them then I save a new profile and delete the old one...

I am playing with it a lot and it seems that when I play around and set things up - in a profile it changes it...

Thanks in advance. 

Dean

If you don't want to modify the original profiles, go into Profile Manager, and create a new profile.  That one will take all the attributes of the profile in use at the time... Next thing to do is change its name to something other than 'profile 2' etc. 

Then modify the profile as you wish.  Any changes you make to the profile are saved automatically as long as you don't back out by quitting the change screen. 

__________________Want to know more about the Garmin Montana?  See the Wisdom and FAQ Thread. Want to know more about the Garmin VIRB?  See here. 
"The motorcycle, being poorly designed for both flight and marine operation, sustained significant external and internal damage," police noted. 

A couple questions before I finally purchase. ( related to what maps I need to buy)

I understand I need City Nav installed on the Montana for the turn by turn voice directions. 
But I also like Topo maps.  I don't want to buy 24K's because I live on the edge of 2 different sets of maps. 

I think I understand I can run several maps on the montana at the same time? 
So I Need to run city Nav for my Turn by Turn, but I think I understand that I can also turn on my PA topo maps (downloaded from GPSFileDepot) so I see the topo map? 
I think which map displays is determined by which map was installed last? 

One last question:
1) I have city nav installed in base camp (2011 from a Nuvi I own) and setup a route with waypoints to force route where I want. 
2) push route to Montana, but Montana only has GPS file Depot PA topo maps and base map it came with. 

Since the PA topo's don't route, will the Montana still follow the route setup in Base camp? 
or will it change it to match the roads it knows about that are in the base maps? 
(I bet it would re route to use the only roads it knows in the base map)

A couple questions before I finally purchase. ( related to what maps I need to buy)

I understand I need City Nav installed on the Montana for the turn by turn voice directions. 
But I also like Topo maps.  I don't want to buy 24K's because I live on the edge of 2 different sets of maps. 

I think I understand I can run several maps on the montana at the same time? 
So I Need to run city Nav for my Turn by Turn, but I think I understand that I can also turn on my PA topo maps (downloaded from GPSFileDepot) so I see the topo map? 
I think which map displays is determined by which map was installed last? 

One last question:
1) I have city nav installed in base camp (2011 from a Nuvi I own) and setup a route with waypoints to force route where I want. 
2) push route to Montana, but Montana only has GPS file Depot PA topo maps and base map it came with. 

Since the PA topo's don't route, will the Montana still follow the route setup in Base camp? 
or will it change it to match the roads it knows about that are in the base maps? 
(I bet it would re route to use the only roads it knows in the base map)

thanks for all the support during this long processes of deciding. 

Yes, you will need/want CNNA for turn-by-turn on-screen prompts (voice prompts if you have audio cable attached). 

CNNA, if Enabled, on the Montana will always have priority in display.  If you have a "map" that has been coded to be an "overlay" to primary maps like CN then it will be shown on top of the CN map.  If your Topo is not an overlay then you will need to Disable CNNA to see the Enabled Topo. 

Your Route will calculate as a Direct Route (waypoint-to-waypoint) since there are no Routable detailed maps available. 

A couple questions before I finally purchase. ( related to what maps I need to buy)
...
I think which map displays is determined by which map was installed last? 

I don't have any US maps in my Montana so I don't have an answer to your questions except the one about map priority in the display.  It's got nothing to do with the order of installation, or the file names, etc.  It has everything to do with a setting in the map itself which gives certain maps a particular priority. 

That's the bad news.  The good news is you can do something about it! 

Using a program called GMAPTool, you can change the priority of the maps to your own liking, and make maps transparent, and a bunch of other things too. 

Here's a screen capture I made while I was modifying a map of my own. 

You have to be careful though and make these changes only on backup copies of your map files, and when loading the altered maps to the gps, be sure not to load them to the gps itself, in case the file causes the gps to not boot.  You do not want to "brick" your Montana! 

But if you place the altered maps on a MicroSD card in the Montana, and the worst happens, then all you need to do is take the card out and fix the map, and your gps is unaffected. 

The GMAPTool page I linked above is in Polish, but the link on the top right takes you to the program download, and the program can be installed in English mode. 

I am not an expert at using GMAPTool, but the changes I've made to maps have worked well... I've successfully renamed maps so they display in a certain order in the map list window on the gps, removed DEM data in another mapset to see if Topos without those pesky elevation lines might work better (still in the experimental stage - no conclusions yet) and I am about to start experimenting with draw priority soon. 

__________________Want to know more about the Garmin Montana?  See the Wisdom and FAQ Thread. Want to know more about the Garmin VIRB?  See here. 
"The motorcycle, being poorly designed for both flight and marine operation, sustained significant external and internal damage," police noted. 

Do you have your CNNA named gmapsupp.img?  Or something else?  gmapsupp.img will give it better performance. 

Cheers,

It is named this, yes. 

When I pan to a new area:

At 20 miles - 2 second refresh
At 30 miles - 9-17 seconds
Zooming out to 50 miles - 7 seconds to draw map
At 50 miles - over 20 seconds
At 80 miles - never refreshes, black screen with vehicle icon only

I don't know what other variables in the setup would cause this.  It's in automotive profile FWIW. 

Another thing: I ride to a destination, unit in rugged mount.  Turn off bike cutting power to Montana, let it shut off.  Return to bike, Montana will NOT turn on without trying for a few minutes.  Sometimes have to remove it from the mount and hold down the power button and fool with it until it turn on again.  Does this almost every stop. 

At 20 miles - 2 second refresh
At 30 miles - 9-17 seconds
Zooming out to 50 miles - 7 seconds to draw map
At 50 miles - over 20 seconds
At 80 miles - never refreshes, black screen with vehicle icon only

I don't know what other variables in the setup would cause this.  It's in automotive profile FWIW. 

Another thing: I ride to a destination, unit in rugged mount.  Turn off bike cutting power to Montana, let it shut off.  Return to bike, Montana will NOT turn on without trying for a few minutes.  Sometimes have to remove it from the mount and hold down the power button and fool with it until it turn on again.  Does this almost every stop. 

I might suggest that you start with a clean Montana - i.e, remove all of your personal data, including: waypoints, routes, tracks, geocaches, photos, maps & mSD card.  Then backup your configuration data: Profiles, Shortcuts.  Then do a Master Reset and test the unit to see if it works OK.  If so, load the mSD card with just CNNA on it.  Using one of the Garmin Profiles, if all is working well, start loading your config info and test after each update.  Continue as long as it is working well. 

If none of the above has any affect on the Montana, I'd call Garmin Product Support and describe the symptoms and what you have already tried in the way of remedy.