New Garmin Montana 700 Series GPS Units with 5" Touchscreen and InReach Capable

[continuecrushing]

Garmin just released an update to the Montana line of handheld gps units, it comes in 3 options...
Montana 700...GPS only
Montana 700i...GPS and InReach
Montana 750i...GPS and InReach and Camera

You can find the full specs at Garmin

I was heavily considering the 66i, but disliked the small screen size (wasn't too happy with the Oregon) so I might just pick it up, but the price tag is up there ($699 for InReach version)

 

[deserteagle56]

If this thing works out to be as good as it sounds I'll be getting one. For years now I have paid big bucks for a satellite phone subscription so, though the price for the Montana is high, it may be well worth it.

The City Navigator and Topo maps included plus Birdseye satellite imagery are just icing on the cake.

 

[pluton]

It's a good idea---a Montana w/ larger screen and comms. I have an early Montana 650T. Each passing year the display quality, touch screen, menu design, and general operability get more and more annoying to work with when compared to the progress achieved in today's modern smartphone displays and OS's. Also, will it accept aftermarket map sources like the old Montana?
UPDATE: Acquired a Montana 700. Pros: Bigger and higher resolution screen, hard glass screen, and overall operational speed are major improvements over the old Montana 600 series. Con(big one): The screen brightness, when the back-illumination is turned all the way up, is a disaster; Using a Minolta Spotmeter F, I measured the screen luminance at about 90 nits (candelas per square mete); The old Garmin 650T (that I bought in 2011) screen does about 290 nits. This is bad---it's almost unreadable when mounted on the dashboard driving during the daytime; with sunglasses on, it is plainly unreadable.

 

[Jacobm]

Probably going to be a toss up between a 66i and the 700i for me. I do wish there was a viable competitor to Garmin, they've lost a lot of my trust after their ransomware attack last week, but I'm not aware of an all-in-one GPS and satellite communicator device that's in the same ballpark as far as price.

 

[W7GES]

It's a good idea---a Montana w/ larger screen and comms. I have an early Montana 650T. Each passing year the display quality, touch screen, menu design, and general operability get more and more annoying to work with when compared to the progress achieved in today's modern smartphone displays and OS's. Also, will it accept aftermarket map sources like the old Montana?
EDIT: Uh oh...looks like it's in the same closed map system as the Overlander. Hope I'm wrong...

I bought a 700i a few days ago. The Garmin Southwest 24k maps work. I downloaded a map (Arizona TOPO) from GPSFILEDEPOT and it works also. The OnX Arizona SD card did not work in the 700i. These are all from SD cards, I didn’t try downloading to the 700i memory.

The OnX hunting map website did say their maps would not work with the 66i or any of the InReach devices. I sold my 66i this morning so I can’t test it.

 

[pluton]

I bought a 700i a few days ago. The Garmin Southwest 24k maps work. I downloaded a map (Arizona TOPO) from GPSFILEDEPOT and it works also. The OnX Arizona SD card did not work in the 700i. These are all from SD cards, I didn’t try downloading to the 700i memory.

This is good news. ^^
Speaking of the Garmin 24K Southwest map, have you noticed that over large sections of Arizona, there are no dirt roads on this map? The Garmin 100K has them, the various topos from GPS File depot have them, the USGS, USGS/ESRI, even the Gaia vector topo maps from Gaia have them, but the Garmin 24K doesn't. Witnessed in extreme southern AZ(Camino Del Diablo) and in extreme northern AZ (Paria Palateau).
My copy of the 24K SW dates from about 2012, on DVD.

 

[deserteagle56]

This is good news. ^^
Speaking of the Garmin 24K Southwest map, have you noticed that over large sections of Arizona, there are no dirt roads on this map? The Garmin 100K has them, the various topos from GPS File depot have them, the USGS, USGS/ESRI, even the Gaia vector topo maps from Gaia have them, but the Garmin 24K doesn't. Witnessed in extreme southern AZ(Camino Del Diablo) and in extreme northern AZ (Paria Palateau).
My copy of the 24K SW dates from about 2012, on DVD.

It's not just Arizona.

I travel Nevada and Utah extensively and I've found that the 24k maps don't have nearly as many roads as the 100k maps. Only thing the 24k maps are good for is that they are routable. So, if the road is on the 24k map I can create a route with just a couple clicks of the mouse and then convert it to a track to use on my Montana which saves a few minutes of time. Other than that, I find the 100k maps (or the gpsfiledepot ones) much more complete.

 

[W7GES]

Well I will find out about the 24k vs 100k dirt roads when I’m out and about...

I do have the Overlander for my UTV, I’m trying to remember if I tried the AZ TOPO card in it yet.

When I’m mountain biking I’ll only have the Montana 700i but I usually try to download a route first so at least I’ll have something to follow if the trail signs aren’t helpful and the 24k maps don’t have the trail / road listed.


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[pluton]

CA has the largest population of dispersed campers right now - watch-out for the used needles.

It's not just Arizona.

I travel Nevada and Utah extensively and I've found that the 24k maps don't have nearly as many roads as the 100k maps.

Maybe someone here who uses the current Garmin Express 24K maps will report on whether they've been improved, dirt road-wise.

 

[deserteagle56]

My understanding is that the 24k and 100k maps have not been updated for many years. So I'm wondering if the Topo maps the 700i comes with are more up to date?

 

[W7GES]

Let me know if there is a specific AZ dirt road / trail that I should try looking at. I can use either the 100k or the 24k (I purchased last week but not sure of the date of the data).

 

[pluton]

Let me know if there is a specific AZ dirt road / trail that I should try looking at.

Definitely the main Camino Del Diablo road, from the Yuma area over to Organ Pipe, and most of it's intersecting roads, were not showing, and..if memory serves---it has been a few years--- some or all of the roads on top of the Paria Plateau.
On the same trip, I'd go from the Paria Plateau (no roads showing), then motor north a few miles over the Utah border and miraculously, the Utah dirt roads were there on the map.

 

[W7GES]

I see El Camino Diablo Este and El Camino Diablo Oeste through the Barry Goldwater Range then they change the name to “Road” through the Wilderness area and Organ Pipe.

In the Paria Plateau I see BLM-209, Pine Tree Rd, etc with the 100k maps.

The 24k maps seem to show the roads such as El Camino Diablo as “unpaved road”.

If I leave the maps on Auto the road names stay listed until I zoom out enough that I can’t see them.

It would be a helpful feature if the map layer used was listed on the screen.


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[Goobo]

Would the Montana 700i be a better solution than the Garmin overlander or are these two completely separate entities?

 

[W7GES]

The Overlander doesn’t have the InReach capability built-in...

It is also Dust-resistant but not water resistant and it is too large to carry on hikes unless you keep it in a pack and how useful is it there?

The battery life is also much longer on the Montana 700i.

I bought both, the Overlander for my UTV (mounted in the middle my wife can help navigate). I will use the Montana 700i hiking, biking and anywhere I don’t need the larger screen.

If you have a compatible InReach device you can initiate messages and SOS alert from the Overlander that is paired to the InReach.


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