I am going to purchase a Garmin GPS unit for 2015. I have read most of the posts on this GPS forum and I have picked up some pointers that are helping me decide which model to buy.

Can you GPS aficiondo's help me with some advice as this paddler is technology challenged.

I stopped into Scheels Sporting Goods in Iowa City yesterday on the way to Cedar Rapids WINGNIGHT. 3 models stood out (didn't feel I needed a camera: Garmin Montana 600, Oregon 600, 64st.

GPS City Oregon 600, Montana 600, 64 st

I am leaning towards the Montana. The larger 4 inch screen of the Montana is appealing given that this old man now needs readers. It is a bit heavy @ 11.7 oz. with 3 AA batteries but I plan to use a Ram mount to attach to my canoe thwart. The 64t is 1 oz. lighter and Oregon 600 is 2.8 oz. lighter.

I don't know much about how much memory one needs for typical 10 day tripping? Montana has 3GB memory while 600 has 1.5 GB and 64st has 8 GB. Any thoughts here?

I tried Oregon 600 and Montana 600 Touchscreens and they both seemed user friendly. I also tried the manual buttons of 64st and it was also easy to use. I have heard many say not to go to a Touchscreen model but clerk at Scheels said newer models will all be Touchscreens?

Also, I am still in the clouds regarding what additional Quetico maps to download for finding portages, marking waypoints, finding campsites and tracking. It looks like most everyone recommends purchasing Red Pine Mapping for Quetico tripping. Besides Red Pine do I really need any other mapping program to perform the aforementioned tasks? If so, what other mapping program should I install? Basecamps? etc?

By the way, had a good time meeting up with fellow bwca.com members from around Iowa for Cedar Rapids Wingnight. Listened to several speakers at Indian Creek Nature Center near Cedar Rapids, including Marty Koch talk about Paddling Ozark rivers, and some Nature Center paddlers talk about paddling the Kickapoo River in sw Wisconsin and a Iowa couple talk about their paddling trips across America ( Baha, Bar Harbor Maine, Apostle Islands, Florida etc.)

All attendees met up an ale House where the beer was cold and the wings were hot. Lots of good paddling conversation. Can't wait to head to Quetico this summer. See you all at Copia.

Personal preference is to the 64st. Prefer button control arrangement/layout, overall size, capabilities.

Irregardless of trip length more memory at purchase is another preference for me, I want as much on unit as possible and a large removable chip. The listed memory amounts can confuse because preloaded maps take space, as much as several GBs, and amount of available vs total unit mem are not broken down.
The 64st has a North American Topo installed, the Montana and Oregon 600s only a base road map (650t has topo installed).

Red Pine Paddle Nav is a very good all around solution for an alternative map showing portages and campsites and some lake dpths in BWCA, Portages but no camps in Canadian parks.

Tracking and waypoint limitations are similar among all listed units.

I'll be at Copia for discussion (over a brew?), if desired, look for short, round, red/gray hair/beard, with a silly smile!

butthead

You are looking at some very nice GPS units, hard to Choose. I bought the Montana 650T a few months ago. It is similar to the base Montana you listed. I really like it for my needs. I have no idea why some do not like the touch screen like you said. The touchscreen is so easy to navigate around with, just touch instead of remembering what button does what. My last unit was a 76S and the buttons were starting to act up from pressing them. I also chose the Montana for the screen size, and sunlight readability. I also like the changeable screen options between what you are using it for. Anyway good luck on your search, all good units listed.

If the salesperson is right about "newer models will all be Touchscreens," I'd say snap up the 64st in a heartbeat. I far prefer the buttons, especially when ice fishing and not wanting to remove my gloves.

Your link shows a comparison chart with the 64st coming with Topo Canada installed. Are you sure this is what you want? Yes, Quetico is on your mind but having Topo US installed might be a lot more useful for the majority of your travels and you can easily find other solutions (i.e. plugging in a microSD chip) that would do nicely for the occasional Q trip.

Garmin's BaseCamp software is great; it allows saving data to your computer and deleting it from the handheld, freeing up memory and allowing you to select appropriate waypoints and tracks to move back to the unit prior to travels in a particular area.

Other than that, everything butthead said.

quote schweady: "If the salesperson is right about "newer models will all be Touchscreens," I'd say snap up the 64st in a heartbeat. I far prefer the buttons, especially when ice fishing and not wanting to remove my gloves."

Just for clarification, I just did a test with my choppers on, (wool liners and leather mittens). I was able to select and move anywhere around the screen with my choppers on. Ski gloves test worked fine too on the touchscreen.

I've been using a Montana 600 for several summers in the Q and I like it a lot. I use PaddleNav which I like because of the high contrast between the yellow land and blue water, the down-side is some of the portages are not accurate, but that might be the same with whatever you use.
I have not added any additional memory, I don't use an SD card, only the built-in memory and that works for me because I keep lots of info in BaseCamp but, on the GPS, I only put what I need for each specific trip.
I use 3 "Ultimate" lithium batteries and they last about a week with the unit on for about 8 hours each day. I also carry a second set of batteries. Be sure to turn the unit off when you get to camp.
I use a RAM mount with a ball-swivel so I can change the angle to avoid the reflection of the sun. It works fine in the rain. The folks at Garmin said the unit can handle getting dunked if the canoe tips over.

Butthead, Schweady, Savage Voyageur, and RC:

Thanks to you all for posting your opinions on my GPS purchase. The only question I have is regarding memory capacity. The 64st has 8 GB vs. 3 GB for the Montana 600.

How much memory will Red Pine Paddle Nav use up?

What other software for Quetico would you recommend (campsites ?)and how much memory would this other program or programs use up?

I really like the larger 4 inch screen of the Montana 600 and the Touchscreen doesn't seem to be unfriendly ... but I am still wondering if the 3 GB memory capacity is a deal breaker? Can you add another larger capacity memory chip?

Butthead, I will certainly accept your invitation to further discuss this GPS purchase over a cold brew. look for a 6 ft. tall balding old guy (hey ... you are 3 years older than me and you have a lot more hair)

See you at Copia ...

Wally: My 62st's manual says that it has "3.5GB total space; 500MB available for use." To tell you the truth, I've never even thought about it or noticed any limitation in that regard.

What I do bump up against at times is the 2,000 waypoints/200 saved tracks ceiling. This is pretty easily solved by going to BaseCamp to store the whole library and moving to the handheld just the stuff needed for a particular trip, but I sometimes forget and hit the max.

I keep the Upper Midwest Fishing Guide chip installed all the time so I have lake depth maps and more accurate shoreline contours. I use the Arch Harris tracks and waypoints that I installed to BaseCamp for BWCA portages and campsites. There are similar data sets for Quetico, but I have just dabbled in them... butthead will know where you can find them. Lots of custom maps of parks and trails that I store in BaseCamp, too. Never messed with storing other data on chips of my own.

I prefer the buttons; others not so much. I believe that the 64t is the newest of the lot you are comparing, if that means anything.

"The only question I have is regarding memory capacity. The 64st has 8 GB vs. 3 GB for the Montana 600."
Refers to the internal memory on the unit, not added chip memory. Internal memory is storage for base maps and pre-loaded topo maps, and may (I no longer own a Garmin unit), be the storage for tracks and waypoints.

"How much memory will Red Pine Paddle Nav use up?"
If you purchase the chip map or transfer the map to a chip, none. Chip memory is add on, yet separate, from unit memory. Loaded to internal memory, about 1.5 GB

"What other software for Quetico would you recommend (campsites ?)and how much memory would this other program or programs use up?"
Software maps are available in chip form (or downloaded to a chip), which would not affect unit memory, or as downloaded to unit memory, which is limited. Memory size depends on the map. The 100k American Topo pre-loaded takes about 3 GB of unit memory. I was using a 16 GB micro SD chip in my 62st with 10 different mapsets from full Canadian 100k topo, WI MI MN topos, Red Pine Paddlenav, and others. The unit memory held the American 100k Topo, waypoints, tracks, and geocaches.

"I really like the larger 4 inch screen of the Montana 600 and the Touchscreen doesn't seem to be unfriendly ... but I am still wondering if the 3 GB memory capacity is a deal breaker? Can you add another larger capacity memory chip?"
You will probably be fine with 3GB. I'm a map/GPS geek and my preferences are not others, I run sat imaging, USGS Quads, NOAA Harbor Charts and as much 30cm aerial imaging I can get on my Delorme PN60se and 32 GB chip.

Wally, I'll be in touch with ya about meeting at Copia!

butthead

schweady, Ever make a custom map based on the maps you have in BaseCamp, add waypoints/tracks/routes. Then load the whole map on a chip? No impact on limits that way, it's all a part of the map.

butthead

PS: I asked before and looked at your answer again, about locked Garmin maps. Got it now! bh

quote butthead: "schweady, Ever make a custom map based on the maps you have in BaseCamp, add waypoints/tracks/routes. Then load the whole map on a chip? No impact on limits that way, it's all a part of the map.


butthead

PS: I asked before and looked at your answer again, about locked Garmin maps. Got it now! bh"

Actually, the part about making a custom map out of all of it got me to thinking. Thanks. I might just give this a try with a screenshot out of BaseCamp.

This is what some former school colleagues and I would call UDR... Unless Digital Research. Of course, some of it actually turned out to be useful. :)

You can add this memory card to the Montana 600
8 GB for $5

Just pulled the trigger on a Montana 600. Found an online deal for $367 that included free shipping and no tax or handling charges
Montana 600 on line deal Digital Oasis

Link to Digital Oasis Montana 600 did not work. Let's see if I can to work:

Montana 600 on line deal Digital Oasis

The Digital Oasis Montana 600

How To for future reference.

butthead

Butthead

I know how to embed a link... did it in original post. Not sure why it wouldnt embed for me. Thanks for getting LINK on post.

Nudge nudge wink wink, (don't do emoticons) just my normal type response. Kinda fits the moniker.

butthead

Dreaded Double Post

quote Wally13: "
Just pulled the trigger on a Montana 600. Found an online deal for $367 that included free shipping and no tax or handling charges
Montana 600 on line deal Digital Oasis "

You'll love it. Reminds me of what I would always tell folks at my job at school when they asked:
"What kind of computer should I buy?"
"A new one."