You can find a lot of handheld GPS devices these days which attempt multiple functionality across different fields of navigation. But with the latest release from Garmin, the Montana 600 series, you truly do find a satellite navigation system which allows you to get around whether you’re going by water, by car, or on foot. No expense has been spared in this premium system which is equally at home on the dashboard of your car, giving you spoken turn by turn directions, as it is out on the water, and in your hand when you are out walking the mountains. This article is a quick introduction to the Montana 600 series just talking about the basics. For a load more information on handheld and GPS devices check out my link at the bottom of the page.
There are three models available within the Garmin 600 series, the Montana 600, 650 and 650T. As with previous Garmin models, the “T” denotes that you can get this model preloaded with topographical maps, something which ordinarily you would have to buy apart from the device itself. Today I’m just going to have a look at the Montana 600 as this is the basic unit and the spec is very similar across all three.
The first thing you will observe about the Montana 600 series is that it is slightly bigger than your normal handheld adventure GPS device. This is because it is designed to be used sitting right there on the dashboard of the boat for your car or boat where you need to see the details as you are navigating along. The size is a good thing however, as it means the colourful large touchscreen is fantastically well detailed and there is no messing about like you get with some of the really small handheld GPS devices available on the market today.
As already mentioned, the Garmin Montana 600 range is designed for three uses. You can use it in your car as a normal satnav. Garmin has software available including the Navigator NT and Garmin GB Discoverer which give you spoken turn by turn satnav navigation. If you like to take to the water, the Montana 600 series is compatible with the BlueChart G2 preloaded cards. Finally, for those into adventure sports such as hiking, camping, fishing, and other outdoors pursuits such as geocaching, you can use the normal GB Discoverer range, and the Birdseye Select series which allow you magnificent detail when you are out in the hills and mountains. By the way, if you are a little confused by all of this jargon and the names of the mapping add-ons, do check out my link at the bottom where you will find much more information on handheld GPS and the mapping options available.
With a user-friendly interface which is customisable, the Montana 600 series is easy to use. The home screen features large colourful icons which you can actually change to your liking. These include features like “Where To?” “Shortcuts”, “Food and Drink”, “Saved POIs” and many more. It’s easy to flip between the different modes of navigation and the mapping add-ons from Garmin combine to make this a truly powerful GPS system. Not cheap, I readily acknowledge, but pretty much the best there is on the market.
This has been a very basic summary of some of the features of the Garmin Montana 600. I hope you got an idea of how advanced this particular device is, but if you do find the jargon and some of the stuff about mapping a little confusing to have a look at my link below and follow on to my website where you will find complete reviews and comparisons of all of the GPS available on today’s market. Comparing and contrasting is often the best idea so you can get an idea of what you want and which model is the best for you. Cheers for reading.
If you want to know more about other GPS models or How to choose a good GPS then check out these links.
